Praise for The Wheel of Healing with A yurveda  by Michelle S.
Fondin
“Explores the ‘spokes’ of the A yurvedic wheel, its physical, emotional,
relational, envir onmental, occu pational, and spiritual compo nents, and
supplies advice as to healthy practices for each dosha. . . . A strong
beginning text for those seeking wellness beyond the bounds of traditional
medicine.”
— Library Journal
“ The Wheel of Healing with A yurveda  is beautifully written,
comprehensive, and real-world! Michelle Fondin brilliantly guides the
reader through a transformat ional journey and teaches us to ‘roll
smoothly’ throu gh life’ s twists and turns with a powerful and easily
accessible game plan.”
— davidji,  bestselling author of Secr ets of Meditation  and Destr essifying
“Extraordinarily well written, informed, and informative. Thoroughly
‘reader friendly’ in or ganization and presentation.”
— Midwest Book Review
“Having actively participated in her own healing by following the
principles of A yurveda, Michell e Fondin is a living example of the beauty
and ben efits of A yurveda. In her new book, she outlines a holistic
approach with which we can keep all areas of our lives h ealthy and
balanced. Simple yet profound — loved it!”
— Lissa Coffey ,  bestselling author of What’ s Y our Dosha, Baby? “V ery ac cessible . . . Fondin imparts substantial knowledge in su ch distilled
and mea ningful ways that practicing A yurveda becomes more sensible —and easier to navigate — than ever .”
— Whole Life T imes
“The brief explanation of A yurveda, covering seeking balance over
imbalance, the stages of various maladies, and a ‘Checklist for Health’
segues to  advice  for living one’ s  dharma or life path. Chapters on physical,
spiritual, and emotional health, healing wounds from the past, and
maintaining healthy relationships, among other subjects, contain
guidelines and exercises that, along with recommended resources, make
this a comprehensive guide.”
— Booklist
“Michelle Fondin makes the esoteric and ancient science of A yurveda
accessible to all readers who simply have a desire to improve th eir health. Her boo k will introduce you to  A yurveda and supply you with simple,
practical, and creative ways to improve every aspect of your health.”
— from the foreword by Sudha Bulusu  and Dr . Shekhar Annambhotla ,
founder of Association of A yurvedic Professionals of North America
“Includes a comprehensive set of self-assessment questions that allow
readers to zero in on their body type’ s specific needs and best pr actices for
eating plans, addiction treatm ent, detoxification, and techn iques for
improving relationships. . . . The Whe el of Healing with A yu rveda  brings
control and responsibility back to you.”
— New ThoughtAlso by Michelle S. Fondin
The Wheel of Healing with A yurveda: An Easy Guide to a Healthy Lifestyle 
N e w  W o r l d  L i b r a r y
1 4  P a m a r o n  W a y
N o v a t o ,  C a l i f o r n i a  9 4 9 4 9
Copyright © 2018 by Michelle S. Fondin
All rights reserved. T his book may not be reproduced in whole or in part, stored in a r etrieval system,
or transmitted in any form or by any means — electronic, mechanical, or other — without written
permission from the publisher , except by a reviewer , who may quote brief passages in a review . The m aterial in this book is intended for education. It is not meant to take the place o f diagnosis and
treatment by a qualif ied medical practitioner or therapist. No expressed or implied guarantee of the
ef fects of the use of the recommendations can be given or liability taken. T ext design by T ona Pearce Myers
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is available. First printing, April 2018
ISBN 978-1-60868-534-9
Ebook ISBN 978-1-60868-535-6
Printed in Canada on 100% postconsumer -waste recycled paper
N e w  W o r l d  L i b r a r y  i s  p r o u d  t o  b e  a  G o l d  C e r t i f i e d  E n v i r o n m e n t a l l y  R e s p o n s i b l e  P u b l i s h e r . P u b l i s h e r  c e r t i f i c a t i o n  a w a r d e d  b y  G r e e n  P r e s s  I n i t i a t i v e . w w w . g r e e n p r e s s i n i t i a t i v e . o r g
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1This book is dedicated to the loving memory of two of my gr eatest teachers
of all time, Dr . W ayne W . Dyer and Dr . David Simon. I felt you wer e both
with me as I wr ote these pages. I also dedicate this book to all my teachers who taught me thr oughout the
years at the Chopra Center , including Dr . Deepak Chopra, Davidji, and
Clair e Diab.C O N T E N T S
Pr eface
Intr oduction
What Is a Chakra? The Philosophy of the Chakras
The Marriage of T antra, A yurveda, and the Y oga Sutras
A wakening Kundalini Ener gy
Understanding the Dual Natur e of the Chakras — and of Life Itself
Reasons the Chakras Might Get Blocked
A war eness
Balancing Y our Chakras
1. The Root Chakra: Muladhara
First Chakra Ailments
First Chakra Ener gy: Solid Like a Rock
Our Societal Relationship with the Earth Element
Living Life in the Muladhara Chakra: SecurityRecognizing First Chakra Imbalances
Accepting First Chakra Gifts
Healing Muladhara: Daily Affirmation
Healing the Physical Body
Eating as a Sacr ed Act
Practicing Body Acceptance
Y oga Asanas and Pranayama Exer cises to Heal the First Chakra
Balancing the First Chakra thr ough Food
W eight Lifting to Balance Muladhara
Healing the Emotional and Ener getic Body
W orry
T rust
Security
Healing the Spiritual Body
Muladhara Guided Meditation
Ener gy-Body Healing with Gems and Colors
First Chakra Mindfulness Ideas to Ponder
2. The Sacral Chakra: Svadhisthana
Second Chakra Ailments
Second Chakra Ener gy
Our Societal Relationship with the Second Chakra
W omen W orking the Second Chakra
Living Life in the Svadhisthana Chakra
Recognizing Second Chakra Imbalances
Accepting Second Chakra Gifts
Sex T ransmutation
Sexual Intimacy
Healing Svadhisthana: Daily Affirmation
Healing the Physical BodyEnhancing Y our Sense of T aste
Embodying W ater
Focusing on Pr oper Br eathing
Honoring Y our Menstrual Cycle
Foods to Enhance Repr oductive T issue
Y oga Asanas and Pranayama Exer cises to Heal the Second Chakra
Healing the Emotional and Ener getic Body
Building Self-Esteem
Nurturing Y ourself
Healing fr om Addictions
Emotional Healing
Healing the Spiritual Body
Sexuality
Cr eativity
Svadhisthana Guided Meditation
Ener gy-Body Healing with Gems and Colors
Second Chakra Mindfulness Ideas to Ponder
3. The Solar Plexus Chakra: Manipura
Thir d Chakra Ailments
Thir d Chakra Ener gy
Inner Power
W illpower
Radiant Y ou
Our Societal Relationship with the Thir d Chakra
Men W orking the Thir d Chakra
Living Life in the Manipura Chakra
Recognizing Thir d Chakra Imbalances
Accepting Thir d Chakra Gifts
Healing Manipura: Daily AffirmationHealing the Physical Body
Pr oper Digestion and Assimilation of Nutrients
Y oga Asanas and Pranayama Exer cises to Heal the Thir d Chakra
Healing the Emotional and Ener getic Body
Boundaries
Assertiveness
Owning Y our Story
Healing the Spiritual Body
W riting Down Y our Intentions and Desir es
Being Honest with Y ourself
Manipura Guided Meditation
Ener gy-Body Healing with Gems and Colors
Thir d Chakra Mindfulness Ideas to Ponder
4. The Heart Chakra: Anahata
Fourth Chakra Ailments
Fourth Chakra Ener gy
Our Societal Relationship with the Fourth Chakra
Er os
Philia
Philautia
Agape
Living Life in the Anahata Chakra
Recognizing Fourth Chakra Imbalances
Accepting Fourth Chakra Gifts
Healing Anahata: Daily Affirmation
Healing the Physical Body
Y oga Asanas and Pranayama Exer cises to Heal the Fourth Chakra
Healing the Emotional and Ener getic Body
Letting Go of Past HurtFor giveness
Healing the Spiritual Body
Choosing Peace
Opening Y our Heart
Practicing Compassion
Anahata Guided Meditation
Ener gy-Body Healing with Gems and Colors
Fourth Chakra Mindfulness Ideas to Ponder
5. The Thr oat Chakra: V ishuddha
Fifth Chakra Ailments
Fifth Chakra Ener gy
Our Societal Relationship with the Fifth Chakra
Living Life in the V ishuddha Chakra
Recognizing Fifth Chakra Imbalances
Accepting Fifth Chakra Gifts
Healing V ishuddha: Daily Affirmation
Healing the Physical Body
Chanting and Singing
Head and Neck Exer cises
Y oga Asanas and Pranayama Exer cises to Heal the Fifth Chakra
Healing the Emotional and Ener getic Body
Living in T ruth
Being Authentic versus Being Nice
Reflecting on Speaking T ruth
Healing the Spiritual Body
A wakening to the T ruth
V ishuddha Guided Meditation
Ener gy-Body Healing with Gems and Colors
Fifth Chakra Mindfulness Ideas to Ponder6. The Third-Eye Chakra: Ajna
Sixth Chakra Ailments
Sixth Chakra Ener gy
Our Societal Relationship with the Sixth Chakra
Living Life in the Ajna Chakra
Recognizing Sixth Chakra Imbalances
Accepting Sixth Chakra Gifts
Healing Ajna: Daily Affirmation
Healing the Physical Body
Y oga Eye Exer cises
Light Therapy
Y oga Asanas and Pranayama Exer cises to Heal the Sixth Chakra
Healing the Emotional and Ener getic Body
Healing the Spiritual Body
Ajna Guided Meditation
Ener gy-Body Healing with Gems and Colors
Sixth Chakra Mindfulness Ideas to Ponder
7. The Cr own Chakra: Sahaswara
Seventh Chakra Ailments
Seventh Chakra Ener gy
Our Societal Relationship with the Seventh Chakra
Living Life in the Sahaswara Chakra
Recognizing Seventh Chakra Imbalances
Accepting Seventh Chakra Gifts
Healing Sahaswara: Daily Affirmation
Healing the Physical Body
Y oga Asanas and Pranayama Exer cises to Heal the Seventh Chakra
Healing the Emotional and Ener getic BodyPeak States
Bliss
Healing the Spiritual Body
Established in Being
Cocr eating with God
Sahaswara Guided Meditation
Ener gy-Body Healing with Gems and Colors
Seventh Chakra Mindfulness Ideas to Ponder
Conclusion: Maximize Y our Healing Power
Be Patient with Y our Healing Pr ocess
Be Patient with Others
Adopt a Lifetime of Healing
Know That I Am with Y ou
Acknowledgments
Glossary of Sanskrit T erms
Notes
Bibliography
Index of Y oga Asanas and Pranayama Practices
Index of Ailments Related to the Chakras
About the AuthorIP R E F A C E
n 1999, at age twenty-eight, I learned I had thyroid cancer . Before this,
the word chakra  h ad little mea ning to me. But suddenly , with this
shocking diagnosis, my search for healing rapidly expanded. Perhaps
through intuition or past life experience, I had a deep, driving desire to
leave no stone unturned when it came to my healing. I beg an to search for ways to get to the root cause of why I got cancer in
the first place. I knew that if I didn’ t uproot the disease at its source, I
would surely get it again. And in my late twenties, that wasn’ t an option
since I had always planned on living to reach one hundred years old. In m y b ook The Whe el of Healing with A yu rveda: An Easy Guide to a
Healthy Lifestyle , I outli ne the many dif ferent discoveries that led to my
healing. Allopathic (conventional) medicine played a role, but I intuitively
knew that the a nswers lay in alternative healing modalities. During my
exploration, I sat amon g a pile of library books on alternative medicine and
opened up to a  life-changing page in Dr . Christiane Northrup’ s book
W omen’ s Bodies , W omen’ s W isdom . The page spoke about the cha kras and
exploring healin g through them. I say it was life-changing because as I was
modifying all aspects of my life, an examination of my chakras could now
be a focal point for my research into why I got sick. Changing my diet, increasing my exercise regimen, adding meditation,
and improving my relationships all helped in my journey to healing. However , aware ness of the chakras gave me an advantage over all other
patients suf fering from thyroid cancer and other thyroid diseases.In exploring the thyroid gland and its location in the body , and in
learning about the fifth chakra, I started making connections between my
current illness and the first twenty-eight years of my life. I looked back and
found that most of my illnesses in childhood and young adultho od revolved
around t he area of the throat. When I was very young I frequen tly suf fered
from str ep throa t or tonsillitis, s o much so that doctors repeated ly ur ged my
mother t o allow  me to have sur gery to remove my tonsils. My mother , who
was afra id of me going under a nesthesia, never agreed to have them taken
out. Then at age seventeen I got mon onucleosis. My tonsils were so swollen
that they  touche d in the middle of my throat, closing of f my windpipe. I had
an abscess in my throat and couldn’ t breathe. It was so severe t hat I had to
have sur gery just so they could open it up to allow me to breathe again. As I  pon dered th ose times with all the throat infections, it becam e clear
to me that something was very  wrong and literally blocked in the area of
my throat. One o f the things the  fifth chakra is responsible for is our verbal
expression. For me, the illnesses meant exploring why I couldn’ t properly
express myself. I had to  ask the questio ns, “What is holding me back from
speaking my truth?” and “Why do I feel I can’ t speak up?”
