Chakras. Simply put: Energetic centers on the body. You can take it literally and go waaaaaay down the spiritual rabbit hole if you like. OR you can use it practically and apply some simple basics to your life to help you feel better. There’s no right or wrong way... We’re going with the second option because that’s our preference.

This will be a two-part blog series. Today, we’re discussing the bottom three chakras and next time we’ll discuss the top four. We’ll keep it as simple as possible so you can add this info to your Personal Development toolbox right away. (Sign up for our e-mail list to get even more discussion on this!)

Which is the most important chakra? As you’ll see, there isn’t one. ALLLLLL the chakras play a role in keeping us moving through life smoothly (or not so smoothly). Let’s go from the bottom up:

Root Chakra (Red): The root chakra lives at the base of your body - from your tailbone all the way down your legs. It is what connects you to the ground, whether you’re standing or sitting. (Again, you can think of this literally OR figuratively OR a mixture of both and it will all be helpful.) The root chakra relates to your sense of belonging - feeling rooted in your home, your family, your friend circle, yourself. It involves knowing who you are on a deep level. It is where your sense of stability and identity come from.  When the root chakra is “out of alignment” or “stagnant” (terms used by the spiritual community that mean not quite right), you may feel adrift, lonely, or like you don’t have a home. Some people claim that physical ailments are connected to each chakra. The root chakra could cause bladder/gut problems or foot/leg joint issues. Example: You travel somewhere distant and get diarrhea or constipation. (You left home -- the place you feel grounded -- and your guts acted up.)

Sacral Chakra (Orange): The sacral chakra is in between the pubic bone and the belly button and circles all the way around to the low back. This is the place of creation in the body (not a coincidence that the female womb is located here). Pleasure and creativity begin in our sacral chakra. Ever lose hours because you got lost making art, or writing, or building something? That’s the sacral chakra at work. It gives us a feelings of worthiness and desire.  When the sacral chakra isn’t aligned, we may feel like we want to hide and not show the world who we are. We may be in a creative slump and not feel inspired. Physical symptoms could be low back pain or disc issues, or sexual problems. Example: A woman goes through a bad breakup and soon after experiences horrible menstrual pain.

Solar Plexus Chakra (Yellow): Do you know where your diaphragm is? Take a sec and feel the tips of your ribcage through your upper abdomen. Your diaphragm lives up in there. It is the muscle that moves your lungs so you can breathe. Cheerleaders are taught to cheer from their diaphragms so they can project louder and more powerfully. Singers and swimmers are taught to breathe from the diaphragm so they can sing and swim more powerfully. The solar plexus is all about POWER. When you stand tall and project confidence, your solar plexus is wide open.  

 A stagnant solar plexus chakra will feel like a fear. Think about someone who is hunched over or in the fetal position - their solar plexus is being blocked by fear and lack of confidence. People who speak timidly (not from the diaphragm) and try to shrink themselves by hunching may have some solar plexus issues. Physical ailments are all things digestion. Example: You are about to give a presentation and you get butterflies in your stomach. 

 Whew! That’s a lot of info for one blog post. There is much more to come. I’ll emphasize again that it’s not important to take this stuff extremely literally (unless you want to). It is simply a great visual representation of what could be going on in your body, actions, and emotions.
Oh, and we have representation in the form of jewelry for each chakra too! Check them out: