What is a Chakra and why do I need to know about it?
This month's members-only audio class, "Feeding Your Chakras," revolves around the Chakra System and how we can affect the health of our specific chakras by the foods we eat.
Before our modern technology and science existed, ancient cultures knew that all living things carried a life force within. They called the energy centers that spin inside of us CHAKRAS. There are 7 energy centers that spin like wheels up and down our bodies, from the base of the spine to the top of the head - the word chakra is a sanskrit word that means WHEEL. Chakras are the energy centers that exist in a living organism that take in and give out energy. The health of the being is determined by the flow of energy from these seven centers into the various organ systems of the body. Imbalanced chakras resulting from emotional blocks, mental trauma, or spiritual issues can restrict energy flow, and lead to dis-ease in the body.
Knowing what the chakras do and how to nourish them can be beneficial for maintaining health and overall wellbeing. In a healthy, balanced human, the seven chakras provide exactly the right amount of energy to every part of the body, mind and spirit. Being overweight, unhappy or physically in pain are CLUES about which of your energy centers are out-of-balance. Chakras, when out of balance, will tell you where you need to be fed with REAL food that’s satisfying and nutritious, not leaving you craving MORE. If you have a specific health concern, especially one that may not be responding to traditional treatment, it may be worth considering the chakra related to your issue, and focusing on how to restore balance to that area.
Foods, especially foods that share colors with the chakras, carry vibrations that can nourish and balance those very chakras. We have all heard that to be healthy, we should "eat a rainbow." Now, we have another good reason to do so.
First chakra: Root Chakra - Red
Located at the base of the spine, near the tailbone, this chakra's role is to connect all of your energy with the Earth, which is called grounding. When you think of your Root Chakra, think of your day-to-day survival here on earth: paying your bills, maintaining a healthy living environment, getting to work on time, etc. This energy center's role is to give you everything you need to survive. For us in this modern age, that typically translates to financial and emotional security.
Foods:
roots: carrots, potatoes, turnips, parsnips, onions, radishes, beets, garlic
protein-rich foods: eggs, animal meat, beans
spices: horseradish, hot paprika, chives, cayenne, pepper
edible and medicinal mushrooms
red foods: apples, pomegranates, cherries
Second chakra: Sacral Center - orange
This chakra is all about nourishing the sexual/creativity center. The sacral chakra is located right below the belly button and extends to its center. This chakra is all about your identity as a human and what you do with it. This chakra brings you creative energy so that you are able to enjoy life. It's the energy that motivates you to enjoy the fruits of your labor, including indulging in pleasurable activities like sex. A healthy sacral chakra allows us to go with the flow life.
Foods:
sweet fruits, tropical fruits: melons, mangoes, strawberries, passion fruit, oranges, coconut
raw honey
seeds and nuts: sesame, caraway, almonds, walnuts
spices: cinnamon, vanilla, carob, sweet paprika, sesame
fats and oils: fish, especially wild salmon, avocado
orange foods: oranges, tangerines, carrots, gold beets
Third chakra: Solar Plexus - yellow
This chakra represents the base of one's personal power and identity. It starts in the center of the belly button and extends up to the breastbone. Third chakra is about personal strength, boosting self-esteem and encouraging self-love.
Foods:
complex carbohydrates: fiber, whole grains, legumes, rices, flaxseed, millet
yellow foods: yellow peppers, yellow lentils, papaya, pineapple, yellow squash, banana, delicata
spices: ginger, peppermint, spearmint, melissa, chamomile, turmeric, cumin, fennel
Solar Plexus Chakra is associated with pancreas and liver, so…
- eat to keep sugar balanced
- keep toxins low (alcohol, trans fats, pesticides, GMOs artificial ingredients)
- nourish liver (listen to the Love Your Liver audio class on Classes page)
Fourth chakra - Heart - green
This chakra is about healing emotional hurts. Located at the heart center, it acts as a bridge between upper three chakras and lower three. The heart chakra resonates a rhythm of compassion, associated with heath and healing; it encompasses love for others and for yourself.
Foods:
ALL GREENS
chlorophyll-rich foods: leafy green veggies: spinach, kale, dandelion, sprouts, arugula, lettuces, collards, bok choy, green beans and peas
cruciferous vegetables: broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, kale, Brussels sprouts
plant compounds/any green colored foods: avocado, grapes, pears, kiwi
green tea, wheatgrass, barley grass juices
spices: basil, sage thye, cilantro, parsley
raw vegetables
lemon water for lymphatic system
Note: if food is love for you, begin to think of other ways to appreciate yourself, or, reach out to others. Charity always feels good!
Fifth: Throat Chakra - Blue
The throat chakra resonates clear communication and speaking one’s trut. It is associated with the thyroid and parathyroid glands, and is located above the heart in the front of the throat. It contains a communicative vibration that resonates truth - your personal truth. A healthy throat chakra will be able to communicate and express the emotions, thoughts and feelings of the other chakras in a way that is authentic and true.
Foods:
sea vegetables: seaweeds, algae like spirulina and blue-green algae, sea salt
liquids in general: water, fruit and vegetable juices, herbal teas
tart and tangy fruits: lemon, lime, grapefruit, kiwi
other tree-growing fruits: apple, pear, plum, peach, apricot
spices: sea salt and lemongrass
Sixth: Third Eye - indigo
The sixth chakra is about knowing or remembering, and intuition. The third eye is located between the brow points and is responsible for hormone function and secretion, sleep/wake cycles, and dreaming. It oversees the way we perceive the world through brain, eyes and neurotransmitters. This chakra opens up your mind to information beyond the material world and the five senses. Extra sensory perception, intuition or psychic energy, all come from the third eye.
Meditation is a wonderful practice for balancing the third chakra. Also, kundalini yoga, using mantra and chanting.
Foods:
caffeine, tea, chocolate
dark blue fruits: blueberries, blackberries, raspberries, red/purple grapes, açai berry
purple-red foods: purple potatoes, purple carrots, red onions
red wine, grape juice,
spices: lavender (encourages sleep), poppy seed, mugwort
Seventh: Crown - purple/white
Spiritual oneness is the goal of opening the seventh chakra, which is the point of knowing and enlightenment. It is our highest energy center, located at the top of the head and extending above it about two inches. It represents liberation, humanitarianism, deep understanding, and spiritual growth, union with the higher self and the Divine. This chakra is all about higher consciousness and connection to spirit.
Since the crown chakra is more spiritual than physical, it is not nourished with physical foods in the same way that they feed other chakras.
Detoxification cleanses, such as juice fasting, can also benefit the Crown Chakra. Foods that are pure and unadulterated also keep the Crown Chakra open and integrated with spirit. Pure foods include those organically grown without chemicals or genetic modification. For animal foods, choose those raised in a natural environment, free-range or fed organic feed, without being injected with excess hormones or antibiotics. You can use also aromatherapy in the form of essential oils, incense, or smudging herbs such as sage, myrrh, frankincense, and juniper. Deep breathing exercises are nourishing as well. Think of the crown chakra as thriving on the sustenance that comes from sunlight, air, and love.