Everything that exists is energy. The human body is one of the best examples of a highly evolved energy system.  Philosophers, mystics and yogis describe the subtle, and not so subtle, energies of our natural environment and our own bodies.  What is remarkable is that when dynamic energies converge in nature they form spinning circular patterns.  Look at how a Category Five tornado with its spinning energy twisting at three hundred miles per hour can lift a frame house off its foundation.

Like nature, the human body has its own subtle energy system. There are several words that describe the energy that runs through the body, including chi and prana.  Both these translate as “energy “or “life-force”.  We all have this life force energy; and how our life unfolds affects our life force energy.

The flow of prana through a network of power centers, paths and energy fields within and around the physical body are referred to as our energetic anatomy.  Put more simply, our energy body.  Some people call this your “aura.”  Whatever the terminology, your energy body is a three-dimensional field that moves from inside your physical body and emanates outward.

Chakra is a Sanskrit word, which translates as “wheel.”  Chakras are considered to be power centers that both take in and distribute energy. Chakras are miniature versions of a hurricane. They are spinning energy centers.

Your energetic anatomy contains three types of charkras:

• Major chakras 3 to 4 inches in diameter
• Minor chakras 1 to 2 inches in diameter
• Mini chakras less than 1 inch in diameter

Although most yogic texts refer to seven major chakras, there are actually 11 major chakras and innumerable smaller ones. You might envision chakra energy as emanating from the center of your body and moving outward.

Chakras differ in size and activity from one person to another.  They can change based upon what is happening in your life physically, psychologically and spiritually. Chakras both take up and collect energy, and transform and pass on this energy. The unimpeded flow of energy through our body and our chakras determines our state of health, and mental and spiritual balance.  Energy has an incredible intelligence and affinity to heal.  One of the major blocks of the free flowing movement of energy is our mind.  Specifically, our ego, which builds and holds onto stories that impede the flow of energy in the chakras.

Each chakra is associated with a physical area of the body, and often specific organs. Lower chakras are associated with fundamental emotions and basic survival needs. The finer energies and frequencies of the upper chakras correspond to higher mental and spiritual functions.

Crown (Sahasrara)
Location: Top of the head
Higher Self. Southwest position on a compass. Relates to the pituitary gland that controls the entire hormone system. Is associated with knowledge, understanding and connection to the universe. Energy moves into our body directly at this charka.

Brow (Ajna)
Location: Forehead
Ether Element.  Southeast position on a compass.  Above the center of the eyes and inside the head. Linked to the pineal gland related to activity and rest and directs our intuition and imagination. Ether, space and hearing. INFINITY as mantra.

Throat (Vishuddha)
Location: Throat
Air Element. Center of a compass.  Tied into thyroid gland, related to our metabolic rate and mineral levels. It manifests communication.

Heart (Anahata)
Location: Center of chest
Relationships.  North position on a compass.  Relates to the thymus gland for growth and immune systems. Directly related to love and relationships. HARMONY as mantra.

Solar Plexus (Manipura)
Location: Just above naval
Fire Element. South position on a compass.  Ties to the complex of nerves connected here and touches adrenal glands and pancreas. Relates to personal energy. It is a major area for holding anxiety and issues. This area of our body transforms food into nutrients and waste.  Contentment is a mantra.

Sacral (Svadistana)
Location: Slightly below naval
Water Element.  West position on a compass.  It is associated with our creativity, emotions, sensuality and reproduction.

Base (Muladhara)
Location: Base of spine
Earth Element. East position on compass.  Located at the base of our spine, it grounds us and impacts our personal survival instinct.  Our sense of smell is connected to the earth.

Chakras Create and Sustain Health
One chakra is not better than another.  They are equally significant and all play a role in our physical, emotional, mental and spiritual health.   The energy of your chakras is constantly in motion.  Your chakra energy is different today than it was yesterday.  Different now than it was an hour ago.  In terms of health, your physical body can perform at optimum health when all of your chakras are balanced and energized.  Energy moves freely both horizontally, in and out from each chakra, and vertically, up and down through your body.

