What is Chakra Meditation? Complete Guide for Beginners!

As meditation grows more and more popular, it becomes more and more diverse. And if you are going to take advantage of this ancient tradition to help you become peaceful, calm, alert and have proper inner balance, among other benefits of the practice, you will need to take time to choose carefully the type of meditation you feel is good for you from the wide variety of meditation types out there.

One of these types is chakra meditation, that is known to help the meditator have proper balance of their energy centers in their bodies that improve their overall well-being.

What is Chakra Meditation?

Chakra meditation is a type of meditation that is based on getting chakras (the disk-like energy centers in the body) remain cleansed, clear and in good balance that provides various mental, emotional and spiritual health benefits.

A “chakra” is a word in Sanskrit that means wheels, disks or cycle. Chakras can be perceived as spinning disks of energy in the body. They are responsible for receiving, passing and processing of physical, emotional and spiritual energies.

They are the essence of communication of your mind, body and spirit and the functioning of these aspects as one unit. There are so many chakras that exist within us but there are only 7 main chakras throughout the body.

Each of these chakras has different roles and traits, and correlates with particular features of our consciousness.

The 7 chakras start from the sacrum, which is around the hipbone through to the crown, at the top of your head.

This chakra based system has been mentioned in the ancient texts of the Vedas and many people have found the form of meditation useful in their lives.

Michelle Fondin, a Vedic educator, certified teacher of primordial sound meditation and the author of “The Wheel of Healing With Ayurveda”, says that in this form of meditation, there is healing energy that is invisible known as Prana, which is a crucial force of life that keeps us alive, healthy and vibrant (1).

How Chakra Meditation Works

Chakra meditation is pretty much about having a good understanding of the 7 main chakras, knowing where they are located in the body, what they are responsible for and how they help you when they are all in proper balance.

Essentially, each chakra is associated with some aspect of the body. And keeping a chakra in a clear and stable state contributes to personal improvement, either physically, emotionally, mentally or spiritually.

The chakras are identified in different colors, elements and mantras, with each chakra having its own distinct color, element and mantra to represent it.

Let’s take a look at the 7 chakras.

The 7 Main Chakras And What They Represent

1. The Root Chakra (1st Chakra)

Also called muladhara in the Sanskrit language, is the root chakra. It is located in the lowest part of the spine and it is linked to the way we relate to the world, in the wider sense, and our known basic needs, which are food, stability and shelter. When there are problems with this chakra, some of the issues you may encounter are physical such as digestive complications and at times, emotional imbalance. The root chakra is associated with the mantra “LAM”, the color red and earth element.

2. The Sacral Chakra (2nd Chakra)

The sacral chakra is also known as the Svadhisthana. It is found below the belly button or the navel. It is associated with the creative processes we are involved in. That is, sexuality and reproductive organs as well as our imagination. The energy it has allows us to make more explorations of the world, manage the way we deal with new experiences, easily adapt to change and become more artistic. The mantra “VAM”, the color orange and water element are linked to the sacral chakra.

3. The Solar Plexus Chakra (3rd Chakra)

The name given to this chakra in Sanskrit is Manipura, which means city of jewels. It is found in the area between the navel and the rib cage, in the stomach. It is mainly involved in mental and spiritual aspects in that it helps us translate the desires we have into actions. When it is in good balance, you are able to appreciate the things you get to experience and you have a better understanding of your involvement in them. It also governs digestion. It is associated with the mantra “RAM”, the color yellow and the fire element.

4. The Heart Chakra (4th chakra)

The heart chakra is also referred to as Anahata in Sanskrit, which means unstuck. It is located in the middle of the cardiovascular system and is attached to the organs around that region such as the lungs and the heart. This chakra is mostly linked to you emotional life, how compassionate, empathetic and generous you are to others. When there is an imbalance here, you could experience high blood pressure and respiratory issues. The heart chakra is connected with the mantra “YAM”, the color green and the air element.

5. The Throat Chakra (5th Chakra)

The Sanskrit name for throat chakra is Vishuddha. It presides over the mouth, neck, tongue and areas near the throat. It helps with the way we communicate with others and makes for proper skillful expression of ourselves. When there are issues with this chakra, a number of problems that could arise range from vulnerability to hormonal imbalances and other physical problems. The throat chakra is linked to the mantra “HAM”, the color blue and the ether element.

6. The Third Eye Chakra (6th Chakra)

The third eye chakra is known as Ajna, in Sanskrit. It is found in the area between the eyebrows. It is responsible for intuition and insight on both physical and spiritual levels, but more on the spiritual level. When this chakra is balanced, you are able to have a more connected view of the world and see beyond. The mantra associated with this chakra is “SHAM”, and the color is blue. Its element is light.

7. The Crown Chakra (7th Chakra)

The crown chakra is also called Sahasara, in Sanskrit. Another name used to refer to it is “Thousand petal lotus”. It is found on the top of our heads. It is responsible for creating a power connection to the world, the larger world. This happens when the other chakras are balanced. The crown chakra is also believed to the most spiritual chakra of all the 7 major chakras. It regulates spiritual consciousness and the ability to awaken to the divine dimension. The chakra is linked to the mantra “OM”, the color purple or white and it incorporates the spirit.

