Balancing Your Chakras

Balancing Your Chakras

  With the rise in popularity of essential oils, as well as the increased attention to the ancient healing modality of working with our chakras, we thought it would be a great time to focus on some of our most popular products, our Chakra Essence Sprays and Perfume Rollers, and tell you more about what is in them and why. Many traditional healing practices talk of the chakras, energy centers that are a part of our etheric/energy bodies that can influence all things in our lives, from our health to our emotions. According to tradition, when these energy centers are out of balance, either too open or too closed off, we can experience imbalances in our life. Each chakra governs different aspects of our beings, and thus when not in alignment with each other, those aspects of our life will be off. By learning more about the associations of each individual chakra, we can discern if there are things in our own life that may point to that particular chakra being misaligned, and thus can work on correcting the imbalances by actively seeking herbs, essential oils, and other healing practices that activate that particular chakra. Over the past several blog posts we've gone in-depth into each of the individual chakras:

We have found that by utilizing the chakra energy system, we are able to explore the whole body and all of it's systems piece by piece, leaving no aspect untouched. Using the chakra system helps us to travel through all of the layers of our beings, from the most basic to the most etherial, allowing one to have a framework from which you can start from in order to work on all the different aspects of your health. This last post in the series will be dedicated to integrating all of the chakras (and thus your whole being) into one, and helping you to bring balance to your entire system. Typically, when working with the chakra system, it is recommended that you start from the root and work your way up the system, focusing on balancing each chakra before moving on to the next higher one. In this way you start with your foundation and build upon it. This is most often the best way to go about things, if you have more time. However, we have found that it can be beneficial to either start with the aspect of yourself that needs the most immediate attention and then circle back to the more foundational aspects later, or to work on multiple aspects at the same time, to both build the foundation and work on any immediately pressing issues in order to begin to feel better more quickly. No matter which route you decide to go, taking steps towards improving your health, regardless of where you start, is going to make you feel better over-all.

The remedies, tips, and recipes in this section can be used at any point in time during your healing journey, which is also true for all of the chakras we've already covered, so don't be afraid to get started on doing or using whatever you feel the most called to.

THE CHAKRAS

The chakras "exist" along the central energy line of the body and correspond to a whole host of different aspects of the being, from particular body parts to emotions. By exploring the different correspondences you can gain an understanding of the areas of yourself that may need work. Below is a chart we created that has the basics of what the different chakras correspond to.
Chakra Sanskrit Name Place on body Color Statement Emotions Body Parts Endocrine Glands
1st – Root Muladhara “Root, Foundation” Perineum, base of spine Red I Am / I Survive“All is One” Sense of safety and security, family, friendship, loyalty, support, Bones, blood, lymph, immune system, muscles, skin, feet, legs, rectum Adrenals
2nd - Sacral Svadhishthana“One’s own dwelling place” ‘womb’ area, just below the navel Orange I Feel / I Desire“Honor one Another” Sexuality, personal identity, ethics, relationships, passions Sexual organs, hips, bladder, large intestine Reproductive glands, testis & ovaries
3rd - Solar Plexus Manipura “City of Jewels” Diaphragm area Yellow I Do / I Will “Honor Yourself” Self-confidence, self-esteem, ambition, self-respect, personal honor, character, hope, trust Stomach, upper intestines, sleep, pancreas, kidney, liver, gallbladder, Pancreas
4th – Heart Anahata “Unstruck” Center of the chest Green/ Pink I Love “I Give and Receive Love” “Love is Divine Power” Love, hatred, grief, anger, jealousy, forgiveness Heart, lungs, breasts, arms, hands, Thymus gland
5th – Throat Vishuddha “To Purify” Base/hollow of the throat Bright blue I Speak “I have the Power to Communicate” Self expression, truth, choice, Throat, trachea, bronchial tubes, vocal chords, mouth, teeth Thyroid gland
6th - Third Eye Anja “Command” Center of forehead, just above and between the eyes Indigo I See “I Am who I Am” “Seek Only Truth” Intellect, honesty, open-mindedness, self-evaluation, self-awareness, ability to learn, emotional intelligence Eyes, ears, nose, brain, Pituitary & Pineal glands
7th – Crown Sahasrara “Thousand Petaled” Top of the head Purple/White I Know / I Understand“Live in the Present Moment”“I surrender to Divine Will” Trust, faith, spirituality, inspiration, values, ethics Brain stem, spinal cord, nervous system, Hypothalamus
  This cart isn't comprehensive, but it is a great starting place. Did you also know that even the earth has chakras or energy centers, and the most commonly agreed-upon locations are:
  • 1st – Mt. Shasta (Cascade Mountains in California/Oregon)
  • 2nd – Lake Titicaca (South America – Bolivia/Peru)
  • 3rd – Uluru (Australia)
  • 4th – Glastonbury (England)
  • 5th – Great Pyramid (Egypt)
  • 6th – Aeon Activation – currently stationary (Western Europe)
  • 7th – Mt. Kailas (Tibet/Himalayas)
  • (Herbarium)
Going back through the other chakra blog posts will give you more in-depth information about working with the individual chakras, including herbal remedies for each one, so be sure to check those out.  

