Chakras and the 10 Habits of Body Thrive

I love connection.

I love seeing connections, I love exploring connections and I love connecting with others. This is what makes my YHC journey tremendously special and inspiring.

Teaching Yoga for close to 20 years has led me to explore different aspects of the art, but I keep coming back to my favourite. Teaching Yoga in combination with Ayurvedic principles to ensure my vinyasa krama (sequencing) is practical, aligned and supportive to those showing up to class. Over the years I realised that my love of the elements and spiralling through them with the chakras is one of my all time favourite places to teach from.

I’ve endeavoured to explore the connection of the chakras to the habits. These are my interpretations for now.

Habit 1: Earlier, Lighter Dinner (ELD) and Root Chakra

Muladhara chakra, the base is all about nourishment, stability, groundedness and balance. I find when I am grounded I am able to nourish myself well. When I nourish myself well I am grounded. Sometimes it’s the energy that needs to shift the physical, and sometimes it’s the physical that helps shift and settle the energetic.

I invite you to observe, test and play with it.

Habit 2: Early to Bed (ETB) and Your Feet Chakras

Habit 1 and 2 work hand in hand. If we have an ELD then ETB is easy. If ELD doesn’t happen, my bedtime takes strain. I relate ETB with the star chakras in my feet. The energy of our feet is directly related to our root centre. On evenings when I do my foot massage I sleep deeply.

I invite you to experiment with massaging your feet this week as you refine your evening routine.

Habit 3: Start the Day Right (STDR) and Sacral Chakra

I relate STDR to the sacral chakra. Physically because it’s got to do with deep hydration, and energetically, because it’s the softer, more gentle feminine energy of creativity and flow. I find when I awaken with the sounds of the birds (not an alarm) I start my day with ease, softness and flow.

I invite you to explore your sacral centre and starting your day well.

Habit 4: Breath Body Practises (BBP) and Solar Plexus Chakra

When I breathe, I ignite the flame within me. I create heat, I create strength, I create power. When I move regularly I feel more toned, more alive, more energised. I have more clarity, purpose and drive. On the days I go into a slump, the mornings I feel like I want to curl back into bed (and trust me there have been plenty of those), I feel heavy and dull. I know that if I move, I can shift the energy and that feeling. Sometimes it’s as simple as a walk, a yoga practice or just dancing.

I invite you to explore, experiment and ignite your manipura chakra as you build on your BBP this week.

Habit 5: Plant-Based Diet (PBD) and Heart Chakra

To have Connection, Compassion and Love for all that is around us, within us and within what we eat is what builds us physically and energetically. When we buy, grow, harvest, prepare and cook food with love, operating directly from our heart centre, it brings forth depth and integrity. It makes us feel whole, content and deeply nourished. When we’re in this space we feel less likely to crave sweet things, snack or feel disconnected from our food, from our community and our relationships/family.

I invite you to explore that feeling of deep love while you nourish yourself this week.

Habit 6: Self Massage (SM) and the Chakras in our Hands

Energetically our heart centre runs the line down to our hands. This is why when we bring forth into the world we should do it with love and when we receive, it should be with gratitude and love. For me, the hands are such a powerful tool, and using them on ourselves in SM brings forth that deep nourishing self love.

I invite you to vigorously rub your palm together to awaken your energy before giving yourself your daily SM.

Habit 7: Meditation and Crown Chakra

Sitting in Silence connects me to my crown chakra, Sahasrara. When I take the time to connect with that which is beyond me, beyond my understanding and beyond that which I think is possible I am often pleasantly surprised by the insights gained, my intuitive words in writing and the advice that arises in coaching sessions.

The more I sit in silence and open up to that which is beyond my understanding the more I feel like I’m doing my dharma. It makes me feel fulfilled, whole and deeply aligned.

I invite you to connect with the subtleness of your crown centre in your meditation this week

Habit 8: Healthier Eating Guidelines and Throat Chakra

Our throat centre of communication is linked to the ether/ space element. To me it’s all about creating space. Key, creating space in our eating schedule to allow for rhythm so that digestion can happen easefully.

When there is rhythmic eating, I find I’m able to communicate with more clarity, purpose and honesty. When I’m cluttered, this centre takes strain and I override my inner voice and knowing. It’s always such a fine balancing act between the two scales.

I invite you to explore your connection with your throat centre, speaking your truth.

Habit 9: Sense Organ Self Care and 3rd Eye Chakra

I love Angela’s article on Aligning Intuition with Intelligence, where she shares that inner knowing needs to be aligned with intelligence. Intelligence comes from learnt experiences, these we gather from the stimuli we take in (yip, you guessed it, stimuli from our senses). When our senses are healthy, vibrant and functioning optimally, the stimuli we take in are pure, honest and not distorted. We see clearly, we hear properly, we taste, smell and feel with satya (truthfulness). When this happens we are able to relate from a more authentic, intuitive space.

I invite you to take extra care in your senses this week and notice what happens when you go into the world with well oiled organs.

Habit 10: Easeful Living (EL) and the Chakras

This is the culmination of all our chakras being in balance, open and aligned so that the energy can flow freely through our Sushumna Nadi (central energy channel). When our chakras are vibrating at their optimal frequencies, all that we do feels perfectly aligned with our dharma and our goals.

In life there are always challenges that tend to throw us off course. When we physically use our habits to bring us back on course, we orientate towards EL. To me, EL is seeing and understanding which chakra is needing attention in the present moment. If I’m craving love, self massage gets upped a notch. If my digestion is feeling sluggish, I address my eating times. If I need inspiration and guidance, I sit in silence. When I need more creativity, I hydrate… It’s really simple. I see where I’m stuck and I use a physical trigger to see if I can move things energetically. It’s an easy, tangible way for me to operate from. I invite you to explore, experience and see which of your chakras and thus habits are needing attention in any given moment so that you too can continue orienting towards thrive.