A guest article by Alisa Füssel
The path to emotional and physical freedom
In the second part of the chakra special, I would like to delve even deeper into the theory of the individual chakras with you, so that you have the opportunity to recognize and resolve any blockages within yourself. Use the knowledge and become a silent observer: Listen to yourself: What is your issue? What is your blockage? Then go a step further and address this issue or issues. Resolve them and let them go in peace. This is how healing happens.
Now dare to take the step into the depths of your chakras and reward yourself with emotional and physical freedom and, above all, with the endless flow of your life energy.
The 7 Chakras
1. Muladhara Chakra – Root Chakra
2. Svadhisthana Chakra - Sacral Chakra
3. Manipura Chakra - Solar Plexus Chakra
4. Anahata Chakra - Heart Chakra
5. Vishuddha Chakra - Throat Chakra
6. Ajna Chakra - Forehead Chakra
7. Sahasrara Chakra - Crown Chakra
Muladhara Chakra – Root Chakra
The most important facts about the first chakra:
• It is our root and resonates with the physical body.
• It determines our relationship to the material world of our lives.
• His element is earth.
• The root chakra is symbolized by the color red and a four-leaf lotus flower.
• It is located at the end of the spine and lies between the coccyx and the genitals.
The first of the seven chakras forms the basis for the development of the entire chakra system and the foundation of the energy body. This means: Only when your root chakra is in balance can the energy flow from there upwards to the second chakra.
Muladhara is also the point where the three most important nadis (energy channels) Shushumna, Ida and Pingala originate.
The main themes of the root chakra are security and stability, because it is connected to primal instincts. Other themes are therefore basic trust, grounding, vitality and the relationship to the material world, such as money or career. This chakra is the first reference point for topics from the time of pregnancy, birth and infancy. Later, the root chakra is characterized by existential fears, social fears and the feeling of a lack of calling.
If the root chakra is blocked, there is enormous inner tension and fear. This can manifest itself, for example, as follows: you are overwhelmed by a feeling of homelessness, you have strong existential fears, you are afraid of change and often behave as if you were on the run. On a physical level, a blockage manifests itself in skin, bone and skeletal diseases, problems in the legs and feet, as well as exhaustion, chronic fatigue, materialism and an imbalance in the excretory organs.
To reopen your root chakra, you should let go of fears, insecurities and mistrust of life, work through early childhood traumas, spend a lot of time in nature and integrate bodywork in the form of yoga into your life.
Be aware that without a healed root chakra, no sustainable spiritual development is possible. Only when you face life without fear and surrender to the flow of life can your soul grow.
Asanas that I recommend to strengthen your root chakra:
• Vrikshasana (tree)
• Paschimottanasana (Seated Forward Bend)
• Virabhadrasana (Warrior)
• Ardha Matsyendrasana (swivel seat)
• Janu Sirsasana (Head-to-Knee Pose)
Svadhisthana Chakra – Sacral Chakra
The most important facts about the second chakra:
• It resonates with the emotional body and determines our zest for life and creativity.
• His element is water.
• The Svadhisthana Chakra is represented with the colour orange and a six-petaled lotus flower.
• On a physical level, it is located approximately at the level of the sacrum.
The sacral chakra is where the relationship to vitality, passion for life, creative power and sensual desire lie. It is strongly influenced by experiences from early childhood and, in this phase of life, represents the fulfillment of needs that have led to negative reactions from those around us. Blockages therefore often manifest themselves as a loss of joy in life, listlessness, lack of vitality and inhibitions about allowing intimacy. These blockages in turn often trigger shame, guilt, fear of sexuality and sensuality, loneliness and strong mood swings.
On a physical level, a blocked second chakra manifests itself in, among other things, chronic fatigue, menstrual problems, diseases of the uterus and ovaries, prostate and testicular diseases, bladder problems, lower back pain, lack of flexibility and addictions.
Remove your blockage by rediscovering your joy in life, doing something creative, rekindling your sexual desire and, above all, dealing with the issues of your past. Face the shame, guilt and embarrassment and start living authentically according to your needs again. Move in the element of the Svadhisthana chakra and go swimming, take walks by the river or sea or practice flowing yoga sequences.
Asanas that I recommend to strengthen your sacral chakra:
• Trikonasana (triangle)
• Kapotasana (Pigeon Pose)
• Baddha Konasana (Angle Seat/Cobbler Seat)
• Marjaryasana/Bitilasana (Cat/Cow)
Manipura Chakra – Solar Plexus Chakra
The most important facts about the third chakra:
• It is the epicenter of our energy and resonates with the mental body.
