“THE CHAKRA SYSTEM IS THE SYMBOLIC PRESENTATION OF ENERGIES WHICH EXIST IN THE BODY INFLUENCED BY THE SUBCONSCIOUS MIND. YOGA AND MEDITATION HELP YOU AWAKEN THOSE ENERGIES FOR THE MOST BALANCED STATE OF THE BODY, MIND AND SOUL.”
—THE DRS. UPADHYAY, MAHARSHI BHARDWAJ CLINIC & RESEARCH CENTRE, INDIA
CONSULTANTS TO AVEDA SINCE 1976
“As successive chakras are awakened, they correspond to higher states of consciousness, culminating at the top, which represents the Divine Consciousness” (Micozzi, 2011). The various aspects of consciousness are represented into these seven chakras. Each are associated with a different color, location, scent, feeling, and flower. Becoming more aware of how you feel and where your energy lies can help give you a better spiritual connection into understanding yourself. Aveda has come up with just this thing using aromatherapy to guide clients into a better balance of energy. When you come in to our salon and you get to experience a chakra journey using aromatherapy, you may also need to keep improving the energy through proper nutrition as well as meditation and breathing techniques. Below I have broken down bits and pieces of extended knowledge for each individual chakra.
When a chakra is chosen in aromatherapy, it is the energy that needs most balance. If you can’t get into the salon for a journey; Aveda offers http://misterchakra.com/ to support you in a balanced life.
Chakra #1- Grounded Red
The root chakra is the center where we ground ourselves and take care of our basic needs. Food issues are concealed within the dimension of this chakra. Eating is a basic need so, foods that feed this chakra will be of the red color; beets, cherries, tomato, watermelon, cranberries, strawberries as well as red meat.
Chakra #2- Nourished Orange
It is the center of vitality and sensation where we move beyond our basic needs into relationships with others. Pure feelings are the actions for emotions and these are tied to this sacral chakra. We taste food beyond just our taste buds and our guts look forward to a healthy eating experience for a positive pleasure. Carrots, salmon, mandarins, pumpkin, sweet potatoes are examples of food that can help restore this chakra.
Chakra #3- Intention Yellow
Power and transformation rests here, in the solar plexus. It is the center of motivation where we set our intentions and desires. This chakra takes us forward into our dreams with the knowingness that there is a capacity of success. When this chakra becomes imbalanced being mindful of the foods you eat is a great exercise to gain control over desires that we may not need. Refraining from sugar when it isn’t needed. Choosing lemon water over lemonade is a way to explore the power relationship one may have.
Chakra #4- Harmony Green
It is the center of sympathy, empathy and love. Taking on someone else’s emotions, trapped by your own emotions, forgiveness, depression, lack of compassion all circle within the imbalanced heart chakra. Vegetables provide needs for a basic healthy boundary, however cruciferous vegetables such as cabbage, kale, sprouts, arugula, broccoli, and cauliflower provide a deeper bond and nourishment for the stability of this chakra. Besides eating the right foods for this chakra, balance can come deeper from aromatherapy. Using a diffuser in your home with essential oils of sandalwood, mandarin, and palmarosa can build love and compassion assisting to change core belief patterns.
Chakra #5- Expressive Light Blue
This chakra located in the throat and relates to creativity, self-expression and communication. The throat chakra is the messenger, the voice of our original spirit and ego formed by Intention and Harmony. This chakra has a close relationship with all the lower chakras, creating a complex connection through communication. In balancing this chakra, it is important to pay close attention in our ability to taste, smell, and hear the food decisions that we make for ourselves. The energy of our throat chakra can help lead us to a path of discovering our inner trust. This chakra does not need added stimulus of color to impact its balance. High-water fruits like cucumber, watermelon, or sour fruits like lemon and kiwi can provide sufficient moisture and energy.
Chakra #6- Insight Dark Blue
All knowing and all seeing is the third eye; center of intuition, imagination and perception. This chakra has been seen to be magical and mystical, even a portal to enlightenment. Its location is in the center of the forehead, which helps control our spiritual, mental, emotional and physical well-being. Foods can influence our moods which in return can drive our food interests. Improving the third eye’s balance through nutrition will help maintain focus and concentration to encourage improved sleep patterns, and eating habits. Caffeine, chocolate, and some spices all help stimulate the third eye. These foods are typically high in concentration and highly addictive because of different levels of combination and consumption.
Chakra #7- Wisdom Violet
It is the center of connecting to something greater than oneself, and expressing wisdom and enlightenment. The crown chakra is the highest and is conducted of more spirit than body. This chakra helps us feel connected into a web of creation. Bathing in sunlight and deep breathing exercises can help full fill the balance of this chakra. Diffusing angelica, elemi into the air or smudging herbs like white sage and juniper into the air will aid in purification and cultivate detoxification.
Every BODY is different.
Energy changes on the daily what may work for some may not work for one. Understanding yourself, finding yourself will create changes with an open heart and healthy mind, body and spirit. Using the ancient Ayurveda ways through aromatherapy in a simple chakra journey could be your first step into the best health decisions and care for yourself.
References
Micozzi, M. (2011). Fundamentals of Complementary and Alternative Medicine, 4th Edition. [Kaplan]. Retrieved from https://kaplan.vitalsource.com/#/books/978-1-4377-0577-5/
Minich, D. (2009). Chakra foods for Optimum Health.