chakras

May

2023

The Chakras: Your Energy Centers

Reading Time: 6 minutes

The chakras are your energy centers. Most of us have heard about the chakras and may even be familiar with some of them. There are different models or concepts of the chakra systems. The most well-known chakra system has 7 energy centers and is mostly used in yoga exercises. Based on Human Design, there are 9 energy centers in the human body. This is because some of the chakras were split into 2 which expanded their meanings into more specific functions.

What are Chakras?

Chakra (cakra in Sanskrit) means “wheel” or disc that represents the energy points or energy hubs of the body. This is where you manage your own energy or life energy as well as the energies around you. The 7 main ones are located along the spine starting from the base up to the crown of the head. They are located in the astral body (or our energy body) and that is why we cannot see them or touch them. However, some people can feel them responding to certain stimuli or experiences at different points in their life journey.

Each chakra radiates its own color and energy and relates to specific aspects of our lives. They also coincide with specific glands or organs in the body. That’s why when they are blocked; we often experience illness in the specific organ related to it. This is why it is important to learn how to manage and balance your energy and how to protect yourself from unwanted external energy.

The 9 Chakras or Energy Centers

There are 9 energy centers in the Human Design Bodygraph which also includes the 7 chakras with 2 chakras split into 2. In Human Design, we have different energy types which depend on which energy centers are defined or open and through which energy channels they flow through. Your energy centers also help you fulfill your role in life based on your design.

Defined energy centers (colored in the Bodygraph) means that that energy center can provide you with consistent energy which you can rely on. Open energy centers (white in the Bodygraph) means that the energy is coming from outside and you can’t rely on it because it is not your energy.

HEAD CENTER (Pressure Center)

This is the top triangle in the bodygraph. It is where the mental pressure to think is located. It is also the center for inspiration, ideas and willpower. This center has the energy to think through your doubts and have an interesting perspective.

If it is open in your bodygraph, then this center takes on and amplifies the thoughts of others which can make you feel overwhelmed. It pressures you into doing things that are not actually your concern. To avoid this situation, you need to use your own personal strategy to evaluate which ideas are yours and which are from others.

AJNA CENTER (Awareness Center)

This is also called the Mind Center is the 2nd triangle in the bodygraph. It is the center for how you think, for ideas, conceptualization and analysis, as well as thoughts and insights. This allows you to feel confident about your opinions and have a consistent way of viewing information. This is also where the third eye is located.

When open, you will feel pressure to commit to a fixed opinion which may result in anxiety about the inconsistency of your opinions. This compels you to overcompensate by giving others an impression of certainty. However, you do not have to have a fixed opinion on anything. You can always keep an open mind and have a different perspective about things as you learn more.

THROAT CENTER (Manifestation Center)

The top square in the bodygraph and the center for communication and the manifestation of ideas. This is where all energy in the body is expressed, usually in a fixed and consistent way. This is why it is considered the center of manifestation, transmutation and transformation because whatever you say becomes reality.

If undefined or open, you can have an inconsistent voice. You can feel anxious before you feel pressured to speak. You maybe compelled to say or express something just to relieve the pressure on your throat. If this is you, then keep in mind that it is okay to pause and just listen. Don’t be pressured to fill the silence unless you really want something to say.

G CENTER (Identity Center)

The diamond on the bodygraph, it is the self center or identity center. It represents a fixed sense of self and expresses love in a stable and consistent way. It is also the center for guiding your direction in life.

When undefined, you feel inconsistent in your self and identity, compelling you to adapt to changing situations. You may feel that you need to hold unto a specific identity to get some sense of security. You may even suffer from “impostor syndrome”. Instead of trying to define yourself; don’t force yourself into a box and spend more time with people who are supportive of your insecurities and accept you for who you are.

HEART CENTER (Motor Center)

The small triangle on the bodygraph, it is a motor center as well as the center for ego, willpower and values. This is where you feel that you are making healthy commitments but it can also make you appear stubborn or assertive to other people.

