By Michael Townes

A chakra is a Sanskrit word for energy center. There are said to be seven main chakras in all; four in our upper body, which govern our mental properties, and three in the lower body, which govern our instinctual properties. These chakras are located along the spine, starting from its base (tailbone) to the crown of the head. Each chakra has a specific function that can show up materially and emotionally in our lives.

~~The Seven Chakras

(Red) Starting from the bottom up, at the base of our spine is the root chakra, or the muladhara. This chakra gives us a sense of stability and grounding and may become blocked by fear. This chakra is based on being physically aware and feeling comfortable. If this chakra is open, we will feel well-balanced, calm and trusting. If it's closed, we may feel fearful, unwelcome and/or nervous.

(Orange) The next chakra is our sacral chakra, or the svadhisthana. This chakra is in the region of area of our navel, lower abdomen, low back and sexual organs. The basic issues affected are creativity, money, sexuality, relationships, nurturing, pleasure, emotions and intimacy. The energy of this chakra allows us to let go, to move and to feel change and transformation occurring within our body. It allows us to experience the present moment. If this chakra is closed, we may have a tendency to be unemotional or impassive. It may become blocked by guilt.

(Yellow) The third chakra is our solar plexus, this is our “gut feeling chakra,” or the manipura. This chakra also gives us energy and energizes all of the other chakras. When open, we should feel in control and have good feeling about ourself. If it's closed, we may have a tendency to be passive and indecisive. It may become blocked by shame.

(Green) The fourth chakra is our heart chakra ,or the anahata. It is the center of our deep bonds with others, our sense of caring and compassion, feelings of self-love, respect and kindness, whether toward our relationships, jobs, hobbies or ourselves. Having an open heart chakra allows us to love freely without judgment or criticism. It is understanding that we are part of something larger. If closed, we may be cold and unfriendly, unwelcoming to others wanting to be close to us. This chakra is usually blocked by loss or grief.

(Blue) The fifth chakra is our throat chakra, or the visuddhi. It is the first of the higher, or spiritual chakras on the "chakra ladder". It is located in the region of neck and shoulders. This chakra deals with truth, self expression and communication, including our own personal truth. A person with an open visuddhi chakra is a good listener and enables another person to have the experience of being heard—one of the most profound human needs. This chakra can become blocked by lies and tends to be closed if we are not expressing how we really feel about situations in our lives.

(Indigo) The sixth chakra is our third eye chakra, or the ajna, located in the forehead, right between the eyes. This chakra is deals with intuition and insight. The energy of this chakra allows us to experience clear thought, as well as gifts of spiritual contemplation and self-reflection. The third eye is not only the seat of wisdom, but also a seat of conscience. This is where we not only see what is going on, but we also know what it means. It is responsible for feelings of self-confidence, self-awareness and inner knowing. This chakra is usually blocked by illusion and not seeing the true nature of things.

The seventh chakra is our crown chakra, or the sahasrara. It is located at the very top of our head and deals with our cosmic energy and our connection to a higher power. It receives energy for life and gives back personal energy to unite us with the collective consciousness. It is the place where time and timelessness intersect and where death and eternal life meet. This chakra is blocked by earthly attachment.

When all the chakras are open and working together, we feel a general state of well-being that permeates the entire body. We begin feel a deep connection to our environment and to the people in our community. We open ourselves up to new synchronistic opportunities and realities that would have been hard to imagine from our once-limited state of mind.

The chakras have very literal meanings and affect a great deal in our life that we may consider to just happen by chance. If we learn to manage our chakras and open them up, we will begin to see direct effects of this manifest in our lives.

Chakras can be opened by energy work, such as Reiki, physical exercise, such as yoga, and mental exercises and stimulation that can be introduced through private coaching sessions. With personal chakra coaching, we have the opportunity to release blockages that have been holding us back and open up closed chakras, as well as calm overactive chakras.

Chakra coaching is an exciting, eye-opening and enlightening journey, filled with new discoveries and new possibilities. When we use a chakra coach, we begin taking the first steps to transformation into a life full of well-being, harmony and inner peace.

~Michael Townes is owner of Eliminate Your Limits, offering personal and professional life coaching,chakra counseling, and Reiki. Call 201-284-9246 for information. EliminateYourLimits.com.