BALANCING ALL OF THE CHAKRAS

Sometimes other people say it best, so here is a synopsis of chakra balancing from Chakras.info: "Chakra balancing is the process of restoring a harmonious flow of energy across the chakra system. The effect of well balanced chakras often translates into a feeling of well-being, relaxation, centeredness, increased vitality and embodiment of oneself. When we talk about chakra balancing, we may actually refer to various techniques and meanings. A commonly accepted definition of chakra balancing is the process through which the energy of the chakras is brought to a well functioning and harmonious state. The idea of balancing a chakra is only addressing part of the picture: Each chakra part of a system that functions as a whole. If we look at how chakras work, we see that they have a dynamic connection with each other and interact energetically. Therefore, when doing chakra balancing, it’s not only important to consider each chakra, but also the neighboring centers, and the energy through the whole system. The purpose of chakra balancing is to support a balanced flow that will sustain our overall level of energy. In our everyday life, we are subjected to a number of activities, sources of stress and demands that result in fluctuations in our energy level. Some may feel draining, others fulfilling or nourishing. Furthermore, past events and experiences often leave a long lasting influence on how we feel and are in the world, therefore influencing how we manage our energy day-to-day. Stresses placed on us by the demands of life may result in interruptions and fluctuations in our energy flow and chakra imbalances. Balancing consists in establishing sufficient and consistent flow where there is not enough, regulating energy where there’s too much, and aligning where there’s distortion or displacement. Chakra balancing techniques fall into in three categories: 1. Those centered on a physical process or activity 2. A meditative or introspective practice 3. The transmission of energy from another person or on your own. 
Common practices you can use to balance your chakras:
  • Hands on healing or energy healing
  • Meditation, including chakra meditation, self-inquiry
  • Exercises focused on the connection of body and mind, including yoga
  • Breath work, including pranayama
  • Holistic or alternative medicine
There are also a number of practices aiming at restoring the balance of the chakra system as a basis for well-being. The most common ones are:
  • Reiki
  • Craniosacral therapy
  • Pranic healing
The use of chakra healing stones or crystals can also support chakra balancing activities."
  By utilizing a variety of techniques, or simply finding the one's that work best for you, you will become more attuned to your body's state of being, and thus able to better bring it back in to a state of balance and health. For the individual chakra remedies be sure to check out the other posts in this series: In our Balance Chakra Spray and Perfume Roller, we chose specific gem essences and essential oils that have been associated with their ability to balance and harmonize the entire chakra system, so if you are looking for a great starting place, this may be the one for you.   The following gems are a part of the Balance chakra spray. The last one, Hematite, is the actual roller ball that is a part of the Balance Perfume Roller
  • Brazilian Quartz - the essence of cleansing white light; stimulates ­healing on all levels; cleanses, energizes and synchronizes the subtle bodies, the chakras, and the physical body to the Earth’s natural vibration; brings a grounded, present time focus to the entire energy system
  • Fluorite Combo - synchronizes the movement of incoming and ­outgoing energy­ between the subtle bodies and the physical body; fine-tunes our focus so that we can move through an issue or healing process with precision and balance
  • Herkimer Diamond - a highly developed transmitter of white light; ­stimulates and amplifies healing at all levels; promotes clarity of vision; helps us regulate and fine tune the abilities of the 6th chakra; facilitates clarity during the dream state.
  • Kunzite - opens the heart to an awareness of one’s angelic presence; anchors the reality of angelic support into the body and one’s environment; helps one experience the spiritual love of the angelic kingdom in the heart, in the moment; develops the higher octave of the heart chakra
  • Moonstone - helps us move into an authentic feeling space rather than an over-reactive one; cleanses and circulates energy in the emotional body; helps us complete emotional cycles; calming, soothing, and nurturing; balances and harmonizes psychic sensitivity during menstruation
  • Opal - recharges the chakras with a full spectrum of luminous colors; helps us rejuvenate spent emotional and mental forces; counteracts the depletion of color frequencies in the aura; replenishes our creative energies; helps us learn to use the fire element in a balanced way.
  • Smoky Quartz - grounding and calming; ­synchronizes body ­energy with Earth energy; regulates and stabilizes the detoxification of unwanted energies from the physical and subtle bodies; cleanses and re-calibrates body energies during and after travel
  • Spectrolite - renews and refreshes one’s perspective; helps one contact deeper levels of meaning in life’s events; helps one see the magnificent in the mundane and the Divine in the ordinary; bathes and nourishes the entire energy system with full-spectrum light
  • Turquoise - cleanses and deepens our connection to the Soul of the Earth; attunes our energy field to the ancient wisdom and sacredness inherent in all of life; helps us live a life of simplicity, full of gratitude and reverence for All
  • Watermelon tourmaline - balances the universal polarities of yin and yang; ­harmonizes the dynamic and magnetic (giving and receiving) ­qualities of love; helps us ground spiritual and angelic qualities of love into the heart and physical body
  • Hematite - strengthens the energetic boundary between the ­mental and ­emotional bodies; promotes emotional independence rather than co-­dependence; helps us maintain a state of ­compassionate detachment while witnessing an intense emotional experience in another; helps us contain our own emotional experiences in a clear way.
Our Chakra Sprays and Perfume rollers contain all of the above essences and essential oils and are the perfect way to work with your sacral chakra. We love using them in meditation, before or during a yoga class, or at any point during the day to help keep us feeling connected to our own heart space so we can love ourselves first and foremost, and then be able to love others.       Similar to the gem essences, flower essences are energetic remedies that can be used safely by anyone without fear of side effects or interactions. The following are some of our favorites to use for balancing all of the Chakras:
  • Calla Lily - balancing one's masculine and feminine aspects
  • Corn - spirituality which relates to both Heaven and Earth, and both the physical body and psychic awareness
  • Lady’s Slipper - integration of inner spiritual authority with real life tasks, harmonization of crown and root chakras
  • Fawn Lily - balance between inner spirituality and outer commitment
  • Lotus - balanced spirituality; to bring right relationship between crown chakra and other energy centers
  • Moring Glory - balance and regularity in daily habits and life-style
  • Nicotiana - to balance the heart forces, especially to integrate the feeling life with bodily strength; to feel earthly forces of strength in consonance with the inner life of the soul
  • Vervain - Ability to practice moderation, tolerance, and balance; “the middle way;” passionate and embodied idealism
  Again, this list is by no means complete. Bringing balance in to your life is a a constant practice, and you may require more specific help in one aspect at any given time. We highly recommend the Flower Essence Repertory book if you would like a very comprehensive place to start finding the flower essences that could be best suited for you. We have a copy of this book in our store available for looking at, so you can come in during regular hours to look through it and create your own personalized flower essence remedy.  There is also a searchable online database of all the FES essences available when you purchase a membership through them. It includes all of the FES flowers and the original Bach flowers. FES is not the only company offering flower essences, there are probably hundreds available, each with their own unique essences, so if you come across some that you enjoy, get them. The gem essences we use come from a company called Alaskan Essences that creates not only the gem essences but also flower essences and place essences from around the world. They too have an online searchable database available through subscription as well as books available for purchase at our store, if you like hard copies.  

