Which yoga poses which chakra

Programs Covid care. Covid relief. Search programs. What are you looking for? Find Courses. Search Courses By Location. Search Courses By Name. Select a Retreat Center. Find an Art of Living Center. Search This Website.

How yoga helps to balance 7 chakras When a chakra i. The behavioral impact of the imbalance: Traits of a balanced chakra : ungrounded fear a feeling of being grounded and centered anger sense of commitment and independence low self-esteem energy and vitality insecurity strength and stillness obsession with comfort ability to digest food well possessiveness.

The behavioral impact of imbalance: Traits of a balanced chakra : irritability a feeling of compassion and friendliness shyness intuitiveness guilt vitality tendency to blame sense of belonging sexual obsession good sense of humor lack of creativity.

The behavioral impact of the imbalance: Traits of a balanced chakra : lack of self-esteem energetic and confident nature timidness intelligence sense of depression high productivity fear of rejection improved focus inability to make decisions good digestion judgmental and angry nature hostility.

The behavioral impact of the imbalance: Traits of a balanced chakra : difficulty with love the feeling of completeness and wholeness lack of hope, compassion, and confidence compassion feeling of despair empathy mood variations friendliness optimism increased motivation outgoing nature. The behavioral impact of the imbalance: Traits of a balanced chakra : shaken faith Increased creativity and expressiveness indecisiveness effective communication skills weak will-power contentedness lack of expressiveness good listening abilities lack of creativity proneness to addictions.

The behavioral impact of the imbalance: Traits of a balanced chakra : poor judgment clear thinking confusion healthy imagination fear of truth strong intuition power indiscipline good concentration concentration issues improved focus proneness to addictions. Muladhara Chakra, The Root Chakra The root chakra forms the base of our most basic needs, connects us with the ground beneath, and lets us tap into the foundation of our entire chakra system.

Svadhistana Chakra, The Sacral Chakra It centralizes around fluidity, ease of movement, expression, creativity, sexuality and intimacy. It is located in our womb area, between the navel and the groin The element is water, hence the nature of this energy center It centers around our ability to welcome change, relate to others, create our deepest desires, and practice both intimacy and sexuality The related color is orange and the bija mantra is VAM Here are 3 yoga poses to activate and balance the sacral chakra.

Manipura Chakra, The Solar Plexus Chakra This is our space for transformation, willpower, purpose, digestion, and energy. It is located in our navel center, specifically from the sternum to the navel The element is fire, hence it being our space of power and transformation It centers on our ability to overcome inertia, to take the next best step, and to recognize that we are the creators of our truth The related color is yellow and the bija mantra is RAM Here are 3 yoga poses to activate and balance the manipura chakra.

The Anahata Chakra, The Heart Chakra Our heart center is the space where we experience love, compassion, connection, expansion, and integration. It is located at your heart center The element is air, which represents freedom, openness, expansiveness, freshness, spaciousness, lightness, and simplicity The related color is green and the bija mantra is YAM Here are 3 yoga poses to activate and balance the heart chakra.

The Vishudda Chakra, The Throat Chakra This is the space where we speak our highest truth, practice vulnerability, express our needs and wants, and create conscious vibrations. It is located at your throat center The element is space, hence the desire to create open channels of communication and authenticity It deeply focuses on communication, drawing energy from self-expression, honesty, authenticity, and anything else related to your communicative actions both verbal and non-verbal The related color is blue and the bija mantra is HAM Here are 3 yoga poses to activate and balance the throat chakra.

It is located between our eyebrows and it corresponds to the pineal gland, giving you a direct connection to consciousness The element is light It revolves around the ability to see — both inner and outer.

When broken down, this refers to how we digest images through perception, but also how these images are then formed into our own own reality and personal vision The related color is indigo The bija mantra is AUM Here are 3 yoga poses to activate and balance the third eye chakra.

Sahasrara Chakra, The Crown Chakra The seventh chakra is our source of enlightenment, our spiritual connection to something greater, our relationship with our higher selves, and consciousness. It is located at the crown of the head. The element is cosmic energy, thought, or space. It centralizes around integration, cosmic consciousness, enlightenment, transcendence, and spirituality. The Root Chakra is located at the base of the spine and forms the basis of your energy system.

It also determines your instincts like hunger, sex, and sleep as well as your survival instinct. Apart from that, the Muladhara Chakra is associated with the element of earth , supporting its grounding characteristics, and with the color red.

The Root Chakra being out of balance expresses itself in imbalances in the physical body and anxiety, and diminishes your sense of security and belonging. When balanced , on the other hand, you feel confident, safe, and grounded. Yoga poses that help balance the first Chakra include asanas that build grounding and stability through the legs such as Mountain pose , all Warrior poses, Balancing poses.

The relevant mudra that helps balance the Root Chakra is Ganesha Mudra as it brings a grounding and connecting energy. Ganesha is a Hindu deity and also referred to as the remover of obstacles. This is why this mudra is perfect to initiate your Chakra yoga practice as it invites you to remove any obstacles on your way through the Chakras, clearing the path for a powerful connection to yourself and your personal essence.

To form Ganesha Mudra, bring the left hand in front of your heart with the palm facing forward. Bring the right hand in front and clasp the fingers of both hands.

As you breathe in, pull in and tighten the clasp and soften the grip with the exhale. Clear the way of things that are no longer serving you. The second Chakra, called Svadhishthana Chakra , is located in the pelvic area.

