By Adam Ruggiero
The following blogs are about the main chakra system in your body. There will be yin poses designed to target and open the body’s chakra centers.
Chakra is a term that has become increasingly mainstream and (dare we say it?) hip, but what is it exactly? Put simply, chakra can be broadly understood as localized centers along the cranio-sacral spinal column where consciousness and the physical body coalesce. And, as luck would have it, each center – or vortex – corresponds to a nerve center (plexus) within the body, as well as associating with the major glands of the endocrine system. Attention to, and regulation of, these chakra centers produces very real health effects.
There are seven primary vortices recognized in popular ayurvedic medicine, each manifesting and supporting different aspects of physiological well-being. The seven chakra centers of the body are:
1. Root Chakra (Muladhara) – located at the base of the spine, within the sacrum, this chakra is reflective of basic needs (food, sleep, sex) and feelings of stability, security and nourishment.
2. Sacral Chakra (Svadisthana) – located behind the navel, this chakra is associated with change and creativity.
3. Solar Plexus Chakra (Manipura) – located at the level the solar plexus, this chakra center governs and reflects will and personal
energy.
4. Heart Chakra (Anahata) – the heart center stands as a gateway between the first three root chakras and the higher astral chakras. Here reside love and peace.
5. Throat Chakra (Visuddha) – within the base of the throat, this chakra is tied to our communication – both verbal and non-verbal – and our understanding of truth.
6. Third Eye Chakra (Anja) – within this chakra, behind and between our eyes, lay the center of intuition and perception.
7. Crown Chakra (Sahasrara) – resting at the top of our skull, this upper-most chakra center houses our spiritual self and the search for meaning.
Read all of the series and let us know if you have questions about any of the poses. Any questions you have about chakras in general are welcome.