Benefits of Chakra Meditation

Deepak Chopra, a world renowned meditation expert and author of the best-selling books, “Ageless Body, timeless mind” and “The spiritual laws of success” says that over and above the various areas of life that chakra meditation has been able to help people with, there are 3 main benefits it is actually known for. And they are;

1. Build Energetics

There is a life force, commonly referred to as Shakti, that passes through chakras throughout the mind body system. And the energy that flows in this system is then translated to physical, mental and emotional expressions. If you consider the first chakra, the root chakra, it is associated with support and is what makes for the feelings we have of emotional, mental and physical stability. Whenever you feel weak in any of the 3 mentioned aspects, you can look through your chakras to know which areas need more strengthening and be able to work on them properly to help you gain comprehensive stability of your mind, body and emotions.

2. Attain Overall Balance

As you keep an eye over your chakras every day and make sure all of them are balanced, you are able to attain overall balance that aids in becoming peaceful, calm and mentally clear, among other benefits. Each of the chakras has an aspect of your mind-body system that it stands for and by taking your time to keep it at optimal levels, you are improving the aspect that chakra represents within yourself, which goes a long way in keeping you balanced overall.

3. Improve Overall Well-being

The chakra system is known to help life force go through the mind-body system. It all starts from the first chakra, the root chakra, which is located at the lower section of the spine, going up to the seventh chakra, the crown chakra, at the top of the head. In ancient yoga, it is believed that when life force gets to the sixth chakra, it combines with spiritual energy. And by having your state of awareness balanced in the 7 chakras, you are able to get in the flow of life without much effort and you are in harmony with yourself (2).

Many forms of meditation have stemmed from this chakra system, and while it’s not entirely necessary to follow strictly the chakra system, you need to understand and gain entry to the deeply important levels of life where more potential lies. This helps you be able to arrange your life systematically, in all aspects, that improve you as a person.

How to Do Chakra Meditation

When it comes to practicing chakra meditation for a beginner, it is highly recommended that you use guided chakra meditation.

Always ensure that you use guided chakra meditation resources from trusted and credible sources so that you get a good foundation of how to go about it and associate the chakras with their respective colors, mantras and elements, which can be a little daunting at first.

When you are well versed with the whole process of meditation, you can then choose to do it on your own without guidance or keep using guided meditation.

Also, as a beginner, it is encouraged that you first work on all the chakras in order to bring the whole system into balance. As you proceed and gain experience with the meditation, you will be able to easily identify the chakras that are imbalanced and focus on them properly.

Here are the steps you should follow to do chakra meditation:

Step 1 – Find yourself a quiet place where you will have time for yourself without being disturbed for the next 30 minutes.

Step 2 – Sit comfortably with your spine erect. Cross your legs in front of you and rest your hands loosely on your knees. If crossing your feet is uncomfortable for you, you can sit on a meditation cushion.

Step 3 – Breathe in and out deeply but also gently. Keep your eyes closed so that you are able to concentrate and focus on the practice.

Step 4 – Now focus on each of the 7 chakras, from the root chakra to the crown chakra. With every chakra, visualize an energy center with energy flowing into and through the center. Visualize the chakras with the colors they are linked to, as discussed above.

Step 5 – Spend some time on each chakra and focus on the energy passing until you are able to see the movement of energy in that chakra. A few minutes with each chakra should be fine.

Step 6 – When you are done with one chakra, move on to the next and follow the same procedure with all the chakras.

Step 7 – By the time you are getting to the crown chakra, you should have a clear mental picture of how energy is flowing from the first chakra to the seventh while influencing your whole body.

Step 8 – After you are done, open your eyes without changing your posture. Observe how you feel and the energy you now have.

As you keep meditating, you will find it much easier to practice and you will become more sensitive to the energy flowing within your system.

Through personal experience, you will have a proper understanding of each chakra, the feelings associated with it and you will even be able to know when a certain chakra is not in balance.

This is about the time you should consider focusing on each chakra.

However, you should note that this is a process that should happen naturally, don’t do it when you feel you are not ready. Let the practice flow from one level to the other seamlessly.

There are other specific meditation positions, breathing techniques, gestures (which are also known as mudras) and mantras that enhance your ability to work on specific chakras.

You can now use them to better your experience on individual chakras.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ’s) on Chakra Meditation

1. How do you identify blocked chakras?

There are times when your chakras will be imbalanced or blocked. When this happens, the energy flow will be low in the blocked chakras while the other chakras will have more, more energy than they should have, to make up for the closed chakras. These effects can have a serious impact to your overall system.

There are various ways to go about identifying the blocked chakras.

The first option is doing online tests for blocked chakras. Here, you get a number of questions that are more like personality questions that will help you know where you are having an imbalance.

The second option is taking your time to learn about each chakra as best as you can. Being well versed with the chakras will help you know when there is an imbalance as each chakra has very specific symptoms of imbalance. From there, you can use meditation techniques that are formulated to balance that particular chakra.

2. How do you regulate energy in the chakras?

Sometimes, there can be more flow of energy to the chakras and there are also times when there is low flow. That is more or less energy than normal.

Both occurrences affect the mind-body system in a huge way and it is essential that you learn how to control them. You can do that by meditation. You can also throw in some specific mudras and mantras for specific chakras to help with that.

3. How does chakra meditation relate to mindfulness meditation?

Both forms of meditation aim at helping the meditator improve their health and transform their lives into peaceful, stable, balanced and much happier lives on the long term.