“The chakra system is a model for the flow of energy that runs through all life and through the energy system. It is like a ladder that takes us up from the physical realm of substance through the workings of the higher mind and spirit, and into the realm of Divine Consciousness.” ~Ambika Waters
What are chakras and why should you care? Mention of the chakras can be dated back to 500 B.C. in Yogic texts found in India. The word “chakra” translates to ‘wheel’ or ‘disk’. We can use the image of a wheel to understand how chakras look inside our body. The chakras are energy centers that spin like a wheel/disk and attach to the spine (and additional locations) in the body.
There are 7 main chakras that run along the spine and into the throat, forehead and the center of the crown. Although many recognize the main 7 chakras, there are some that believe there are up to 112 chakras throughout the body. The main 7 chakras have their own characteristics, symbolism and sources of power. We want our chakras open and in balance, but oftentimes life experiences, trauma, patterns and belief systems affect our chakra system. These patterns and experiences can bring one or more chakra out of balance. You can look at trauma, heartache, and life experiences as making an imprint on a chakra and slowing it down. Chakras can close and open in reaction to life experiences almost like an eye pupil reacts to light. As a fundamental component of Yoga, we can use different techniques to practice opening and maintaining a healthy chakra system.
Perhaps you are wondering why you should care about the chakra system or some “obscure energy center” you cannot feel in your body? Tapping into the chakras is a very powerful tool that can create harmony in the body. If the microcosm is a mirror to the macrocosm, then making shifts internally begins to make shifts in our life- externally.
When chakras are open and in balance, we find that we are able to flow through life with more ease and stability. There are many techniques to help bring harmony to your chakra system, which range from: meditation, pranayama, therapy, creative expression, asana and aromatherapy.
Needless to say, the past year has affected all of us deeply, both on a collective and individual level. If every experience is absorbed in the body, then this last year has taken quite a toll on the body and chakra system. This is why we have put together a 3-week Chakra Consciousness Course with chakra expert and meditation facilitator, Michele Kay. We will dive into the many benefits and paths of discovery surrounding this energy system. Throughout the sessions, we will discuss: what are the chakras exactly? What function do they serve? Why are they important to know and understand? How can they help us in these changing times, as well as in our everyday lives? Michele will guide us weekly in meditation which will help us tap into the chakras one-by-one. Thus, helping us feel more connected to these parts of ourselves and the power stored within each chakra.
If you would like to join the series or learn more about, click here to view the event page.