The five elements are

• Ether
• Air
• Fire
• Water
• Earth    

These universal elements give rise to our five senses that we experience; sound, smell, touch, sight, taste, and ultimately come together within us to create a universal flow of energy.  Each chakra has its energetic core along our spine, and the first five chakras are directly connected with the five elements. 

The location of the chakras also corresponds to the plexus in the body, the networks of nerves, blood vessels and hormone receptors that chemically communicate with organs.  With such a tightly-knit connection of chakras and our physical system that controls are body, you can come to see how imbalances in your chakra can lead to changes in your body and mind.

So what can cause your chakra to go out of balance?  In a simple sense, our negative experiences, and traumas both physical and emotional can affect our chakras.  When we repeatedly experience certain trauma it may even lead to blockage of certain chakra.   

When you have an unbalanced chakra it can manifest as anxiety, depression, low self-esteem, cause the person to feel unsafe, unsupported, disconnected from sensuality, compelled more by intellect rather than intuition distancing from spirituality. The imbalanced chakra can also lead to dysfunction in the associated bodily organs.  For example, lack of or blockage in the stomach chakra (associated with the solar plexus) can cause stomach aches, digestive problems, or slow metabolism, which in turn can develop to more severe problems over time.

With balanced chakras, one will feel confident, secure, and connected to sensuality and intuition.  This leads to the individual being more compassionate and spiritually more wholesome.  When the chakra are balanced the universal flow of energy isn’t disrupted and can flow freely through the chakra, bringing balance to the whole being.

Unless you are innately blessed with balanced chakras, we all have some imbalances that needs taking care of.  In yoga, we can use pranayama (breathing exercises), asana (physical practice) and mantra meditation that stimulates certain chakra or the energy pathways that help rejuvenate the suppressed or tame the dominating chakras.

The Chart below shows a summary of the relationship between Chakra, Element, Plexus, Organs, Physical and Psychological bodies within us.

The chakras and the systems that it governs is complex in the sheaths it governs and affects. In the next several issues, I will be covering more specific yoga practices to balance each chakra that can benefit us all.