Chakra Meditation for Beginners

Certainly one of the most popular forms of meditation, Chakra can, on first glance, seem a bit daunting. The thing is, most of the online information seems to assume that you already have a bit of knowledge about the practice. But what if you don’t? Well, below is the answer, as we discuss in layman’s terms the basics of Chakra Meditation.

So, what is it, exactly?

OK, so true meditation is about managing a period where your mind is free of thought but you have full awareness. And in today’s crazy lifestyle, when do you ever have a head that’s not full of a thousand different things whirling around it? Can you imagine how fabulous it would be to literally clear your mind – just for a few minutes per day – of all that stuff? This is what the art of pure mediation is all about.

Contrary to popular belief, meditation itself is NOT truly about concentration, exercises such as breathing, or mental effort. However, what these activities help achieve is the end goal of thoughtless awareness.

Chakra Mediation is slightly different. While the process itself may well help on the journey to thoughtless awareness, the reason it’s becoming so popular is because it’s about the healthy physical and emotional function.

It works on the belief that there are various energy centers throughout the body. These are known as ‘chakras’, a Sanskrit word that translates as wheel or circle. There are 7 major chakras within the body. Chakra Meditation is all about connecting with these centers, each of which is responsible for the smooth running of specific areas of the physical body as well as emotional ones.

By unblocking these centers and helping them to work in harmony with each other, not only do you assist your physical health, but you greatly improve your consciousness. In other words, it works on both the body AND the mind.

7 Chakras?

So, to fully understand this kind of meditation it’s necessary to know a little more about each of The 7 chakras. They are as follows:

The Root Chakra: red and located at the base of the spine. It’s connected with everything you need to survive physically in this world (food, shelter, stability etc.). Blockages can cause emotional issues such as paranoia and procrastination, as well as health issues associated with digestion.

The Sacral Chakra: located just below the navel, and is orange in color. It governs everything to do with reproduction, as well as being a channel to your imagination. Blockages can appear as emotional issues or obsessive behavior.

The Solar Plexus Chakra: yellow in color, is fundamental to digestion, as well as playing an important role in spiritual and mental health. Blockages can lead to frustration, anger, or lack of direction.

The Heart Chakra: is green and is directly linked to the cardiovascular and respiratory systems. Being in balance allows you to form healthy emotional connections with others. Blockages can cause issues with the heart and lungs, as well as behavioral abnormalities.

The Throat Chakra: located near the thyroid glands, this blue chakra governs self-expression and communication. A blockage can manifest as difficulty in communicating your needs, feelings of isolation, and a range of physical imbalances.

Third Eye Chakra: indigo in color, is found in the center of the forehead. It’s linked with your intuition and insight. A blockage can show itself as depression, a lack of foresight, or an inability to have a flexible outlook.

The Crown Chakra: found at the top of the head, is all about the central nervous system and the cerebral cortex (in simple terms, the brain). When this chakra is in balance it leads to peace, self-confidence, and well being. Blockages usually show themselves as a variety of psychological issues.

How can it benefit my daily life?

By bringing balance and order to the chakras, you can improve both physical and emotional health. In addition, whether you realize it or not, practicing Chakra Mediation is taking you along the path to thoughtless awareness.

While most people are not looking to achieve this ‘ultimate’ mediation goal (most practice Chakra simply for the physical and mental health benefits), it allows you this valuable time to aid body, mind, and soul will automatically be increasing your ability to free your mind from conscious thought.

But my life is hectic enough already. How on earth can I find any extra time to practice Chakra Mediation?

Although to truly learn the art and open all the chakras does take time, it really is possible to fit it into a busy schedule. Don’t say to yourself that you’re going to put aside an hour a day or every other day – this will put you under way too much pressure. The whole idea is to be reducing the stress, not adding to it.

Once you’ve mastered the basics, then you can practice Chakra Mediation any time, any place, for as short amount of time as you need. Indeed, many advocates would use the frustrating incidence of being stuck in a traffic jam to take 5 minutes meditation. What about on your subway ride to work? Getting up 10 minutes earlier, or spending 10 or 15 minutes less watching TV? There’s always a way to add 5 or 10 minutes to your day, as long as it’s something you really want to do.

OK, you’ve convinced me. So how do I learn?

There are many classes held throughout the USA, such as the ones by The Chakra Institute in NYC. However, many people choose to teach themselves through books, DVDs, online courses, or videos. This You Tube Video is a good place to start if you like to learn by visualizing rather than reading.

If books are your thing, the following are a great place to start: