Summary
This article demystifies chakras, linking them to ancient Hindu Yoga Upanishads and Kundalini Yoga practices. It explains the symbolism, functions, and locations of the seven major chakras, clarifying common misconceptions about their colors, emotions, and physical reality. Emphasizing proper guidance, it highlights chakras as meditative tools rather than physical entities, urging a balanced, informed approach to chakra meditation for spiritual growth and avoiding quick-fix myths.
🔹 Chakras are ancient energetic centers detailed in the Yoga Upanishads.
🔹 Seven major chakras govern physical, emotional, and spiritual well-being.
🔹 Each chakra has unique symbols, seed mantras, elements, and blockages.
🔹 Modern color and emotional associations are imaginative aids, not original facts.
🔹 Proper Kundalini Yoga practice requires guidance to avoid adverse effects.
🔹 Chakras may not have physical form but function as vital meditation tools.
🔹 Balancing chakras promotes harmony, self-awareness, and spiritual progress.
The concept of Chakras is intimately tied to the Kundalini Yoga practices. Our understanding of these ideas has evolved greatly over the centuries but these practices find their first mention in the ancient Hindu scriptures of the Yoga Upanishads. There are around twenty Yoga Upanishads believed to have been first codified over four millennia ago.
The texts are contained within and form an integral part of the four Vedas. Kundalini Yoga, of which the chakras are a part, is a powerful yogic technique, and must be performed properly, to minimize unintended physical or mental side effects. Adverse effects are not uncommon when these techniques are performed in a manner disassociated from their true, original context.
We must remember that a meditative technique is not a narcotic; neither is it a quick-fix to escape your reality. All yogic practices require an attunement of body and mind as a prerequisite. In this post, we will try to debunk some of the myths associated with the Chakras and give you a clear and contextual introduction to what the Chakras entail under all that mysticism and mumbo-jumbo.
Kundalini Yoga: A Natural Scientific Approach to Peak of Eight Fold Yoga (An Old and Rare Book)
Any discussion of chakras carries with it a strong mystical flavor. But it is also a topic much misunderstood. The unchecked profligacy of web-based encyclopedias that anyone can edit has contributed greatly to the confusion. The information thus inseminated is hardly consistent.
A lot of the notoriety associated with chakras and kundalini is because many recent practitioners and self-styled yoga experts, in the last couple of centuries, have tried to present the chakra-based meditations as a fast lane for experiencing esoteric bliss. While this may have a basis in truth, it is not the whole truth.
The esoteric experiences are side-effects. True goal of yoga is to attain moksha, the state of enlightenment, where all karma is dissolved, freeing the soul from the vagaries of mind and body. Focusing on the intermittent experiences is detrimental to growth and has the potential to do more harm than good.
The word "chakra" means "wheel" or "disk" in Sanskrit, representing spinning energy centers in the body that regulate physical, emotional, and spiritual health. Kundalini Yoga, which awakens latent spiritual energy, uses chakras as focal points in meditation and energy work. However, practicing Kundalini Yoga without proper guidance can cause mental or physical imbalance, emphasizing the need for expert supervision.
Chakra Energy Healing System
According to most modern schools of yogic thoughts, there are believed to be seven major chakras and a number of minor ones. Some others limit this number to 4, 5, or 6. We’ll be discussing here the seven chakra version. But before diving into their details, let's briefly examine some of the symbolisms normally associated with the chakras.
Kundalini Yoga Chakras in Human Body
The Yoga Upanishads from the Vedas use a vivid lotus flower symbolism to describe the shape of the various chakras. The number of petals this lotus has is different for each chakra. Sanskrit alphabets (Devanagari script) inscribed onto the petals of the lotus represent the different vrittis, or attributes belonging to each of the chakras. The chakras representations often display, within their lotuses, various geometrical shapes: triangles, circles, rectangles, and crescents.
In the popular literature on the Chakras, you may often see the seven colors of the rainbow ascribed to the seven major chakras. But if you compare different accounts you will find that the colors ascribed to the chakras are inconsistent.