• The Manipura Chakra is where your self-image as a person, your identity, your ego and the main theme of power sits.
• It is represented with the colour yellow and a ten-petaled lotus flower.
• His element is fire.
• It sits between the middle of the upper abdomen and the solar plexus.
Since the Manipura Chakra is closely connected to the digestive organs, our childhood experiences and more complex emotions are 'digested' here and formed into a personal identity. The stored experiences, fears and behavioral patterns of the inner child are found here.
However, the biggest theme of the third chakra is power: power in the form of self-confidence, ability to act and integrity as a person, but also in the form of manipulation, dominance or as an expression of powerlessness. The strong influence of the Manipura chakra is evident in the relationship to oneself and one's ego: if the solar plexus chakra is blocked, this manifests itself in the inability to recognize one's own value and power as a person.
The fear of failure and the fear of losing control lie in the Manipura chakra. This can manifest itself in excessive demands, despair, powerlessness, worthlessness, extreme emotional instability and self-hatred. Envy, bitterness, disregard for one's own needs, excessive displays of power and outbursts of anger are also signs of a blocked third chakra. On a physical level, the blockage manifests itself in diseases of the digestive organs and metabolism as well as breathing.
In order to reopen and balance the solar plexus chakra, inner work is necessary in the form of processing pent-up emotions, dissolving beliefs and dealing with one's own self-esteem. It also requires a lot of work with the inner child and the inner teenager.
Asanas that I recommend to strengthen your solar plexus chakra:
• Ardha Matsyendrasana (swivel seat)
• Dhanurasana (Bow)
• Navasana (Boat)
Anahata Chakra – Heart Chakra
The most important facts about the fourth chakra:
• It resonates with the causal body. The causal body is the energy body that carries the memories of feelings from all incarnated lives.
• It is represented in green.
• His element is air.
• It is located in the middle of the chest at the level of the heart.
The heart chakra acts as a bridge connecting the three lower and three upper chakras. This bridge simultaneously represents the connection between the worldly and the spiritual level, as well as between us as people and us as souls.
It contains all subtle feelings such as love, compassion, devotion, sadness, pain and gratitude. The heart chakra is associated with the element of air and as invisible as this is the feeling of unity and connection that lies behind everything. Breathing is connected to the fourth chakra and serves as a symbol for this flow of connection: for connection, love, giving and receiving. If you lovingly surrender to the feeling of oneness, you will feel the energetic space that the heart chakra can open up for us.
Once we understand that we cannot find the source of love outside and turn our gaze inward, we discover that the eternal source of love can never be interrupted and that it always flows when we come into contact with it. Only this self-love allows us to heal our wounds. The development of the heart chakra is particularly influenced during youth and puberty. After the personality has developed, people now open up to deeper feelings.
If the Anahata chakra is out of balance, this can often be due to strong emotional pain. This then manifests itself in distrust of people and life, or in the inability to accept or give love. Other possible consequences are vindictiveness or self-hatred, aloofness, secrecy, coldness or indifference. On a physical level, a blockage in the heart chakra causes sunken shoulders, heart disease, high or low blood pressure, high cholesterol, lung disease, allergies, shoulder pain, rheumatism or respiratory diseases.
Healing the heart chakra requires the willingness to feel unconditionally and to immerse yourself deeply in the experience - including, or especially, the unpleasant ones. Accepting your own vulnerability, realizing that you do not need any protective mechanisms, resolving unresolved experiences of loss, grief and pain and learning to love yourself are all part of the healing process of the heart chakra. Finding your way back to trust and love and surrendering to life is the goal of an open and balanced heart chakra.
Asanas that I recommend to strengthen your heart chakra:
• Bhujangasana (Cobra)
• Ustrasana (Camel)
• Setu Bandha Sarvangasana (shoulder bridge)
• Matsyasana (fish)
Vishuddha Chakra – Throat Chakra
The most important facts about the fifth chakra:
• It resonates with the wisdom body.
• It is associated with the colour sky blue.
• Its element is ether.
• Topics covered include self-expression, communication, authenticity and integrity.
• It is located on the neck below the larynx.
The throat chakra is the source of our understanding and ability to communicate. It helps us to find the truth and to communicate with the world. It is responsible for our uniqueness and our creative self-expression. The Vishuddha chakra connects us with the higher mind, with our own destiny, with the knowledge of the external world and the mirror of our own inner world.
Painful experiences of a lack of expression can lead to a blockage. The period of life between the ages of 16 and 21 is particularly formative. A blocked throat chakra manifests itself in the inability to communicate needs, wishes, opinions, ideas or concepts. A typical sign of a blockage is also the inability to listen to others. Behind this lies the fear of showing oneself, the fear of criticism or rejection, the fear of negative reactions or the loss of control.
