Chakras
Chakra means wheel in Sanskrit.
According to buddhist, hinduist, and Qigong traditions, chakras are energy centers located in our bodies. When energy is blocked in any of them, it can lead to emotional or physical energy imbalance.
There are seven major chakras, each acting as a focal point for specific aspects of our consciousness and related to one of the glands of the body’s endocrine system. Each chakra is also associated to one of the seven colors of the rainbow spectrum.
Muladhara
Muladhara is the root of existence, symbolized by a lotus with four petals.
Muladhara is located near the coccyx beneath the sacrum. Its activation point is located between the perineum and the coccyx or the pelvic bone.
The seed mantra associated to Muladhara is lam, represented in the middle of the lotus. The point that forms part of the syllable, called bindu, represents Brahma, The Creator. Its *tattwa*, representing the element of Earth, is a yellow square. The inverted triangle that appears just below the syllable is the seat of kundalini, a divine feminine energy, which is said to sleep there.
Svadisthana
Svadhisthana, symbolized by a lotus with six petals, is center of creativity, intuition, and sexuality. This chakra is blocked by fear, especially the fear of death. Opening this chakra can boost creativity, desire, and confidence.
Svadhisthana, which is Sanskrit means “where your being is established”, is located below the navel, where the perineum is.
The seed mantra associated to Svadhisthana is vam, represented in the middle of the lotus. The point that forms part of the syllable, called bindu, represents Vishnu, The Preserver. Its *tattwa*, representing the element of Water and its relationship with the phases of the Moon, is shown as a silver crescent just below the syllable.
Manipura
Manipura, symbolized by a lotus with ten petals, is the center of personal power and inner fire. When this chakra is balanced, you gain self-esteem and feel confident. When it is blocked, you will be passive, indecisive, and apprehensive. When overactive, you may feeld arrogant and aggressive.
Manipura, which is Sanskrit means “city of jewels”, is located above the navel and below the rib-cage.
The seed mantra associated to Manipura is ram, represented in the middle of the lotus. The point that forms part of the syllable, called bindu, represents Rudra, a deity associated with wind or storm and the ability to eradicate problems. Its *tattwa*, representing the element of Fire, is shown as a triangle surrounding the seed mantra.
Anahata
Anahata, symbolized by a lotus with twelve petals around a six-pointed star, is associated with love, attachment, compassion, and trust. When this chakra is balanced, you feel empathy and love, both towards yourself and other people. When it is blocked, connecting with others will become hard. When overactive, you may overwhelm others with your love and compassion.
Anahata, which is Sanskrit means “unhurt, unstruck, and unbeaten”, is located along the spine near the heart.
The seed mantra associated to Anahata is yam, which means to let go, to give, and is represented in the middle of the lotus. The point that forms part of the syllable, called bindu, represents Isha, which means “the formless divine” and is associated to Shiva in a number of Hindu traditions. Its *tattwa*, representing the element of Air, is shown as a six-pointed star surrounding the seed mantra.
Vishuddha
Vishuddha, symbolized by a lotus with sixteen petals, is associated with peace, integrity, and creative expression. When this chakra is balanced, you are able to transform negative experiences into learning. When it is blocked, you might tend to certain negativity and lack of expression. When overactive, you might suffer from an excess of verbal expression and poor listening disposition.
Vishuddha, which is Sanskrit means “especially pure”, is located at the throat region, near the spine.
The seed mantra associated to Vishuddha is ham, which is represented in the middle of the lotus. The point that forms part of the syllable, called bindu, represents Sadashiva, that represents the five senses among other things. Its *tattwa*, representing the element of Aether, is shown as a downward-pointing triangle containing a circular region surrounding the seed mantra.
Ajna
Ajna, symbolized by a transparent lotus with two petals, is associated with the subconscious mind, intuition, and communication. When this chakra is balanced, you have clairvoyance and tend to dream a lot. When it is blocked, you might tend to rely on beliefs, feel confused, and depend on other people’s ideas. When overactive, you tend to live in a world of fantasy and imagination.
Ajna, which is Sanskrit means “beyond wisdom” or “command”, is located in the center of the forehead between the eyebrows.
The seed mantra associated to Ajna is om, considered the basic sound of the world and containing all other sounds. The two petals are associated to Shiva and Shakti. This chakra has no *tattwa*, but its inner, downward triangle represents wisdom.
Sahasrara
Sahasrara, symbolized by a lotus flower with 1,000 petals, is associated with the spiritual self. When this chakra is balanced, you feel more open-minded and tend to be aware of the world and how it is connected to yourself. When it is blocked, you cannot get in touch with your spiritual reality and tend to get stuck into rigid thinking. When overactive, it is easy to fall into the trap of intellectualizing everything all the time up to the extreme of prioritizing spirituality over your bodily needs.
Sahasrara, which is Sanskrit means “thousand” or “infinite”, is located at the top of the head.
It is the most potent energy centre in the entire chakra system, since all other chakras emanates from it.