The principal reason why we find so many conflicting accounts of the chakra’s colors is actually simple: the original Yoga Upanishads do not associate specific colors to the chakras. This association is a recent, and to some extent arbitrary, addition.
The same goes for another of the popular beliefs that the chakras are associated with emotions, such as: fear, guilt, shame, or confidence etc. Such claims have similar dubious origins and don’t seem to have much to do with the original interpretation of the chakras within the Vedas. While not every new thing is bad, it’s important to understand the context behind these modifications.
Many modern yoga practitioners and scholars believe that, even though the rainbow colors (and the related emotions) may not have originally been a part of the Vedic theory of chakras, they may still act as a useful imaginative aid for the meditation. We should be looking at such associations - the colors, and the emotions - with this caveat. We’ll also be examining this ‘imagination vs reality’ question in some more detail in the last section of our discussion.
A discussion of the seven major chakras follows. upper four chakras: heart, throat, brow, and crown. The upper chakras govern our conscious actions and higher mental functions. The three lower chakras - root, sacral, and navel - govern the instinctive responses and the unconscious, primitive parts of the individual selves. Let’s explore each chakra, its characteristics, yogic significance, and methods for activation and balance.
● Location - Base of the spine (between perineum and pelvic bone)
● Element - Earth
● Color - Red
● Seed Mantra - LAM
● Symbol - 4-petaled red lotus
● Focus - Survival, Grounding, Stability
● Deity - Brahma
● Blocked by - Fear
● Effects of blockage - Anxiety, Insecurity, Distrust
● Yogic Practices - Mula Bandha, Bhastrika Pranayama
Muladhara is the foundation of the energetic form of the body. To awaken your Kundalini shakti you must begin here. It is a Chakra, associated with the element Earth. Muladhara deals with survival and is blocked by fear. A blocked Root Chakra gives rise to fear, nervousness, low self-esteem, and an attitude of unreasonable distrust towards others. When this chakra is balanced, we become rooted in the present, making us less prone to unpredictable vagaries of the monkey mind. Opening the root chakra gives us a sensible, secure, and stable outlook in our day-to-day lives.
● Location - Below the navel, two fingers above the root
● Element - Water
● Color - Orange
● Seed Mantra - VAM
● Symbol - 6-vermillion petals Lotus with white crescent moon
● Focus - Pleasure, Creativity, Relationships
● Deity - Vishnu
● Blocked by - Guilt
● Effects of blockage - Emotional instability, Social withdrawal
● Yogic Practices - Vajroli Mudra, and Ashvini Mudra
The Sacral Chakra is considered the seat of the ‘Self’. The dormant Samskaras (the potential karmas) in Muladhara finds expression in the Svadhisthana Chakra. Raising the Kundalini above Svadhisthana is very difficult as it requires confronting and overcoming sexual desires. Sometimes it takes years of rigorous practice and is considered major spiritual progress for a sadhaka, or a student of spirituality.
Sacral Chakra blockage causes emotional and psychological disorders and can sometimes manifest as sociopathic tendencies. A balanced Svadhisthana gives the ability to express feelings with openness and freedom. The person can be passionate as well as easily blend with society. Sexual attractiveness increases dramatically if this chakra is balanced.
● Location - Near the navel, below the solar plexus
● Element - Fire
● Color - Yellow
● Seed Mantra - RAM
● Symbol - 10-petaled lotus (representing 10 prana vayus.)
● Focus - Willpower, Metabolism, Self-control
● Deity - Rudra, a fierce avatar of Shiva
● Blocked by - Shame
● Effects of blockage - Indecision, Aggression, Low self-esteem
● Yogic Practices - Agnisara Kriya, Uddiyana Bandha, and Nauli
Manipura or the Navel chakra, some later interpretations call this the Solar Plexus Chakra, which may not be the correct way to look at things especially since, in the larger theory of chakras, there exists another minor chakra, Surya Chakra, which is more closely associated with the area around the solar plexus.
Manipura Chakra is the home of Agni and Samana Vayu. This is the neuro-physiological confluence where the Prana and Apana Vayus meet in balance. Manipura governs metabolism and is associated with the pancreatic glands and the adrenal cortex.
