What are Chakras?
Chakras are the energy centres of the body. Sometimes Chakras are used as object of meditation in meditations or visualisations. There are people who can hardly imagine what their meditation experiences would be like without Chakra meditations. There are also people for whom Chakra meditations have no appeal at all. As is the case with all meditation exercises we advise you to try out the various techniques to find exactly the right form of meditation that suits you best as an individual. In this article you can read all about the theory behind Chakra meditations. Good luck!
Chakras look like a kind of energy funnel that turns like a wheel (Chakra means wheel in Sanskrit). Through these centres we absorb energy from the cosmos and use it for all our physical, emotional, mental and spiritual processes. The seven main Chakras are located in the physical body in those areas where the most important nerve centres are to be found. From these centres the Chakras divide their energy. In this way the heart Chakra provides energy for the heart and the thymus.
Each Chakra consists of two parts. On the front side of the body turns one wheel and on the back side turns its counterpart. Tougher they form a Chakra. It is important that the front side and the back side of a Chakra are well-balanced. In that way they can best provide the body with energy. The front side represents the emotional side, the Chakras at the backside of the body represent the will side. The base Chakra and the crown Chakra the lowest and the highest Chakras in the body are the only energy centres of which the broad end of the funnel points downward or upward. All the other Chakras run horizontally across the body.
All Chakras have a different function (mind: the Chakras with the extension A are to be found at the front side of the body, those with the B are to be found at the back side):
Chakra 1 (the base centre) :
The power of the first Chakra determines the physical energy that a person has and the will to live in the physical reality. Besides: the first Chakra is also important for our physical health. A person with a healthy first Chakra is clearly present in the here and now.
Chakra 2A (the sex centre):
The front part of the second chakra governs the quality of our love for the opposite sex. Someone with a healthy chakra 2A has a pleasant sex life.
Chakra 2B (the sacrum centre):
The back part of the second chakra governs the quality of someone's sex life. When this centre is blocked up the person in question is likely to avoid sex.
Chakra 3A (plexus solaris):
Chakra 3A governs among other things the quality of our thinking. Besides: this chakra is also responsible for the well functioning of our emotional life. The cause of this is that thoughts largely determine our feelings. Someone with an open chakra 3A has a fulfilling emotional life. He lets his feelings be without getting carried away by them. This chakra also governs our relationship with other people and our deep inner awareness of the unique place that each of us has in the universe.
Chakra 3B (diaphragm centre):
Chakra 3B is often called the healing chakra because this chakra plays an important part in healing processes and guarantees our physical health. This chakra is usually open when you intend to be healthy and are willing to do your best for this.
| Chakras and their Colours |
Colour |
| First chakra
(base, health)
|
Red |
| Second chakra
(sex, emotions)
|
Orange-red |
| Third chakra
(plexus solaris,
thinking)
|
Yellow |
| Fourth chakra
(heart, love)
|
Bright grass-green
|
| Fifth chakra
(throat,
communication)
|
Sky-blue |
| Sixth chakra
(forehead,
intuition)
|
Indigo |
| Seventh chakra
(crown,
spirituality)
|
White |
Chakra 4A (heart centre):
The better the heart centre functions the better we love the people and the animals around us. When this chakra is open you see your fellow human beings exactly as they are. Including their negative sides.
Chakra 4B (between the shoulderblades):
This centre governs our ego and our will. When this chakra is open you have a positive attitude towards carrying out your lifetasks and you view the people around you as supporting you in this. When you feel that the universe is a hostile place, this chakra will be closed or turn counterclockwise. Such a person will try to control other people. When chakra 4B is big and chakra 4A is small, this means that such a person will try to realise certain ambitions primarily through his will. For such a person it is important to learn to realise that people can also achieve a lot through love and trust.
Chakra 5A (throat chakra):
When you take good care of your personal needs you have a Chakra 5A that functions well. When this Chakra turns counterclockwise it is hard for such a person to receive what is given to him. When someone has a negative view of the universe and of what is offered to him he develops a negative power field around him and he will attract this negativity. This follows the law: "powers that are similar attract each other".
Chakra 5B (lower neck vertebra):
The back side of the fifth Chakra is also called the "professional Chakra). This centre has to do with someone's self esteem toward society and his profession. If someone does not feel good about this he will be inclined to make his discomfort invisible by means of pride. When this centre is open the person's job offers him sufficient challenges. Fear of failure, which prevents a person from creating the things that he wants to create, is also to be found in this Chakra. Such a person will avoid meeting new people or he will say that he finds a career unimportant. However, at the root of such behaviour you find the fear of making new acquaintances or confronting oneself with challenges.
Chakra 6A (forehead centre):
Chakra 6A governs our imagination and the ability to visualise. This Chakra represents creative energy and the ability to develop new ideas. Besides: in this centre you can observe how a person views the world and how he thinks the world responds to him.
Chakra 6B (practical intelligence):
Chakra 6B (at the back of the head) governs the realisation of the ideas of Chakra 6A. When this centre turns clockwise, the ideas are followed up by the proper activities. When Chakra 6A is open, but 6B is closed this means that someone has a lot of ideas, but does not succeed in realising them. This can be very frustrating. The ability of Chakra 6B to function well is then frustrated by convictions like "I cannot do this" or "I do not want to have any responsibilities."
Chakra 7 (crown centre):
This centre which points upwards connects man with his spirituality, which is a very personal experience. When this Chakra is open someone derives power and fulfilment from his spiritual life. With people who are not interested in spirituality this centre will be small and it will be waiting until it may start to grow.
The colours of the Chakras
Each Chakra has its own colour and provides a body part of its own with energy. Which colour belongs to which Chakra can be seen in the table in the upper right corner. When you do meditation exercises in which Chakras are the object of meditation or when you intend to examine if your Chakras function well by means of visualisation, you can see whether in your visualisations you can recognise the colours that belong to the various Chakras.
Read What are Chakras? (part two) to learn more about Chakras.
This article is contributed by:
Arjan is coach/trainer and specializes in working with energy, Chakras, and auras. If you have any questions about this article or you wish to contact Arjan, please mail to Arjan Slijp.
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