Mental and physical disease is caused by a blockage of energy. Balancing the chakras, working with the energy of the chakras, is one way to maintain health.  It also prevents you from getting stuck in the repetitive stories that create stress, disharmony and illness.

Notice, for example, how the second chakra, the sacral, is identified as the chakra of water.  The seat of emotions and reproduction.  Here, and in the solar plexus, is where emotions and transformative energies focus and move.  When you experience a strong emotion it is not uncommon to literally feel the physical impact of the emotion in the area of your body where the Solar Plexus is located.  This is undoubtedly where the expression “I have a gut feeling” comes from.

Exercise, Muscles and Prana
We engage in exercise because it makes us feel good.  Exercise balances and energises chakras.  Right after a workout you can feel the energy flowing in your body.  Your mind is bright and you feel alive.  Your body is a fantastic vehicle to help you ground into the present moment.  Your muscles provide one gateway to your energy body.   Your body contains 650-odd muscles that make up almost half your total body weight.  The biggest one is your gluteus maximus.  The use of muscle opens the channels of your subtle energy, which balances the chakras.

Because it opens the deep connective tissues that surround your joints, the practice of yoga allows energy to move into places that are normally stagnant, even during exercise.  It also opens the energetic pathways of the meridian system.  Prana stimulates and tones your joints and these deep connective tissues as energy blocks are removed.  A flood of prana into previously clogged areas improves your nervous system.  You become calm and focused, which helps tremendously if you want to remain silent and present.

When you exercise it is the opening of your subtle energy body that creates euphoria.  You ignite the subtle energy body by activating muscles at their core.  Once prana flows freely you can learn how to move and respond to life based upon the natural direction and intuition that prana provides.

How to Balance and Energise Your Chakras
Massage therapists open your muscles to release toxins and balance your chakras.  They energetically and physically adjust and open your body to help energy move freely. Aromatherapy and smudging can clear and balance chakras.  Crystal bowls, Tibetan singing bowls, gongs and didgeridoo all produce sounds and tones that stream into your body and open your chakras for healing, balancing and meditation.  This is also true of mantras.  The power of mantra is in the healing aspect of the sound which goes directly into your body.  You can see by these examples that the energy of your chakras can be balanced by using  a variety of techniques.  Exercise, massage, sound.  They use energy to move energy.

It is important to balance your chakras before you energise them.  Balancing, cleaning and purification of chakras opens them up so your physical body can be receptive to spiritual energy.  Imagine your body has a water hose that runs down your spine.  If any part of the hose is blocked the water is not going to move through.  It is going to get stuck somewhere.  The entire hose, all the chakras, need to be clean before you turn on the water.

What can you do when you are sitting in front of a computer screen, or riding the subway, and you know that your energy is not balanced?  You don’t have a Tibetan singing bowl handy and your massage isn’t scheduled for another week.  Fortunately, there is one energy process that you have access to all the time: this is your breath.

Your breath represents a miraculous system.  Of all the bodily functions we have, breathing is the most important.  Think about it.  You can survive without food for as long as four weeks.  You can survive without water for four to ten days.   But you can die within three minutes if you can’t breathe.

You do not have to think to breath.  In the middle of the night your body is going to continue to breathe without asking permission.  You can also control your breathing.  You can change the rate of your breathing.  You can breathe deeply or shallowly.  You can breathe in one nostril and out the other.  You can hold your breath.

Your Breath Can Balance Your Chakras
All of creation is a manifestation of the interaction of polarity.  The interaction of yin and yang, male and female. Every person has male and female attributes. The unification of the positive and negative elements within us, the male and female, creates balance.  That is why the practice of Hatha yoga is designed to bring balance between these two forces within your body.  HA refers to the right nostril; and THA refers to the left nostril.