I won’ t go into  too much detail, but what I learned was that the
circumstances of my upbringing, combined with my bein g a highly
sensitive child, hadn’ t allowed me the safe space to verbally express myself. In adulthood I had to learn this skill. I believe that without learning this
important lesson  through the chakras, I would not have comple tely healed. Patterns that seemed to repeat t hemselves often throughout my  life would
have continued to reoccur had I not taken heed of my body’ s wisdom. Spiritual and ener getic in nat ure, chakra healing can be a  wonderful
addition to help you understand  the intricacies of your health, just as it did
for me. In chron ic or advanced stages of a disease, chakra heali ng can help
you hasten your recovery by unblocking the areas of the body that are
ailing. Unlike believing in Santa Claus or the T ooth Fairy , you don’ t need to
wholeheartedly embrace the belief of the chakras to reap the benefits of a
chakra h ealing practice. Belief certainly helps and will probably get youdeeper into removal of blockages, but awareness can work jus t the same. Many things that we don’ t see — feelings, emotions, thoughts, cellphone
connections, air — are real. The following true story from my spiritual
journey with alternative health illustrates this point. In 2005, I was struck with what seemed like either a killer virus or a
kidney infection . I had a high fever , my body ached, and I felt sharp,
stabbing pains in my kidneys. I summoned all the ener gy I had just to drive
myself t o the doctor ’ s of fice. After I explained my symptoms to the doctor ,
they took a pane l of blood work. I was so weak that they left m e to sleep in
the examining room for about thirty minutes, and then sent me home. Minutes after I arrived at home, the doctor called me with my bl ood results. He said he wa s calling Fairfax Hospital and that I was to go to its
emer gency room  immediately . He told me that my liver enzymes were so
high that he feared I had some sort of severe hepatitis. Puzzled and still in
extreme pain, I had my husband drive me to the emer gency room. It was a Friday night and the em er gency room was extremely crowded,
so I  had to wait, with my fever and back pains. Not too k een on the
possibility that I might have some liver disease, I decided to sit and
meditate on my liver and its healing. I waited and meditated, waited and
meditated, waited and meditated. For about three hours I visualized my
liver wi th happy faces (you kn ow those yellow emoji smiley faces?) on
each cell. I visualized all my liver cells being healthy , happy , an d whole. In
my mind , there was nothing els e I could do. When the staf f fi nally called
me i n, after they  saw my blood results from earlier in the day they put me
on a n IV  immediately . I’m not sure what they were planning, bu t they were
getting ready to perform some  kind of medical intervention. However ,
before ta king ac tion they decided to test my blood once more. The results
showed that my liver enzymes were back to a normal level. Th ey removed
the IV and sent me home. Even more stunning was that my fever and pain
were gone, and I felt fine. Did I spontaneously heal my self through my directed thoughts? I
believe I did. Is  it possible that something nonphysical, such as  meditation
and visualization , changed the physical? Again, I believe it had  everything
to do with my he aling that day . I s it possible that the blood work was wrong
and that the lab mixed up my b lood with someone else’ s? It’ s possible but
not probable. My doctor was just as baf fled as I was. He saw what he saw inthe labs. He saw how sick I was  with acute symptoms. Y et I walked out of
the hosp ital that day without a single symptom and with my blood just as
clean as if I had never been sick. It is  my wish that you are able  to embrace this very powerful  way of
healing. The chakras have a magical quality to them. When you begin to
read abo ut them  and learn abo ut each one, you will feel yourself getting
healthier . I wish you a magical journey , my friend. Namasté.DI N T R O D U C T I O N
elving in to the world of the cha kras is like learning a new language. In a  sense, you  are. Y ou wil l be learning many new wor ds in
Sanskrit, the ancient language of India. But you will also be  immersing
yourself in a whole philosophy . In this introduction, all the new terminology
might seem overwhelming, but rest assured, the concepts will be explained
in g reat detail throughout the book. Also, you can always turn to the
glossary in the back of the book to find out what a term means. What Is a Chakra? Chakras are ener gy centers within the body . The word chakra  means
“wheel” or “disk.” Think of the chakras as spinning vortices of ener gy . Everything is composed of ener gy and information. Every object emanates
from movement and vibration. The seven main chakras align along the
spine, starting at the base of the spine and moving up to the crown of the
head. In th e an cient In dian texts called the V edas, we learn that the physical
body is made u p of the five great elements called the mahabhutas . Those
five elements are space ( akasha ), air ( vayu ), water ( jala ), fire ( tejas ), and
earth ( prithivi ). The elements are the building blocks of nature and therefore
build our bodies as well. Ancient texts go on to explain that we also have a subtle bo dy . This
subtle body is nonphysical and  ener getic in nature. The subtle body isgoverned by prana , or vital life for ce. Prana circulates throughout the body
and min d. It is responsible for the flow of ener gy and informa tion. In the
subtle body , prana travels through channels called nadis. Nadis are
circulatory channels within the body such as veins, arteries, the respiratory
system, the nervous system, the digestive system, the excretory system, and
the r eproductive system. Think of nadis as the information high way to your
mind, body , soul, and spirit, just as the internet is the information highway
that brings information to your browser . If you have a d if ficult time grasping the concept of the subt le body ,
reflect o n your mind and thoug hts. Thoughts are nonphysical entities. Y et
ask anyo ne who  thinks (and that would include all of us), and they will tell
you that  thought s are quite real. Scientists have been able to pinpoint areas
in the brain where thoughts originate or take place, but slice op en a human
head and you wo n’ t find one tho ught in there. According to V edic texts, the
mind, intellect, and ego also reside within the subtle body . Now let’ s go b ack to the exa mple of the internet. When yo u want
information, you want it fast, right? Y ou’re doing research for a work
project or a scho ol report, or getting the scoop on a gu y you want to date,
and you  don’ t want to wait forev er . In the infancy of the internet, with dial-
up m odems, you could log on, go get a cup of cof fee, use the restroom, do
your na ils, and then the AOL voice of “Y ou’ve got mail” w ould finally
vibrate i n your ever -so-waiting ears. But today , in the world of fiber -optic
cables a nd W i-Fi, information comes pretty much as quickly as you can
type in your question. And when it doesn’ t come that fast you get frustrated. For your body to work at an optimal level, the channels through which
information travels must be open for that information to get quickly to its
destination. If they’re blocked,  or if there is an abnormality where the
information pools in a given ar ea, you won’ t receive the infor mation you
need wh en you need it. So the  nadis are the highways or the fiber -optic
cables, and prana is the package of information that needs to be carried. In total, we have around 88,000 chakras in the body , and the sev en main
chakras are the information hubs. They gather information on certain
aspects of your body , mind, spirit, health, and life. When adequate ener gy
flows to  these chakras, that ener gy fills the area with the inform ation each
chakra needs to perform its unique specialty .Like a highway , your body is constantly moving, changing, g rowing,
and being modified by outside influences. While you may int end to keep
the ener gy and information flow ing throughout your body at all times, your
lifestyle choices, life experienc es, and outside influences may hinder the
flow . Fortunately , certain practices can help keep these channels open and
information flow ing freely , and in this book you will learn what you need to
do to achieve this goal quickly and easily . The Philosophy of the Chakras
The concept of the chakras comes from ancient Indian texts of the T antric
tradition. T antra is a complicated and important nonreligious philosophy . The T antric texts are separate from the famously known India n texts, the
V edas, from whence A yurveda came. In th e W est we tend to associate the word T antra  w ith sex. While  sex is
mentioned in the T antric texts, it’ s meant to be reserved as a practice for
only the most advanced yoga practitioners. The main goal of T antra is to
explore the deep mysteries of life and to become liberated  within the
confines of this world. The word T antra  means “to weave.” T antra is the process of weaving
together the body , which has great wisdom, and the mind, which has
immense power . By heeding the  wisdom of the body and by ha rnessing the
power of the mind you can find the enormous beauty in life on this planet
and achieve self-mastery . The symbolism and stories of the chakras, including their deities and
mysticism, are beautiful, colorful, complex, and certainly worth exploring. For the sake of brevity , I will tea ch you the basics of the chakra system. The
foreign words I present come from Sanskrit. For the most part, Sanskrit is
no long er spoken but is rich in the roots of language, as ma ny modern
English words stem from Sanskrit root words. The Marriage of T antra, A yurveda, and the Y oga Sutras
In order to cognitively grasp the journey into the chakras, it’ s important to
understand a little about the  story behind them. According to the
Upanishads, a collection of an cient Hindu texts, purusha  (spirit) is pureuniversal consciousness. Purusha is formless and unchanging. Out of
purusha, prakruti , o r physical m atter , is formed. Prakruti is subject to
change and influenced by cause and ef fect. Everything is a creation of
purusha: sun, moon, stars, plan ets, trees, animals, and humans. Therefore
every liv ing thing contains the very essence of the Creator . In a  sense, this
philosophy isn’ t much dif ferent from the Judeo-Christian view of God
expressed in Genesis 2:7: “and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life,
and the man became a living being.”
