You are balanced. I live with you.
you are me, you are my chakras
your chakras flow naturally. it’s not easy but you do it.
You ask how. How do you live true to who you are, your honor, your self and know it?
You know it every moment because you can feel it.
poem: you help me walk with strength, enchanted. i’m open to you as you arrive, speak and feel. i know who you are.
Open all the channels to you in your yoga practice! Then feel the benefits in your life. When your chakras are opened and enlightened… you won’t have to question it. “Do your practice, and all is coming” ~Sri K Pattabhi Jois.
If chakras are not balanced, or if they are blocked, the basic life force will be slowed down. Do you ever look at your body this way? An imbalance could actually leave you feeling tired, doubtful or depressed, and could also affect physical bodily functions, allowing disease to fester.
clear the pathways, but keep your boundaries
Yoga can touch each of the seven chakras, and a constant balance between the chakras promotes wellbeing and health. Witness this prana (“breath”) yourself as it moves from the base of the spine (up the sushumna) to the crown of the head. This energy is the life-sustaining force of living beings and vitality believed to flow through a network of fine subtle channels called nadis. Keep the chakras open, but not too opened, or you could get too much universal energy in the body and too fast.
balance between openness and protection
Root chakra (1st): Get grounded
Ask yourself if you are grounded. It’s easy to float through life without being in your mind and body. It’s easier to be in someone else’s mind.
Chakra one (Muladhara Chakra) is connected to your basic needs, security and survival. It’s primal in nature. It’s no joke. If you can’t get past this, you stay here. Respect it. It is also where manifestations come from. If you want your dreams to come true, be grounded into the earth first and know your purpose and connection.
The first chakra is physically located in your body at the base of your spine at the tailbone and at the perineum. To feel your power in this chakra, stand up tall and energetically plug your feet into the earth, allowing the grounding force to connect you to all that empowers your being.
Root chakra out of balance
If the root chakra is too open or dominant, you could be self-centered or greedy. Living from the first chakra takes all you’ve got. There isn’t much room for anything else. It is emotionally straining, and takes up a lot of vibrance that you could dedicate elsewhere in your precious life.
If the opposite is occurring and the root chakra is blocked, you can’t hide because what’s lurking below in the dark will control you anyway—and it will do it in a devious way. It could cause displaced anger toward a larger entity, insecurity about skills or overall depression, fear and powerlessness. Physical ramifications are: obesity, anorexia, knee troubles.
Root chakra in balance
The root body parts include the hips, legs, lower back and sexual organs (male). When it’s particularly challenging to balance the root chakra, it’s helpful to know its connection to the 7th chakra (see below for more), in particular the spirit connection with the universe. This knowledge helps fear feel some comfort that it needs.
When the 1st chakra is flowing freely and balanced, your life is grounded and feeling stable. It’s important to be proactive about your grounding. Wake each day—before anything else—and make sure you breathe fully (especially long slow exhales). Whenever you think of it, do this. All day long if you can. If you forget, don’t worry; just start again in that moment you notice. Listen to tribal music, drums or Tibetan bells.
poem: i don’t know you or how you do it, but when i’m not looking you trap me and hold me down. your arms are heaviness encapsulating me. but, when i feel you grounding me, each of my toes touch the floor at the same time and know their purpose.
Sacral chakra (2nd): Feel creative
Do you feel creative now? Right now. Or is there something you know is trapped inside? Are you living the life you are meant to live?
Chakra two (Svadhishthana Chakra) is connected to your basic needs for sexuality, creativity, intuition and self-worth. It governs your confidence in your own ability to relate to others. It is physically located in the lower abdomen above the pubis bone. To feel this chakra is to get in touch with your inner cravings and to transform them to energy that makes you thrive, both internally and externally.
Sacral chakra out of balance
If the sacral chakra is too dominant, you revolve around satisfying desires as the answer to all things in life. It can then become a pattern, full of short-lived joys and slumps where you feel discouraged.
If the opposite is occurring and the sacral chakra is blocked, passion and excitement can go into hiding. Instead, you can be emotionally explosive, hard on yourself, manipulative, obsessed with sexual thoughts or lack energy. Physical ramifications are: kidney weakness, stiff lower back, constipation, muscle spasms.
Sacral chakra in balance
The sacral body parts are the lower back, sacrum, sexual organs (female), kidneys, bladder, large intestine. Because of the deep connection to the 6th chakra, intuition can help you balance your creative forces.
When the 2nd chakra is flowing freely and balanced, you are open to your creative and sensual sides, you trust your feelings that have pathways to shine. Offer this to yourself.
poem: i want you to understand something. it isn’t me, it’s you. i need you. i don’t want you to leave ever. i want to eat you up. i need to keep you close.
Solar Plexus chakra (3rd): Be self-assured
Use the momentum you feel when energy picks up and rises.
Chakra three (Manipura Chakra) connects you to the drive to make things happen, which feeds your self-esteem. It is physically located in the solar plexus—below the ribcage. To feel this chakra is to stoke your inner fire, allowing your body to guide you where it is meant to go. You can access this chakra with any cardiovascular physical activity.
Solar Plexus chakra out of balance
If the solar plexus chakra is too dominant, you are always moving, never stopping (and do not seem fulfilled with your energetic ways, and maybe you are always angry). It seems never-ending, but you won’t stop. You don’t rest because you feel it’s a waste of time or you’d be bored. You are impatient.
If the opposite is occurring and the solar plexus chakra is blocked, you’ll suffer from low self-esteem, may eat extra carbs to cover up feelings, you’ll worry and doubt yourself, lack confidence, be confused, worry about what others think, feel others are controlling your life, etc. Physical ramifications are: digestive difficulties, nervous exhaustion, food allergies.
