What are 7 chakras in the human body?

Chakras are the nerve centres seen in our body. There are 1,72,000 Nadis (channels of metaphysical energy or life-force) in our body, and there are various nerve centres for these 1,72,000 Nadis. The human body actually has 109 nerve centres, but among those, nine centres are important, and even in those nine, seven centres (Chakras) are of primary importance. And when energy (kundalini) or consciousness flows through these nerve centres, there are different emotions, feelings or sensations that one experiences.

There are seven chakras or energy centers in the human body through which our vital energy or prana shakti flows. Sometimes, these energy channels get blocked and this leads to illness and disturbances in the body’s natural processes. It is important to understand what each chakra represents and what we can do to keep this energy flowing freely. This is possible when the chakras are balanced.

How yoga helps to balance 7 chakras in the body

When a chakra i.e. wheel of energy is stuck, movement can help release the prana (energy). Yoga postures are a great way to release stale or stuck energy from the body because they invite fresh, vital energy back in through poses and the breath.

The practice of yoga ultimately leads us to a state of union, which is possible when we create a state in our body where energy can flow freely from the base of the spine (the Root Chakra), through and beyond the top of the head (the Crown Chakra). When energy can flow freely through us like this, we can achieve a state of union with cosmic energy, which flows through all living things.  When each chakra is unblocked, it spins like a wheel, hence the word ‘chakra’ meaning ‘wheel’ in Sanskrit.

Since yoga is both a physical and spiritual practice, yoga poses are not only exercises for your body but also your mind, emotions, and spirit, making it the perfect practice for balancing your chakras.

The 7 chakras in the human body

Let’s explore the seven chakras in our body, how they affect the body, what imbalance does to our personality and organs, and how to set it right by balancing the chakras with yoga asanas or poses.

  1. Muladhara Chakra
  2. Swadishthana Chakra
  3. Manipura Chakra
  4. Anahata Chakra
  5. Vishuddhi Chakra
  6. Ajna Chakra
  7. Sahasrara Chakra

1. Muladhara Chakra

Element: Earth

Color: Red

Mantra: LAM

Location: Base of the spine between the anus and genitals 

How it affects the body: The Muladhara Chakra influences the health of the bones, teeth, nails, anus, prostate, adrenals, kidneys, lower digestive functions, excretory functions, and sexual activity.

Imbalance in the chakra leads to tiredness, poor sleep, lower back pain, sciatica, constipation, depression, immune-related disorders, obesity, and eating disorders.

The behavioral impact of the imbalance:Traits of a balanced chakra:
ungrounded feara feeling of being grounded and centered
angersense of commitment and independence
low self-esteemenergy and vitality
insecuritystrength and stillness
obsession with comfortability to digest food well
possessiveness 

Poses that balance Muladhara chakra: Grounding-into-feet poses like

o  Tadasana (The Mountain Pose)

o   Parsvakonasana (Extended Side Angle Pose)

o   Veerabhadrasana (Warrior Pose)

o   Hastapadasana (Standing Forward Bend)

o   Setu Bandhasana (Bridge Pose)

2. Swadishthana Chakra

Element: Water

Color: Orange

Mantra: VAM

Location: Situated at the base of the pubis between the genitals and the sacral nerve plexus

How it affects the body: The Swadishthana Chakra deals with the individual’s emotional identity, creativity, desire, pleasure and self-gratification, procreation, and personal relationships.

It governs the sexual organs, stomach, upper intestines, liver, gallbladder, kidney, pancreas, adrenal glands, spleen, middle spine, and autoimmune system.

An unbalanced Swadishthana Chakra leads to lower back pain, sciatica, decreased libido, pelvic pain, urinary problems, poor digestion, low resistance to infection and viruses, tiredness, hormonal imbalances, and menstrual problems.

The behavioral impact of imbalance:Traits of a balanced chakra:
irritabilitya feeling of compassion and friendliness
shyness intuitiveness
guiltvitality
tendency to blamesense of belonging
sexual obsessiongood sense of humor
lack of creativity 

Poses that balance Swadishthana chakra: Hip opening poses like

o   Standing Wide Forward Bend

o   Sitting Wide Forward Bend

o   Bound Angle Pose

3. Manipura Chakra

Element: Fire

Color: Yellow

Mantra: RAM

Location: At the level of the umbilicus corresponding to the gastric or solar plexus 

How it affects the body: Manipura Chakra deals with a sense of belonging, mental understanding of emotions, and defines self-esteem in an individual.

It governs the effective functioning of the upper abdomen, gallbladder, liver, middle spine, kidney, adrenals, small intestines, and the stomach.

An unbalanced Manipura Chakra may lead to diabetes, pancreatitis, adrenal imbalances, arthritis, colon diseases, stomach ulcers, intestinal tumors, anorexia/bulimia, or low blood pressure.

The behavioral impact of the imbalance:Traits of a balanced chakra:
lack of self-esteemenergetic and confident nature
timidnessintelligence
sense of depressionhigh productivity
fear of rejectionimproved focus
inability to make decisionsgood digestion
judgmental and angry nature 
hostility 

Postures that balance Manipura chakra: Heat-building poses like

o   Sun Salutation Pose

o   Veerabhadrasana (Warrior Pose)

o   Backbends like Bow Pose

o  Twists like Sitting Half-spinal Twist

o   Abdominal-strengthening poses like Boat Pose

4. Anahata Chakra

Element: Air

Colors: Green or pink

Mantra: YAM

Location: On the cardiac plexus in the region of the heart

How it affects the body: Anahata Chakra affects a person’s social identity and influences traits like trust, forgiveness, unconditional love, wisdom, compassion, and issues of the soul.

