CHAKRA BASICS and Quick Reference Guide

This series of posts is part of a book. See outline here.

CHAKRA BASICS

Though chakras are discussed separately here for ease and clarity, it is important to remember that the chakras are part of an interdependent system. All of the chakras influence the others in a beautiful dance of color and light and element.

Root Chakra

The first chakra is located at the base of the spine. It is represented by the color red and is associated with the earth and our most basic needs and instincts for survival. The Root Chakra is the home of automatic thoughts and behaviors. It represents elimination through the large intestines and anus.

The Root Chakra connects us to the earth and, when balanced, grounds us. We are secure, stable, and appropriately loyal. When this chakra is unbalanced, a person will be concerned with only physical survival. They will form unhealthy attachments and give in to unhealthy, instinctual habits and compulsions.[1] The Atonement of Jesus Christ, our most basic need for survival, our grounding influence, helps us eliminate unhealthy habits and root or plant new healthy habits, and our world is reshaped. When we’re grounded, we trust ourselves, others, and the world.

Sacral Chakra

The second chakra is associated with the color orange and the flexibility of water. It is the center of feeling, desire, and creation; it is our vision of the world. It is appropriately located about two fingers below the navel, the home of the procreative organs. Sacred procreative powers allow us to create children and give them birth into this world, which brings love and joy into our homes. The Sacral Chakra also helps us create and give birth in all aspects of life, whether it be a book, a garden, or a smile. All are creations.

A weak Sacral Chakra is characterized by little passion for life and opinions about it. An overactive second chakra is characterized by an obsession with the sexual and with fulfilling passions regardless of boundaries. A balanced Sacral Chakra allows us to find the balance in polarity and opposition.[2] Opposition existed even in the Garden of Eden. Adam and Eve were commanded, first, to not eat the fruit of the Tree of Life and, second, to multiply and replenish the earth, in other words, to create children. Eve realized that to organize or create posterity and fulfill God’s commandment, she must transgress and step across or through a formal commandment. In doing so, her vision was opened. She found the balance, not to regress but to step forward, become like Father and Mother, and receive the ability to create with Adam.[3] When your second chakra is balanced, you will have a balance of passions, motivations, and opinions. This balance prepares the way for the compassion of the Heart Chakra.

Solar Plexus Chakra

The third chakra is represented by the color yellow and the element of fire. This chakra is located between the diaphragm and the navel. The Solar Plexus Chakra is the energy center of the body and provides the motivation we need to support action and follow through. It is associated with the stomach, liver, and kidneys. The stomach receives energy, and the liver metabolizes fat and protein into useable energy. The kidneys filter waste products and coordinate the body’s chemical balance. The third chakra is also associated with the adrenal glands, which produce fight-or-flight (action) hormones.

The solar plexus gives us our sense of self. A balanced third chakra helps us realize and visualize our personal missions and then formulate and coordinate energy into conscious action to complete our mission. When the Solar Plexus Chakra is unbalanced, a person is insecure and look to outside sources for self-worth. They lack the energy to act on ideas and good intentions.[4]

Heart Chakra

The fourth chakra is symbolized by the color green and rose pink. The Heart Chakra is located in the center of the chest, over the heart and lungs, and is associated with the immune system. Accordingly, the Heart Chakra represents love, and the chakra’s element is air. Like air, love spreads and awakens compassion. The Heart Chakra is the center of the chakras and brings the upper and lower chakras into balance. This chakra integrates the spiritual with the physical.[5]

Yogi Bhajan said the Heart Chakra is the immune system of self. When the fourth chakra is in balance, it discerns “if something is foreign and needs to be examined, and when something is a part of you, and it can be let in.”[6] Balance of the Heart Chakra allows us to see ourselves and others as children of God. We are conscious of our feelings and can direct them to the higher good. When the Heart Chakra is imbalanced, a person shuts feelings and others out, or may have too much sympathy. They may use people to fill their expectations and become dependent. A balanced Heart Chakra leads us to righteous judgment, appropriate mercy, and forgiveness, which is why it is sometimes called the Christ chakra.

Throat Chakra

The fifth chakra is represented by the color blue and the elements of sound and ether. Ether is the void of the the universe that allows matter to exist. The Throat Chakra is associated with the mouth, thyroid, and hypothalamus. The thyroid is located in the throat area and regulates metabolism and autoimmunity. The hypothalamus is located in the center of the brain and is responsible for many autonomic functions (e.g., regulating breathing and body temperature) and essentially creating homeostasis in the body.[7]

The Throat Chakra represents the power to speak and create. It is the power of placing something at the beginning of creation. This idea is evident in many verses of scripture. In the New Testament, John says, “In the beginning was the Word” (John 1:1). In the Book of Mormon, the prophet Alma refers to planting  the word, like a seed, in your heart in order to create a fruitful tree (Alma 32–33). Nephi says that by the Holy Ghost men can “speak with the tongue of angels” (2 Nephi 32:2).