Solar Plexus chakra in balance
The Solar plexus body parts are the stomach, liver, gall bladder, pancreas, small intestine. The connection to the 5th chakra of communication helps with self-esteem.
When the 3rd chakra is flowing freely and balanced, your balanced state is cheerful, outgoing, expressive and full of self-respect, enjoyable new challenges and a strong sense of personal power.
poem: i have a hard time waiting, as if impatience is my path to you. run to me as i run to you, please. i’ll meet you there. hurry. i’m waiting.
Heart chakra (4th): Open heart
Love enters you when it’s ready. It finds you still and allows you to know love with complete clarity.
Chakra four (Anahata Chakra) connects you to the heart—and to love—and invites that you follow its guidance. It is physically located at the center of the chest. Backbends access this chakra. It’s common to feel extreme love or even sadness, fear or anxiety here. Sticking with it—not giving in to the intensity of emotion that could convince you to give up—shows courage and rewards you on the other side with a peaceful state of being.
Heart chakra out of balance
If the heart chakra is too dominant, you won’t be able to hold back emotion. You may be like a waterfall, frequently crying or may not understand why others aren’t feeling it all too. You will be overwhelmed or alone in your emotions.
If the opposite is occurring and the heart chakra is blocked, you may feel apathetic about love, but you’ll sense that something is missing in your life. You’ll be pessimistic about love. You may feel sorry for yourself, paranoid, indecisive, afraid of letting go, afraid of getting hurt and mostly feel that you are unworthy of love.
Heart chakra in balance
The heart body parts are the heart, lungs, circulatory system, shoulders, upper back. The heart is the energetic center of all of the chakras.
It’s important to live with an open heart, but keep its boundaries functioning as protection so that softness reigns over sadness, resulting in powerful love. When the 4th chakra is flowing freely and balanced, you’ll feel compassionate, friendly, empathetic and have the desire to nurture others.
poem: with you i believe how precious the teardrop is. you feel me then. how could you not? i am full. i have been carrying the holes of you. i love you.
Throat chakra (5th): Be articulate
Are you hearing your own words before you speak them? Are you clear within yourself?
Chakra five (Vishuddha Chakra) connects you to your inner voice. It is physically located at the throat and neck region. It accesses pure honesty within yourself, and begs you to communicate these truths by whispering them to yourself or sincerely to another with clarity. Here you have possibility for transformation and healing.
Throat chakra out of balance
If the throat chakra is too dominant, you will be talking all the time just to fill space or air—maybe even just to yourself. You will not be necessarily speaking your truth, and you’ll know inside that there is a secret but you won’t be able to say it.
If the opposite is occurring and the throat chakra is blocked, you will feel silenced either because you cannot find the words, or do not want to or you believe that no one wants to hear you. You will want to go hide in a cave and be removed from society, feeling timid and quiet. Physical ramifications are: skin irritations, ear infections, sore throat, inflammations, back pain.
Throat chakra in balance
The throat body parts include the throat, neck, teeth, ears, thyroid gland. Connection to the 3rd chakra of self-esteem helps with communication.
When the 5th chakra is flowing freely and balanced, there is the feeling of being artistically-inspired and centered within your words.
poem: do you know what i wish to say to you? how did you hear through my silent fog? it’s ok, i know how.
Third Eye chakra (6th): Find intuition
Intuitive and clairvoyant, you are. You see what’s really going on.
Chakra six (Ajna Chakra) connects you to your inner knowing. It is physically located at the spot between your two eyes, referred to as the “third eye” and pineal plexus. It is in this place that you feel at peace and that your questions have been mysteriously answered. It purifies negative tendencies.
Third Eye chakra out of balance
If the third eye charka is too dominant, you may let intuitions be the only path in life, and not be as considerate to life’s realistic situations and the universe’s intentions for your path.
If the opposite is occurring and the third eye chakra is blocked, you will not be able to use your perceptions that are innate to who you are. Feeling non-assertive, you’ll be afraid of success. Physical ramifications are: headache, blurred vision.
Third Eye chakra in balance
The third eye body parts are the eyes, face, brain, lymphatic, endocrine system. You’ll be helped along the way with creativity in the connection to 2nd chakra.
When the 6th chakra is flowing freely and balanced, it is evident because guidance comes easily, you are your own master—not attached to material things—and you may be telepathic.
poem: i know before you know. it is a feeling. it’s knowledge. it’s truth. i would bet anything on it. circle back and find me.
Crown chakra (7th): Find spirit connection
Connect to the infinite world—surreal and relaxed—and know that your moments are made just for you.
Chakra seven (Sahasrara Chakra) connects you to the infinity and oneness in the universe. It is physically located at the crown of the skull. When reached, it is the most blissful part of your yoga practice. Imagine a small flame flickering that never goes out.
Crown chakra out of balance
If the crown chakra is too dominant, you may lose touch with reality, and prefer floating on a cloud (spaced out). Euphoria will matter most. You’ll be selfish about this.
If the opposite is occurring and the crown chakra is blocked, you’ll feel out of touch with your spirit. You’ll have a constant sense of frustration, destructive feelings and maybe depression. You will not feel held by something greater than yourself and you’ll feel as if you have to take the world on your own shoulders (which routes you back to fear in the root chakra). Physical ramifications are: headaches.
Crown chakra in balance
Crown {body} parts: soul, spirit. The 7th chakra circles back to 1st chakra to ground itself in reality. Groundedness complements the spirit connection, making you whole.
When the 7th chakra is flowing freely and balanced, you’ll have the ability to open up to the universe and have total access to your unconscious.
poem: you are like the candle flame that always burns, the one i cannot tell is you or me or we.
