In this modern world, when we think of medicine most people think of hospitals and clinics run by doctors who perform tests to find out and diagnose our health problems. This is after all how the business of healthcare is delivered today; a reactive practice that we have become reliant on. The truth of the matter is modern medicine is amazing at saving lives during acute emergencies, but it’s not very good at preventing them, especially chronic diseases that are significantly impacted by lifestyle.
Our healthcare system is struggling to keep up with the constant demands put on them on a good day, let alone during a pandemic. The escalating cost are due to largely preventable diseases like Type 2 diabetes, hypertension, heart disease, some forms of cancer and mental illness and many musculoskeletal conditions and injuries. However, only a small amount is invested by governments to promote health. There are and have always been in every society, three branches to health care: pharmaceuticals, surgery AND self-care which is preventative! Not only does our healthcare system struggle to keep up with the on-going stream of patients with chronic diseases, but they are also challenged to support and empower people to be disease-free after surgeries that cut open, burn or poison illness out of them.
We applaud the scientific discoveries and technological break throughs of our modern medical world, but why are we still unable to effectively promote ways to improve and take care our own our health. Why is that I wonder? Of course I have my own beliefs about the business of health care and why it may be advantageous to keep people unhealthy, but what is most important to me is empowering others to take their power back rather than rely on a system that chooses to apply band aids, rather than get to the root of dis-ease.
Energy Medicine
Energy Medicine is one of the five fields within complementary and integrative medicine, and it has been practiced throughout the world for centuries. It is a known and widely used system in Eastern medical practices such as Ayurveda and Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) that has been time tested for thousands of years. It is based on the subtle energies that exhibit the internal and external aspects of ourselves and our human energy field (HEF). Energy medicine seeks to integratively incorporate healing concepts that incorporate physics into the medical paradigm.
Modern medicine focuses primarily on physiology, but we know that the human body has many aspects that are not physical. Energy medicine is used to therapeutically assess and treat energetic imbalances, thereby bringing the body’s neurological, cardiovascular, respiratory and endocrine systems into balance with all parts of ourselves including our emotional and psychological aspects. Energy medicine reminds us that healing is achieved through coherency and energetic harmony of the whole Self – not just the physical alone.
Getting to Know Your Energetic Layers
Getting to know your own energetic compass and map using the chakras, can help you check-in with your Self. The chakras are the principle central places of our body’s subtle energy system and they correspond to seven specific areas within our physical body. These energetic centers are interconnected with our nervous system and our hormones, as well as our emotions. Our chakras provide the vibrational link between our biopsychosocial-spiritual Self. Each chakra is associated with both physical organ systems as well as stages of life, or life circumstances and experiences.
The Chakra System
Root Chakra
This chakra represents our foundation and is located at the base of the spine. When this chakra is open, we feel confident, grounded and able to withstand challenges. When it is blocked, we feel unstable and vulnerable. As it relates to health, this chakra is all about our early life experience growing up. The organs associated with this chakra focus on the supportive structures of the body including our hip joints and our circulatory and immune systems.
Sacral Chakra
This chakra is located in our lower abdomen and is reflective of the pelvis, reproductive organs, large intestine and bladder. This chakra relates to our emotions and is our source of creativity and sexual energy. When this chakra is blocked, we often feel a loss of control in our life and can struggle with our beliefs about Self which can affect our personal relationships.
Solar Plexus Chakra
This chakra is the source of our self-confidence and self-worth and provide us with the ability to be empowered in our life. It is located in the abdomen area of the body. When this chakra is blocked, we can often feel shame and guilt, but when our energy here is open, we express ourselves freely and authentically. When it comes to health, this chakra is associated with the upper intestines, the liver and gallbladder, the stomach, kidneys, pancreas, spleen, and adrenal glands.
Heart Chakra
This chakra is the bridge between our corporeal experience and the sacred and is located at our heart-center. This energy center influences our ability to lead from our heart and give and receive love. When this chakra is blocked it can be difficult opening our heart to others and sharing our experience. When this chakra is open, we have the ability to know the true power of the heart and experience greater empathy and deep compassion. We are also capable of sharing our emotions and participate in real friendships and partnerships. This chakra is not only associated with the heart, but the lungs, shoulders, ribs, breasts and diaphragm.