According to the Y oga Sutras of Patanjali, the foundational text of yoga
philosophy , the main goal in ou r lifetime is to find our way b ack to self-
realization. The word self  i n the a ct of self-realization does not refer to our
individual selve s with our uniq ue personalities and individual  bodies but
rather th e awake ning to the Sel f with a capital S , the  one from which we
originate. W e’re born into this world with  these bodies, seemingly disconnected
from our Creator , so how do we manage? The second-century sage Patanjali explains in the Y oga Sutras that we
have to deal with the three psy chic forces of the mind called the gunas ,
which govern the subconscious of all prakruti. The three gunas  are sattva ,
rajas , and tamas . Sattva  is  balanced, pure, peaceful, alert, clear -minded, and filled wit h
light. Rajas  is the moving, active ener gy that is ever -changing. T amas  is inertia, decay , heaviness, dullness, darkness, and obstruction. These three qualities of prakrut i are necessary in our lives at dif ferent
times. F or example, your spiritual practice is sattvic, and there is a time and
place for it in your day . When yo u need to work and accomplish your goals,
you nee d rajasic  ener gy . When you need to sleep  at night, you need tamas
so you can get your rest. In addition to the three gunas, A yurveda teaches that we have three
mind-body types, or doshas , which manifest out of the five great elements. The thre e dosha s are V ata (space and air), Pitta (fire and water), and Kapha
(water a nd earth). Each of us has our own unique makeup of the three
doshas, which creates our strengths and challenges.Through the knowledge of the three gunas and the three doshas, we can
begin to  navigat e our body , mind, and life here on earth and start to move
toward self-realization. Since th e chakra s are part of our physical and subtle bodies, they’re also
influenced by the gunas and the  doshas. The first end goal in th e pursuit of
self-realization is to live a balanced life. As T antra teaches, our goal is not
to d eny the body and the physical realm but to embrace it full y and draw
everything good  out of it that we possibly can while working our way
toward an enlightened state of being, which yoga philosophy refers to as
moksha , or liberation. When y ou’re no  longer bound by the confines of the gunas and the
vacillating and changing nature of the doshas, and you can m ove through
the chakras openly and seamlessly , you have reached enlightenment. Imagine what it would be like to  be in love with every aspect o f what it
means to be human. T rue liberation is when love emanates from your being
at al l times. Y ou’re awakened to  the gift of each moment and i n love with
every on e. Noth ing is a burden , for everything is light, love, and infinite
being. Y ou don ’ t need to be anywhere or do anything; this awareness is
always w ith you. For you are it and it is you. That is what we’re all here to
achieve. A wakening Kundalini Energy
According to T antric texts, we  have around 72,000 nadis, or  circulatory
channels, in the body , which transport prana. In our study of the chakras, we
will focu s only on the Shushum na nadi, the Ida nadi, and the Pingala nadi. The Shushumna  nadi is the ener gy channel that starts at the base of the
spine in the ar ea of the first chakra. It’ s where the Kundalini Shakti
(creative ener gy ) sits like a serpent, coiled up in three rings, waiting to
spring forth into action and w ake up the chakras. The Shushumna nadi
travels up the length of the spine in a channel behind the spinal cord to the
crown of the he ad at the sevent h chakra. From the base of the Shushumna
nadi aris e two other nadis, the Ida nadi and the Pingala nadi. Th e Ida nadi is
lunar in  nature: passive, gentle, and feminine. The Pingala nadi is solar:
warm, s timulating, and masculi ne. The Ida nadi starts and ends on the left
side of the Shushumna nadi, and the Pingala nadi starts and ends on theright side. The Ida and Pingala nadis cross at every chakra, and all three of
these na dis meet  at the sixth, or third-eye, chakra. In our bodies  the Ida and
Pingala nadis alternate in domin ance. Generally the Ida nadi do minates the
right side of the brain, and the Pingala dominates the left side. Kundalini ener g y is awakened through purification of the bo dy and
mind. T here are many practices to cleanse the physical body , including
eating a clean diet; abstaining from impure substances; detoxifying through
A yurvedic daily practices such as tongue scraping and nasal was hing with a
neti pot and nasya  (infuse d oil); and the A yurvedic seasonal cleansing
practices of panchakarma , or five actions. In addition, one must practice
yoga asanas  (physical postures, what we in the W est generally think of as
“yoga”) and pranayama  (breathing techniques). Purifying the mind comes
with the practice of the eight l imbs of yoga: the yamas , niyamas, asana ,
pranayama , pratyahara , darana , dhyana , and samadhi. In th e following chapters I wil l describe many of these techniques as
they pertain to each chakra. Understanding the Dual Natur e of the Chakras — and of Life
Itself
In this world of duality , where everything has its opposite, we must strive to
understand both sides. It can be destructive to have only light without
darkness, only wakefulness with no sleep, and only full bellies with no
hunger . Through  our trials and tribulations on our earthly journ ey , we seek
to e nhance the pleasurable and  try to minimize the unpleasan t. However ,
living a balanced life is about r ecognizing both sides. As you look back at
your pas t, you may notice that u nexpected beauty erupted and developed in
your mo ments o f strife and ang uish. For example, you may hav e met your
husband when you had a flat ti re and he of fered to change it for you. Or
maybe you overcame an addiction and are now helping others overcome
addictions and live sober and clean lives. Often w hen we’re on a spirit ual journey , we want the outcome of
enlightenment and spiritual co nnection without understanding where we
came from. Y ou were born int o the physical realm through y our earthly
mother . Y ou chose this incarnation, and there is nothing wrong with it.When y ou signe d up to come here, you promised to fulfill certain duties,
called dharma , and take on certain responsibilities. Unless you fully
embrace the dualistic nature of your existence in this life, you w ill continue
to have a dif ficult time reaching the spiritual heights you seek. In ev ery chakra, as in life, there are two possible states: a balanced state
and an excessive or depleted state, which indicates an imbalance. As we
have lea rned through life’ s lessons, too much or too little of anyt hing can be
destructive and unhealthy . Y ou may have heard the expression “Money is
the root  of all e vil.” The expression implies that having too m uch money
and hoarding it can be detrimental. And too little money , which leads to
lack, poverty , theft, hunger , an d depression, can also be ru inous. Both
extremes can lead to a life you don’ t desire. I re ceived a re ading from an astrologer friend last fall. He had an
interesting and truthful perspective I had never heard before in a n astrology
reading. In my astrological chart I have an unfavorable aspe ct from the
planet S aturn, w hich is omnipresent in my life. If you know any thing about
astrology , no one wants Saturn t o show up all the time and inter fere in their
life. Saturn is a  huge, slow-moving planet that can create delays, reduce
potential, and be a huge obstac le in accomplishing things. As my friend
explained, Satur n also has rings,  which are binding. He gave the example of
a we dding ring. He explained th at a wedding band symbolically binds you
to the other pers on and puts a certain number of restrictions on y our life. So
as he gave me this “bad news,” I was thinking, Holy cow! That’ s why I’ve
had such a har d  time getting my car eer off the gr ound. But at that moment
he gave me another perspective, the opposite side of a Saturn aspect. He explained that while Saturn creates obstacles and delays, it also has a
positive side to it. For example,  a Saturn aspect can make you humble and
inclined to show humility to oth ers and not be boastful. Saturn can make a
person h unker d own and get thi ngs done, such as conducting re search for a
term paper or writing a book. It can give you the discipline to focus on
painting a picture or building a house. In other words, he displayed the
beauty of a Saturn aspect to me. Then he  taught me how to work  with Saturn versus fighting ag ainst it. He suggested that when I see Saturn arrive with its delays, closed doors,
and seemingly immovable bould ers, I should welcome it in, of fer it a cup of
tea, and thank it for its wisdom. He of fered me the wisdom that the more Iaccept Saturn as a part of my life, the more Saturn will of fer me its gifts. As
a res ult of my acceptance, I was able to change my perspective on a force I
thought had been ruining my life. It’ s now a force of strength for me. The chakras — especially the first three, which are the chakras of matter
— work  in the same way . Oftentimes when we’re presente d with the
aspects of the chakras, we see only the imbalances or challenging sides to
them. W e want to rush through the first three and skip ahead to the more
spiritual chakras. It’ s important to remember the blessings in each chakra,
even when we struggle with them. The power comes in embracing them and
bringing awaren ess to their beau ty . What we consider to be the ugliness of
human existence is also what brings us joy . This reminds me of an old s aying I once read: “Laughter is like
changing a baby’ s diaper; it doesn’ t solve anything, but it sure im proves the
situation.” If you have ever chan ged a baby’ s diaper , you know this. The act
of wipin g the baby clean, applying some lotion, and putting  on a clean
diaper is part of  this sometimes smelly human existence. On top of it, you
know that in a few hours you’re going to have to do it all over again. But
boy , doe sn’ t that baby smell marvelous? And you have great memories of
hugging, snuggling, and enjoyin g your baby during this mundane and kind
of gross experience. That is duality . Reasons the Chakras Might Get Blocked
A block ed chakra means ener gy is stuck or hindered. Y ou might think of it
as a  blocked a rtery . In order for ener gy and information to flow , the
channels through which they flow must be open. Y ou will have dif ficulty
getting to work on time if the roads are blocked by traf fic. In th e same way ,
the cha kras cannot work at optimal levels when the pathways have
blockages. These blockages can be physical, emotional or psychological,
spiritual, karmic, or ener getic. The bloc ks can be physical, in the literal sense, such as fatty deposits in
the arteries, a tu mor , a cyst, or excess waste. W e can create bloc kages in the
physical body through poor dietary choices, lack of exercise, overexertion,
and lifestyle choices such as overwork, drug use, or lack of sleep. Blocks in the ch akras can also be emotional or psychological,  such as
stored emotions  from the past or mental illness such as anxiety , depression,or addiction. W e accumulate emotional toxins and residue from not
properly processing and digesting emotions and experiences. These toxins
result in blocking the ener gy flow of the chakras. Blocks can be s piritual in nature. They can come from outside spiritual
forces or from within. If we refuse to honor the spiritual side of who we are,
we block the higher chakras. Being spiritually rigid and stri ct can also
restrict t he flow of ener gy . Rem ember , whether the forces are external or
internal, without your conscious awareness they can create harm. Blockages can also come from our karma. The word karma  in Sanskrit
literally means “action.” In life we perform actions that a re good or
nourishing, bad or harmful, or neutral. An example of a good action might
be givin g mone y to charity . A bad action might be intentiona lly lying or
deceiving. A neutral action mi ght be making the bed (which,  if you dig
deeper , can also be considered a good action, depending on the
circumstances). In the East, certain religions and philosophies adhere to the
principle that we accumulate karma throughout lifetimes, and we carry it
forth into our cu rrent life. The definition of karma, in this sense, assumes a
belief in reincarnation and asserts that karma is not simply  the action
performed but also the consequ ences of that action. Good ka rma carried
forward can give us favor in our current lifetime. Bad karma is a debt we
must repay in this or future lifetimes. Whether or not you believe i n reincarnation or the explanation of
karma, y ou can learn to appreciate and grasp the concept. Have you ever
heard an yone sa y that they con stantly suf fer from bad luck? T he bad luck
may be more ab out paying back a karmic debt of which they aren’ t even
aware. Y ou’ve surely heard the adages “What goes around comes around”
and “Y ou reap what you sow .”  These expressions explain the essence of
karma. Often, in our minds, kar ma has negative connotations. But note that
you can accumulate good karma through good actions or service to others. Finally , the blocks can be ener g etic. I explained a little about e ner getic
blockages when  I spoke about my astrological chart. W e are a part of this
earth, our solar system, and the universe. The influence of the earth’ s
ener gy a nd elements, as well as of the ener gy of the sun, moon,  and planets
in ou r solar syst em, is strong and undeniable. A yurveda, the fiv e-thousand-
year -old medical system from India, recognizes these ener getic forces and
acknowledges them as a means of healing. Y ou can learn more aboutA yurveda by reading my book The Wh eel of Healing with A yurveda: An
Easy Gu ide to a Healthy Lifesty le. A yurveda works on the principles of the
five elements — space, air , fire, water , and earth — which work together to
create th e three doshas, or mind-body types, of V ata (space and air), Pitta
(fire and water), and Kapha (w ater and earth). These elements and mind-
body types are relevant in reco gnizing ener getic blocks within  your body
and the chakras. This awareness will give you more tools toward your
healing of the ch akras and provide a superspeed highway to creating ener gy
flow . A war eness
In an y s piritual p ractice, awaren ess is the first key to awakening. When you
come ou t of a holiday , realize that you can’ t fit into your jeans, and get on
the scale , you become aware tha t you may need to lose weight. W ithout this
awareness, you will do nothing to change. A wareness means co ming out of
the d ark and stepping into the light. Most often awareness is for  our greater
good at the time it’ s revealed to us. Y et we are sometimes afraid  of what we
might fi nd. A wa kening can mean we find ourselves in a place where we
don’ t want to be . A wareness can mean we now see the mess we must clean
up. Sometimes our friend awareness comes as a slap on the face that doesn’ t
feel too good. Then our friend denial comes in and coaxes us b ack to what
feels good but may not be right. Y ou are human. Y ou have a physical body , an emotional body , and an
ener getic body . Y ou are also a spirit with a spiritual existence that is
currently bound  by a body . A wakening can come only when we accept the
entire pa ckage. Y et our other friend, the mind, also comes in and tries to
convince us that one way is better than another . For example, th e mind tries
to sa y , “If only you had better parents, you might be in a better financial
situation.” Then  the ego comes along and adds its two cents: “Y eah, and if
your bos s treated  you better , you  might have gotten that raise you deserve.”
