Welcome to the secret side of yoga.

Chakra awareness is a learning process.  It is the holistic development of inner growth in a person by helping them achieve balance.  No matter what sorts of challenges you face throughout your life, finding balance within yourself leads to less suffering and more peace.

Each chakra governs a group of emotions.  Unlike the physical anatomy, the chakra system is part of the subtle anatomy.  This anatomy cannot be seen, but rather, it is felt. For the Western state of mind, the existence of invisible things is a difficult concept, but the subtle anatomy is a powerful force in each and every one of us.   Our handmade gemstone jewelry can help stimulate your chakras. We have a wide selection of chakra bracelets, necklaces, pendants, and earrings.  Wearing gemstones in chakra jewelry is an easy way to connect to the chakras during your daily routine.  Touching or seeing the stones are effective ways of reminding yourself of the issues you are trying to resolve.

Here are some examples of the subtle anatomy at work:

There are many different ways to stimulate or open the chakras.  Some examples of chakra stimulants are:

• Aromatherapy
• Chakra jewelry with gemstones
• Chanting
• Music
• Colors
• Dreams
• Meditation
• Massage
• Physical stimulation of chakra areas through yoga movement

Most people are stronger in certain chakras and weaker in others.  The following section of The Chakra Jewel website is dedicated to identifying chakra characteristics and their resulting behaviors.  These are only the basics of chakra study but will hopefully intrique you enough to explore more on your own. There are many wonderful books about the chakra system and how to access emotions that have become blocked through the course of life experiences.  In all of the teachings I have studied or come across, it is essential that the first or root chakra be healthy and strong in order to support progress in other chakra areas, so let’s begin there.

The first or root chakra is located at the base of the spine.  The central theme deals with survival, trust, stability, family, and ties to the earth.  It sends energy to the legs, feet, skeletal structure and intestines.  From this chakra, we get strength, energy, passion and a powerful will to live.  It is our foundation, our place in the world.  People with keenly developed root chakras have great strength of character and tremendous stamina.  They feel a natural tie to the cycles of earth.  Their sense of purpose, passion, persistence and deep connectedness to the earth are crucial to their personalities.  Stones that would be appropriate for first chakra jewelry would include the colors red or black, such as: black lava, black onyx, black jade, black tourmaline, hypersthene, black spinel, ruby, garnet, red jasper.    
  

One example of blocked energy in the first chakra might be feeling homesick after moving to a new location.  In this situation, the feeling of not being well grounded may transcend to a lack of focus at the new job, anxiety, inability to sleep and lack of energy. 

A more extreme example of blocked energy in this area would lead to lack of trust, fear of survival and aggression.  This is exhibited in violent gang behavior, where there is fighting over neighborhood territories and initiation rites that require members to draw blood to prove they are trustworthy of being in the gang. 

On an even larger scale, a weak root chakra is exemplified by a lack of connectedness to the earth, in which a society is responsible for the poisoning and destruction of the natural environment.  The element as you might have guessed is earth.  

The second chakra is located just below the navel in the sacrum or hip area.  The central theme deals with pleasure.  This aspect of our personalities goes beyond merely surviving and seeks the next level of consciousness in finding what pleases us.  Consider bathing in a cold stream vs. sinking into a hot tub, a diet of roots and berries with chocolate cake.  This chakra includes creativity, sensuality, sexuality and enthusiasm for new ideas.  This area corresponds to the element of water, which flows throughout our bodies, bringing forth life and creative energy.  Personalities that are dominant in their second chakra must be careful not to over indulge in things.  Happiness does not reside in material consumption, but rather in the knowledge that we have all we need to be happy inside ourselves.  Chakra jewelry that is appropriate for this chakra would include citrine, tiger eye, yellow calcite and yellow flourite.

Many psychological problems can arise from blocked sacral charkas regarding sexuality.  When tremendous energy is devoted solely to the pursuit of sex, it can become obsessive and even life threatening.  The reverse is also problematic as in the case where a child was brought up believing that sex was something wrong or bad.  Impotence, frigidity or  fear of intimacy are all symptoms of blockages in the second chakra.  In cases of rape or incest, the damage done is often irreversible. Jealousy and fear of abandonment are also signs of a weak sacral chakra. For this chakra personality, their choice of life partners is more crucial than any other chakra personality type.

The third chakra is located in the solar plexis.  The central theme of the third chakra is personal power.   Feelings of self-empowerment, confidence and positive self-esteem are signs of a healthy third chakra.   People with a dominant third chakra are driven to their goals by perseverance and self-control.  They tend to influence those around them, although they also have the ability to be quite sensitive to others.  The combination of power and sensitivity can make them great leaders.  The third chakra governs prana, a term that refers to the breath.  Learning to control your breathing is once again a way to take control of your emotions and the situation around you.   It should not come as a surprise that the element for the third chakra is fire.  Chakra jewelry appropriate for the third chakra would include carnelian, fire agate, orange calcite and sunstone.

When the third chakra is weak but not blocked, behavior can lead to extreme competitiveness and a lack of sensitivity to others.  There is a need to prove oneself as good enough.  There is danger in using this most powerful energy only to pursue one’s own goals, ignoring all other considerations for the sake of power.  The old saying, “Absolute power corrupts absolutely” is an appropriate description of a lack of ability or weakeness to control the tremendous power in this chakra.

