Holistic healing has recently grown to become more popular over the past few years. Some people refer to it as ‘’Alternative Medicine’’, I prefer the former term.

It’s not a new concept really, this form of ‘’healing’’ has been around for thousands of years. Holistic health practitioners have many ways of healing, but they share a common basic approach. They believe in the ancient idea that healing is most effective when you consider the whole person, rather than focusing on specific illnesses, body parts or symptoms. As Socrates said in the 4th century B.C., “the part can never be well unless the whole is well.’’

A concept that is common in all holistic healing lines of treatment is our ‘’Chakras’’. Chakras are basically the energy centers or ‘’wheels’’ in our body, these wheels spin and radiate our energy. The consolidation   of the energy radiated from the chakras, are what form our ‘’Aura’’.

When one or more of the chakras are blocked or not operating properly, this malfunction mirrors itself in the persons emotional level of being, affecting self perception and interactions with others. When the malfunction is really strong, it manifests itself in the form of physical illness.

Rosalyne L. Bruyere explains both terms best in her book ‘’Wheels of light’’ (which by the way is an amazing book for anyone interested in learning the cultural and scientific background of Chakra healing).

When asked to give a brief background about the aura, Rosalyne said:

‘’From antiquity there has been a myriad of literary and pictorial descriptions of the aura. Sometimes it has been depicted as a luminous radiation surrounding the body. Frequently, it has been pictured as a kind of light around the head — which some religious traditions call a halo. Most of us are familiar with the paintings of haloed Christian saints. In earlier Chinese and Japanese art, a single and sometimes a triple halo surrounds the head of images of the bodhisattva or Buddha. In ancient Egyptian culture, the aura was often depicted as wings enfolding the body. In Native American tradition, the radiant aura of the buffalo has given rise to the legend of the white buffalo. When Matthew (17:2) describes the transfiguration of Christ, he says that Jesus’s face “did shine as the sun,” and “his raiment was white as the light.” Luke (9:29)adds that Jesus’s raiment was “glistering.” This is a Biblical description of Christ’s aura, which the Apostles Peter, James, and John were able to see when they were taken by their Master to a mountain just prior to his crucifixion. ‘’

‘’The aura itself is generated by the spinning of smaller vortices of energy located within the body. Different religious traditions have called these subtle energy centers different things, but the word most commonly used is chakra from the Sanskrit word meaning “wheel of light.” These seven chakras are who and what we are, what we feel and how we think and change. They are how we express ourselves and how we create. Although we as Westerners have no cognitive awareness of its energies, the chakra system is precisely the means by which we gain awareness. It is how we experience life, how we perceive reality, and how we relate to self, others, and the world, It is life itself. ‘’

Through this article I have gathered information to give you a  brief description of each of the main Seven chakras.

Here it goes:

 1 – Root chakra

Color: Red

Location: Base of Spinal Chord

The Root chakra is about being physically there and feeling at home in situations. If it is open, you feel grounded, stable and secure. You don’t unnecessarily distrust people. You feel present in the here and now and connected to your physical body. You feel you have sufficient territory.

If you tend to be fearful or nervous, your Root chakra is probably under-active. You’d easily feel unwelcome.

If this chakra is over-active, you may be very materialistic and greedy. You’re probably obsessed with being secure and resist change.

2 – Sacral chakra

Color: Orange

Location: Right below navel

The Sacral chakra is about feeling and sexuality. When it is open, your feelings flow freely, and are expressed without you being over-emotional. You are open to intimacy and you can be passionate and lively. You have no problems dealing with your sexuality.

If you tend to be stiff and unemotional or have a “poker face,” the Sacral chakra is under-active. You’re not very open to people.

If this chakra is over-active, you tend to be emotional all the time. You’ll feel emotionally attached to people and you can be very sexual.

3 – Solar Plexus chakra

Color: Yellow

Location: Above navel

The Solar Plexus chakra is about asserting yourself in a group. When it is open, you feel in control and you have sufficient self esteem.

When the Solar Plexus chakra is under-active, you tend to be passive and indecisive. You’re probably timid and don’t get what you want.

If this chakra is over-active, you are domineering and probably even aggressive

 4 – Heart chakra

Color: Green

Location: Beside the heart

The Heart chakra is about love, kindness and affection. When it is open, you are compassionate and friendly, and you work at harmonious relationships.

When your Heart chakra is under-active, you are cold and distant.

If this chakra is over-active, you are suffocating people with your love and your love probably has quite selfish reasons.

5 – Throat chakra

Location: Behind throat

Color: Blue

The Throat chakra is about self-expression and talking. When it is open, you have no problems expressing yourself, and you might be doing so as an artist.

When this chakra is under-active, you tend not to speak much, and you probably are introverted and shy. Not speaking the truth may block this chakra.

If this chakra is over-active, you tend to speak too much, usually to domineer and keep people at a distance. You’re a bad listener if this is the case.

 6 – Third Eye chakra

Location: Between the eyebrows

Color: Indigo

The Third Eye chakra is about insight and visualization. When it is open, you have a good intuition. You may tend to fantasize.

If it is under-active, you’re not very good at thinking for yourself, and you may tend to rely on authorities. You may be rigid in your thinking, relying on beliefs too much. You might even get confused easily.

If this chakra is over-active, you may live in a world of fantasy too much. In excessive cases hallucinations are possible.

 7 – Crown chakra

Location: Above the head

Color: Purple

The Crown chakra is about wisdom and being one with the world. When this chakra is open, you are unprejudiced and quite aware of the world and yourself.

If it is under-active, you’re not very aware of spirituality. You’re probably quite rigid in your thinking.

If this chakra is over-active, you are probably intellectualizing things too much. You may be addicted to spirituality and are probably ignoring your bodily needs.

So there you have it, a brief description of all main seven centers of energy in our body, if something strikes a chord with you, maybe it’s something you need to work on…

Hope this was useful.

Love and light to all of you!