There's been one word that's been popping up for me lately: Support. One definition of support is to bear all or part of the weight of; hold up. I've been reflecting on what this word means to me. In certain areas of life I feel extremely supported and in other areas I feel that there could be more support. Support can show up in many ways in our life and can come from many different people and things. We can use a block, blanket, or bolster to support us in our yoga practice. We can use technology to support us in waking up on time. We can receive support from trusted friends and family to lend an ear or to speak an encouraging word. 

The Seventh Chakra is located at the top of our head. It completes the seven main chakra energy points along the body. It is our right to know and to learn. It is where our connection to spirituality takes place, and our ability to understand people and life in general. It connects us to our higher consciousness and the most effective way to strengthen the seventh chakra is through meditation. The seventh chakra is all about realizing our true nature. What blocks us from experiencing our true nature is attachment. Attachment to people, material items, beliefs, habits, rewards, money, and the list goes on. Attachment finds us focused more on the outer self rather than focusing on turning inward. 

The sixth chakra is located at our third eye in the middle of our forehead. The sixth chakra is our right to see and be seen. It is the energy hub that is connected to our intuition and our ability to visualize and see things clearly. The challenge of the sixth chakra is illusions.

The fifth chakra, or throat chakra, is located at our throat and is our right to speak and to be heard. This is our self-expression center. Imbalances in the fifth chakra can show up as sore throats, neck/shoulder pain, and thyroid imbalances to name a few. The throat chakra is our ability to communicate, to listen, and is our creative identity.

The fourth chakra is located at our heart. It is our right to love and to be loved. Not just towards others, but also towards our own selves. The fourth chakra is the balance point between all of our chakras. It connects the lower three chakras with our upper three chakras. It is about finding balance between giving and receiving. Excessiveness or deficiency in the heart chakra could result in physical issues in the body dealing with our lungs, circulatory system, our heart, and hands or arms. The challenge of the fourth chakra is grief.

The third chakra is located at our solar plexus and is our right to act and to be an individual. This is our power center, our will, and our self-worth. The third chakra can affect our digestive system, liver, and gall bladder. Depending on if you are excessive or deficient it can result in digestive troubles, chronic fatigue, ulcers, eating disorders, and hypoglycemia to name a few. The shadow side of the third chakra is shame.

The second chakra is our right to feel and experience pleasure. It’s located at our sacrum and can affect our hips, low back, lower abdomen, genitals, bladder, and kidneys. The challenge of the second chakra is guilt. The second chakra is creation. Literal creation of life, but also this is where our creativity resides. It’s the spark of creation, an idea, an expression we want to put out into the world.

The first chakra, or the root chakra, is located at the base of our spine/pelvic floor. It is related to our safety, security, survival, food, our instincts, and our potential. It is our right to have, to be here, and to take up space. Any issues with the legs, feet, bones, or large intestine could be affected by the energy of our first chakra. Not feeling grounded, centered, or provided for can cause an imbalance. These are the very basics to start understanding the first chakra.