So all these parts create who y ou are, and balance comes from  accepting
every part. As y ou work th rough the chakras, things will come up. Gri evances,
hurt, past af flictions, and pr esent discomforts will arise and make
themselves known to you. This is a good thing and what you want forhealing. Y ou certainly don’ t have to accept them right away . Just make
yourself aware of them. Notice t hem. Say hello. W atch them as you would a
movie on a scre en. Sometimes awareness alone will heal that  which ails
you. Balancing Y our Chakras
Y our exploration of healing through the chakras can add a layer of beauty
and dept h to your health and we ll-being. Imagine choosing a wedding cake. Y ou cou ld proba bly get by with a yellow cake and white frosting. But the
beauty c omes in when a pastry chef infuses chocolate ganac he into the
center , layers the cake in creative ways, and adds intricate decorations to
each layer and an eye-popping  topper . Y ou then have a work of art to
display a t your wedding rather than a plain single-layer cake. The intricacy
of that wedding cake mirrors the depth of layers in a marriage and the
magic of its beginning at the wedding celebration. The layers of yo ur health are no dif ferent. Y ou can focus on the physical
body an d have allopathic or W estern medicine fix it when something goes
wrong. O r you can focus on preventive health through diet, exercise, yoga,
meditation, and  other healing practices such as emotional and spiritual
healing. I wi ll give you  tools to balan ce the seven main chakras, w ith one
chapter devoted to each chakra. For each of the chakras I provide
descriptions of pranayama (breathing) techniques and yoga poses. Y ou can
check out demonstrations of all of these on my Y ouT ube channel:
www .youtube.com/c/Michelle  F ondin Author . While healing your chakras,
practice these poses once in the morning and  once in the evening. I have
also included dietary recommendations, a guided meditation, thoughts to
ponder for the day , and other areas to explore for emotional and spiritual
healing, with practices such as prayer , visualization, and chanting. I also
of fer suggestion s for taking your ener getic healing a step furt her through
work wi th colors and gems: you can wear the color of the chakra you’re
healing, and carry with you throughout your day the crystal or gem
associated with that chakra. Through these practices you ca n heal your chakras in seven days. Y ou
can repe at these seven days every week for a year , going deep er into yourawareness and healing each week. Or you can take seven months and
dedicate your practice to one chakra for each month. Or you can go at your
own pace, spending more time on certain chakras than others,  as needed. There is  no single best way to go about this healing practice. I know that
many of  you are good, disciplined students and will try to do every single
suggestion in each chapter . Instead of attempting to do everything in one
day , see which h ealing practices  call to you most, and try those first. If you
let it, your intuition will guide the way . As w ith the practice of yoga asanas, you don’ t need to adhere  to any
particular religion, sect, or spiritual belief to heal with the chakras. Y ou only
need to be open  to your body’ s inner wisdom and the ener gy field that
surrounds you. Now is the moment you might ask, “How do I tune in to my
ener gy field?” The answer is, you are already tuned in to your ener gy field. Have yo u ever walked into a ro om filled with tension and felt that the
air was so thick you could cut it with a knife? Or have you fe lt a rush of
ener gy when walking into a sports stadium or rock concert? Y ou’re
perceiving ener gy all the time, but you’re not often aware that you’re aware. Expanding your  perception is something that happens naturally as a
result of spiritual practice. As you go through life on this physical plane,
you get accustomed to a narrow vision, seeing only things that are in your
pathway . W e all do this, as it’ s a way our brains filter out the “noise” to get
us through our days without getting distracted all the time. However , it’ s not
so usefu l when it comes to your health and well-being. A broadened
perspective is an asset and will allow you to notice subtle changes in your
body . Body aw areness, mindfulness, a nd learning how to direct your thoughts
are ways in which you can start to attain better health. W orkin g with your
chakra ener gy can help you wit h early detection before an illne ss becomes
full-blown, or it can help in your healing in the midst of a disease, as it did
in my case. Finally , it can be helpful to look at the ailments associated with each of
the c hakras. When I was ill with  thyroid cancer , my healing ulti mately took
place when I took a good look at the fifth chakra. I believe all diseases are
messages from the body indicating that something is of f. In  looking at
diseases you might be experienc ing, you can take a deeper look by knowing
which c hakra is  out of balance . T aking medicine or removing a tumor oreven an or gan or body part might be necessary to stop the sp read of the
disease, but it w on’ t help you ge t to the root of it. Considering the “why” is
important to achieve complete a nd total healing. Sometimes you don’ t get
an a nswer . But o ften you do. Th rough chakra balancing you learn to listen
to your intuition , that still, small voice inside you, and it will give you an
inner knowing of how to heal.O1  T H E  R O O T  C H A K R A
M u l a d h a r a
ELEMENT :  Earth (Prithivi)
COLOR:  Red
MANTRA SOUND:  LAM
ur j ourney begins at the base of the spine with the first chakra,
Muladhara. The word Muladhara  means “foundation” or “base” and
comes from the two Sanskrit words mul , meaning “base,” and adhara ,
meaning “suppo rt” or “foundation.” This is the first of the thre e elemental
or m aterial chakras in the body , and it’ s the thickest and dense st chakra of
the s even. While it’ s associated  with our being in our most basic state, it’ s
no l ess important than the other chakras on our journey . In f act, it’ s the
primary and fundamental chakra we must balance in order to en joy our time
here on earth. The elem ent of Muladhara is ear th, or prithivi  in  Sanskrit. W e are bound
to earth through gravity . Everything we do to remain on earth is found here. Think of the word survival . W e must find shelter , eat, sleep, and procreate. W e must protect our environme nt, including nature and Mother Earth. W e
must find job s, do work, and make money to fulfill our needs. W e  must
obey the laws of nature, our environment, and society . In the body , the first chakra is lo cated in the middle of the perineum and
includes the coccyx (tailbone), the pelvis, the base of the spine, and the firstthree ve rtebrae. The sense associated with the first chakra is smell, and the
sense or gan is the nose. The colo r we attribute to the base chakra is deep red. The mantra, or
bija  (seed) sound, we vocalize for the first chakra is LAM . First Chakra Ailments
While the earth element rules the first chakra, the ailments that occur with
its imba lance resemble the same diseases or imbalances that oc cur with the
A yurvedic mind -body type V ata, which is governed not by earth but by
space and air . A s you may dedu ct, the elements of space and air are polar
opposites of the element earth. Therefore, healing can begin when you bring
balance back to the earth eleme nt through proper grounding to counteract
the excessive space and air . First-chakra blo ckages may include constipation, hemorrhoids, sciatica
pain, degenerative arthritis, knee troubles, obesity , anorexia nervosa or
other eating disorders, anxiety disorders, fears, nightmares, and psychosis. Almost all of these symptom s and disorders are directly related to
imbalances in the V ata dosha or space and air mind-body type. Obesity
would be the on ly ailment in thi s list caused by an excessive amount of the
Kapha dosha, which is composed of water and earth. First Chakra Energy: Solid Like a Rock
The ener gy of the first chakra is vital to our existence. It’ s a downward
ener gy that grounds us and gives us stability . In the body , first-chakra
ener gy governs bone structure, feet, legs, and the lar ge intesti ne to digest
food. Everything  we eat comes from the earth and its ener gy . Th e homes we
build and the s tructures we enjoy , such as libraries, movie th eaters, and
skyscrapers, all  come from first chakra ener gy . Gravity keeps us in
communion with our planet. The art of manifesting emanates from
acceptance of our material existence. T amas is the ty pe of ener gy th at rules Muladhara. T amasic ener gy is
slow , du ll, inert. The A yurvedic dosha that dominates the first chakra is
Kapha, which is comprised of the elements of water and earth.An o verabundan ce of tamasic ener gy can make a person sluggi sh, lazy ,
overweight, and  complacent. However , tamas is necessary when a pregnant
woman grows a baby . She needs to be grounded, slow down, take more
naps, reduce her activities, an d eat more food. The same goes for the
seasons. W inter is a tamasic season when nothing appears to be going on
and nat ure seems dormant. Animals hibernate. Grass and  trees stop
growing. But this period of rest  is necessary for the outburst of activity in
the spring. Kapha ener gy is similar to tam asic ener gy . A healthy Kapha person is
grounded, slow , methodical, humble, and down-to-earth. Babies go through
a Kapha  phase to be able to experience life on earth fully and to grow
properly . The two sense or gans of Kapha are the nose and mou th (tongue:
taste). All babies first experience the world by putting things in their
mouths. Babies sleep more than older children and adults. The y are drawn
to and fascinated by nature and the earth’ s elements. They are thus perfect
expressions of fully embracing earth ener gy . Adult Kapha types who are living in balance are peaceful people to be
around. They are loving, af fectionate, and kind. Their solid foundation
gives comfort to others by being the stable pillars to lean on. Our Societal Relationship with the Earth Element
While w e must embrace earth ener gy to grow , expand, and raise our levels
of consc iousness, modern societ y tends to move us in the opposite direction
of where we need to go. Our exp erience of being on ear th and staying grounded requires us to
have direct contact with the material. In other words, when we take walks in
nature, have picnics on the beach, gather with others for dinner or
conversation, an d take care of animals, we are directly interacti ng with the
ener gy that grounds us. Many of our experiences today happen virtually . W e
are livin g in the ether without having a solid foundation. While being on
our smartphones, computers, and tablets involves touching  something
material, we engage in a virtual reality through such technology . W e talk or
text with  people  out there in any number of places. W e play games with
people or bots without know ing the dif ference. W e have one-sided
conversations a s we post on social media, hoping that so meone willrespond. These experiences kee p us ungrounded. In addition, we live in a
society t hat likes to take pills, drugs, and alcohol to transform o ur state. W e
seek the transformative ecstasy of spirit without having the proper roots. As a  result, we eat a lot of food to try to ground ourselves. Because the
body ha s an innate intelligence, it tells us we need to do something to bring
ourselves down  to earth. So we consume loads of calories seeking the
grounded, comfo rting feelings of a loving mother ’ s warm embrace. Y et too
much food and eating the wrong foods does the opposite of making us feel
grounded and safe. It disconnec ts us from the body and our true needs and
desires. In order  to experience the earth,  you must get back to it. Relearn  how to
enjoy lif e witho ut a device in front of your eyes, in your ears , or in your
pocket. Meet people face-to-face. T ake walks and listen to th e sounds of
nature. Cook foods from scratch . Let the sunshine penetrate your face. Gaze
at th e stars. Get comfortable be ing here rather than somewhere else. Make
earth your home again. Living Life in the Muladhara Chakra: Security
In e ach of the chakras, there  is a dif ference between emb racing and
accepting the ener gy and gifts from that chakra and living solely from that
chakra. As you awaken to the limitations in each chakra, you a re driven to
discover ways to operate from d if ferent levels of consciousness. It’ s human
nature to want t o explore and grow . However , not everyone op erates from
this leve l of thinking. Many pe ople accept limitations as hard boundaries
and don’ t seek to move beyond them. If you’re ready to extend beyond the