For thousands of years yogis have studied, experimented and learned how to use breath as a medium to balance chakras and steady the mental fluctuations of our mind.  Indeed, the purpose of all forms and aspects of yoga is to quiet the fluctuations of your mind.  This harmonizes mind, body and spirit.  Your own breath can be a vehicle for this harmony in the system of pranayama.  Remember, prana means energy, and ayama means control.  Pranayama is the control of energy with breathing.

In addition to life supporting oxygen, with each breath in you absorb all of the positive energy of the Air Element.  This energy can be used to clean, balance and energize your chakras.   The vital energy and oxygen move not only into your lungs; but rapidly reach the blood, organs, tissues, nerves and cells.

It is not a mistake that you have two nostrils.  The breath that moves through your right nostril represents the Sun.  The right nostril breath connects with the left side of your brain. The breath that moves through your left nostril represents the Moon.  The breathing of your left nostril connects with the right side of your brain.

Running down the center of your spine is an energy channel known as the Sushumna.  Starting at the base of your spine and snaking up around this central channel are two side channels.  These channels, called the Ida Nadi and Pingala Nadi, intersect and cross each other at every chakra all the way up to the Ajna chakra, your Third Eye.

The Ida Nadi represents the feminine, ying energy of your body. It carries cooling, meditative, feminine energy.  The Ida Nadi ends in your left nostril.  The Pingala Nadi represents the masculine, yang energy of your body.  It carries warming, active, masculine energy and ends in your right nostril.

You can open and balance your chakras when energy flows through the sushumna. This occurs when Ida and Pingala are in balance.  As prana flows through the sushumna it activates each chakra.  This helps bring energy and health to that physical area of the body, and the organs connected to the chakra. It also brings balance to the emotions related to each chakra.  In this state of balance you can achieve meditative awareness.

Alternate nostril breathing is one way to bring balance into your breath and harmony to your chakras, mind, body and spirit.  It connects and energizes the two hemispheres of your brain.  This balance extends to your chakras.  It calms your mind.  It allows energy to move freely through your body, which empowers your body to use it’s natural healing abilities.

You may notice that when you are in a state of balance and harmony it is reflected in your breathing.  You are in balance when your breath is calm, steady and flows easily. You are out of balance when your breathing is uneven, rapid or congested.  The many moods that you have during the course of a day are reflected and connected to the variations in your breathing patterns.

In conclusion, you can use all of your yoga practices – asana, pranayama, meditation – as vehicles for balancing the chakras, which will help you maintain balance in life and in health.

By Bill Eager

About the Author
Bill Eager is the author of the new book Thrive Inside: Secrets of Spiritual Masters, Gurus and Shamans which is available on Amazon.com.  Bill is a certified yoga instructor, yoga nidra facilitator and Reiki healer.  He leads workshops about yoga and yogic techniques around the world.

With “mani” meaning “jewel” and “pura” meaning “city”, Manipura literally translates as “city of jewels”. Sitting at the solar plexus or “place of the sun”, Manipura chakra, as such, contains the precious jewels to those qualities of clarity, personal power, bliss, self-assurance, knowledge and transformation

In the minds of many, yoga is associated primarily with physical exercise and strange contortions of the body, but really yoga includes the science of the body as well as an understanding of the energy levels that govern the body’s functions, a study of mind and higher states of consciousness as well as a whole philosophy to the nature and structure of the universe. No small study task! But the framework provided by the symbols of the chakras gives practitioners the ability to grasp what is happening during the evolution of consciousness first hand.

Within each of the chakras can be seen, in condensed form, the relationship between certain aspects of the physical world, the energy system, the mind and higher consciousness. For example, the third chakra, Manipura, sees aggression, assertiveness, fire, heat, digestion, assimilation and active metabolism intermix in a way that cuts across our separate concepts of what is physical, what is physiological and what is psychological. It is obvious that each of the chakras is vast in its significance and rich in meaning. The chakras are spiritual centres tuned to the cosmos found within the physical body. At the centre of this consciousness is purusha or self.

