An introduction to the "chakra" system

by guest blogger Molly Coeling

Well hello, and welcome to my third article in a series of guest posts! My goal with these posts is to help familiarize and pre-educate you prior to a workshop I'll be offering in February at your very own Pumps Fitness! This workshop will give you a chance to experience and practice sensing energy and using energy techniques to boost your own health. More details will be coming soon; in the meantime stay tuned for a new blog post every Monday that will focus on energy and self-care. Check out my first two posts to get caught up:

Protect yourself from "energy vampires" with "energetic self-care"

What is energy and why does it matter?

If you are new to the world of "chakras" and "energy healing," I am so excited to share this information with you! Why? Because there is so much room for you to learn, grow, heal and thrive using these concepts and tools. When I first learned about energy healing, I realized that what I always suspected and felt was there, just under the surface, a whole layer to life that no one had taught me about -- that it is not only there but that I could actually begin to feel it and work with it to change my life! 

And now, back to the topic at hand: chakras. Chakras are spinning wheels of energy found throughout the body; in fact the word "chakra" is Sanskrit for "wheel" or "vortex." While humans have over one hundred chakras throughout the body, there are seven primary chakras and each one correlates with key physical and non-physical aspects of ourselves. When these chakras are healthy, open and balanced we in turn feel healthy, open and balanced. When we are feeling unwell, blocked or just plain "off," chances are that one or more of our seven primary chakras is out of balance. 

Each primary chakra is associated with specific aspects of your overall well-being and functioning in the world. In essence, chakras are impacted by your life experiences, and perhaps more importantly, by how you respond to those life experiences -- your thoughts, your emotions and your actions. Each chakra is also associated with one of the glands of the endocrine system; these glands are responsible for regulating the production and distribution of hormones into the bloodstream, playing a major role in major role in growth, development, and physical and mental health. 

So how do the chakras relate to your physical, psychological, emotional and spiritual health? Let me provide an example.

The first chakra, also known as the root chakra, is located at the base of the spine near your coccyx (or tailbone) and relates to your survival and security needs. On a physical level the root chakra is associated with the health of your skeletal system, colon, bladder, legs and feet. It is also associated with the adrenal glands of the endocrine system, which governs the "fight or flight" response. A person with a healthy root chakra will tend to feel safe in the world and will have a strong belief that they will have everything they need. A person with an unhealthy root chakra may feel a sense of lack rather than abundance, or they may be on the other extreme and function from a place of greed.

Such an imbalance may have resulted from an insecure childhood, for example having to move often, not feeling safe in their home, or not having enough money. Fear underlies both of the extreme reactions to an imbalanced root chakra, which is associated with the adrenal glands and their "fight or flight" response, which can lead to an imbalance in stress hormones. Taken to the physical level, a person with an imbalanced first chakra may tend to have spinal or skeletal issues or issues with the legs and feet.

In essence the chakras provide a sort of road map to your overall health, offering a link between your life experiences and your physical, psychological, emotional and spiritual health. Next week's post will provide specific information on each chakra and will help you begin to assess the health of each of your chakras, how this could relate to your overall well-being, and what you can do about it. Stay tuned!

About the Author: Molly Coeling, LMT, RMT, MPH is a Reiki* practitioner and teacher, as well as a clinical massage therapist. Her private practice is in the Lincoln Square neighborhood of Chicago. Check out her website here. 

*Reiki is an energetically based holistic healing practice that supports overall balance, reduces stress and supports the immune system. Reiki can help to relieve a variety of emotional, psychological and physical ailments including anxiety, depression, PTSD, insomnia and pain.