Those affected often have no access to their inner voice, are uptight or apathetic. Not being able to express the pain of the soul is reflected on a psychological level in the form of remorse, self-condemnation and excessive harshness in self-judgment.
On a physical level, an unbalanced throat chakra manifests itself in an overactive or underactive thyroid, nervousness, problems with the teeth and pain in the shoulder-neck area and the cervical spine.
To heal the throat chakra, you should stop denying your inner truth and allow your own true essence to emerge. Live and express your soul. Be creative: sing, play music, act or talk about your feelings and problems - show who you really are.
Asanas that I recommend to strengthen your throat chakra:
• Ustrasana (Camel)
• Sarvangasana (shoulder stand)
• Halasana (Plow)
• Shalabhasana (Locust Pose)
• Dhanurasana (Bow)
Ajna Chakra – Forehead Chakra
The most important facts about the sixth chakra:
• It is in resonance with the celestial body.
• It is associated with the colour indigo blue.
• His element is the spirit.
• The forehead chakra is often referred to as the third eye
• It is located in the middle of the head slightly above and between the eyebrows.
• The sixth chakra is the seat of pure presence of soul and consciousness.
The forehead chakra connects us with higher intuition and the guidance of our soul. While the unconscious mind manifests itself in the lower chakras, the awakened and transcended mind anchors itself in the forehead chakra. When all other chakras are open, healed and in balance, development is complete: the person stands in divine consciousness and receives the guidance of the soul through the forehead chakra. This is why the forehead chakra is also called the “gateway to the soul”.
A blockage in the sixth chakra is often related to the worldview and belief system into which we are born. In the western world in particular, the emphasis is on a materialistic view of life with little room for the development of intuition. Suppressing emotions, escaping into the analytical mind and the need to understand everything are all signs of a blockage. In fact, the brow chakra is underdeveloped in most cases.
A blockage can also manifest itself in a feeling of being lost, disorientated, nightmares or a lack of concentration. On a physical level, an imbalance can manifest itself in headaches, migraines, eye problems, ear problems, sinus infections or neurological diseases.
In order to reopen the forehead chakra and release the blockage, an intensive period of introspection is required. Meditation strengthens the connection to intuition: the issues of the inner world come to the surface and can be resolved. Neither right nor wrong, nor even the question of why, play a role here; rather, it is about looking deeper behind things.
Asanas that I recommend to strengthen your brow chakra:
• Eye exercises and meditation
• Balasana (child's pose)
• Virabhadrasana III (Warrior III)
• Savasana (corpse pose)
• Sirsasana (headstand)
Sahasrara Chakra – Crown Chakra
The most important facts about the seventh chakra:
• It resonates with the mind-light-body.
• His element is the cosmos.
• It is associated with the colour violet.
• It represents divine guidance.
• The crown chakra is located directly at the top of the head.
The crown chakra is open upwards and connects the human with the divine and cosmic. Through this connection we can attain the highest form of knowledge and wisdom - if it is fully opened. The full opening of all chakras also enables the first level of enlightenment.
The crown chakra regulates hormone levels and ensures balance in our entire physical system. If the crown chakra is blocked, it manifests itself in pain, disappointment, anger and resentment. In general, an underdevelopment of the crown chakra is more common than a blockage. An imbalance or underdevelopment can be recognized, among other things, by the feeling of leading a meaningless life and not knowing who one is.
On a physical level, nervous disorders, paralysis, immune deficiency and difficulty falling asleep and staying asleep can occur.
In order to reopen, activate and heal the Sahasrara Chakra, it is necessary to discover and acknowledge one's own spirituality and to live it in everyday life in devotion to the cosmic plan. Meditation and energy work as well as chanting the mantra 'OM' - the cosmic sound - stimulate the crown chakra.
Asanas that I recommend to strengthen your crown chakra:
• Padmasana (lotus position)
• Sirsasana (headstand)
Alisa Fuessel
Alisa is a yoga teacher and spiritual mentor. In 2020, she launched "from heart to toe" to present the many facets of yoga. Her belief: everyone should have the opportunity to choose what they need for their path. Her goal is to give you the support you need on your journey to yourself; in exactly the form that is good for you. Alisa looks at people and yoga holistically and thus builds a bridge between you and yoga, but also between you and your path to healing and a life full of joy and harmony. If you are interested in a Reiki treatment (live or remotely), you can contact Alisa. She is a trained Reiki master, works very intuitively and also carries out Reiki initiations.