Yoga is great for many purposes whether it’s relieving stress, meditation, working out, or just stretching. Yoga is also an amazing tool to use when trying to open or balance your chakras. We’ve all gone through times where certain chakras are closed and we feel a little off balance or just not at our peak. Use these poses to balance your chakras and bring more confidence and positive energy into your life.
Third Eye Chakra (Anja) – Easy Pose (Sukhasana)
Easy pose allows you to focus on your breathing and the rhythm rather than the movements of your body. Also the pose that many people meditate in, it allows you to open your mind and listen to your third eye. Your third eye helps you be more intuitive and open to seeing from different perspectives, but when it is blocked, you can become close minded and untrusting of your instincts.
Crown Chakra (Sahasrara) – Supported Headstand (Salamba Sirsasana)
Headstands allow you to connect the crown of your head to the earth, bringing blood flow and energy to your crown and allowing the rest of the organs to rest. Headstands invert the body and allow the flow of blood and energy to be restored throughout your body. Your crown chakra is where you connect with your spirituality and when blocked, can prevent you from realizing your full potential and finding full bliss.
Throat Chakra (Vishudha) – Cobra Pose (Bhujangasana)
While Cobra pose is great for opening the heart chakra, it’s also effective in opening the throat chakra. It allows you to open up the flow of energy to your throat, unblocking and balancing it. Blockage in the throat chakra can cause difficulties communicating and expressing ourselves.
Heart Chakra (Anahata) – Camel Pose (Ustrasana)
The Camel pose allows you to open up your chest as fully as possible, letting your heart be vulnerable, instead of keeping it guarded and protected as we often do in our lives. It allows love and energy to flow freely into the heart, allowing you to feel more loved and able to give more love. When the heart chakra is closed, you may feel dysfunctional in relationships and incapable of loving yourself and others.
Solar Plexus Chakra (Manipura) – Boat Pose (Paripurna Navasana)
The solar plexus chakra lies within your core and the boat pose focuses your energy on your abdomen. It helps to strengthen and bring energy and attention to your core. When the solar plexus is blocked or unbalanced, you don’t feel in control of your life. Allowing energy to flow and open your solar plexus brings you more self-confidence and a higher sense of self-worth.
Sacral Chakra (Svadhisthana) – Goddess Pose (Deviasana)
The Goddess pose allows you to stretch and open your pelvis where your sacral chakra lies. It’s associated with sexual organs, fertility, and sexual desires or just feeling pleasure in your life in general. When your sacral chakra is closed or off balance, you can feel emotionally unstable and critical of yourself.
Root Chakra (Muladhara) – Tree Pose (Vrksaksana)
The Tree pose is great for finding balance, stability, and security. It connects you to the earth like a tree, and helps you strengthen and grow. Your root chakra holds your groundedness, survival instincts, and independence. When it’s out of balance, you can feel down on yourself, feeling needy and dependent on others. But when your root chakra is opened and balanced, you’ll notice that you feel yourself again. You’ll feel independent, confident, and like you belong.