When the Throat Chakra is balanced, we are able to convey ourselves to the world, speaking honestly and exemplifying the truth. We are decisive and creative. When the Throat Chakra is out of balance, a person may choose not to make decisions, they may be afraid to speak, or they may talk excessively.[8]

Third Eye Chakra

The sixth chakra is symbolized by the color indigo and is associated with intuition, integrity, and integration. It is not associated with an element, but rather, with inner light, and having one’s eye single to God: “Therefore when thine eye is single, thy whole body also is full of light” (Luke 11:34). The Third Eye Chakra is located between the eyebrows, right in front of the pituitary gland. As such, this chakra corresponds with the pituitary gland, which controls all the endocrine systems of the body as well as the limbic system of the brain. The pituitary gland commands the secretion of hormones that transmit messages, memories, and emotions to the body; thus, the pituitary connects the mind and body.[9]  

The Third Eye Chakra, when properly vibrated, has an active relationship with the pineal gland, which is associated with the seventh chakra and is associated with cosmic sound and the voice of the Holy Spirit. The sixth chakra is called the Third Eye because it is associated with seeing and perceiving beyond the two physical eyes. When the pineal and pituitary glands work together, they essentially form a Urim and Thummim within the body. Urim and Thummim is a Hebrew term that means “Lights and Perfections.” It is “an instrument prepared of God to assist man in obtaining revelation from the Lord and in translating languages.” [10]

When the Third Eye Chakra is balanced, our bodies and minds function as one for the good of all. We see beyond the physical and act with eternal perspective, as Eve did in the Garden of Eden. We reason with the heart and the mind, and we have the ability to integrate all truth into one great whole. When the sixth chakra is imbalanced, a person may experience inner turbulence. Signs that the sixth chakra is imbalanced include memory problems, difficulty concentrating, and the inability to recognize patterns of knowledge and wisdom. [11]

Crown Chakra

The seventh chakra is represented by the color purple and is associated with transcendence. It is sometimes called the Tenth Gate. Its vibration is cosmic sound or the voice of the Holy Spirit. The Crown Chakra is located at the top of the head, directly over the pineal gland.[12] The pineal gland is the master gland; if you can influence this gland, you can influence the entire body and its DNA. Some healers believe the Crown Chakra is the seat of the “intelligences”[13] of which we were made. The pineal gland is like the sun, which keeps the entire solar system alive. Though the seventh chakra is associated with sound, this chakra is also very connected with light and the Third Eye because of the pineal gland. This gland regulates the hormone melatonin, which controls the wake/sleep cycle and the circadian rhythm, based on the amount of light present. In other words, the pineal gland is a light receptor.[14]

When the Crown Chakra is balanced, we accept our nobility as children of God. We easily let go of our incorrect perceptions and accept God’s perceptions. We surrender our physical limitations and abilities to the glory of God. We humbly bow before God and become His servants. We overcome the temptation of power, and we literally receive the Light. When this chakra is unbalanced, a person may be allured by the temptation of power and glory. They may feel intellectual and elite, or they may seek for power and affluence for the wrong reasons.[15]   

Aura

Yogi Bhajan taught that the Aura is the eighth chakra. The eighth chakra is represented by radiant white light. It is our radiance. This chakra symbolizes being one with the Universe/God. The Aura is the convergence and balance of all the chakral energies. This chakra is not associated with any element, only with the sense of being. It is “I AM.” When balanced, the Aura is symmetrical and filters the negative and accentuates the sweetness of life. When this chakra is out of balance, a person is vulnerable to pathogens and mental and physical weakness.[16]  

Quick Reference Guide

Chakra	Sanskrit Name	Color	Location	Physical Areas Governed	Balance	Imbalance
1: Root Chakra	Muladhara	Red	Base of the spine	Anus, colon, rectum	Grounded, secure	Threatened, addicted
2: Sacral Chakra	Svadhisthana	Orange	Lower abdomen to the navel	Sex organs, hips, lower back	Creative, flexible	Hypersexual, apathetic
3: Solar Plexus Chakra	Manipura	Yellow	Between the navel and diaphragm	Adrenals, liver, stomach, kidneys	Confident, motivated	Powerless, frustrated
4: Heart Chakra	Anahata	Green/ Pink	Center of the chest	Heart, lungs, thymus	Compassionate, awake	Dependent, isolated
5: Throat Chakra	Visuddhu	Blue	Throat area	Thyroid, hypothalamus	Truthful, decisive	Self-conscious, slanderous
6: Third Eye Chakra	Anja	Indigo	Between the eyebrows	Brain, eyes, pituitary gland	Intuitive, integrated mind/body	Unfocused, self-doubting
7: Crown Chakra	Sahasrara	Violet	Top of the head	Pineal gland	Humble, seeking the best	Power hungry, skeptical
8: Aura Chakra		White	Surrounds the body	Biomagnetic field	Spiritual gifts, fully present	Vulnerable to mental and physical disease

[1] Yogi Bhajan, The Aquarian Teacher: KRI International Kundalini Yoga Teacher Training Level 1 Yoga Manual (Santa Cruz, NM: Kundalini Research Institute, 2007), 188.

[2] Ibid., 189–190.

[3] Dallin H. Oaks, “The Great Plan of Happiness,” Ensign, November 1993, 73.

[4] Bhajan, The Aquarian Teacher, 191.

[5] Ibid., 192.

[6] Ibid., 193.

[7] Ibid.

[8] Ibid.

[9] Ibid., 194

[10] See Bible Dictionary, s.v. “Urim and Thummim,” accessed March 18, 2014, http://lds.org/scriptures/bd/urim-and-thummim.

[11] Bhajan, The Aquarian Teacher, 194.

[12] Ibid.

[13] Doctrine and Covenants 93:29. See also Abraham 3:22.

[14] Bhajan, The Aquarian Teacher, 194.

[15] Ibid.

[16] Ibid., 195.