Manipura chakra is situated between the twelfth thoracic vertebra and the first lumbar vertebra, at the level of the navel. Its sense function is sight and the element associated with this chakra is fire, the field of power. Manipura is in that area of the body referred to as “the solar plexus”. It can best be described as the “internal sun” produced by the oxidation or burning of food. Unlike plants that can take their energy directly from the sun, man must produce his/her own energy. We take the energy trapped in plant matter and release it through the chemical processes of digestion. This creates the “inner flame” or fire, that provides the energy of maintaining life.

When this inner flame is properly regulated, it allows you to be healthy and to have consistent energy levels. If it is improperly regulated, it can lead to various digestive problems such as peptic ulcers, diabetes, eating disorders, hypoglycaemia and nervous disorders. If the flame is excessive and poorly centred, you will find you are irritable, hot tempered and red-faced.

The energy or drive on this level is to measure, control, categorise and quantify – to be scientific. A lot of people need this energy for stability, but it can also lead to inflexibility. The colour of Manipura chakra is yellow, the colour that feeds and gives clarity to the mind. While practising asana and during visualisation, directing yellow to this area will help you better understand your thoughts.

The ego operates on every level of consciousness but it is strongest at the Manipura level because Manipura is the seat of the intellect. Most thinking happens in the stomach, as unflattering as this may sound. The ego’s main function is to separate, and our separative egos perceive themselves by insisting that everything is “out there”.

The lesson of Manipura is therefore dealing with ego and power. Too little fire results in powerlessness; too much results in aggression and greed. But fire qualities are also seen as truth finding. They symbolise the acquiring of skill in all endeavours, the recognition of errors and, after these truths have been established, the guarding and transmitting of wisdom.

Functioning in balance, fire warms and enlightens the world. Fire also represents light, which allows us to see things. Manipura’s sense function is sight, but also encompasses “second sight” as in knowledge and wisdom.

Asanas for Manipura Chakra
Physically, the third chakra is associated with the pancreas (seat of sweetness), the solar plexus (place of fire), the spleen (seat of worry), the liver (seat of anger) and the gall bladder (seat of envy). As we work through a chain of asanas, we release negative emotions from their organ of origin and this helps to purify the physical sheath and balance the mental sheath. Pranayama also plays an important role and Kapalabhati or “breath of fire” is the best method of fanning the inner flames and creating heat in this area. The twisting asanas are most beneficial, including Parivrtta Janu Sirsana (Revolved Head-Knee Pose). Sun Salutation (Surya Namaskar) is also a good exercise sequence for this chakra. Both back and forward bends are wonderful for toning up and clearing this chakra too

Manipura Chakra
Position: The solar plexus – rooted between the
twelfth thoracic vertebra and first lumbar vertebra
Colour: Yellow
Sound: Ram
Centre: Intellect, ego, emotions, will and
power, change
Gland/organ: Pancreas, digestive system, liver,
spleen, stomach and small intestine
Sense: Sight

By Arlene Francois

The secret of yantra is one of the most guarded forms of Hindu mystical teaching, since the power of a yantra, when invoked through proper ritual, is believed to be boundless. Every need, every expression, every deep-seated desire in the human heart can be expressed in the form of a yantra. It’s a pure form of energy that’s beyond both religion and theory and its powers are available to all, says Dr H. Vedant

Throughout the process of evolution man has always found ways to guard and secure himself by using cosmic forces. History offers us infinite insights and instances of people who’ve employed these forces of nature to their advantage in the form of talismans, yantras and various other mystic charms. Primarily, every culture has some form of mystic symbol or a secret language that we recognise by different names. Similarly, the realm of tantra is filled with several mystic tools and enchantments that serve and steer us to manifest our desires. One such manifestation tool is yantra.

