Understand your chakras – intermediate yoga in Earlsfield….and take a chakra quiz

What are you chakras and why do we go on about them in yoga?

Yoga is an energy practice, just like accupunture, tai chi, qi gong and others.  We are made and sustained by energy.  Yoga is a system of healthcare to maintain the energy field or ‘astral body’.  The ‘chakras’ are best described as spinning wheels or energy centres through which vital energy (’prana’, ‘chi’, ‘qi’) flows. Yoga is the integration of body, mind and spirit, and the state of your ‘chakras’ play a vital role in your physical, mental, emotional and spiritual health.   A yoga practice usually focuses on 7 chakras in the central energy pathway.  These are the root chakra (red); sacral chakra (orange); naval chakra (yellow); heart chakra (green); throat chakra (turquoise); third eye chakra (indigo blue); crown chakra (violet or white).  A chakra is said to be ‘balanced’ or ‘unbalanced’ according to how the energy flows, and this affects us on all levels. 

The 2* course is currently running through each of the chakras so to learn more drop in to Anoushka’s Yoga.

There is a huge range of information out there about the chakras.   Start with a quiz from http://www.eclecticenergies.com/chakras/chakratest.php to see which of your chakras are in balance.  But please note this is not conclusive information, although in my case it seems fairly accurate!

For more information there are the following fantastic resources:-

‘The ABC’s of Chakra Therapy: A workbook’ – Deedre Diemer.  This includes a more conclusive chakra quiz.

‘Theories of the chakras’ – Dr. Motoyama’

‘Chakra meditation’ – Swami Saradananda

And why do we consider the chakra system so important in a Hatha yoga practice?

Understanding the chakras helps to get to know yourself on all levels and takes us on a journey to live a life of health and happiness.  As is the beauty of yoga, you can only discover through your practice whether the chakras are real or just ‘yoga talk’.