An undefined heart center can make you feel pressured to prove yourself to others and to keep improving. This may also make you feel a lack of self-worth. Make sure that you don’t make promises that you’re not sure you can keep so you don’t burn out from doing things you don’t really want to.

SPLEEN CENTER (Awareness Center)

This is the left triangle on the bodygraph. It is the center for primal awareness, instinct, intuition, time consciousness and survival. The spleen center is connected to the lymphatic system and has its own sense of intuition. It functions to guide you in the moment. This is where your fight or flight instinct usually comes from.

When open, it can make you feel vulnerable and insecure, making you act impulsively. You may struggle with unhealthy behaviors including time-keeping. You may also find it hard to know when you need to let go of things. Learn to trust your own energy and intuition to help you know when to let go of things that no longer serve you. Try to create a system to help you manage your time and commitments better.

EMOTIONAL SOLAR PLEXUS CENTER (Awareness and Motor Center)

This is the right triangle in the bodygraph; a motor center and also the center for awareness and emotional energy. Your emotions come to you in waves which are also fluctuating. It takes you some time to make decisions because you need to process your feelings to avoid making rash decisions.

The undefined solar plexus center will absorb and amplify the emotional energy of others. You often try your best not to act or behave emotional so you can avoid conflict with others. Instead of dwelling on the highs and lows of the emotions you are experiencing; feel free to shake them off as they are not yours. Take time to release all the negative energy you have absorbed.

SACRAL CENTER (Motor Center)

The upper bottom square in the bodygraph. It is a motor center and the source of life force and reproduction. As a response motor, it regenerates through fulfilling activities.

An undefined sacral center has an inconsistent access to life energy and instead takes on and amplifies the sacral energy of those around them. This can result to being addicted to indulging in the sacral energies around you. You need to learn to recognize your limits so you don’t take in more energy than you can manage and avoid burnout.

ROOT CENTER (Pressure and Motor Center)

The lower bottom triangle, it is connected to the adrenal system, which means it is the center for adrenaline energy, adrenal pressure and stress. It moves energy in the body to fuel your activities such as exercise. This center provides consistent energy which compels you to be active throughout the day.

If undefined, it amplifies adrenal stress and pressures you to do things to keep you busy. This is why it is the center most often abused by the pressures of daily life; making us work more and forget to rest. You need to remember that the pressure to do something is normal but you don’t need to always say yes to that pressure. You need time to rest and relax to release the pressure so you can be more productive.

Get more information about your own energy centers by going to the Jovian Archive to get your body graph.

Featured Image: Original Photo by Karolina Grabowska.

Dec

2022

The Third Eye and Its Benefits

Reading Time: 5 minutes

The concept of the third eye can be scary but it actually has its benefits. Have you ever heard the idea that awakening the third eye can give you a sixth sense or psychic powers? We have seen many different strange and psychic abilities in films and television including mind-reading. Most of them are related to opening or having an open third eye. It is a fascinating concept that is also scary to contemplate for some people. But what is it?

The Third Eye

There are many explanations on what the third eye is and what it actually does. It is an esoteric concept that first appeared in the spiritual traditions of India and later also mentioned in Buddhism and Hinduism.

The eye through which I see God is the same eye through which God sees me; my eye and god’s eye are one eye, one seeing, one knowing, one love.
– Meister Eckhart

The third eye is one of the energy centers or chakras in our body. It is located in the middle of the forehead in between our eyebrows. The actual eye though is not on the forehead but is said to be linked to the pineal gland which is in the middle of our brain. A cross section image of the brain shows the pineal gland looking like an actual eye. It looks similar to the Eye of Horus in Egyptian mythology.

Seeing with The Third Eye

The third eye is believed to be a window to higher consciousness and the spiritual world. Because of this, having an open third eye allows you to gain deeper insight into your experiences in life. This is why it is often linked to having or developing psychic abilities such as telepathy, clairvoyance, clairaudience, aura perception and astral projection among others.