The Navel Chakra deals with willpower and is blocked by shame. Blockages to this chakra can cause severe behavioral issues. On one hand, such blockages can cause us to become passive and indecisive, while on the other hand, they can also lead us to indulge in overly domineering and aggressive behavior.
Both states are plagued by a constant feeling of apprehension, fear, and unease where we find ourselves unable to set or adhere to boundaries in our interaction with others. Opening the Navel Chakra balances this fire and imparts a sense of dignified control to our external and internal behavior.
● Location - Center of the chest, near the heart
● Element - Air
● Color - Green
● Seed Mantra - YAM
● Symbol - 12-petaled lotus with a hexagram
● Focus - Love, Compassion, Forgiveness
● Deity - Panchavaktra Shiva
● Blocked by - Grief
● Effects of blockage - Emotional coldness, Possessiveness
● Yogic Practices - Ajapa Japa, Bhakti Yoga, Heart-opening Asanas
Anahat Chakra, or the Heart Chakra, it bestows upon the sadhakas, the power to take decisions outside of their Karmic constraints. However, Anahata or the Heart Chakra allows one to bend and override the seemingly inevitable instinctive decisions.
An example is the action of lower animals who can’t break away from the bounds of the instinctive trap of cause and effect. It is made possible through the following of one's heart. A mastery of Anahata allows a sadhaka to rise above the base nature of actions which are based only upon our unfulfilled emotions.
This is the start of the connection between our gross and the subtle selves as prescribed in the Yoga Upanishads. This chakra deals with love and is blocked by grief. The blockages of the Heart cause a person to become either cold or overprotective. Both the states being opposite manifestations of the same self-centered attitude.
Opening the Heart Chakra brings balance and serenity causing our love and compassion to flow unselfishly, outward into the wider Universe, creating a singularly favorable karmic environment for our overall spiritual and material progress. Bhakti, the unconditional devotion to the divine is arguably the quickest way to purify and balance this chakra.
● Location - Throat region
● Element - Aether (Akasha)
● Color - Blue
● Seed Mantra - HAM
● Symbol - 16-petaled white lotus with a full moon
● Focus - Communication, Truth, Self-expression
● Deity - Ardhanarishwara
● Blocked by - Lies
● Effects of blockage - Shyness, Overtalking, Miscommunication
● Yogic Practices - Jalandhara Bandha, Khechari Mudra, Devotional Singing
Vishuddha or Vishuddhi Chakra, Purification of the vital organs of the body is the primary function of the Vishuddhi Chakra. It is in this chakra, that the Nectar of Immortality, the Amrita, generated higher up in the Bindu Visarga, a minor chakra of Sahasrara, is intercepted and distilled into a pure form.
This purification at the Vishuddhi Chakra separates the raw nectar from its poisonous components. If this Chakra is blocked, the nectar, instead of flowing up, flows down to the Manipura Chakra. Down in Manipura, in its raw, impure, and poisonous form, the nectar of immortality causes decay and death.
Blockages in Throat Chakra affect communication and self-expression. It can cause a person to become either too shy or too talkative. Opening the Throat Chakra makes self-expression easier and in harmony with both the individual and community at large. It is the source of artistic inspiration. It is also intimately connected with the Heart Chakra. The emotions that arise from the Heart, find their true outward expressions only in the Throat.
● Location - Between the eyebrows
● Element - None
● Color - Traditionally none; some assign indigo
● Seed Mantra - No original bija mantra (later texts use Om or Ksham)
● Symbol - 2-petaled lotus
● Focus - Intuition, Insight, Perception
● Deity - None
● Blocked by - Illusion
● Effects of blockage - Confusion, Poor judgment
● Yogic Practices - Trataka, Shambhavi Mudra, and Bhramari Pranayama
The Ajna Chakra, along with the last one, Sahasrara, is markedly different from the rest of the lower chakras. Ajna and Sahasrara chakras are no longer considered to exist in the physical realm but are believed to deal with a higher, transcendental plane of existence, lying beyond the material realm. The Ajna Chakra is what provides us with a direct link to the Brahman.