limitations of your chakras, it’ s  important to understand what living at the
level of each chakra looks like. People who live in first-chakra e ner gy are in survival mode. Th eir basic
emotion is fear . They are only concerned with security and how  to obtain it. The parts of th e brain responsible for survival are the brain stem, or
medulla, and the limbic system, comprised of the amygdala and the
hippocampus. Fight-or -flight is a primitive response hardwired in these
parts of the brain, a reaction to fear and a need for survival. In animals, the
onset of this pr imitive response helps them determine if the y will fight
predators or run away . Fight-or - flight is a chain reaction that begins in theamygdala. It includes a relea se of stress hormones, such as cortisol,
adrenaline, and noradrenaline. Y our heart races, your blood pressure goes
up, you r blood  platelets get sticky , your im mune system becomes
suppressed, your blood is shunted away from your digestive or gans and
moved t oward t he limbs; you sweat and feel compelled to either run or
fight. This prim itive response to real a nd present danger is useful sometimes. Let’ s su ppose y our small child runs into the street after a ball. Y ou must
have quick ener gy to run after him to save him from a movin g car . Or if
you’re driving and another vehicle suddenly pulls out in front of you, you
need fight-or -flight to slam on the brakes. However , the fight-or -flight
response isn’ t so useful whe n your life isn’ t in danger and you’re
responding to fear rather than reality . People who live solely from the first
chakra r espond to fear most of the time. Their motives are fear of lack, fear
of loss, fear of not enough, and the “what if . . . ?” syndrome. First chakra people would rather stay in a dissatisfying job than risk
losing jo b secur ity or a steady  paycheck. They are not often leaders but
followers with blind obedience. They fear standing out from the  crowd and
would rather blend in. The nee d to fight for security can be seen in first chakra people’ s job
choices. They might choose to be soldiers or police of ficer s to ensure
security of their cities or co untries. They constantly seek  favor and
acceptance from  their superiors and work hard to serve them. First chakra
people strive for rewards whil e greatly fearing punishment. While they
obey and look up to authority , they are often harsh with people under them. A person living from an instinctive and primal response is like a small
child. W ithout proper instruction and limitations, a child can become greedy
or hoard  materi al goods. She c an refrain from sharing. She c an lash out
physically at another child if she’ s dissatisfied or hurt, or doesn’ t get her
way . She can ignore proper etiquette or societal norms. She can lose her
temper and say mean things out of anger . While all of us can and do reve rt back to this type of behavior some of
the time, a first chakra person lives this way most of the time. T rust is a big iss ue for first chak ra people. W e learn trust in the first two
years of life through the care of our parents and caretakers. If the care is
consistent, loving, and present, we develop trust in others and in ourenvironment. Through trust we develop the value of hope. However , if
we’re in  a home where a parent is absent, or our needs are delayed or not
taken care of properly , we learn to distrust that others or our environment
will provide for us. Those stuck in the first chakra seem to be constantly
working out trust issues, which is why they’re fearful. Recognizing First Chakra Imbalances
The firs t way to move beyond a limitation is to recognize it. A s I pointed
out, each  object and concept in life has its strengths and weaknesses. That is
the natu re of duality . The Mulad hara chakra keeps us rooted to the earth. It
allows us to fully enjoy our earthly existence and manifest our desires into
material objects. Muladhara is solid, thick, dense, and real. The flip  side of Muladhara is ex cessive fear that leads to worry ,  anxiety ,
and lack of tr ust. Y ou can f eel the weight of the gravita tional pull
downward and feel burdened and heavy . In an ef fort to ground yourself, you
can ove reat, which leads to being overweight or obese and feeling
disconnected from your body . People with shaky foundations m ay feel that they never have enough or
that what they do have will be taken away . They might hoard material
goods and pile them up in their homes. They can be stingy or miserly with
their money . Think of the principle of survival of the fittest. When we are stuck in the
first chakra, this becomes our guiding principle. Accepting First Chakra Gifts
W e live on this beautiful, bountiful planet called Earth. Our planet is filled
with lavish abundance. Our ability to experience this planet through our
senses is what can make us appreciate the objects that this life has to of fer . First chakra gifts tell us we’re not in lack. All we have to do is look around
and see the plentiful resources at our disposal. Nature brings us these gifts
we don’ t have to pay for . There is enough for everyone. While g ravity c an seem weighty , it’ s necessary for us to live out our
purpose in life. W e need to dig our hands into the dirt (so to speak) and live
in the here and now .Healing Muladhara
DAIL Y AFFIRMA TION
I am secure and grounded. My basic needs are met. I am fearless. Healing the Physical Body
Healing in the f irst chakra comes with accepting that you have a physical
body an d learnin g to appreciate and love it. Many people view their bodies
as a hindrance t o getting where they want to go. They say things like “Oh,
eating is such an inconvenience” or “If I didn’ t have to go to th e bathroom
or sleep  so much, I could get m ore done.” Societal norms have us believe
that the body is designed to break down, experience disease, and get worse
with age. This is simply not true. Those are just beliefs. W omen often have body image issues. They feel shameful or hate their
bodies. They want their breasts to be smaller or bigger . They feel their
thighs are too fat or their b ottom is too thin. Conversely , men can
sometimes ignor e the needs of their bodies by for getting to get a  checkup or
not paying closer attention to the early physical signs of disease. I re cently had an A yurvedic c onsultation with a client who has an
inflammatory a utoimmune disease. She was worried about taking
prednisone daily and wanted to get of f it, but every time sh e tried, she
experienced the pain of her disease. In our consultation I discovered that her
primary dosha was V ata and she was only eating once a day and was barely
sleeping. I explained to her that  if she wanted her body to heal , she had to
get back  into her body . She’ s a highly creative individual and loves her
creative work. She embraces he r space and air qualities so much that she
lives daily in the  ether and reinf orces that by not eating or sleeping. Getting
back into her body means she needs to take care of it and do grounding
practices. Then , and only the n, will she be able to heal from her
autoimmune disease. Y our beautiful body is comprised of the elements of the earth: space, air ,
fire, water , and earth. Y ou’re a part of this amazing and miraculous
existence. First,  accepting your body as a vehicle through which youexperience life is essential. Second, honoring your body by feeding it the
proper foods, exercising it, and  giving it adequate sleep shows that you
respect it. E A TING AS A  S ACRED  A CT
In W estern society we don’ t tak e time to appreciate the food we eat daily . W e ofte n eat food on the go, in  our vehicles or while walking, or we skip
meals throughout the day . Preparing food, serving it, and eating it should be
a s acred act. Ou r body is the only channel through which we enj oy our time
on e arth. Loving your body m eans appreciating its needs and benefiting
from its strengths. T o r econnect with your body through the act of eating, commit t o taking
at le ast o ne meal each week in s ilence. Shop for your food in gratitude and
excitement at the prospect of s haring the gift of a meal with your body . Prepare the food with love. T ake the time to smell your food and taste each
and every bite. Be grateful to Mother Earth for providing you with the
nourishment and sustenance that you need to live. P RACTICING  B ODY  A CCEPT ANCE
Y our body is giving you the gift of life every day . If you can get up and
walk, ru n, jump, and bend, you  have so many blessings. I love what Dr . W ayne Dyer used to say: “W e should have a liver appreciation day .”  In
other words, celebrate the parts of your body you normally take for granted. When I’ m teaching yoga I sometimes have my students massag e their own
feet and thank their feet for supporting them. Look at your naked body in a m irror . Y ou read that correctly . Lo ok at it. Send it love and appreciate its beauty . Y OGA  A SANAS AND  P RANA Y AMA  E XERCISES T O  H EAL THE
F IRST  C HAKRAPracticing yoga is a great way to  heal your chakras. T o heal the first chakra,
you will focus o n grounding poses or any pose that engages the base of the
spine and the area of the perineum. T o view a video demo of these exer cises, go to
www .youtube.com/c/MichelleFondinAuthor . Click on the Playlists tab, and select
Chakra Healing Asanas & Pranayamas . Scr oll down the list until you find the one you’r e looking for . Thr ee-Part Br e ath — Dirgha :  Sit com fortably with your eyes  closed. As
you brea the, inf late your belly l ike a balloon on the inhalation  and deflate
the b elly on the  exhalation. The complete breath is done through the nose
only , with the lips closed. Begin the three-part breath by inhaling first from
your low er belly , below your be lly button, then expanding to the midbelly ,
and then  allowin g the air to rise up into your chest. As you exh ale, deflate
your chest, then your midbelly ,  and finally your lower abdom en. Practice
this breathing technique for three to five minutes. For first chakra
balancing, once you get comfortable with this breathing practice, focus on
the tip of your nose while practicing the complete version. Mula Bandha  and Kegels:  The word bandha  means “lock” or “hold.” And,
of course, mula  means “root.” S o the mula bandha  i s the root lock . If you
are a  wo man and  have practiced Kegel exercises, you will find m ula bandha
is si milar in natu re. For a Kegel  exercise, a woman contracts the muscles in
the perineum, holds for severa l seconds, and repeats the exe rcise many
times. B oth me n and women c an practice mula bandha. For a man, you
contract the muscles between the anus and the testes. For a woman, you
contract the muscles at the botto m of the pelvic floor . Hold this lock for as
long as you can; some yoga pr actitioners suggest holding it for the entire
class. Mula bandha stimulates the p elvic nerves, the genital system, the
endocrine system, and the excretory system. Regular practice of the root
lock can relieve constipation and mild depression.Knee to Chest Pose — Pavanamuktasana :  L ie flat on you r back. Bring
your rig ht knee to your chest w hile your left leg is still elongated on the
floor . Cl asp your hands below your right knee. Keep your head on the floor
and infla te your belly , allowing it to puf f out. On the exhalation , bend your
elbows and bring your knee closer to your  chest. Y ou’re stimulating the
ascending and transverse colon,  liver , and right kidney . After five to seven
breaths, release your right leg to the floor . Bring your left knee to your chest
and repe at. On the left side you’re stimulating the descending  colon, the
lar ge intestine, and the left kidney . Lotus Flexion — Padmasana :  Sit cross-legged on the floor with your back
erect an d tall. Place your left fo ot in to press on the perineum. If you can,
place your right foot on top of your left thigh in a half lotus pose. Make sure
your sitt ing bon es are rooted d own and pressed to the earth. Clasp your
hands behind you, interlacing yo ur fingers, and straighten your a rms behind
your bac k. Lift the spine tall, then hinge from your hips, and bring your
upper bo dy forw ard toward the floor in front of you. Bring your  arms up of f
your back in the forward bend as much as you can. Hold the pose for five to
seven breaths. Squatting Pose — Malasana :  S tand with you r feet a little wider than hip-
width apart and your toes turned slightly out. Sit into a squat as if you were
sitting in a chair , but lower your tailbone until it’ s a few inches from the
floor . It’ s okay if your heels lift up slightly . Place your hand s in prayer
posture with your elbows gently  pushing out on each inner thigh. Lengthen
through your spine, lower your shoulders, and lift the crown of your head.