It governs your desires and pleasures and affects reproduction and your joy of living. As the Pelvic Chakra is associated with the water element , it shares the same fluid and flowing features. The relevant color of the rainbow spectrum is orange. If this Chakra is blocked , you may experience attachment as well as all kinds of cravings and even addictions. You may thus feel sexually and emotionally frustrated and lack the motivation to find a passion in life.

When it comes to Chakra yoga, twisting yoga poses such as Reclined Triangle pose stimulate the abdominal organs to improve circulation within the pelvic area. Apart from that, hip-opening asanas and squats such as Malasana , Lizard, Twisted Monkey, or Reclined Bound Angle Pose help you bring your awareness to this center. Yoni Mudra is a perfect means to connect to the second Chakra and is formed by putting the index fingers and thumbs of both hands together.

While practicing this mudra, think of what you want to create in your life or where you feel stuck. Whenever you feel trapped, a Chakra yoga practice aimed at the Pelvic Chakra will create a sense of fluidity and stimulate creation.

The third Chakra, called Manipura Chakra , is situated at the navel and shines in bright yellow. On a physical level, the Solar Plexus regulates your digestive system, eyesight, and locomotion. An unbalanced Manipura Chakra can result in low self-confidence and increased stress.

When the Solar Plexus Chakra is balanced , you feel more confident and capable. Since this Chakra is located in the belly, yoga poses that strengthen this area are perfect for activating the core and the internal fire to help remove energy blocks or imbalances.

These include all abdominal strengthening poses such as Boat pose, but also twisting asanas. And, of course, what could be a better practice to awaken the heat in your body than Sun Salutations? You can use Kali Mudra to access the energy of your 3rd Chakra, which is formed by pressing the index fingers together and extending them while all the other fingers are interlaced.

This will ignite your strength and energy from the soles of your feet all the way up to the index fingers. This breathing exercise accentuates the exhale. When we lead with our head and not with the heart, we may be overly focused on thought and tend to cut ourselves off from the emotions and the body. When the heart chakra is deficient, you may experience feelings of shyness and loneliness, an inability to forgive, or a lack of empathy. Physical symptoms can include shallow breathing, asthma, and other lung diseases.

Asanas that enliven the heart chakra include passive chest openers in which we arch gently over a blanket or bolster, shoulder stretches such as the arm positions of Gomukhasana and Garudasana Eagle Pose , and backbends.

Being an even-numbered, feminine chakra, the heart center naturally yearns to release and let go. Doing backbends develops the trust and surrender we need to open the heart fully.

When we feel fearful, there is no room for love, and our bodies show contraction. When we choose love, the fear melts away, and our practice takes on a joyful quality.

In many backbending poses, the heart is positioned higher than the head. Some signs that the heart chakra is overpowering your life can include co-dependency, possessiveness, jealousy, heart disease, and high blood pressure.

For these symptoms, forward bends are the best antidote, because they are grounding and foster introspection. While people with deficient heart chakras need to open to receive love more fully, those with excessive heart chakras find healing by slowing down to discover inside themselves the nourishment they have been seeking from others.

The most powerful way to open, energize, and balance not just the heart chakra but all of our chakras is to love ourselves and others. Love is the greatest healer. In our hatha yoga practice, remembering what we love and appreciate as we practice fourth chakra asanas enhances the power of the poses and our general well-being. Since the heart chakra is the bridge between the lower, more physical energy centers and the upper, more metaphysical ones, as we ascend through the chakras, the fifth is the first primarily focused on the spiritual plane.

The throat chakra, Visuddha , is associated with the color turquoise blue and with the elements sound and ether, the field of subtle vibrations ancient Indians believed pervaded the universe. Located in the neck, throat, jaw, and mouth, the Visuddha chakra resonates with our inner truth and helps us find a personal way to convey our voice to the outside world. The rhythm of music, creativity of dance, the vibration of singing, and the communication we make through writing and speaking are all fifth chakra ways to express ourselves.

Some yogis notice that drinking more water and letting go of products such as tobacco and dairy helps to loosen up the neck and shoulders and clear the voice. In addition, sound itself is purifying. Deficient energy in this chakra leads to neck stiffness, shoulder tension, teeth grinding, jaw disorders, throat ailments, an underactive thyroid, and a fear of speaking. Excessive talking, an inability to listen, hearing difficulties, stuttering, and an overactive thyroid are all related to excessiveness in this chakra.

Can you imagine how you would like your body to feel tomorrow? While our two eyes see the material world, our sixth chakra sees beyond the physical. This vision includes clairvoyance, telepathy, intuition, dreaming, imagination, and visualization. The sixth chakra is involved in both the creation and perception of art and in the recognition that what we see has a powerful impact on us. I remember growing up in Los Angeles as a teen and seeing hoards of billboards advertising liquor and cigarettes.

Then I went to Thailand as a high school foreign-exchange student. I saw Buddha statues on the streets instead of billboards, and those serene, majestic figures awakened my connection to inner peace. When the third eye is excessively abuzz with energy, we experience headaches, hallucinations, nightmares, and difficulty concentrating. As a yoga teacher, I occasionally like to work with this chakra by having my students wear blindfolds during an entire class.

Temporarily deprived of sight, which provides such a huge percentage of our sensory input, students have a very fresh experience of yoga. Instead, they experience pratyahara , the drawing inward of the senses. After these classes, students have shared with me profound insights about their bodies and lives that came up because their vision was directed more deeply inside themselves.