Blockages in the navel or third chakra will impede the flow of energy to every other chakra, as this chakra is the central distribution point in the body.  One of the most obvious signs of a blockage in this area presents itself as a lack of self- esteem.  People with a blockage in the navel chakra deem themselves not worthy and feel insecure about their own judgment.  Eating disorders such as anorexia are extreme examples of a blocked third chakra. 

The fourth chakra is located in the heart.  It’s element is air and the central theme is love, compassion, acceptance and forgiveness.  The incredible thing about the heart chakra is that the energy is so loving , it encompasses everything it touches.  Personalities that are dominated by a healthy heart chakra are able to see beyond personal differences and accept flaws in others as well as themselves as the nature of being human.  Within the fourth chakra is the ability for abundant healing, making their contributions to medical and therapeutic professions all the more valuable. A powerful visualization for the heart charka would be to visualize a pointed icesicle that was lodged into the heart.  Once the icesicle is removed, the heart can mend itself, free of pain and refilled with love. Heart chakra personalities are especially cognizant of the pain and suffering in the world, but they are powered by the knowledge that love can overcome all.  There are many green stones in nature that would be appropriate in chakra jewelry.  Some of them would be: green amethyst, green kyanite, African Jade, BC Jade, moss agate, green tourmaline, prehnite, turquoise and emerald.  Pink stones for fourth chakra jewelry would be: rhodochrosite, rose quartz, pink peruvian opal, pink amethyst, pink topaz.

A blocked heart chakra is the cause of much suffering. It is the unwillingness to open oneself to love, unable to either give or receive it. In someone with a blocked heart chakra, they believe that loving is not safe. It is difficult for them to connect with others. To those on the outside, people with blocked heart chakras appear emotionally closed, distant, lonely or even cold.

A heart chakra that is not blocked but weak can fall to the challenges of being an enabler. Using love to condone behaviors that lead to complacency, irresponsibility or overindulgence are signs of a weak heart chakra.

The fifth chakra is located in the throat.  The throat chakra is the first of the higher head chakras.  This area governs all forms of communication, including gestures, intonation, intuition but especially speech.  It is the chakra of sound and truth.  We must know our truth before we can speak it, whether in music, visual arts, dance, writing, public speaking or any form of personal communication.  A throat chakra personality is greatly energized by singing, chanting, opera or any vocal performance.  People who are strong in this chakra are often a master of speech.

The emotions that come into play from the fifth chakra are integrity and truth.  The color of the fifth chakra is blue, which I find especially interesting, as small children who have not yet learned the art of deception will often pick blue as their favorite color. One of the challenges to a throat chakra personality is their struggle to see that truth is subjective.  So ensconced in knowing their own truth, they become blind to seeing anyone else’s truth that might be different from their own.  Chakra jewelry appropriate for this chakra would include: blue kyanite, blue turquoise, blue chalcedony, blue lace agate, angelite and aquamarine and London blue topaz.

A weak throat chakra might reveal itself in someone who spreads vicious gossip or is a compulsive liar.  Symptoms of an imbalanced throat chakra would include the person who talks a blue streak but can not listen to anyone else. 

A blocked throat chakra may often result in speech impediments or stuttering.  It is the inability to speak your mind, the fear of expressing an adversarial opinion or experiencing shyness to the point of not being able to talk to others about anything.

The sixth chakra is located in the forehead, between the eyes.  It is known as the third eye and rules the higher functions of imagination, visual imagery, intuition, fantasy and dreams.  The central themes are insight, self-awareness, a clear sense that there is a higher existence and wisdom.  In addition to great teachers, the third eye chakra is highly developed in those who are intuitive healers.  They seem to sense exactly where it hurts..  A strong forehead chakra has a curiosity for knowledge that lies beyond the physical plane, the ability to grasp abstract concepts and extra sensory perception which some prefer to call intuition. Unlike throat chakra personalities, third eye chakra personalities do not necessarily feel a need to express their ideas, but are able to explore vast realms of possibilities within their minds.  They are true visionaries.   Chakra jewelry for this chakra would include: lapis lazuli, iolite, sodalite, sapphire,

Blocked energy in the forehead chakra can result in disorganized thinking, an inability to concentrate, attention-deficit disorders and even certain kinds of schizophrenia.  Basically, it is an interruption or blockage to clear thinking as well as imagination.

The seventh chakra is located out of the body, hovering in space, just above the head.  Known as the crown chakra, it is thought to be the gateway to the universe. The seventh chakra is a state of experiencing the divine.  It is energized by stillness.  Theoretically, the crown chakra cannot be blocked, for it is the essence of the spirit.  Disturbances in the crown chakra can manifest themselves as general discontent without any real reason, the need for more material things in an effort to stimulate energy or to fill the void. or depression about big concepts such as the state of humanity or why bad things happen to seemingly good people.  Symptoms of a weak crown chakra can range from feeling spiritually empty inside to a lack of goals and sense of confusion about life in general.  Chakra jewelry that is appropriate for the seventh chakra would be either purple or white.  Stones include clear quartz, moonstone, mother of pearl, amethyst, charoite, sugalite.

Sometimes it is manifested as a midlife crisis, where a person becomes depressed upon looking back at their life and seeing missed opportunities and unfulfilled dreams.  Only by learning to meditate, to embrace conscious stillness can the crown chakra heal itself.