THE CHAKRA SYSTEM
What Is
The Chakra System?
The chakra system is a centuries-old framework from the yogic tradition—a symbolic map of how energy flows through the human experience.
Each chakra represents a different aspect of life, from our roots in the world to our sense of purpose and connection.
Just explore. See what resonates.
“The chakras are not physical entities but psychological-spiritual centers, each representing a stage of consciousness.”
— SWAMI SATYANANDA SARASWATI
Kundalini Tantra
Root Chakra – Muladhara
Base of spine • Red • Security, Grounding
Gathered Insight
The Root Chakra is where we begin. Muladhara represents our most basic needs—safety, rest, food, and a place to belong. A steady root allows us to grow without constant fear or urgency. It’s less about being fearless and more about feeling supported.
Signs of Balance & Imbalance
When balanced, you feel stable, calm under pressure, and connected to the present moment. Imbalances might show up as anxiety, over-cautiousness, restlessness, or a constant need to be busy.
Supportive Practices
• Walking barefoot
• Gentle strength-building exercises
• Mindful breathing while seated
• Grounding foods like root vegetables
• Tending to your space or routine
Symbolic Notes
The Sanskrit name Muladhara means “root support.” It’s linked with the element of earth and often visualized as a red four-petaled lotus—a reminder of the stable foundation beneath all growth.
Sacral Chakra – Svadhisthana
Lower belly • Orange • Emotions, Creativity
Gathered Insight
This is your center of feeling—both sensuality and emotional fluidity. It governs how freely you allow yourself to feel, to enjoy, and to create. Tuning in here often means learning to feel without judgment.
Signs of Balance & Imbalance
Balanced, you might feel open to pleasure, expressive, and emotionally resilient. An imbalance could look like emotional numbness, guilt around desire, or swings in mood.
Supportive Practices
• Creative play (art, music, dance)
• Hip-opening stretches
• Gentle water immersion (bath, float, swim)
• Journaling your emotional responses
• Letting yourself feel without fixing
Symbolic Notes
Svadhisthana means “one’s own dwelling place.” Its element is water—fluid and responsive. Often pictured as a six-petaled lotus, it invites you to inhabit your inner life with grace and curiosity.
Solar Plexus Chakra – Manipura
Above the navel • Yellow • Confidence, Willpower
Gathered Insight
This is the fire in your belly—the part of you that says “I can.” It governs boundaries, drive, and self-respect. A healthy Solar Plexus isn’t about ego; it’s about knowing your own center and acting from it.
Signs of Balance & Imbalance
When in balance, you feel purposeful and confident in your choices. If overactive, it can show up as control or defensiveness. If underactive, you might struggle with self-doubt or passivity.
Supportive Practices
• Core strengthening (yoga, Pilates, martial arts)
• Speaking up for your needs
• Taking small courageous actions
• Digestive self-care
• Practicing healthy “no’s”
Symbolic Notes
Manipura means “lustrous gem.” Its element is fire, and it's often visualized as a bright yellow ten-petaled lotus. It calls us to shine, not to dominate—but to radiate from the inside out.
Heart Chakra – Anahata
Center of chest • Green • Love, Compassion
Gathered Insight
The Heart Chakra is where feeling meets meaning. Anahata holds our capacity for empathy, forgiveness, connection—not just to others, but also to ourselves. A steady heart lets love flow without needing to keep score.
Signs of Balance & Imbalance
In balance, you feel connected, warm, and receptive. If closed, you may feel isolated or guarded. If overextended, you might give too much, neglecting yourself in the process.
Supportive Practices
• Loving-kindness meditation
• Breath awareness in the chest
• Gratitude journaling
• Eye contact and honest conversations
• Practicing boundaries with care
Symbolic Notes
Anahata means “unstruck” or “sound without impact,” suggesting the quiet power of love that doesn’t need to push. Associated with air, it’s pictured as a twelve-petaled lotus—open and spacious like the sky.
Throat Chakra – Vishuddha
Throat • Blue • Communication, Truth
Gathered Insight
This chakra is about expression, truth, and communication — governing how you express yourself—through words, tone, honesty, and listening. It supports clear, authentic speech and the courage to share your truth.
Signs of Balance & Imbalance
When balanced, you express yourself with ease and authenticity. An imbalance might feel like holding back, talking over others, or struggling to find the right words.
Supportive Practices
• Vocal exercises or chanting
• Writing letters you don’t send
• Listening without preparing a reply
• Naming your emotions aloud
• Practicing honest expression, even in small ways
Symbolic Notes
Vishuddha means “especially pure.” Its element is ether or space, and its symbol is a sixteen-petaled lotus. It invites us to speak with clarity and to hold space for silence too.
Third Eye Chakra – Ajna
Forehead, Between the Eyes • Indigo • Insight, Clarity
Gathered Insight
This center supports intuition, pattern recognition, and mental clarity. It’s less about visions and more about perspective—the ability to pause and see things clearly, including yourself.
Signs of Balance & Imbalance
When balanced, you trust your insight and sense patterns with ease. If overactive, it may lead to overthinking. If underactive, you might ignore your inner guidance or feel disconnected from meaning.
Supportive Practices
• Meditation and stillness
• Gentle eye exercises or gazing practices
• Quiet reflection time
• Reducing information overload
• Trusting subtle nudges
Symbolic Notes
Ajna means “command” or “perception.” Its element is light. It’s often represented by a two-petaled lotus, suggesting dualities—inner and outer, seen and unseen—brought together in awareness.
Crown Chakra – Sahasrara
Top of Head • Violet or White • Awareness, Connection
Gathered Insight
This is the space of spaciousness—the sense that you are part of something larger. It isn’t about belief systems; it’s about awareness. When this chakra is open, life feels connected, whole, and quietly meaningful.
Signs of Balance & Imbalance
In balance, you feel at peace even without answers. An imbalance might feel like cynicism, disconnection, or needing constant external validation.
Supportive Practices
• Silent meditation
• Time in nature or wide-open spaces
• Reflecting on big-picture questions
• Allowing mystery without needing to resolve it
• Gentle rituals of stillness
Symbolic Notes
Sahasrara means “thousand-petaled.” This chakra is beyond element, often symbolized by a radiant lotus that opens upward—an image of unfolding awareness and quiet belonging to the whole.
How The Chakra System Can Help You With Life.
The chakra system offers a way of looking at ourselves that is both practical and symbolic. Each chakra reflects a facet of being human — from our need for safety and belonging to our capacity for love, creativity, and insight. Whether you view them as subtle energy centers or as a useful psychological framework, they invite self-awareness: Where am I open and balanced? Where am I holding tension or fear?
You don’t have to “believe” in chakras to benefit from this reflection. Simply pausing to notice these layers of experience can help you respond to life with more balance, compassion, and clarity. Gentle practices such as meditation, breathwork, mindful movement, or even creative expression can support that balance, helping these aspects of yourself feel more connected and alive.
“The purpose of working with the chakras is not to escape the body, but to inhabit it fully—to bring spirit into matter.”
— ANODEA JUDITH
AUTHOR: Eastern Body, Western Mind
AUM: The Sound
That Breathes
Chanting AUM is part breathwork, part sound healing, and part stillness. That’s why it’s so effective. Its long, steady exhale calms the nervous system, while its vibration resonates through the body, creating balance and focus.
If you’ve ever wanted a reliable way to center yourself, this gives immediate results. But this only scratches the surface of what AUM can do for you.