What is Yantra?
The Sanskrit term yantra originates from “yan” or “yam” meaning “medium” and “tra” meaning “instrument” or “tool”. Yantra is an instrument, apparatus or an amulet endowed with protective powers. Yantras are the visual equivalents of the mantras or thought forms. They are classified and subdivided into various forms, shapes and patterns; however, its ultimate purpose is to unite us with our higher selves.

Yantra holds supreme status among all mystic sciences and disciplines. Tantric gurus have collectively declared yantra as the best medium for manifestation and wish fulfilment. Yantras possess the ability to express the inner aspect of any form of creation. Every tree and every flower is a yantra and through its form, colour and smell, describes the origin of its manifestation.

People frequently use the term “yantra” “talisman” and “mandala” interchangeably. It makes no difference in the end what you call them, just as long as you choose the correct yantra to manifest a specific purpose. The yantras are engraved on a thin sheet of metal such as gold, silver or copper and, according to the Ahirbudhnya Samhita, the metal used to devise a yantra, has a substantial impact on its results.

Use of Yantra
Yantra attunes us with the powers of the deity and thereby adds that missing ingredient to our often sterile lives. It’s vital that you use the yantra with faith and inner belief and that your needs are known in the inner spiritual worlds. Yantras are objects designed to give specific power, protection, encouragement and energy to the user. They are generally used to provide specific results and are usually devised for accomplishing or manifesting a specific purpose.

Types of Yantras
Yantras are broadly classified into four types: yantras of deities – for example Shree Yantra and Mahavidya Yantra; astrological yantras – to harness the energies of the nine major planets; architectural yantras – used for the ground plans of temples and numerical yantras – comprising a select combination of numbers that are generally used as talismans.

How Yantras Work – Exploring Yantra Dynamics
Yantras are energy mapping machines. It is a blueprint that radiates a specific frequency due to its unique geometric construction. When focusing or meditating on a yantra, the mind automatically comes into alignment and resonates to the particular energy of the yantra. This sequence of resonance is magnified as one consistently meditates over it.

Yantras act as a reservoir of divine energies. It is a medium through which the invincible energy acts on an individual. This channelled energy possesses an intense power to attract and manifest desired experiences. The diagrams of yantras are representative of time and space which is clearly visible in the most celebrated yantra, the Shree Yantra.

Yantra Yoga
Yantra yoga is one of the ancient techniques of yoga that exists in the world today. It emphasizes the visualisation of yantra and involves the usage of these symbolic diagrams as a central point of concentration. It works with the breathing to regulate the individual’s energy and ultimately brings you closer to the desired outcome. If a mantra is chanted while visualising the yantra, the momentum is increased several-fold. The effectiveness of the exercise depends on concentration and visualisation ability.

Significance of Yantra in Modern Times
Primitive people began wearing amulets and yantras to protect themselves from an often frightening world. Yantra guarded the user from enemies, animals and provided protection against the evil eye. In our modern societies, our fears, needs and challenges are more sophisticated in nature. In this age we are tortured by inflation, crime, natural and man-made disasters. There are the ever expanding inner demons such as anxiety, frustrations and mental illness too, to name but a few. The use of yantra in present day is therefore much more relevant than ever before. In today’s fast paced life where one craves to achieve definite results in the shortest possible time, yantras are a fitting answer. Yantra is a tool that can boost us and lead us rapidly towards desire fulfilment.

How are Yantras Energised?
The traditional tantric methods of purifying yantra involve various intricate steps. Energisation is one of the most crucial steps– from inscribing a yantra to infusing it with prana (energy), it involves various stages. When we perform the puja (ritual) on the yantra, we are attracting the attention of the deity and inviting their subtle bodies to inhabit the yantra. Preparing a yantra, infusing the mantra and energising it, is performed in a single uninterrupted sequence. Here, the mystic codes, numerals and symbols are engraved on a metal piece. Later, by chanting the primordial sound (beej mantras), lighting celestial fire, offering sanctified water and vapours of herbs, the deity is invoked and invited to reside in the yantra. Only after this ritual, are you capable of manifesting your desired objective. To obtain 100 percent benefits from the yantra you have to make sure that it is energised, sanctified, consecrated and customised by learned pundits. The yantra is activated by tantrics through complex meditative techniques which cannot be satisfactorily used in a Western environment. In such cases, the help of a Vedic priest or a yantra expert is advisable.

