By: Abbey Bowen

Yoga has become a big part of my life recently. Throughout my college career, I have found myself getting more and more stressed. It got so bad that it started affecting my health! My acid reflux disease started flaring up and I developed acne.

After suffering with all of this over a year, I decided I needed to do something about it. This is when I fell in love with yoga.

I should mention I have done yoga several times throughout my life, but I only recently started practicing almost every single day. My recent trip to India also helped deepen my affection (If you didn’t read my last blog about the trip, you can find it here!

Due to my increased interest, I am trying to learn more and more about this beautiful practice. I’m especially intrigued by the idea of the seven chakras* (or energy centers).

According to yogajournal.com, the Indian people originally developed the chakra system so individuals could theoretically personalize their yoga practice.

The chakras are arranged vertically on the body, starting at the top of the head and ending at the bottom of the spine. Besides being located at a particular site on the body, each area is also designed to correspond with a name, color, element, human challenge and gift, soul desire and primal relationship, among other things.

Let’s start with the “Third Eye” or “Ajana” chakra. It is located between the brows in the center of the forehead.

• Association to body: Pituitary gland, eyes and brain
• Color: Indigo and purple
• Element: Light
• Human challenge and gift: To move from dualistic mind to intuitive neutral mind
• Soul Desire: To focus the mind, where one-pointed clarity and peace automatically occur
• Primal relationship: With inner and cosmic knowledge

Second is the “throat” or “Vissuda” chakra. It is located on the throat, at the base of the neck between the collar bone and the shoulders.

• Association to body: throat, ears, thyroid and parathyroid
• Color: Royal blue
• Element: Ether
• Human challenge and gift: To fearlessly express our truth and hear the sound of the universe
• Soul Desire: To be heard and understood, to transmit and receive the truth
• Primal relationship: With our vibrational connection with all existence

Third is the “heart” or the “Anahatha” chakra. It is located in the heart.

• Association to body: Heart, hands, arms and thymus gland
• Colors: Green, pink and rose
• Element: Air
• Human challenge and gift: to open our hearts to the nonjudgmental, detached vibration of universal love
• Soul Desire: To experience unity, devotion, reverence for life and unattached bonding
• Primal relationship: With higher spiritual power, our own heart and the hearts of others, and the pulse that unites us with the universe

Fourth is the “Solar Plexus” chakra. It is located between the navel and the heart.

• Association to body: Stomach
• Colors: Deep gold
• Element: Fire and water
• Human challenge and gift: To transmute the energy of the emotions into soulful passion for life i.e. fear into love, anger into action, sadness into surrender and bliss
• Soul Desire: To experience the depth of emotions and transmute them into passion and devotion and to activate our soul.
• Primal relationship: With our soul and emotional body

Fifth is the “navel” or “Manipuraka” chakra. It is located two to three inches below the navel.

• Association to body: The small intestine, kidneys, adrenals, pancreas, gallbladder and liver
• Color: Yellow
• Element: Fire
• Human challenge and gift: To connect with our internal source power and energy
• Soul Desire: To ignite, connect with and focus physical energy
• Primal relationship: With internal source of power, identity, status

Sixth is the “sex” or “Swadisthana” chakra. It is located at the sacrum-the pelvic area between the pubis and navel.

• Association to body: Genitals, reproductive organs and bladder
• Color: Orange
• Element: Water
• Human challenge and gift: To bond and connect with others without losing our identity
• Soul Desire: To freely expand and effortlessly create
• Primal relationship: With other human beings, emotions and emotional body, inner child, wild man or wild woman.

Seventh is the “Root” or “Muladhara” chakra. It is located at the bottom of the spine.

• Association to body: Large intestine, feet and legs
• Color: Red
• Element: Earth
• Human challenge and gift: To feel safe and secure in the physical plane and to manifest to meet our basic needs
• Soul Desire: To feel nurtured and nourished and to experience belonging to the whole
• Primal relationship: With physical reality, the Earth, natural forces, body and feeling sensations

I hope this helps you understand the seven chakras of yoga a little better! If you have any further questions, feel free to e-mail me at BowenAK15@uww.edu.

~Remember, you have to learn to love yourself before you can truly love someone else~

Abbey :]