The concept of chakra balancing originated in the ancient Hindu system of healing, and yogis have used the chakra system for thousands of years as part of their yoga practices and holistic healing techniques. Chakras are said to be wheels of energy, or chi, located all over the human body. Many people believe that physical and mental health problems can occur when these energy centers are misaligned or there is an energy blockage. These believers often turn to various methods of chakra balancing to improve health and well-being.
Many holistic healers or alternative medicine practitioners believe there are hundreds of chakras in the body, but they are primarily concerned with only the seven major ones. These seven wheels of energy are said to be aligned along the spine from the tailbone to the top of the head. Each is represented by a different color.
According to chakra teachings, the first chakra is called the root chakra, and is represented by the color red and governs physical needs and security. The second chakra, or sacral, is orange and controls sexuality, emotions, and desires, while the third chakra, the solar plexus, is yellow and governs power. The fourth chakra, a.k.a. the heart chakra, controls love, forgiveness, and compassion and is represented by green. The fifth chakra, the throat, is blue and controls communication, while the sixth chakra, called the brow, is indigo and governs intuition and reasoning. The seventh chakra, the crown, is violet and controls spirituality and understanding.
According to chakra belief, the energy centers are interrelated and can affect one another. The root chakra spins at the lowest speed and has the lowest vibrational frequency. The other chakras get increasingly faster the further up the spine they are. The crown chakra spins the fastest, and at the highest vibrational frequency.
When all the chakras are working normally, each one will be open and spinning properly to gather an adequate amount of energy from the universal energy field. In this state, the body is centered, and life flows naturally and effortlessly. However, when illness, stress, holding on to negative thoughts, or suppressing experiences occurs, the chakras can become blocked and energy can become stagnant. This is when chakra balancing may help restore the person's physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual well-being.
There are many methods of chakra balancing, or clearing out the dense, dark, stagnant energy in the chakras. Some therapists use prayer and meditation on their patients or themselves. Alternative healing therapies such as reiki, massage, and healing touch may help balance the energy centers. Many people use color visualization to remove the dark energy and restore the vibrant, healthy color associated with each of the chakras. Yoga, especially kundalini yoga, may help balance the normal flow of energy throughout the body and the chakra system. Whichever method is used, the basic premise is to focus on the energy flow within and among the chakras, and to clean out any dark, stagnant energy and remove any energy blockages.