Throat Chakra
This chakra gives voice to our heart and communicates our personal power. It is of course situated at the throat but is also associated with our thyroid, neck, mouth and teeth. When we are fully open, we can voice our true speech with clarity but when blocked, this chakra prevents us from finding our words and expressing our true feelings.
Third Eye Chakra
This chakra is our bridge with our divine Self. It enables us to see the bigger picture of life and connect with our natural gifts of intuition. This chakra is associated with intuitive perceptions, thought and integrity. Located slightly above the eyes, this chakra is associated with the brain, the eyes and nose, as well as the pineal gland.
Crown Chakra
This chakra is located at the top of our head and represents full and complete connection to Source and our higher Self. When this chakra is open, we are able to access our higher consciousness and understand our purpose in life. It is related to our faith, kindness and compassion. This chakra unlike any of the others can influence any organ or part of the body; reinforcing the impact transcendent connection and thought can have on any aspect of our life and body.
Chakras and Women’s Wellness
The chakras are a way to connect and understand how emotions manifest or land in the body. If emotions are left unattended or observed, they can weaken our systems while wounding and damaging our health. The first step to any healing or re-alignment is awareness and the chakra system is another way for us to become aware and to make connections. If you are ever experiencing a health crisis, a life shift or change, taking the time to check in with your energy and its many layers can be beyond insightful. By leaning on our chakra system for guidance we can take some of our own power back, rather than depend on someone else for answers to our dis-ease. For women’s wellness, I highly recommend focusing on the first and second chakras. From my experience these are often places where many women suffer emotionally and physically.
Balance for the Root & Sacral Chakras
The Root Chakra is symbolically associated with the ability to birth life (literally and metaphorically). It is a place of feminine energy and natural instinct. For this reason it is also associated with Mother Earth and her grounding, nurturing capacity and energy. Working this chakra can help seed roots of self-nourishment, especially if you were on the receiving end of judgement and condition based on your gender or social norms. When we are out of balance in this chakra or disconnected from this area of our body, it creates and perpetuates fear and stress which can lead to a feeling of floating or free falling, depression and obsessive behaviours as a way to feel more control and stability in their lives.
When it comes to the Sacral Chakra, it is the center of our emotions, passions and empowerment. This chakra is equally tied to the women’s body. It is symbolized by the crescent moon which represents femininity and the womb. This chakra is a source of creativity and trusting our inner most Self. When this chakra is in balance, we freely express our emotions, enjoy our sensual bodies and experience regular cycles. If you are noticing changes in this part of your body, are overly emotional or are having trouble feeling pleasure, this chakra may need to be balanced by getting in touch with yourself and making connections to your experience to understand how they are manifesting in your body.
The easiest way to start bringing about balance in these chakras (as well as all of your other ones) is to commit to a daily self-care practice where you regularly check-in with your body and your emotions. I recommend creating a self-care ritual that incorporates body, mind and spiritual elements. The practice doesn’t need to be long – unless you have the time and want it to be! By just taking ten minutes each day to check-in and practice meditation or do a quick but intentional yoga flow, can help you feel more grounded and connected. Afterwards, taking a few minutes to journal and record your thoughts can go a long way to creating more energy balance!
Meditating for Chakra Balance
- Sit or lie down in a comfortable position.
- Close your eyes and bring your attention to the location of the chakra: base of the spine for the Root Chakra or your hands to the pelvis for the Sacral Chakra.
- Picture the colour of the chakra: ruby red for the root chakra or sunburst orange for the sacral chakra.
- Breathe deeply for a few minutes.
- For your Root Chakra – as you inhale draw your energy up from the roots of your legs into the floor of your pelvis. As you exhale, exhale back down through your body back to the ground chanting “Lam,” – the yogic seed sound that symbolizes the Earth, her energy and groundedness.
- For your Sacral Chakra – as you inhale bring your attention to your hands on your pelvis. As you exhale, exhale chanting “Vam,” the yogic seed sound that symbolizes water and its energy to flow with life rather than against it.
- Continue for as long as you like or until you feel relaxed and calm.
