The Chakra System and Yoga: Integrating Mind, Body, and Spirit

The chakra system and yoga complement each other well. In fact, it’s easy to design a yoga practice specifically for the chakras—the body’s energy system. There are seven main energy centers that run from the base of the spine through the crown of the head. It’s said that when any of these centers are blocked, an array of physical or emotional symptoms may arise. The specific symptoms depend on where the block is happening.

Each of the seven chakras has a corresponding color and role. Here’s an overview.

First Chakra

The first chakra is the root chakra. Its color is red, and it’s located at the base of the spine. The root chakra is associated with being grounded and basic survival.

Second Chakra

Next is the sacral chakra. Its color is orange, and it is associated with sensually and the ability to create.

Third Chakra

Yellow is the color of the third, or solar plexus chakra. It’s the core of the body and is associated with self-esteem and personal power.

Fourth Chakra

The fourth chakra is the heart chakra, and its color is green. This is the place of love, compassion, harmony, and piece. The heart chakra is the bridge between matter (the first three chakras) and spirit (the last three chakras).

Fifth Chakra

Next is the throat chakra. Its color is blue, and it governs our ability to communicate and speak our truth.

Sixth Chakra

The third eye chakra is sixth. Located at the point between your two physical eyes, it’s color is purple. If you’ve ever seen the symbol for the sixth chakra, you’ll notice it’s the same as the symbol for om. To me, this underscores the connection between the chakra system and yoga. The third eye governs intuition and inner-knowing.

Seventh Chakra

The seventh chakra is the crown chakra. Located at the top of the head, it is the point of connection with all that is. The crown chakra is the energetic link between the individual self and the higher self.

How to connect the chakra system and yoga

The first step in connecting the chakra system and yoga is to notice where you are out of balance. Are you having trouble feeling grounded? You may need to work on opening your first chakra. Do you struggle with creativity? Maybe your second chakra needs work. If you feel powerless, look to your third chakra—your core.

When you’re not feeling harmony with others, it may be time to do some fourth chakra work, and when you find it difficult to communicate or speak your truth, it’s your fifth chakra that may need attention. If you’re not able to tap into intuition, focus on your third eye. And finally, if you feel disconnected from the universe or your faith in something greater than yourself is waning, you may need to focus on your crown chakra.

Specifically, you can use yoga and the chakra system when you practice poses targeted to the chakra (or chakras that are blocked.  So, for the third chakra, you might do core work. For the fourth, you’d focus on heart openers. The crown chakra responds well to meditation, and so on.

The chakra system and yoga are both amazing tools for understanding yourself as an integrating being, and they work very well together. In the coming weeks, look for posts that delve more deeply into yoga for each individual chakra!