_OceanofPDF.com_Chakra_Healing_for_Vibrant_Energy_-_Michelle_S_Fondin.txt
Summarize the following text section accurately and concisely. Maintain specific details and numerical information, and use anti-repetition mechanisms:

        Praise for The Wheel of Healing with A yurveda  by Michelle S. Fondin
“Explores the ‘spokes’ of the A yurvedic wheel, its physical, emotional,
relational, envir onmental, occu pational, and spiritual compo nents, and
supplies advice as to healthy practices for each dosha. A strong
beginning text for those seeking wellness beyond the bounds of traditional
medicine. ”
— Library Journal
“ The Wheel of Healing with A yurveda  is beautifully written,
comprehensive, and real-world. Michelle Fondin brilliantly guides the
reader through a transformat ional journey and teaches us to ‘roll
smoothly’ throu gh life’ s twists and turns with a powerful and easily
accessible game plan. ”
— davidji,  bestselling author of Secr ets of Meditation  and Destr essifying
“Extraordinarily well written, informed, and informative. Thoroughly
‘reader friendly’ in or ganization and presentation. ”
— Midwest Book Review
“Having actively participated in her own healing by following the
principles of A yurveda, Michell e Fondin is a living example of the beauty
and ben efits of A yurveda. In her new book, she outlines a holistic
approach with which we can keep all areas of our lives h ealthy and
balanced. Simple yet profound — loved it. ”
— Lissa Coffey,  bestselling author of What’ s Y our Dosha, Baby. “V ery ac cessible. Fondin imparts substantial knowledge in su ch distilled
and mea ningful ways that practicing A yurveda becomes more sensible —and easier to navigate — than ever. ”
— Whole Life T imes
“The brief explanation of A yurveda, covering seeking balance over
imbalance, the stages of various maladies, and a ‘Checklist for Health’
segues to  advice  for living one’ s  dharma or life path. Chapters on physical,
spiritual, and emotional health, healing wounds from the past, and
maintaining healthy relationships, among other subjects, contain
guidelines and exercises that, along with recommended resources, make
this a comprehensive guide. ”
— Booklist
“Michelle Fondin makes the esoteric and ancient science of A yurveda
accessible to all readers who simply have a desire to improve th eir health. Her boo k will introduce you to  A yurveda and supply you with simple,
practical, and creative ways to improve every aspect of your health. ”
— from the foreword by Sudha Bulusu  and Dr. Shekhar Annambhotla,
founder of Association of A yurvedic Professionals of North America
“Includes a comprehensive set of self-assessment questions that allow
readers to zero in on their body type’ s specific needs and best pr actices for
eating plans, addiction treatm ent, detoxification, and techn iques for
improving relationships. The Whe el of Healing with A yu rveda  brings
control and responsibility back to you. ”
— New ThoughtAlso by Michelle S. Fondin
The Wheel of Healing with A yurveda: An Easy Guide to a Healthy Lifestyle 
N e w  W o r l d  L i b r a r y
1 4  P a m a r o n  W a y
N o v a t o,  C a l i f o r n i a  9 4 9 4 9
Copyright © 2018 by Michelle S. Fondin
All rights reserved. T his book may not be reproduced in whole or in part, stored in a r etrieval system,
or transmitted in any form or by any means — electronic, mechanical, or other — without written
permission from the publisher, except by a reviewer, who may quote brief passages in a review. The m aterial in this book is intended for education. It is not meant to take the place o f diagnosis and
treatment by a qualif ied medical practitioner or therapist. No expressed or implied guarantee of the
ef fects of the use of the recommendations can be given or liability taken. T ext design by T ona Pearce Myers
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is available. First printing, April 2018
ISBN 978-1-60868-534-9
Ebook ISBN 978-1-60868-535-6
Printed in Canada on 100% postconsumer -waste recycled paper
N e w  W o r l d  L i b r a r y  i s  p r o u d  t o  b e  a  G o l d  C e r t i f i e d  E n v i r o n m e n t a l l y  R e s p o n s i b l e  P u b l i s h e r. P u b l i s h e r  c e r t i f i c a t i o n  a w a r d e d  b y  G r e e n  P r e s s  I n i t i a t i v e. w w w. g r e e n p r e s s i n i t i a t i v e. o r g
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1This book is dedicated to the loving memory of two of my gr eatest teachers
of all time, Dr. W ayne W. Dyer and Dr. David Simon. I felt you wer e both
with me as I wr ote these pages. I also dedicate this book to all my teachers who taught me thr oughout the
years at the Chopra Center, including Dr. Deepak Chopra, Davidji, and
Clair e Diab. C O N T E N T S
Pr eface
Intr oduction
What Is a Chakra. The Philosophy of the Chakras
The Marriage of T antra, A yurveda, and the Y oga Sutras
A wakening Kundalini Ener gy
Understanding the Dual Natur e of the Chakras — and of Life Itself
Reasons the Chakras Might Get Blocked
A war eness
Balancing Y our Chakras
1. The Root Chakra: Muladhara
First Chakra Ailments
First Chakra Ener gy: Solid Like a Rock
Our Societal Relationship with the Earth Element
Living Life in the Muladhara Chakra: SecurityRecognizing First Chakra Imbalances
Accepting First Chakra Gifts
Healing Muladhara: Daily Affirmation
Healing the Physical Body
Eating as a Sacr ed Act
Practicing Body Acceptance
Y oga Asanas and Pranayama Exer cises to Heal the First Chakra
Balancing the First Chakra thr ough Food
W eight Lifting to Balance Muladhara
Healing the Emotional and Ener getic Body
W orry
T rust
Security
Healing the Spiritual Body
Muladhara Guided Meditation
Ener gy-Body Healing with Gems and Colors
First Chakra Mindfulness Ideas to Ponder
2. The Sacral Chakra: Svadhisthana
Second Chakra Ailments
Second Chakra Ener gy
Our Societal Relationship with the Second Chakra
W omen W orking the Second Chakra
Living Life in the Svadhisthana Chakra
Recognizing Second Chakra Imbalances
Accepting Second Chakra Gifts
Sex T ransmutation
Sexual Intimacy
Healing Svadhisthana: Daily Affirmation
Healing the Physical BodyEnhancing Y our Sense of T aste
Embodying W ater
Focusing on Pr oper Br eathing
Honoring Y our Menstrual Cycle
Foods to Enhance Repr oductive T issue
Y oga Asanas and Pranayama Exer cises to Heal the Second Chakra
Healing the Emotional and Ener getic Body
Building Self-Esteem
Nurturing Y ourself
Healing fr om Addictions
Emotional Healing
Healing the Spiritual Body
Sexuality
Cr eativity
Svadhisthana Guided Meditation
Ener gy-Body Healing with Gems and Colors
Second Chakra Mindfulness Ideas to Ponder
3. The Solar Plexus Chakra: Manipura
Thir d Chakra Ailments
Thir d Chakra Ener gy
Inner Power
W illpower
Radiant Y ou
Our Societal Relationship with the Thir d Chakra
Men W orking the Thir d Chakra
Living Life in the Manipura Chakra
Recognizing Thir d Chakra Imbalances
Accepting Thir d Chakra Gifts
Healing Manipura: Daily AffirmationHealing the Physical Body
Pr oper Digestion and Assimilation of Nutrients
Y oga Asanas and Pranayama Exer cises to Heal the Thir d Chakra
Healing the Emotional and Ener getic Body
Boundaries
Assertiveness
Owning Y our Story
Healing the Spiritual Body
W riting Down Y our Intentions and Desir es
Being Honest with Y ourself
Manipura Guided Meditation
Ener gy-Body Healing with Gems and Colors
Thir d Chakra Mindfulness Ideas to Ponder
4. The Heart Chakra: Anahata
Fourth Chakra Ailments
Fourth Chakra Ener gy
Our Societal Relationship with the Fourth Chakra
Er os
Philia
Philautia
Agape
Living Life in the Anahata Chakra
Recognizing Fourth Chakra Imbalances
Accepting Fourth Chakra Gifts
Healing Anahata: Daily Affirmation
Healing the Physical Body
Y oga Asanas and Pranayama Exer cises to Heal the Fourth Chakra
Healing the Emotional and Ener getic Body
Letting Go of Past HurtFor giveness
Healing the Spiritual Body
Choosing Peace
Opening Y our Heart
Practicing Compassion
Anahata Guided Meditation
Ener gy-Body Healing with Gems and Colors
Fourth Chakra Mindfulness Ideas to Ponder
5. The Thr oat Chakra: V ishuddha
Fifth Chakra Ailments
Fifth Chakra Ener gy
Our Societal Relationship with the Fifth Chakra
Living Life in the V ishuddha Chakra
Recognizing Fifth Chakra Imbalances
Accepting Fifth Chakra Gifts
Healing V ishuddha: Daily Affirmation
Healing the Physical Body
Chanting and Singing
Head and Neck Exer cises
Y oga Asanas and Pranayama Exer cises to Heal the Fifth Chakra
Healing the Emotional and Ener getic Body
Living in T ruth
Being Authentic versus Being Nice
Reflecting on Speaking T ruth
Healing the Spiritual Body
A wakening to the T ruth
V ishuddha Guided Meditation
Ener gy-Body Healing with Gems and Colors
Fifth Chakra Mindfulness Ideas to Ponder6. The Third-Eye Chakra: Ajna
Sixth Chakra Ailments
Sixth Chakra Ener gy
Our Societal Relationship with the Sixth Chakra
Living Life in the Ajna Chakra
Recognizing Sixth Chakra Imbalances
Accepting Sixth Chakra Gifts
Healing Ajna: Daily Affirmation
Healing the Physical Body
Y oga Eye Exer cises
Light Therapy
Y oga Asanas and Pranayama Exer cises to Heal the Sixth Chakra
Healing the Emotional and Ener getic Body
Healing the Spiritual Body
Ajna Guided Meditation
Ener gy-Body Healing with Gems and Colors
Sixth Chakra Mindfulness Ideas to Ponder
7. The Cr own Chakra: Sahaswara
Seventh Chakra Ailments
Seventh Chakra Ener gy
Our Societal Relationship with the Seventh Chakra
Living Life in the Sahaswara Chakra
Recognizing Seventh Chakra Imbalances
Accepting Seventh Chakra Gifts
Healing Sahaswara: Daily Affirmation
Healing the Physical Body
Y oga Asanas and Pranayama Exer cises to Heal the Seventh Chakra
Healing the Emotional and Ener getic BodyPeak States
Bliss
Healing the Spiritual Body
Established in Being
Cocr eating with God
Sahaswara Guided Meditation
Ener gy-Body Healing with Gems and Colors
Seventh Chakra Mindfulness Ideas to Ponder
Conclusion: Maximize Y our Healing Power
Be Patient with Y our Healing Pr ocess
Be Patient with Others
Adopt a Lifetime of Healing
Know That I Am with Y ou
Acknowledgments
Glossary of Sanskrit T erms
Notes
Bibliography
Index of Y oga Asanas and Pranayama Practices
Index of Ailments Related to the Chakras
About the AuthorIP R E F A C E
n 1999, at age twenty-eight, I learned I had thyroid cancer. Before this,
the word chakra  h ad little mea ning to me. But suddenly, with this
shocking diagnosis, my search for healing rapidly expanded. Perhaps
through intuition or past life experience, I had a deep, driving desire to
leave no stone unturned when it came to my healing. I beg an to search for ways to get to the root cause of why I got cancer in
the first place. I knew that if I didn’ t uproot the disease at its source, I
would surely get it again. And in my late twenties, that wasn’ t an option
since I had always planned on living to reach one hundred years old. In m y b ook The Whe el of Healing with A yu rveda: An Easy Guide to a
Healthy Lifestyle, I outli ne the many dif ferent discoveries that led to my
healing. Allopathic (conventional) medicine played a role, but I intuitively