Yantras are formulated at spiritually and cosmically significant occasions. This is done on a specific day when planetary forces are favourable for devising a specific yantra. For instance, if you have relationship issues then a yantra devised on Friday will be much more effective and will bestow faster results. Similarly if it’s a yantra for wealth and prosperity like Shree Yantra, energising it on a day like Diwali will be beneficial as its impact is increased several-fold.

At this point we must stop and ask some very natural questions: Do yantras really work? Do they truly possess the power to navigate the course of destiny? Do they really influence and alter the circumstances around us? The answer is, yes! Yantras have stood the test of time and became well known for their benefits. Obviously, if yantra had failed to produce the desired results, they would have been forgotten long ago. Yantras are manifestations of the universal forces and the fate that created all that is, all that was, and all that has the potential of being.

Yantra Trap – Beware of Fake Yantras
There’s a lot of flimsy, false and fraudulent junk being hawked in the name of yantra and it becomes difficult to determine what you are actually getting. Shree Yantra and Mahalakshmi Yantra are quite admired these days but unfortunately these yantras are being sold by unscrupulous online vendors. During my research, I tested some of these yantras and the results were alarming, as only a few focused on the quality of the metal, the geometric construction was incorrect in most cases, the image inscribed was vague and energisation hardy performed. Remember, geometric construction is the prime ingredient of the yantra; if that is inaccurate then the yantra is merely a piece of metal.

By Dr H. Vedant

Dr H. Vedant is the President of Apsra School of Ancient Science (ASAS), a practicing yantra therapist and an expert in Oriental studies. His study in to the realm of yantra and mantra therapy has helped and healed many people. Dr Vedant can be reached on hvedant@apsra.org. For more details visit www.apsra.org and www. yantralogy.com.

A calming seven-minute teaching by Wendy Wood (Nandiva) of the ISHTA School of Yoga and Health about the effects of imblanaces in the subtle energy system of the chakras and how regular pranayama and asana can help bring our bodies back into perfect harmony.

Click the “play” button below and enjoy the teaching!

You can also save it to your computer by right clicking and pressing “save as” on the link below:
www.yoga-sa.com/downloads/chakra_imbalances.mp3

Svadhisthana Chakra – The Sacral Chakra

The second chakra, located in the sacral plexus, is related to the element of water, to emotions and sexuality. It connects us to others through feeling, desire, sensation, and movement. Ideally this chakra brings us fluidity and grace, depth of feeling, sexual fulfillment, and the ability to accept change

By Arlene Francois

Most people think of kundalini as energy, but really it is just consciousness and every body on earth has access to it. The only difference between an “enlightened” person and an ordinary person is that the kundalini is latent in one and manifest in the other. This is what happens when the kundalini moves out of its normal house in the base chakra and burns ts way to the higher chakras causing our own inner consciousness to light up the world.

The symbols of the chakras in their rich imagery give us a pictorial understanding of the different levels at which this consciousness is awakened. The first chakra with the square and the white elephant tells us we are dealing with earthy, physical vibrations. The consciousness is “I am my body and I am fearful for my security.” Think of the huge body of the elephant – clumsy, slow. He has very poor eyesight and experiences life through very narrow vision. When kundalini has passed through Muladhara chakra and the veil has been lifted, it moves to Svadhisthana chakra  the sacral centre or, more literally, the “the dwelling place of the self”. “Sva” means “that which belongs to itself” and “dhisthana” meaning “its actual place”.

