The Chakras and Our Energy Body

Chakras, which comes from ancient Sanskrit, means "spinning wheel of light". The chakra system is composed of seven main energy wheels that regulate our energetic bodies. Our ancestors intuitively understood and worked with their energetic bodies and the rhythms and seasons of Mother Nature to tap into our natural biorhythms - the body cycles that regulate our health, emotions, and intellect.

In today's hectic and often stressful world, the wheels of our energetic body are often compromised to the detriment of our own physical body, and thus, our life. While we spend time, money, and energy taking care of our physical body, we often overlook our energy body and underestimate the important role it plays in our overall well-being. If we want optimum health, we need to give more care to our energetic body. While modern medicine has made many advances that have changes our lives, it has also inadvertently diminished our innate ability to self-heal. Many diseases stem from "dis-ease", or a disconnect between the mind, body, and soul, caused by blockages in the energetic body. Prevention is better than a cure, and many of our ailments are preventable by consciously working with the chakra system of self-care. With consistent chakra self-care, you can overcome health issues, be more energized, enjoy peace of mind, align with your true purpose, and have more self-confidence. As a result, you will be able to attract the right people and make positive decisions in difficult situations.

Energy is a word that gets thrown around a lot in the self-help world. In short, energy is formally defined by science as both "matter", which has the potential to cause changes, and is the capacity of a physical system to do "work". Science explains that energy cannot be created or destroyed, only changed. Science also dictates that everything, including the chair you are sitting on right now (or floor or couch or wherever you may be), and this includes your body too, is made of energy. Each of our bodies is also surrounded by a field of constantly changing energy. For the purposes of engaging our chakra system, when we talk about energy, we mean the prana - life force - that flows through our bodies and allows us to function.

The chakra system is a network of channels consisting of different energy wheels. While there are over a hundred different chakras, seven of them are the main chakras that form the foundation of our energy bodies. They start from the base of our spine and travel up to the crown of the head. Each of these seven chakras relates to specific organs within the body, as well as various emotional, psychological, and spiritual states.

I will go into more detail in a future blog, but here we have the root chakra (Muladhara) located at the base of the spine. Then working our way up we have the sacral chakra (Swadhisthana) which is located around two inches below the belly button. Then there is the solar plexus chakra (Manipura) in the abdomen. Right at the center of the chest is your heart chakra (Anahata). Moving up to the neck is your throat chakra (Vishuddha). Between the eyebrows is the third eye, or brow chakra (Ajna). And finally, at the top of the head is the crown chakra (Sahasrara).

The chakra system of self-care teaches us that the energy flows along the spine and shows us the powerful connection between our body and mind and the important role the mind plays in our physical health. Sushumna is the Sanskrit name for the central nadi, the dominant river of energy that flows through the body, running through the spinal cord and each of the seven chakras, to the brain. The word comes from sukha, meaning "joyful", and mana, meaning "mind". Our mind activates the parasympathic nervous system, which is essential to maintain balance and harmony, as well as our sympathetic nervous system, which commands the fight-or-flight stimulant response. The parasympathic nervous system is deeply connected to the chakra system, as it lies within the energetic points in the body that correlates with the chakras.

As human beings on this earth, we will naturally experience energy blocks, stagnation, and imbalances. It is an unavoidable part of life. Since everything has energy, everything and anything can influence our energy positively or negatively. Emotions and thoughts are also energy, so what we think and feel has a huge influence on our energy bodies as well as our physical bodies.

When we have negative or repressed emotions or harmful thoughts, beliefs, and memories, these affect our energy bodies by causing blocks or stagnation. The source may be from a long-standing psychological issue stemming from childhood, an inherited fear, or trauma from our parents, a major life event, or sometimes just getting stuck in really bad traffic - everything we experience impacts our energy. In turn, this can affect our physical health, resulting in all sorts of illnesses. While modern medicine is undoubtedly essential to our well-being, it often fails to deal with the root cause of sickness. After my car accident back in 2018, I was seeing various different doctors, some found explanations for my pain, other didn't. So, I decided to dive deeper and look into the emotions behind the physical pain. I started studying the chakras while receiving reiki weekly and eventually becoming a reiki a master myself and healing myself completely so I could get back to work. With the combination of modern medicine and reiki, meditation, almost a complete change of diet, I was able to get my energy body back into alignment and balance - and from this came a tremendous amount of peace in my life that I hadn't realized been missing for decades.

In order to be in a truly balanced state of health, we need to remove energetic and emotional toxins. You may be wondering how we do this, or whether it is even doable. The answer is that it is and may be more fun than you think! Simple routines and rituals (if that word triggers you, think of it as a new, healthy habit you are going to create for your higher self) are such effective ways of maintaining energy flow. Daily life often throws energetic curveballs, so we simply need to counter them with routines and rituals that either serve as preventative measures to preserve our energy or counteract those disruptors to bring us back to a state of energetic equilibrium. On my YouTube channel, you can find various meditations for the chakras and imagery meditations as well that can help. Here is a link to my YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC4Uc7ycTIkmrWBkOaKR4evw/videos

As you embark on your healing journey, it is important to have the right environment in which to do the sacred work, which requires a special space and perhaps even an altar. Setting up an altar can be a simple, fun, and creative process. The physical item you use as your altar depends on the furniture you have in your home. I donated my television four years ago and use my television stand for my altar. I'm not saying you need to get rid of your television and use your stand for an altar, that's just what works best for me. You could use anything from a corner or end table to a cabinet, counter, nightstand, or wall shelf. There is no right or wrong object. Sacred items connected to nature and the four elements should be placed on your alter. You can use candles (fire), incense (air), sand or dirt (earth), or a little pot of water or a water feature (water). Other items to include are crystals, plants, statues, shells, feathers, and so on. There is no limit to the tools and items you can include on your altar. Personalize it to suit you. Remember everything is about energy! Once you have chosen your altar and sacred tools, you need to cleanse them because there may be certain energies you don't want to bring into your sacred space. In this space, you'll dive deep into journaling, meditating, and performing some rituals, all of which will allow you to connect to your higher self.

As you start your chakra journey, remember this is your journey of healing, alignment, and self-care, and thus will be unique to you. Be kind and patient with yourself as you go through this process, and try not to deem it unsuccessful just because you aren't seeing immediate progress. Remember, you are peeling back and reconfiguring years of energy. There isn't a right or wrong length of time to achieve a milestone. Your journey to optimum energetic well-being will take as long as it needs to. You may need assistance in clearing energetic blocks and imbalances. Whether it's a hands-on healing treatment by a Reiki healer (Relax, I'm a Reiki Master ;-), or energy healer, or a session where we talk through emotional matters with a therapist or spiritual teacher or mentor, getting a helping hand (or ear) is sometimes just what the universe ordered for us to make progress along our path.

With deep wisdom of the chakras within you, as well as how energy works, you will be empowered to enjoy a healthier, happier, more aligned existence, embrace your true essence; enjoy your loved ones; and relish the natural world and a better quality of life. If you have any question or would like a Reiki session, please reach out. You can book a session right here on my sight.

Stay safe & well!

Sandy