Demystifying Yoga: Intro to Chakras

The word chakra means “wheel” or “disc” and refers to energetic clusters, or accumulation points in the subtle body. While there are many of these points in the body, there are seven major chakras located along the spinal column. Each chakra represents a basic level of human consciousness.

Just as we use the study of yoga asana and physical anatomy to help us navigate our physical relationship with the world, the chakra model is an excellent “road map” to help us navigate the landscape of our inner lives and spiritual growth. Each of the seven chakras can be seen as a doorway through which we perceive our own reality.

First Chakra – Muladhara

• Physical: Base of the spine, pelvic floor, feet/legs

• Meaning: Root

• Color: Red

• Governs: Home, food, water, basic needs, parents, family relationships

Second Chakra – Svadisthana

• Physical: Reproductive organs, womb, hips, sacrum, lower abdominals

• Meaning: “Her Favorite Standing Place” or “sweetness”

• Color: Orange

• Governs: Intimacy, intimate relationships, creativity, adventure, movement, pleasure, connection, emotion, sensuality

Third Chakra – Manipura

• Physical: Abdominals, lumbar spine, obliques, detox organs (stomach, liver, spleen, pancreas)

• Meaning: “Jewel in the City” or “Sparkling Jewel”

• Color: Yellow

• Governs: confidence, self esteem, personal power, relationship with the ego

Fourth Chakra – Anahata

• Physical: Heart center (through the shoulders, arms and hands), lungs, circulatory system, thymus (adaptive immune system), thoracic spine

• Meaning: “Unstruck”

• Color: Green

• Governs: Compassion, selfless service, attitude towards giving and receiving, understanding others, empathy, unconditional love

Fifth Chakra – Vishuddha

• Physical: Cervical spine, neck, throat, thyroid gland, tongue, lymphatic system, vocal chords, jaw

• Meaning: Pure

• Color: Turquoise, light blue

• Governs: Truth and authentic voice, communication, self-mastery and self control, transformation, unification, voice, expression, integrity, honesty, sound, a truthful relationship with the self

Sixth Chakra – Ajna

• Physical: Forehead, space between eyebrows, pineal gland (third eye)

• Meaning: Command center

• Color: Indigo violet

• Governs: Intuition, knowledge, humility, clear sight, relationship with time

Seventh Chakra – Sahasrara

• Physical: The space between the crown and several inches above the head. Pineal gland and skull.

• Meaning: Thousandfold, or thousand-petals

• Color: Violet, white, light

• Governs: Very similar to Ajna Chakra – just add consciousness! Relationship with the divine, understanding