At some point on your yoga journey, you will come across the chakra system. Around for thousands of years, this school of thought originates from the belief that the body has seven points of power through which all energy flows. These are known as the chakras, from the Sanskrit word for ‘wheel’.
Sometimes, our environment or attitude can lead to chakra imbalance – where one chakra is more or less active than the other energy centres. It is believed that chakra blockage could lead to illness, stress and other negative feelings. The solution? Yoga, of course!
Not sure what’s balanced and what’s not? Here are a few signs and symptoms to help you track your chakras!
Root Chakra
- Balanced: Feeling rooted, grounded and secure.
- Imbalance: Problems with the legs, feet and immune system. Feelings of anxiety around basic survival needs such as food and money.
Sacral Chakra
- Balanced: Creative, passionate, committed and expressive.
- Imbalanced: Lower back and hip pain, difficulty expressing feelings, anxiety about relationships and commitment.
Solar Plexus Chakra
- Balanced: High levels of self-respect and self-confidence, assertive and secure in yourself.
- Imbalanced: Low self-esteem, feeling like you lack personal power, fear of rejection and high blood pressure.
Heart Chakra
- Balanced: Feeling compassionate and loving, forgiving people easily and generally feeling joyful.
- Imbalanced: Upper back and shoulder problems, feelings of jealousy and a fear of loneliness.
Throat Chakra
- Balanced: Great communication skills, honest but firm about what you want and expressive.
- Imbalanced: Lack of willpower, feeling like you have no choice available, throat and facial issues.
Third Eye Chakra
- Balanced: Clear, focused mind. Confident in seeing the difference between what is true and what is not.
- Imbalanced: Headaches, vision problems, moodiness, an inability to learn from others and see your own fears objectively.
Crown Chakra
- Balanced: Living in the present moment, trusting completely in your own intuition.
- Imbalanced: Being judgemental, constant overthinking and over-analysis of day-to-day situations.
Feel like a chakra or two might be out of balance? Take this quiz and find out!