Everyone has a third eye but the general concept is that, not everyone has it open to the same degree and some people have it closed or blocked. The mind-body connection that we experience and our gut feel or intuition is also related to our third eye and all our other energy centers or chakras working together.

Whether partially open or fully open, or even when blocked; we are able to activate our third eye. An active or awakened third eye has many benefits, not necessarily psychic abilities. These include mental clarity, improved concentration, strengthened intuition and clearer self-expression.

With a developed third eye, you can experience deeper insights into every day things and become more decisive especially in stressful situations. More importantly, you are able to live a more mindful life and experience a sense of bliss more often.

We have two eyes to see two sides of things, but there must be a third eye which will see everything at the same time and yet not see anything. That is to understand Zen.
– D. T. Suzuki

If you’ve seen the first Avatar movie; there’s a scene where Jake and Neytiri say, “I see you.” to each other. That is the kind of deep insight and understanding or “seeing” that we mean when we say seeing with the third eye. You “see” the person for who they are and not just for how they look or for what they say or do. This means getting to have a deeper connection and understanding of each other even without verbal communication.

Signs of It’s Opening

Opening the third eye happens gradually for most people. It is a process that happens naturally when the person is ready for it. But for those who have sever energy blockages, there are energy healers who are able to help other individuals unblock not just their third eye but other energy centers or chakras.

Some of the signs that your third eye is opening include a feeling of slight pressure in between the eyebrows, frequent headaches, increased intuition, more sensitive sense/s such as to light and sound and more frequent lucid or vivid dreams. You also become more sensitive to the energy of people around you. Even with a less developed third eye, we sometimes get “good vibes” or “bad vibes” about a situation or person. With a more developed third eye, this intuitive ability becomes more active and stronger.

Another sign of your third eye opening is that you become more mindful and conscious of your normal activities such as what you eat (e.g., you decide to eat less meat, become a vegetarian or vegan). You start noticing synchronicities in your life experience more and you may even start contemplating on pursuing a higher life purpose than your previous life goals.

Awakening The Third Eye

For most people, the third eye is usually more active in childhood. That is why it is quite common for children to have “imaginary friends”. An active third eye also means a more active imagination. You will notice that even when kids fight with each other ofter; they still end up playing with each other the next day. It is as if they understand each other on a deeper level even without words so they don’t even need to say sorry.

We slowly lose this deeper insight as adults because our third eye gets blocked; our pineal gland becomes calcified due to our lifestyle and the environment we live in. As an example, fluoride added to tap water contributes to the calcification of the pineal gland which results in blockage.

The only way to decalcify our pineal gland is to make better lifestyle choices. These include opting for detoxifying foods such as raw cacao, lemon, coconut oil, etc. and supplementing with vitamin D3. Other helpful tips include the use of certain essential oils, gentle sun gazing, the use of crystals and meditation. Physical activities such as chanting, yoga and dancing are also beneficial to its healing and development.

Spiritual Practices for Better Health

Everyone has a third eye and some people have a more developed third eye and may not even be aware of it. This leaves them confused and maybe even fearful of their special gifts or abilities because other people don’t understand them and end up being scared of them too. Thus, a lot of “sensitive people” end up with mental health issues and emotional disorders because of a lack of understanding about their own gifts.

Fortunately, there are energy workers who have made it their life’s work to help other people in their journey of understanding and accepting their special gifts. If you are someone struggling in such a situation; then it is important that you find someone who you can understand you and guide you in the process. There is a community of healers around the world who are ready to lend a helping hand using their personal experiences, as well as their own special gifts and insights.

This is also why spiritual practices such as mindfulness and meditation as well as prayer and gratitude habits are important. It helps you to clear your mind clutter and become more aware of what you do and what is happening to you each moment. This allows you to get to know yourself deeper and become more attuned to your authentic self. With self-acceptance, you become more open to receiving more positive energy and deeper insights that can benefit you and those around you.

Feature Image: Photo by Harry Quan on Unsplash.