Sunday, 04 July 2021 | Dr Chandni Tugnait
The basis of alternative therapies is science and one such technique to align our energies is chakra balancing, writes Dr Chandni Tugnait
Everything is energy and the more we can tune into vibrations that resonate with us at a deeper level, the more connected we feel to the universe and ourselves. The ‘vibes’ that we sense when we meet someone or visit a place are also the awareness of energy. A place where there are a lot of fights would naturally have dense energy. Likewise, the energy at beaches is mostly light due to the presence of salt (known to detox and cleanse) in water.
Do you feel sad or frustrated for trivial reasons? Do you know someone who is always angry? Do you sometimes feel you/your closed ones lack intuitive reasoning, lack decision-making, inability to overcome grief, stress, financial woes, etc.? A lot of this could stem from an imbalance in the energy centers, also known as chakras, in the body. The basis of alternative therapies is science and one such great technique we can use to align and balance our energies is chakra balancing.
The Energy Centers — Chakras
The word chakra comes from the Sanskrit word, cakra, which means ‘wheel’. It’s an ancient science; even the ancient Hindu scriptures, the Vedas have mention of chakras. Throughout history, chakras or energy centers have played an important role and the same is seen across cultures such as Chinese, Hindus, Egyptians, Greeks, Native Americans, Mayans, Incas and many more.
Chakras are energy centers/vortexes in the body that impact the physical, mental, emotional, financial, sexual, behavioural, social, environmental & spiritual aspects of our well-being.
There are hundreds of chakras in our body but we focus on seven main ones for healing purposes. Energy that keeps us going, flows through these chakras as they store and distribute energy. There are seven main chakras along the spine and each chakra is associated with specific organs, systems and glands in the body. Every chakra has a specific colour and element.
These seven chakras are responsible for creating our lives. When all the main seven chakras are aligned and are working together, there will be harmony in our lives at all levels. When our chakras are blocked, imbalanced or out of alignment, the free energy flow is obstructed which can lead to physical, emotional, mental or spiritual disease.
These seven chakras are: Crown Chakra, Third-eye Chakra, Throat Chakra, Heart Chakra, Solar Plexus Chakra, Sacral Chakra & Root Chakra. The crown controls our connection with the divine, third-eye enables the senses and intuitive ability, throat controls expression, heart enables love and connections, solar plexus is the power centre, sacral is for sexuality and creativity and root is the foundation, gives strength and material possessions.
Balancing Chakras
The key to joyful living is a perfect balance of energies in the chakras. We can use the following ways individually or in a combination for lasting results:
Chanting mantras: Each chakra has a sound/mantra assigned to it (AH, AUM, HAM, YAM, RAM, VAM & LAM) and chanting or singing the mantra is a powerful method as it activates the therapeutic benefits of music and sound as well.
Colours: Every chakra has a colour — these are the colours of the VIBGYOR. One can use the colour of the chakra in clothes and accessories in order to keep the chakras aligned. Focus on the chakra that needs attention or you can also assign one colour for each day of the week for ease in following.
Crystals: Crystal healing is a powerful method for aligning chakras. There are individual crystals for every chakra (such as amethyst for third eye & crown chakras) that can be used during meditation or can even be placed on the body at the position of the chakras while lying down to activate them.
Foods: Based on the colours and elements, there are specific foods for every chakra. For example, apples and almonds for root chakra. Food is a great source of energy & including specific chakra foods in the diet, assists in aligning the chakras at the cellular level as well.
Guided meditation: There are many guided meditations for each of the chakras for enabling focus on a particular chakra. Alternatively, a 7-chakra meditation can also be followed that covers all the chakras at a time. Practising this daily, not only aligns the chakras, but also boosts physical, mental, emotional and spiritual wellbeing.
All these methods are easy to incorporate in daily life and are not time-consuming. However, in case one feels that they require support for the same, you can seek help for a step-by-step process with more details on chakras and chakra balancing.
The writer is a renowned Psychotherapist, healer & founder of Gateway of Healing
