The Chakra Rights – Finding Balance in the Mind and Body

I made a post last week about “Chakra Rights” and hosted a “Chakra Balancing Flow” in early January.  I thought a blog post for those people not as familiar with the chakras may be helpful.

First, the chakras are a system of psychological energy centers that run from the bottom of the spine to the crown of the head.  Understanding these centers brings a deeper understanding of how our mind and body are connected.  Each chakra has corresponding areas of the body that it influences, and maps physiologically very well in the body with the autonomic nervous system (part of the nervous system that controls non-conscious bodily functions like breathing, heartbeat, and digestion).  We also gain insight and influence to our chakra system by having a conscious awareness about the way we interact with the world around us – the way we see ourselves and others in the world; the way we communicate; the quality and patterns of our relationships; our motivation and passion for challenges; our ability to create; and, our feelings of safety and connection.  There is a wealth of knowledge and exploration that can go into each chakra, but today I wanted to share the chakras with you by speaking to the “Chakra Rights”.

Yogi Bhajan was a yogi and spiritual teacher who brought Kundalini yoga to the west.  He is quoted with saying, “I am sharing these teachings to create a science of the Total Self…It is the birthright of every human being to be healthy, happy, and holy.”  I love this quote, because it really speaks to the fact that we are not broken or “messed up”.  We are created and wired to be happy and healthy – we are whole.  It is with life experiences, unhelpful thought patterns, and patterns of unhealthy behavior that brings a feeling of disconnection, illness, and unhappiness.  Each chakra offers a map to explore patterns and experiences that take us farther away from our birthright to be “happy and healthy”.

Here they are briefly:

1.  Root – To Be Here and To Have

• The right of this chakra is simply to be here.  In balance, we can stay grounded in the present and release fears that hold us back from growing psychologically and physically in the world.

2.  Sacral – To Feel

• This means feeling connected to yourself and to others around you.  In balance, we feel creative, maintain good health practices, are connected to emotional responses, and enjoy connection and contact with others.  We are able to release guilt that may hold us back from feeling connected.

3.  Solar Plexus – To Act

• This chakra right means acting with confidence, honoring your personal values, and bravely taking steps towards goals.  Releasing shame, a balanced third chakra allows self-esteem and self-worth to grow.

4.  Heart – To Love and Be Loved

• Simply that we all can love and we can be loved.  Releasing grief, the heart chakra in balance offers acceptance and compassion to other and ourselves.  It is the place that allows for vulnerability and welcomes in love.

5.  Throat – To Speak and Be Heard

• The right to speak our truth in a way that others can listen and understand.  By releasing the lie that what we have to say is not important OR more important than others, we can gain perspective and clearly communicate with integrity to the world.

6. Third Eye – To See

• This chakra asks us to release the illusions that hold us back from clarity and truth.  In balance, you understand how things around you are working, you can solve challenges calmly, and you are intuitive.

7.  Crown – To Know and Understand

• The crown chakra connects us with a view of the world where in balance we can contemplate and feel connected to a purpose larger than what is going on inside ourselves. By releases the attachments (psychological or physical), we are able to be aware of a global or collective unconscious, as well as the larger purpose.

This information is just dipping your toe into the water of the chakra system.  If you are interested in learning more immediately, there are many books that can be of help.  Maybe try out Wheels of Life by Anodea Judith.  I think just contemplating the different chakras and our right to be “healthy, happy, and holy” is a great place to start.  If we can embrace this as a truth, we can start to separate ourselves from the thoughts or external experiences that falsely send the message of being broken or wrong.  Then with compassion and understanding we can make decisions in our own behaviors that bring us balance.