 

When you combine all of the colors of the light spectrum, you get white, so white foods are the one's we will focus on when relating to all of the chakras. People often associate white foods with those that lack nutrients, things such as white bread, white rice, white sugar, etc. And while it is true that many of the benefits found in colorful foods are not in these foods, there are plenty on un-processed white foods that contain a host of nutrients and benefits your body. Foods such as mushrooms, onions, garlic, bone broth, white potatoes, apples, cauliflower, coconut, jicama, legumes, pears, sauerkraut, seeds, and nuts.   Here are a few recipes for balancing the chakras. Mango Coconut Smoothie Ingredients: ~ 1/2 cup frozen mango ~ 1 cup unsweetened coconut milk (boxed variety) ~ 1/4 cup unsweetened coconut water ~ 1 scoop vanilla protein powder of your choice (we like the Vega Sport protein or Shakeology, Vegan and whey options are available) ~ Water and ice as desired to blend       Bone Broth  Ingredients ~ 1 lb grass-fed beef bones, or a left-over organic roasted chicken or turkey carcass ~ 2 large white onions, chopped ~ 5-8 garlic cloves, peeled and smashed ~ 2 tbsp Apple Cider vinegar ~ salt and pepper to taste Directions 1. Place bones, onions, and garlic in a crock pot 2. Add enough filtered water to cover the bones by 1 inch 3. Add in the apple cider vinegar (this helps to pull more minerals out of the broth), salt and pepper 4. Cook on low for 12-36 hrs (12 for poultry, 36 for beef or other larger bones) 5. Strain and refrigerate or freeze for later use. Bone broth can be used as cooking stock for any soup or stew that calls for it. You can also use it in place of water when cooking rice and quinoa. Homemade broth will add so much more richness, depth, and taste to any dish you use it in, not to mention that it's full of nutrients and absorbable protein. You can also heat a cup of broth and drink it on it's own; this is very healing to the digestive system and is akin to drinking homemade chicken noodle soup, just without the actual chicken and noodles. Check out this article by Functional Medicine Practitioner Chris Kresser on the benefits of broth.  

ALL OF THE SUGGESTIONS ABOVE ARE PERFECT WAYS TO START WORKING ON ALIGNING YOUR CHAKRAS SO YOU FEEL MORE BALANCED AND IN ALIGNMENT WITH YOUR TRUE SELF AT ALL LEVELS.

  Much of the information we've gathered about the qualities of things associated with the chakras comes from the wonderful work of Dr. Deanna Minch of the Whole Detox. Her work is rich in color and focuses very specifically on healing the self through the chakras, so if you'd like to go even deeper into this type of work on yourself, check out her self-guided detoxification programs.     If you've found this information helpful please let us know, we love getting feedback from you.  

RESOURCES

  Disclaimer
These statements have not been evaluated by the FDA. This information is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. Those seeking treatment for a specific disease should consult a qualified practitioner.
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