Today's Daily Tip

Practice at Home

Establishing a home practice is a wonderful way to create a very direct and personal connection to your yoga. The downside ... (continued)

Multimedia

Video Channel:
From the Magazine

Behind the Scenes at a Yoga Journal Photoshoot

See the work and dedication of our editorial and art teams as we create the images to illustrate Chaturanga.

Watch Video



Print Print Email Email Comment Comment Add to Favorites
Log in to save to My Yoga Journal!
Add to Favorites
Bookmark Bookmark

Asanas for the Chakra System

A prescription of asanas to help balance the subtle energies of the chakra system.

By Barbara Kaplan Herring

sahasrara - crown ajna - third eye visuddha - throat anahata - heart manipura - navel svadisthana - hips muladhara - root

Seventh Heaven

There are seven chakras, or energy centers, in the body that become blocked by longheld tension and low self-esteem. But practicing poses that correspond to each chakra can release these blocks and clear the path to higher consciousness.

The chakra system provides a theoretical base for fine-tuning our yoga practice to suit our unique personality and circumstances. Traditionally, Indians saw the body as containing seven main chakras, arranged vertically from the base of the spine to the top of the head. Chakra is the Sanskrit word for wheel, and these "wheels" were thought of as spinning vortexes of energy.

Each chakra is associated with particular functions within the body and with specific life issues and the way we handle them, both inside ourselves and in our interactions with the world. As centers of force, chakras can be thought of as sites where we receive, absorb, and distribute life energies. Through external situations and internal habits, such as long-held physical tension and limiting self-concepts, a chakra can become either deficient or excessive—and therefore imbalanced.

These imbalances may develop temporarily with situational challenges, or they may be chronic. A chronic imbalance can come from childhood experiences, past pain or stress, and internalized cultural values. For instance, a child whose family moves every year to a different state may not learn what it's like to feel rooted in a location, and she can grow up with a deficient first chakra.

A deficient chakra neither receives appropriate energy nor easily manifests that chakra's energy in the world. There's a sense of being physically and emotionally closed down in the area of a deficient chakra. Think of the slumped shoulders of someone who is depressed and lonely, their heart chakra receding into their chest. The deficient chakra needs to open.

When a chakra is excessive, it is too overloaded to operate in a healthy way and becomes a dominating force in a person's life. Someone with an excessive fifth (throat) chakra, for example, might talk too much and be unable to listen well. If the chakra were deficient, she might experience restraint and difficulty when communicating.


Next: Muladhara Chakra (Root) 

Page 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Print Print Email Email Comment Comment Add to Favorites
Log in to save to My Yoga Journal!
Add to Favorites
Bookmark Bookmark

Subscribe to Yoga Journal Magazine

Reader Comments

Gib

Great article..... It helps to know it exists. It helps to know there is hope and health for the human experience.I have I First chakra problems as well. Yoga can really help put one's life back on track.

Kerry Fantelli

I am always thrilled to read any information about the chakras and how to balance them. Thanks for these great tips and the knowledge!

Kelly Mcgrath

Interesting article, but it left me hanging. At the end, she said "depending on the ailments, different neck stretches and shoulder openers, including........., can aid the fifth chakra." The author did not advise which stretch is good for which ailment. For example, if a student is energy deficient or or excessive, which asanas are helpful? How can I find this out?

See All Comments »      Add a Comment »

Your Name:

Comment:

See All Beginners Expert Q&A Articles »

Join Yoga Journal's Benefits Plus

Liability insurance and benefits to support teachers and studios.

Learn More »

Enter to Win Great Prizes!

Enter to Win Great Prizes! Enter to Win Great Prizes! Prizes include a Yoga Journal conference pass, yoga mats, clothes, books, jewelry, energy bars, Yoga Journal DVDs, and more...

Enter Now »
Full Name:
Address 1:
Address 2:
City:
State:
Zip Code:
Email (req):

If I like it and decide to continue, I'll pay just $16.95, and receive a full one-year subscription (9 issues in all), a 62% savings off the newsstand price!

Offer valid in US only.
Canadian subscriptions | International subscriptions

Your subscription includes
2 FREE GIFTS:

Yoga to the Rescue:
Poses for Stress

The next time you find your nerves frazzled, use this rejuvenating flow sequence to relieve the effects of stress.

Yoga to the Rescue:
Poses for a Headache

Got a pounding headache? This sequence of supported poses can send it packing.