It deals with the functioning of the heart, rib cage, blood, circulatory system, lungs and diaphragm, thymus gland, breasts, esophagus, shoulders, arms, hands.

An imbalance can cause issues related to the thoracic spine, upper back and shoulder problems, asthma, heart conditions, shallow breathing, and lung diseases.

The behavioral impact of the imbalance:Traits of a balanced chakra:
difficulty with lovethe feeling of completeness and wholeness
lack of hope, compassion, and confidencecompassion
feeling of despairempathy
mood variationsfriendliness
 optimism
 increased motivation
 outgoing nature

Postures that balance Anahata chakra: Chest-openers like

o   Ustrasana (Camel Pose)

o   Bhujangasana (Cobra Pose)

o   Matsyasana (Fish pose)

o   Nadi Shodhan Pranayama (Alternate Nostril Breathing)

5. Vishuddhi Chakra

Element: Sound or Ether

Color: Blue

Mantra: HAM

Location: On the level of the throat, the nerve plexus of the pharynx region

How it affects the body: Vishuddhi Chakra deals with personality traits like communication, creativity, faith, truthfulness, self-awareness, and expression.

It governs the throat, the thyroid, and parathyroid gland, trachea, cervical vertebrae, vocal cords, neck and shoulders, arms, hands, esophagus, mouth, teeth, and gums.

An unbalanced Vishuddhi Chakra causes thyroid dysfunctions, sore throat, stiff neck, mouth ulcers, gum or tooth problems, laryngitis, and hearing problems.

The behavioral impact of the imbalance:Traits of a balanced chakra:
shaken faithIncreased creativity and expressiveness
indecisivenesseffective communication skills
weak will-powercontentedness
lack of expressivenessgood listening abilities
lack of creativity 
proneness to addictions 

Postures that balance Vishuddhi chakra:

o   Matsyasana (Fish pose)

o   Marjariasana (Cat Stretch)

o   Neck stretches like Balasana and Supported Shoulder Stand

o   Setu Bandhasana (Bridge Pose)

o   Halasana (Plow Pose)

6. Ajna Chakra

Element: Light

Colors: Indigo

Mantra: AUM or OM

Location: Between the eyebrows (third eye)

How it affects the body: Ajna Chakra deals with self-awareness, wisdom, intellect, clairvoyance, implementation of ideas, detachment, insight, understanding, and intuitive reasoning.

It governs the functions of the brain, eyes, ears, nose, pituitary gland, pineal glands, and the neurological system. Any imbalance could lead to headaches, nightmares, eyestrain, learning disabilities, panic, depression, blindness, deafness, seizures, or spinal dysfunctions.

The behavioral impact of the imbalance:Traits of a balanced chakra:
poor judgmentclear thinking
confusionhealthy imagination
fear of truthstrong intuition power
indisciplinegood concentration
concentration issuesimproved focus
proneness to addictions 

Postures that balance Ajna chakra:

o   Shishuasana (Child Pose)

o   Meditation

o   Seated Yoga Mudra

o   Eye exercises like palming the eyes and rotational viewing

7. Sahasrara Chakra

Element: Conscience

Colors: Violet or White

Mantra: Silence

Location: Crown of the head

How it affects the body: Sahasrara Chakra influences intuitive knowledge, connection to spirituality, integration of mind-body-spirit, and conscious awareness.

It governs the center of the head and midline above the ears, brain, nervous system, and the pineal gland.

An imbalance in the Sahasrara Chakra causes chronic exhaustion and sensitivity to light and sound.

The behavioral impact of the imbalance:Traits of a balanced chakra:
lack of purposea feeling of oneness with the universe
identity crisisopen-mindedness
disbelief in any spiritual practices, or devotionintelligence
lack of inspirationthoughtfulness
sense of fearreceptivity to thoughts and ideas
materialistic naturean overall harmonious personality

Postures that balance Sahasrara chakra:

o  Balancing poses like Tree Pose that bring awareness to the body        

o  Yoga Mudra

Imbalance is a part of life, however, regular  practice of yoga asanas will help you balance your chakras, enabling you to live a fulfilled, contented, and happy life in the pink of health!

You can watch a video on the purification of chakras by Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar

FAQs on seven chakras and what they do

The seven chakras are – Muladhara Chakra, Swadishthan Chakra, Manipura Chakra, Anahata Chakra, Vishuddhi Chakra, Ajna Chakra, Sahasrara Chakra. Balance of each of these chakras induce unique benefits.
Practice Hari Om meditation, a 20-minute guided meditation for balancing chakras. For a specific chkara, use the tables in this article to know which of your chakras are blocked. Then practice the specific yoga poses that can help you unblock the chakra. Also tend to the problem which is causing a block in the chakra: Take relevant medical professional help.
Whenever a person is extremely focused, and if they are doing their task with utmost dedication and concentration, then their third eye activates, specifically for that aspect of their life. It also works in reverse. If a person is meditating or doing other practices to activate their third eye, they are seen to experience increased focus and concentration in the tasks that they are dedicated to.
Check the symptoms of imbalance in this article and see which chakra is out of balance.
When you are extremely focused, your third eye is automatically activated.
Yoga helps unblock chakras and nadi, subtle energy centers and channels.

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