This is actually just a cursory look at the chakras, even if the article seems a little on the long side. If you're interested mainly in ways to take care of them, there are processes below.
Chakras are energy
centers located throughout the body. They are bridges between our energy
body and physical body, and also between us and Spirit. Each chakra is
connected, by a fine thread of light or energy, to each of the other chakras
and also to all other living things. All of creation is a web of energy, and
our chakras are our points of connection to that web.
Although there are
many chakras in your body, there are 7 main ones that are often talked
about, and they are located more or less as you see in the illustration. They
are traditionally numbered 1 to 7, with 1 being between your legs, “pointed” at
the Earth, and 7 being at the crown of your head.
Each chakra performs
a range of functions for you, and there are many places where you can read
about that, so I’m going to mention each one only briefly. Even though we say
“this chakra is associated with so-and-so,” the fact is they are connected to
each other, their functions blend, and they depend on each other.
The first chakra,
also called the root chakra, is associated with survival. It connects you to
the Earth, your ultimate source of support.
The second
chakra is located about midway between the navel and pubic bone and is associated
with sexuality and creativity.
The third
chakra is located between the sternum and navel and is associated with your
personal power (or lack thereof).
The fourth
chakra, the heart chakra, is located midway in the chakras, and is sort of their
“hub:” if it isn’t working well, none of the chakras will function perfectly.
The fifth
chakra, the throat chakra, is associated with voice and expression. Because it
is connected with how you express yourself in the world, it also has to do with
manifesting.
The sixth
chakra, sometimes called the Third Eye, is located between and slightly above
the eyes. It’s associated with knowledge and the ability to “see” things that
aren’t normally seen, hence its traditional association with psychic abilities.
The seventh
chakra, the crown chakra, is one of your main connection points with Spirit and
a major route for channeling energy for healing and also for channeling
information.
Because of the
important role they play in our lives, it’s important that the chakras be
kept “clean” and functioning properly. There are all manner of things that can block
or interfere with the functioning of a chakra. Things like negativity,
unhappiness, or our reactions to daily life can have a negative effect on our
chakras. But the chakras are also affected by major events that shape our lives,
whether trauma from childhood or life-altering experiences later on. So it’s
very common to have chakras that aren’t in optimal shape. For healing the
effects of major life influences, it’s a good idea to seek out someone who’s
knowledgeable about doing it, but it’s also true that there are simple things
you can do for yourself to help your chakras. It’s kind of like your teeth:
Sometimes you need to go to the dentist, but flossing and brushing at home is
still a really good idea.
So what sorts of
things can you do to help keep your chakras functioning properly?
Smudging, which I
talked about
here.
Visualizations.
You can do these sitting, standing, or lying down; it really doesn’t matter. Starting
at either the top or bottom of your body, visualize each chakra as a circle of
colored light that goes all the way through your body from front to back (so
sort of a “tunnel” of colored light). The size really doesn’t matter; bigger
isn’t better. If it seems that there are dark specks or spots in the chakra, or
anything except pure color, imagine yourself picking the spots out and getting
rid of them. When you can see the chakra as pure clean color, just hold that
image for a minute or so, then go on to the next chakra. The colors that are
generally associated with the chakras are:
1st chakra: red
2nd chakra: orange
3rd chakra: yellow
4th chakra: green
5th chakra: “electric” blue
6th chakra: indigo blue
7th chakra: violet
Chakra mantras.
There is a mantra, or sound, associated with each chakra. Reciting these
mantras will help to get your chakras balanced and aligned. The mantras for
chakras 1-6 rhyme with the name “Tom.” Be sure that you don’t drop the final
“m” when saying the mantra; pronounce it fully. The mantras are:
1st chakra: Lam
2nd chakra: Vam
3rd chakra: Ram
4th chakra: Yam
5th chakra: Ham
The mantra for the 6th chakra is the familiar “Om.”
For the 7th chakra, I like to chant Om Mani Padme
Hum.
Some people like to
recite each mantra 3 times, others say 9 times. I start with the 1st
chakra and say each one 3 times before moving on to the next. You may be able
to feel the chakra “vibrate” when you say (or even think) the mantra. When I
first started using these mantras, I lost the paper telling me which mantra
went with which chakra, and I was able to tell which was which by the feeling
in the chakras as I said the mantras.
If you’re interested
in doing psychic work, it’s important to keep your chakras as healthy as
possible. These practices are a good step in that direction.