In the course of self-development there is a gradual refinement and escalation of the senses from the tamasic (dark, inert) to the rajasic (heated desire) to the sattvic (harmony, peace) level. While Muladhara chakra is concerned with smell as a sense and our pleasant or unpleasant experiences of smell – our likes and dislikes, or ragadwesha – Svadhisthana is concerned with taste. With regard to food and drink, it’s the tongue we taste with, yet it becomes apparent that taste is also related to other areas of life. The word “taste” also indicates the tasting of an experience and teaches that we should move beyond our likes and dislikes of a particular taste and into the “experience of the tasting” – this is when Svadhisthana chakra begins to open.

Svadhisthana represents the experience of life itself. To do this, it is required that we live in the present state of awareness, and not in the mind of many conscious and subconscious thoughts. Svadhisthana itself is controlled by the subtle or subconscious mind and ruled with emotion. It is closely related to Muladhara where the different samskaras (potential karmas) lie dormant, yet Svadhisthana is where these samskaras find expression. In addition to unconscious desires, Svadhisthana is also especially concerned with sexual desire.

The two lower chakras – Muladhara and Svadhisthana – are about our instincts. One of the prime reasons for yoga is to rise above this lower nature and control our desires.

The Symbol
THE SIX-PETALLED LOTUS – the guiding thought of the lotus symbol is that of purity of mind. The increase in the number of petals indicates an increase of expression, not only in words, but in imagination.
THE CRESCENT MOON – known as Ambhoja Mandala, is luminous, white, cool and receptive. It represents water and water represents imagination, a function of the mind. Uncultivated imagination can lead to fear and a variety of unhealthy mental attitudes. Directed imagination leads to creative expression such as inventions and art.
MAKARA – is the name of the creature that’s a combination of alligator and fish. Its wide mouth swallows up everything without discrimination – an image that accurately sums up the negative aspects of Svadhisthana.

Svadhisthana Chakra
Position: The sacral plexus
Colour: Orange
Sound: Vam
Centre: Pleasure, sexuality, creativity
Gland/Organ: Ovaries and testicles
Sense: Taste

Asanas For Svadhishthana Chakra
Often referred to as the “water chakra”, activation of Svadhisthana chakra regulates and harmonises the fluids of the human body, thus affecting the genital system and easing arthritis and diseases of the blood. Activation of this chakra is a powerful preventative against sexual disorders too. When Paschimotasana (the Seated Forward Bend Pose) is performed correctly, all the vertebrae of the spine and each muscle in the back are stretched and provides a compression or contraction of the stomach followed by the release which increases blood flow to the abdominal region. Also very beneficial are the lower backbends like Matsyasana (the Fish Pose) and Salabhasana (the Locust Pose).

The Healing Power of Colour

With the whole body relaxed and soft, visualise the colour RED and relax your skin. Feel RED lightly dancing over the skin.

Then ORANGE. Visualise ORANGE saturating and unknotting the muscles.

See YELLOW sinking into the bones, elongating and freeing them.

Imagine GREEN soothing and calming the emotions. Feel it.

BLUE eases the breathing, making you light and airborne.

INDIGO tranquilising the patterns in the consciousness.

VIOLET gently seeping into the thought patterns. Experience it and flow with the VIOLET.

Slowly draw all the colours into your centre – all colours amalgamating to create WHITE LIGHT.

Feel yourself, radiant and whole.

Muladhara Chakra – The Root Chakra

Like the stained glass windows of a cathedral, which preserve in pictoral form, the knowledge and wisdom of medieval philosophy, the seven main chakras of the Kundalini system contain in their rich and complex imagery, a virtual encyclopedia of human consciousness and spiritual life, says Arleen Francois

The symbols used in depicting the chakras are taken from Indian mythology – conches, tridents, lotus, serpents – and on the surface seem alien to our Western way of thinking, but the meaning behind the symbols is universal.

