What Are Chakras & Why You Need To Align Them

We¡¯ve all heard about the importance of aligning our ¡®chakras¡¯ but most of us are not really aware about what ¡®chakras¡¯ are all about and because of this unawareness, we end up blocking them which leads to absolute chaos in life.

¡®Chakras¡¯, literally translated as wheels, are the centres of energy present in the different areas of the body. It is said that from the head to the bottom of the spine, there are seven chakras in your body that regulate the various functions, from emotional stability to physical health.

All the chakras are equally important and even if one of them is blocked, you can experience physical or psychological disharmony which only makes one uncomfortable and unable to fully live life. That¡¯s exactly why it is important for us to get in touch with our spiritual side and understand our chakras as well as practice meditation that will keep them aligned.

For a better understanding, let¡¯s discuss about the seven chakras and how they affect us:

1. Muladhara (Root Chakra)

Located at the bottom of your spine, this is the foundation and that¡¯s exactly why it has the effect of making you feel secure. It can get blocked due to a threat to your basic necessities (housing, money, food) are under threat, or even if you¡¯re experiencing a fear of threat to some of the most important things in life. When blocked, you can experience anxiety and the crippling feeling of uncertainty can affect your mental health. In terms of physical manifestations, you might be going through a sore lower back.

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2. Svadhishthana (Sacral Chakra)

Located approximately two inches below the belly button, this chakra is the one that strengthen your creative energy. When you¡¯re unhappy with certain aspects of your life, especially your job, this chakra can get blocked. The blockage may end up making you feel uninspired to make a change and you might lose motivation. The physical symptoms can include being prone to allergies and giving in to addictive behaviours such as gambling.

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3. Manipura (Solar Plexus Chakra)

Located around the stomach, right above your abdomen, this is often called the ¡®personal power chakra¡¯ as well because it affects your self-confidence as well as autonomy. The chakra can get blocked when you fail at something, have a negative people in your social circle who keep criticising you and have low-esteem due to childhood issues. The blocked chakra can make you reach a mental stage where you start believing you¡¯re not good enough and this might blind you to the lessons that life is trying to teach you through failures. In terms of your physical health, you might end up with digestive or memory related issues.

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4. Anahata (Heart Chakra)

Located directly above the heart, the chakra is related to your capacity to love and manage emotions. When aligned, it can make you form deeper connections to the people around you and help you feel inner peace. It can get blocked when you go through an emotionally painful event in life like a breakup, the death of a loved one or toxic friendships. This blockage can take away your ability to form strong relationships, be empathetic and all this can end up in you isolating yourself as you find it tough to trust others. Blood pressure issues as well as a weak immunity are the physical symptoms that point to the blockage of the heart chakra.

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5. Vishuddha (Throat Chakra)

Located in the middle of the throat, Vishuddha indicates how you interact with the world around you and how well you can express yourself in order to be perceived in a certain way by the world. It can get blocked when you go through a negative communication experience like a bad job interview or a bad date. The blockage may end up making you feel lonely as you start believing that you can¡¯t express yourself in a way that people around you will understand what you¡¯re going through. Physical symptoms might include throat issues or a pain in the neck.

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6. Ajna (Third Eye Chakra)

Located right in the centre of your eyebrows, this chakra is related to your sense of intuition and your ability to think about the long-term consequences of your actions, which enables you to plan life better. You could encounter a blockage if you surround yourself with people who make you doubt your decisions. The blockage may make you lose interest in life as you may end up seeing no point in your actions and may even face difficulty in making choices which many describe as a mental paralysis. The physical manifestations may include losing sleep.

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7. Sahasrara (Crown Chakra)

Located at the top of your head, the chakra is very important when it comes to your spiritual strength and when strong, it can help you attain the feeling of contentment. However, traumatic life experiences can block it, making you feel like you have no real purpose in life and leave you feeling frustrated. When blocked, you will be unable to see the small joys of life and not notice all the things in life that are positive, instead concentrating only on the negative aspects. In terms of physical health, it can result in chronic headaches.

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How To Align The Chakras

While there¡¯s a lot of methods that help with realigning chakras like reiki and yoga, the most simple way is to meditate. However, you will have to meditate extremely regularly and only once your mind as well as body get used to it can you identify blockages. Once you¡¯ve identified the blockage, you can meditate to unblock it which will result in realignment.

There¡¯s a lot of apps that help with meditation by offering guided courses but if you¡¯re doing this on your own, we say you find a quiet spot and close your eyes. Breathe deeply and feel the tension flowing out of your body. Once you feel less tensed, mentally and physically, imagine a white light running through your body to heal it. When you practise meditation for a considerable amount of time, you will be able to identify blockages as well as unblock them through mediation.

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However, it is important to remember that if your chakras are not aligned and you¡¯ve just started the practise of meditation then it will take a couple of weeks to maybe even months for you to make yourself spiritually strong.

But once your chakras are aligned, you will notice the benefits of mediation as you welcome more positivity as well as good health in your life. Your physical health will improve and so will your mood. This means that you will be able to enjoy life to the fullest and be motivated to keep moving forward.