knew that the a nswers lay in alternative healing modalities. During my
exploration, I sat amon g a pile of library books on alternative medicine and
opened up to a  life-changing page in Dr. Christiane Northrup’ s book
W omen’ s Bodies, W omen’ s W isdom. The page spoke about the cha kras and
exploring healin g through them. I say it was life-changing because as I was
modifying all aspects of my life, an examination of my chakras could now
be a focal point for my research into why I got sick. Changing my diet, increasing my exercise regimen, adding meditation,
and improving my relationships all helped in my journey to healing. However, aware ness of the chakras gave me an advantage over all other
patients suf fering from thyroid cancer and other thyroid diseases. In exploring the thyroid gland and its location in the body, and in
learning about the fifth chakra, I started making connections between my
current illness and the first twenty-eight years of my life. I looked back and
found that most of my illnesses in childhood and young adultho od revolved
around t he area of the throat. When I was very young I frequen tly suf fered
from str ep throa t or tonsillitis, s o much so that doctors repeated ly ur ged my
mother t o allow  me to have sur gery to remove my tonsils. My mother, who
was afra id of me going under a nesthesia, never agreed to have them taken
out. Then at age seventeen I got mon onucleosis. My tonsils were so swollen
that they  touche d in the middle of my throat, closing of f my windpipe. I had
an abscess in my throat and couldn’ t breathe. It was so severe t hat I had to
have sur gery just so they could open it up to allow me to breathe again. As I  pon dered th ose times with all the throat infections, it becam e clear
to me that something was very  wrong and literally blocked in the area of
my throat. One o f the things the  fifth chakra is responsible for is our verbal
expression. For me, the illnesses meant exploring why I couldn’ t properly
express myself. I had to  ask the questio ns, “What is holding me back from
speaking my truth. ” and “Why do I feel I can’ t speak up. ”
I won’ t go into  too much detail, but what I learned was that the
circumstances of my upbringing, combined with my bein g a highly
sensitive child, hadn’ t allowed me the safe space to verbally express myself. In adulthood I had to learn this skill. I believe that without learning this
important lesson  through the chakras, I would not have comple tely healed. Patterns that seemed to repeat t hemselves often throughout my  life would
have continued to reoccur had I not taken heed of my body’ s wisdom. Spiritual and ener getic in nat ure, chakra healing can be a  wonderful
addition to help you understand  the intricacies of your health, just as it did
for me. In chron ic or advanced stages of a disease, chakra heali ng can help
you hasten your recovery by unblocking the areas of the body that are
ailing. Unlike believing in Santa Claus or the T ooth Fairy, you don’ t need to
wholeheartedly embrace the belief of the chakras to reap the benefits of a
chakra h ealing practice. Belief certainly helps and will probably get youdeeper into removal of blockages, but awareness can work jus t the same. Many things that we don’ t see — feelings, emotions, thoughts, cellphone
connections, air — are real. The following true story from my spiritual
journey with alternative health illustrates this point. In 2005, I was struck with what seemed like either a killer virus or a
kidney infection. I had a high fever, my body ached, and I felt sharp,
stabbing pains in my kidneys. I summoned all the ener gy I had just to drive
myself t o the doctor ’ s of fice. After I explained my symptoms to the doctor,
they took a pane l of blood work. I was so weak that they left m e to sleep in
the examining room for about thirty minutes, and then sent me home. Minutes after I arrived at home, the doctor called me with my bl ood results. He said he wa s calling Fairfax Hospital and that I was to go to its
emer gency room  immediately. He told me that my liver enzymes were so
high that he feared I had some sort of severe hepatitis. Puzzled and still in
extreme pain, I had my husband drive me to the emer gency room. It was a Friday night and the em er gency room was extremely crowded,
so I  had to wait, with my fever and back pains. Not too k een on the
possibility that I might have some liver disease, I decided to sit and
meditate on my liver and its healing. I waited and meditated, waited and
meditated, waited and meditated. For about three hours I visualized my
liver wi th happy faces (you kn ow those yellow emoji smiley faces. ) on
each cell. I visualized all my liver cells being healthy, happy, an d whole. In
my mind, there was nothing els e I could do. When the staf f fi nally called
me i n, after they  saw my blood results from earlier in the day they put me
on a n IV  immediately. I’m not sure what they were planning, bu t they were
getting ready to perform some  kind of medical intervention. However,
before ta king ac tion they decided to test my blood once more. The results
showed that my liver enzymes were back to a normal level. Th ey removed
the IV and sent me home. Even more stunning was that my fever and pain
were gone, and I felt fine. Did I spontaneously heal my self through my directed thoughts. I
believe I did. Is  it possible that something nonphysical, such as  meditation
and visualization, changed the physical. Again, I believe it had  everything
to do with my he aling that day. I s it possible that the blood work was wrong
and that the lab mixed up my b lood with someone else’ s. It’ s possible but
not probable. My doctor was just as baf fled as I was. He saw what he saw inthe labs. He saw how sick I was  with acute symptoms. Y et I walked out of
the hosp ital that day without a single symptom and with my blood just as
clean as if I had never been sick. It is  my wish that you are able  to embrace this very powerful  way of
healing. The chakras have a magical quality to them. When you begin to
read abo ut them  and learn abo ut each one, you will feel yourself getting
healthier. I wish you a magical journey, my friend. Namasté. DI N T R O D U C T I O N
elving in to the world of the cha kras is like learning a new language. In a  sense, you  are. Y ou wil l be learning many new wor ds in
Sanskrit, the ancient language of India. But you will also be  immersing
yourself in a whole philosophy. In this introduction, all the new terminology
might seem overwhelming, but rest assured, the concepts will be explained
in g reat detail throughout the book. Also, you can always turn to the
glossary in the back of the book to find out what a term means. What Is a Chakra. Chakras are ener gy centers within the body. The word chakra  means
“wheel” or “disk. ” Think of the chakras as spinning vortices of ener gy. Everything is composed of ener gy and information. Every object emanates
from movement and vibration. The seven main chakras align along the
spine, starting at the base of the spine and moving up to the crown of the
head. In th e an cient In dian texts called the V edas, we learn that the physical
body is made u p of the five great elements called the mahabhutas. Those
five elements are space ( akasha ), air ( vayu ), water ( jala ), fire ( tejas ), and
earth ( prithivi ). The elements are the building blocks of nature and therefore
build our bodies as well. Ancient texts go on to explain that we also have a subtle bo dy. This
subtle body is nonphysical and  ener getic in nature. The subtle body isgoverned by prana, or vital life for ce. Prana circulates throughout the body
and min d. It is responsible for the flow of ener gy and informa tion. In the
subtle body, prana travels through channels called nadis. Nadis are
circulatory channels within the body such as veins, arteries, the respiratory
system, the nervous system, the digestive system, the excretory system, and
the r eproductive system. Think of nadis as the information high way to your
mind, body, soul, and spirit, just as the internet is the information highway
that brings information to your browser. If you have a d if ficult time grasping the concept of the subt le body,
reflect o n your mind and thoug hts. Thoughts are nonphysical entities. Y et
ask anyo ne who  thinks (and that would include all of us), and they will tell
you that  thought s are quite real. Scientists have been able to pinpoint areas
in the brain where thoughts originate or take place, but slice op en a human
head and you wo n’ t find one tho ught in there. According to V edic texts, the
mind, intellect, and ego also reside within the subtle body. Now let’ s go b ack to the exa mple of the internet. When yo u want
information, you want it fast, right. Y ou’re doing research for a work
project or a scho ol report, or getting the scoop on a gu y you want to date,
and you  don’ t want to wait forev er. In the infancy of the internet, with dial-
up m odems, you could log on, go get a cup of cof fee, use the restroom, do
your na ils, and then the AOL voice of “Y ou’ve got mail” w ould finally
vibrate i n your ever -so-waiting ears. But today, in the world of fiber -optic
cables a nd W i-Fi, information comes pretty much as quickly as you can
type in your question. And when it doesn’ t come that fast you get frustrated. For your body to work at an optimal level, the channels through which
information travels must be open for that information to get quickly to its
destination. If they’re blocked,  or if there is an abnormality where the
information pools in a given ar ea, you won’ t receive the infor mation you
need wh en you need it. So the  nadis are the highways or the fiber -optic
cables, and prana is the package of information that needs to be carried. In total, we have around 88,000 chakras in the body, and the sev en main
chakras are the information hubs. They gather information on certain
aspects of your body, mind, spirit, health, and life. When adequate ener gy
flows to  these chakras, that ener gy fills the area with the inform ation each
chakra needs to perform its unique specialty. Like a highway, your body is constantly moving, changing, g rowing,
and being modified by outside influences. While you may int end to keep
the ener gy and information flow ing throughout your body at all times, your
lifestyle choices, life experienc es, and outside influences may hinder the
flow. Fortunately, certain practices can help keep these channels open and
information flow ing freely, and in this book you will learn what you need to
do to achieve this goal quickly and easily. The Philosophy of the Chakras
The concept of the chakras comes from ancient Indian texts of the T antric
tradition. T antra is a complicated and important nonreligious philosophy. The T antric texts are separate from the famously known India n texts, the
V edas, from whence A yurveda came. In th e W est we tend to associate the word T antra  w ith sex. While  sex is