In Hatha yoga practice, we work on a physical level to open joints, stretch muscles, strengthen the bones and release unnecessary tension, but at a deeper level, whether we recognise it or not, we are working on the subtler energies of the body, in particular with the energies of the chakras, along the spine.

According to Hatha Yoga Pradipika, the energy that lies dormant at the base of the spine in Muladhara chakra must be awakened and made to ascend through the centre of the spinal column until it reaches the crown of the head. On its progress upwards, this force passes through the chakras, where stress tends to accumulate and obstruct its passage. The function of asana is to open the chakras to allow this force to flow freely.

Muladhara Chakra

Position: Base of the spine (genitals)
Colour: Red
Sound: Lam
Centre: Physical energy and vitality
Gland/Organ: Testes/Ovaries
Sense: Smell

Muladhara chakra is the earth chakra – the base, the foundation – and is located at the perineum, the area between the anus and genitals, sometimes referred to as the “pelvic floor”.

Muladhara is concerned with survival in this world and how the outside world affects the inner world through the senses. The undeveloped human is sensual, first directed to food by smell. Smell also creates sexual excitement. If the quest for knowledge is sincere however, the sensitivity of the sense of smell can become so refined that there may be the perception of a Divine Presence by the smell of a fragrance resembling roses or violets, or the delicate scent of incense such as sandalwood.

“As above, so below”: the root chakra corresponds to the crown chakra. By awakening Muladhara, you are increasing the subtle energies throughout your being.

The Symbol

THE CIRCLE – denotes completeness or perfection.
THE SQUARE – is the symbol of the element earth. Not only is Muladhara the first chakra, the foundation of all other chakras, but it is itself a beginning. It is like building the foundation of one’s house – if the plans have not been well drawn, if the groundwork is sloppy and careless, the foundation will not support the structure. Similarly, one’s life must have a good foundation – careful preparation and planning is necessary.
THE TRIANGLE – is the symbol of the female sex. In this chakra, the triangle pointing downwards indicates that the power comes from above. Within the triangle is a linga, the symbol for the male sex. Around the linga is a serpent coiled three and a half times and this represents energy expressed in three different ways: sattva is purity, rajas is activity and passion and tamas stands for inertia and darkness. The half coil combines all three and indicates the interplay of these forces.
THE WHITE ELEPHANT WITH SEVEN TRUNKS – In the beginning man is clumsy and heavy like an elephant, trampling everything underfoot. Our preconceived ideas do the same thing. The seven trunks stand for the seven most powerful negative characteristics and also the seven most powerful ones. The elephant is an exceptionally strong animal and strength is needed to overcome the difficulties encountered along the spiritual path as many human drives have great strength. The elephant is also known to be stubborn, unforgetting and revengeful. Yet the whiteness of the elephant stands for the fact that every human being is divine.

Asanas for Muladhara Chakra
Baddha Konasan (Bound Angle Pose/also known as The Butterfly) relates specifically to the root chakra. In so many classes, the object of the Bound Angle Pose seems to be “Get Those Knees Down Onto The Floor”… or else! But, this is bypassing the essence of the asana. Rather, as a theme for your practice, explore how “Drawing The Perineum Into Your Body” affects your other poses – standing, sitting, inverted and backbends.

Start with the Bound Angle Pose and instead of giving yourself the instruction “Press Knees To The Floor” hear the instruction “Draw The Perineum Into Your Body”. Feel your buttocks responding by becoming firm, the sitting bones move toward each other, the pelvis and spinal column are lifted from underneath and the legs (which would have been the only parts to respond to the first instruction) enjoy a strong movement to the whole being, not just the body.

When the image is used in standing poses, the legs become stronger (very helpful for those who are flexible but weak around the thighs) and the spinal column extends. In balancing poses it gives greater stability and, in backbends, it increases the lift in the pelvis.

You are not commanding yourself to clench a muscle – the image of lifting from deep within awakens a total response that grows from inside rather than being imposed from the outside.

By Arlene Francois