Opening and purifying the Ajna Chakra lends insight into the true nature of reality and the self. This chakra signifies the subconscious mind, supposedly a part of the brain that gets increasingly powerful with meditation. It's no coincidence that so many meditative techniques focus on the importance of concentrating your being on the point between your brows.
● Location - Crown of the head (coronal and sagittal suture intersection)
● Element - Beyond elements
● Color - Traditionally none; often associated with violet
● Seed Mantra - None in original texts (later: Om or NG)
● Symbol - Thousand-petaled lotus in 20 concentric layers
● Focus - Spiritual enlightenment, Cosmic consciousness
● Blocked by - Ego and attachment
● Effects of blockage - Materialism, Rigidity
● Yogic Practices - Shirshasana, Vrikshasana, Khatu Pranam, and Om chanting
Crown chakra deals with cosmic energy in its most pristine form. When Kundalini reaches the Sahasrara Chakra, the state of Nirvikalpa Samadhi is achieved. This is the subtlest of the chakras; a place where the spiritual energies of all the other chakras congregate and merge into a single stream of pure consciousness. The Sahasrara Chakra is further subdivided into several minor chakras: Nirvana, Mahanada, Visarga, Bindu-visarga, Ama-Kala, Nirvana-Kala, to name a few.
Blockages of Sahasrara arise from ego and attachment to worldly things. Such blockages cause a person to deviate from true spirituality. They readily fall prey to materialism and over-intellectualization. Such men and women are overly susceptible to rigid and narrow worldviews and are often taken in by overzealous religious fanaticism, bringing sorrow to the world and at the same time scripting their spiritual downfall.
Yoga For Chakra Balancing: Yogasanas To Balance & Energise The Seven Chakras (DVD)
The physiological reality of Chakras has been a matter of much dispute among yogic scholars. Does a chakra exist, arguably as a neural plexus within our bodies, or is it merely a meditative tool? The twenty Yoga Upanishads too do not give a clear-cut answer to this question.
This is in stark contrast to the extensive descriptions that they contain on the various other related topics like the Pranic Flows and the Nadi Tantra. Some yogic scholars have brought attention to the curious fact that the Pranic System is often presented as a 'descriptive' text, an actual explanation of things as they exist, whereas, the Chakras are more of a 'prescriptive' text, in the vein of, things that ought to be.
The currently accepted viewpoint among the Vedic scholars, at this time, holds the concept of chakras to be a meditative device rather than a concrete biological reality within our bodies. The scholars, however, do tend to agree that, irrespective of its actual existence, a strong belief in chakras does indeed help immensely during meditative practices.
Meditating on the chakras has been observed to appreciably speed up the rise of the dormant power of Kundalini, up along our spinal columns. However, it is also understood that a belief in the physical reality of Chakras is not a mandatory requirement for Chakra meditations. It doesn’t matter much whether you believe in the reality of chakras or not. Being able to imagine them as prescribed is considered more than enough to reap their meditative benefits.
Chakras
A1: Chakras are energy centers described in Kundalini Yoga that regulate spiritual, emotional, and physical well-being.
A2: Traditionally, there are seven major chakras, although some traditions recognize additional minor chakras.
A3: Blocked chakras disrupt energy flow, leading to emotional, physical, or mental imbalances depending on the chakra affected.
A4: No, specific chakra colors like the rainbow spectrum are modern additions, not found in the original Yoga Upanishads.
A5: Chakras are primarily energetic and meditative concepts; their physical existence as anatomical structures is unproven.
A6: Chakra balancing involves meditation, specific yogic practices, breathing exercises, and mantra chanting aligned with each chakra.
A7: The goal is to awaken Kundalini energy, remove blockages, and promote spiritual enlightenment and emotional harmony.
While the chakra system has evolved over time—with modern additions like color therapy and emotional mapping—it remains deeply rooted in Vedic spiritual psychology. Understanding the original context not only brings authenticity to your practice but also protects you from potential physical and psychological risks of ungrounded experimentation.
Ready to deepen your understanding and experience of chakras? Begin your journey with guided Kundalini Yoga and meditation practices to awaken your inner energy safely and mindfully. Explore our curated resources to start today!
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