What are the chakras?

According to the Hatha Yoga tradition, the chakras are part of the energy body, a part of you that you can’t see or touch, but you can definitely feel, it’s where the life force or energy flows. The practice of Yoga, using asana, breath work and meditation enables us to move blocked prana (life force) through the subtle body via seven vortexes of energy known as chakras.

Chakra literally means “spinning wheel.” The chakras are thought to be spinning disks of energy that ideally stay open and aligned for optimal emotional and physical well-being. If energy becomes blocked in one of the chakras, it triggers physical, mental, or emotional imbalance. For example, you may feel symptoms such as anxiety, lethargy, or poor digestion.

A well-planned asana practice can free up energy and stimulate an imbalanced chakra, paving the way for that wonderful internal shift for which yoga is known. With just a little bit of coaching, you can tap into the chakras as a potent way of harnessing and shifting your energy in the direction you want it to go.