CHAKRAS – A VERY QUICK OVERVIEW
A concept sometimes used during meditation is that of energy centers called Chakras. The popularity of yoga has made them a familiar concept throughout North America. Other spiritual practices have similar energy systems, some are also referred to as Chakras. For simplicity’s sake we will use a pared down version of the more familiar yoga Chakras.
Generally, there are 7 major Chakras, and dozens (if not hundreds depending on who you listen to) minor Chakras. At the end of this description there is a very rough drawing indicating where the 7 main Chakras are located on the human body. You can check online for many beautiful artworks depicting Chakras.
Starting with the ones closest to earth and going up (when doing Chakra meditations I usually start with the base ones and work up to the higher ones. I find it helps me to be more “grounded” during the meditation):
| NAME | # | Sanscrite Name | COLOUR | SOUND | APPROX. LOCATION | ATTRIBUTES |
| Root | 1 | Muladhara | Red | Lam | Perineum, the region between the genitals and the anus | Is associated with the earth and feeling secure and entitled to be alive. |
| Sacral | 2 | Svadhisthana | Orange | Vam | Sacrum (Navel) | Physically governs sex organs. Is associated with basic emotions, creativity and reproduction. |
| Solar Plexis | 3 | Manipura | Yellow | Ram | Solar Plexis | Physically governs metabolic and digestive systems, and is associated with personal power |
| Heart | 4 | Anahata | Green (or pink) | Yam | Heart + Lungs | Physically associated with circulation, emotionally with love for self, others and the world. |
| Throat | 5 | Vishuddha | Light Blue | Ham | Base of your throat | Governs communication and growth through expression. |
| Brow 3rd eye | 6 | Anja | Indigo or dark Purple | Sham | Forehead, behind your eyes | Associated with sight, intuition and clear seeing |
| Crown | 7 | Sahasrara | Gold | Ohm | Top of your head | Universal consciousness |
If you would like a more in depth study of chakras, there is a wealth of information to be found online and I will be adding resources to this site that I feel would be useful to you. In the meantime if you to choose an “energy system” that makes sense to you it will make it easier to visualize your energy.
I feel it is helpful to find a system that works for you now instead of getting lost in the search for “the right way”.
Now you have a rough “road map” I will describe mini visualizations that can be used with each one in future posts 🙂
The poster below is both practical and looks great.