There is a unique energy in each one of us that not just grows and nourishes us but also connects ourselves with the Universe. Even Hindu and Buddhist philosophies radiate that these spiritual energies help us to build our psychological abilities that govern our actions and reactions. When we talk about chakras or sephirot in the body, there are seven of them, four of them in the upper body and three in the lower body. The upper chakras guide your mental abilities whereas lower chakras behavioral properties.
Let us understand the order in which these chakras are settled in the body. The first and second chakras are aligned in upper right (Chesed) and upper left (Gevurah). As we move below, it is followed by the middle (Tiferet), lower right (Netzach), lower left(Hod), middle body (Yesod) and lower middle (Malkut).
Name of these chakras go like: The Sahasrara(crown), The Ajna (third eye), The Visuddhi (throat), The Anahata (heart), The Manipura (solar plexus), The Svadhisthana (sacral), and The Muladhara (root).
If you wonder why these chakras are important then scriptures say that every chakra is meant to enhance the human well-being. Interestingly, some chakras are overactive whereas some are simply dormant. However, a balance amongst them needs to be achieved to maintain peace of the body by learning how to open chakras. Here’re the steps!
Steps To Open Your Spiritual Chakras
Step 1: Opening Muladhara (root) Chakra
When you activate the root chakra, you tend to become more comfortable with the surroundings without feeling nervous or fearful. You feel like welcoming people in your life and become understanding of overall body health.
To activate the chakra, you must involve yourself in physical activities like walking, yoga, playing, running, etc. You can even stand in your place straight, bend your knees and move your pelvis a little forward. Try standing in the same position for sometime.
Once you have gone through above exercise, sit on the floor with legs crossed and joining index finger and thumb together. Concentrating on the area between anus and genitals while chanting ‘LAM’ is the key. Imagine a red flower in the area radiating energy and opening its petals one by one. This is how you awaken your chakras.
Step 2: Opening Svadhisthana (Sacral) Chakra
Although above genitals, it deals with feelings and sexuality. You become passionate and balance overactivity or inactivity. So, how to open this spiritual chakra?
Sit on your knees with your back straight yet relaxed. Keep your hands on the thighs and join your thumbs. Close your eyes and concentrate on the lower back bone while chanting ‘VAM’. Relax and keep revolving your mind around the chakra itself.
Step 3: Opening Manipura (solar plexus) Chakra
Image source: Wikihow
This chakra is present in the navel and depicts your confidence, dignity and self-control. Its overactivness makes you aggressive in nature whereas inactivity makes you indecisive. To balance it up and awaken your chakra, follow the steps below.
Sit on your knees with your back straight as well as relaxed. Join your hands with fingers pointing away from you and concentrate on the navel. Now chant ‘RAM’ silently and relax yourself. Keep thinking about the chakra and strengthen it.
Step 4: Opening Anahata (heart) Chakra
All your feelings of love and care originate from the Anahata chakra. Its imbalance either makes you a cold turkey or extremely loving someone that they feel like pushing you away. In order to open your chakras, sit in the cross legged position and join your index finger with your thumb (both the hands).
Now make sure that your left hand is placed on the knee and the right hand is present under your breastbone. Now concentrate on the chakra and chant ‘YAM’ while keeping yourself relaxed.
Step 5: Opening Visuddhi (throat) Chakra
A chakra that connects your communication and expression opens up to Visuddhi. Its imbalance leads to either too much of speaking, lying or even staying absolutely quiet. Such imbalance makes you a bad listener and people try running away from you.
Sit on your knees and intermingle your fingers into each other and let the thumbs join at the top. Keep your hands in front of your throat and start chanting ‘HAM’. Keep thinking about the chakra and how you wish to make yourself better with the same.
Step 6: Opening Ajna (third eye) Chakra
Third eye or the space between your both the eyebrows and denotes your insight and intelligence. Its over activeness lets you imagine things all day long and even get into daydreaming whereas if it is active in a low way, you cannot figure out things smoothly and remain confused.
For this, sit in a cross legged manner and keep your fingers as mentioned in the figure below.
Now focus on the chakra and chant ‘OM’ or ‘AUM’ silently and keep thinking about the chakra without getting your thoughts disbursed.
Step 7: Opening Sahasrara(crown) Chakra
Probably the most important and spiritual chakra, it makes you wise and an intellectual being. For this,
Sit in a cross legged position and place your hands as shown in the image below.
Now concentrate on the chakra above your head and chant the sound ‘NG’. it might look a little tough but make sure that your body is relaxed and open for the same.
NOTE: It has to be taken care of that you must start practicing your chakra in the order mentioned step by step. Your foundation or Muladhara chakra must become strong and shall lead to the crown chakra at the end.
Wrap Up
Although you have learned how to open your spiritual chakras here, there are some risks that are attached to them if you do it without any expert’s advice. Hence, you must be cautious with opening of chakras and make sure that body and mind stays in a balance!