mentioned in the T antric texts, it’ s meant to be reserved as a practice for
only the most advanced yoga practitioners. The main goal of T antra is to
explore the deep mysteries of life and to become liberated  within the
confines of this world. The word T antra  means “to weave. ” T antra is the process of weaving
together the body, which has great wisdom, and the mind, which has
immense power. By heeding the  wisdom of the body and by ha rnessing the
power of the mind you can find the enormous beauty in life on this planet
and achieve self-mastery. The symbolism and stories of the chakras, including their deities and
mysticism, are beautiful, colorful, complex, and certainly worth exploring. For the sake of brevity, I will tea ch you the basics of the chakra system. The
foreign words I present come from Sanskrit. For the most part, Sanskrit is
no long er spoken but is rich in the roots of language, as ma ny modern
English words stem from Sanskrit root words. The Marriage of T antra, A yurveda, and the Y oga Sutras
In order to cognitively grasp the journey into the chakras, it’ s important to
understand a little about the  story behind them. According to the
Upanishads, a collection of an cient Hindu texts, purusha  (spirit) is pureuniversal consciousness. Purusha is formless and unchanging. Out of
purusha, prakruti, o r physical m atter, is formed. Prakruti is subject to
change and influenced by cause and ef fect. Everything is a creation of
purusha: sun, moon, stars, plan ets, trees, animals, and humans. Therefore
every liv ing thing contains the very essence of the Creator. In a  sense, this
philosophy isn’ t much dif ferent from the Judeo-Christian view of God
expressed in Genesis 2:7: “and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life,
and the man became a living being. ”
According to the Y oga Sutras of Patanjali, the foundational text of yoga
philosophy, the main goal in ou r lifetime is to find our way b ack to self-
realization. The word self  i n the a ct of self-realization does not refer to our
individual selve s with our uniq ue personalities and individual  bodies but
rather th e awake ning to the Sel f with a capital S, the  one from which we
originate. W e’re born into this world with  these bodies, seemingly disconnected
from our Creator, so how do we manage. The second-century sage Patanjali explains in the Y oga Sutras that we
have to deal with the three psy chic forces of the mind called the gunas,
which govern the subconscious of all prakruti. The three gunas  are sattva,
rajas, and tamas. Sattva  is  balanced, pure, peaceful, alert, clear -minded, and filled wit h
light. Rajas  is the moving, active ener gy that is ever -changing. T amas  is inertia, decay, heaviness, dullness, darkness, and obstruction. These three qualities of prakrut i are necessary in our lives at dif ferent
times. F or example, your spiritual practice is sattvic, and there is a time and
place for it in your day. When yo u need to work and accomplish your goals,
you nee d rajasic  ener gy. When you need to sleep  at night, you need tamas
so you can get your rest. In addition to the three gunas, A yurveda teaches that we have three
mind-body types, or doshas, which manifest out of the five great elements. The thre e dosha s are V ata (space and air), Pitta (fire and water), and Kapha
(water a nd earth). Each of us has our own unique makeup of the three
doshas, which creates our strengths and challenges. Through the knowledge of the three gunas and the three doshas, we can
begin to  navigat e our body, mind, and life here on earth and start to move
toward self-realization. Since th e chakra s are part of our physical and subtle bodies, they’re also
influenced by the gunas and the  doshas. The first end goal in th e pursuit of
self-realization is to live a balanced life. As T antra teaches, our goal is not
to d eny the body and the physical realm but to embrace it full y and draw
everything good  out of it that we possibly can while working our way
toward an enlightened state of being, which yoga philosophy refers to as
moksha, or liberation. When y ou’re no  longer bound by the confines of the gunas and the
vacillating and changing nature of the doshas, and you can m ove through
the chakras openly and seamlessly, you have reached enlightenment. Imagine what it would be like to  be in love with every aspect o f what it
means to be human. T rue liberation is when love emanates from your being
at al l times. Y ou’re awakened to  the gift of each moment and i n love with
every on e. Noth ing is a burden, for everything is light, love, and infinite
being. Y ou don ’ t need to be anywhere or do anything; this awareness is
always w ith you. For you are it and it is you. That is what we’re all here to
achieve. A wakening Kundalini Energy
According to T antric texts, we  have around 72,000 nadis, or  circulatory
channels, in the body, which transport prana. In our study of the chakras, we
will focu s only on the Shushum na nadi, the Ida nadi, and the Pingala nadi. The Shushumna  nadi is the ener gy channel that starts at the base of the
spine in the ar ea of the first chakra. It’ s where the Kundalini Shakti
(creative ener gy ) sits like a serpent, coiled up in three rings, waiting to
spring forth into action and w ake up the chakras. The Shushumna nadi
travels up the length of the spine in a channel behind the spinal cord to the
crown of the he ad at the sevent h chakra. From the base of the Shushumna
nadi aris e two other nadis, the Ida nadi and the Pingala nadi. Th e Ida nadi is
lunar in  nature: passive, gentle, and feminine. The Pingala nadi is solar:
warm, s timulating, and masculi ne. The Ida nadi starts and ends on the left
side of the Shushumna nadi, and the Pingala nadi starts and ends on theright side. The Ida and Pingala nadis cross at every chakra, and all three of
these na dis meet  at the sixth, or third-eye, chakra. In our bodies  the Ida and
Pingala nadis alternate in domin ance. Generally the Ida nadi do minates the
right side of the brain, and the Pingala dominates the left side. Kundalini ener g y is awakened through purification of the bo dy and
mind. T here are many practices to cleanse the physical body, including
eating a clean diet; abstaining from impure substances; detoxifying through
A yurvedic daily practices such as tongue scraping and nasal was hing with a
neti pot and nasya  (infuse d oil); and the A yurvedic seasonal cleansing
practices of panchakarma, or five actions. In addition, one must practice
yoga asanas  (physical postures, what we in the W est generally think of as
“yoga”) and pranayama  (breathing techniques). Purifying the mind comes
with the practice of the eight l imbs of yoga: the yamas, niyamas, asana,
pranayama, pratyahara, darana, dhyana, and samadhi. In th e following chapters I wil l describe many of these techniques as
they pertain to each chakra. Understanding the Dual Natur e of the Chakras — and of Life
Itself
In this world of duality, where everything has its opposite, we must strive to
understand both sides. It can be destructive to have only light without
darkness, only wakefulness with no sleep, and only full bellies with no
hunger. Through  our trials and tribulations on our earthly journ ey, we seek
to e nhance the pleasurable and  try to minimize the unpleasan t. However,
living a balanced life is about r ecognizing both sides. As you look back at
your pas t, you may notice that u nexpected beauty erupted and developed in
your mo ments o f strife and ang uish. For example, you may hav e met your
husband when you had a flat ti re and he of fered to change it for you. Or
maybe you overcame an addiction and are now helping others overcome
addictions and live sober and clean lives. Often w hen we’re on a spirit ual journey, we want the outcome of
enlightenment and spiritual co nnection without understanding where we
came from. Y ou were born int o the physical realm through y our earthly
mother. Y ou chose this incarnation, and there is nothing wrong with it. When y ou signe d up to come here, you promised to fulfill certain duties,
called dharma, and take on certain responsibilities. Unless you fully
embrace the dualistic nature of your existence in this life, you w ill continue
to have a dif ficult time reaching the spiritual heights you seek. In ev ery chakra, as in life, there are two possible states: a balanced state
and an excessive or depleted state, which indicates an imbalance. As we
have lea rned through life’ s lessons, too much or too little of anyt hing can be
destructive and unhealthy. Y ou may have heard the expression “Money is
the root  of all e vil. ” The expression implies that having too m uch money
and hoarding it can be detrimental. And too little money, which leads to
lack, poverty, theft, hunger, an d depression, can also be ru inous. Both
extremes can lead to a life you don’ t desire. I re ceived a re ading from an astrologer friend last fall. He had an
interesting and truthful perspective I had never heard before in a n astrology
reading. In my astrological chart I have an unfavorable aspe ct from the
planet S aturn, w hich is omnipresent in my life. If you know any thing about
astrology, no one wants Saturn t o show up all the time and inter fere in their
life. Saturn is a  huge, slow-moving planet that can create delays, reduce
potential, and be a huge obstac le in accomplishing things. As my friend
explained, Satur n also has rings,  which are binding. He gave the example of
a we dding ring. He explained th at a wedding band symbolically binds you
to the other pers on and puts a certain number of restrictions on y our life. So
as he gave me this “bad news,” I was thinking, Holy cow. That’ s why I’ve
had such a har d  time getting my car eer off the gr ound. But at that moment
he gave me another perspective, the opposite side of a Saturn aspect. He explained that while Saturn creates obstacles and delays, it also has a
positive side to it. For example,  a Saturn aspect can make you humble and
inclined to show humility to oth ers and not be boastful. Saturn can make a
person h unker d own and get thi ngs done, such as conducting re search for a
term paper or writing a book. It can give you the discipline to focus on
painting a picture or building a house. In other words, he displayed the
beauty of a Saturn aspect to me. Then he  taught me how to work  with Saturn versus fighting ag ainst it. He suggested that when I see Saturn arrive with its delays, closed doors,
and seemingly immovable bould ers, I should welcome it in, of fer it a cup of
tea, and thank it for its wisdom. He of fered me the wisdom that the more Iaccept Saturn as a part of my life, the more Saturn will of fer me its gifts. As
a res ult of my acceptance, I was able to change my perspective on a force I
thought had been ruining my life. It’ s now a force of strength for me. The chakras — especially the first three, which are the chakras of matter
— work  in the same way. Oftentimes when we’re presente d with the
aspects of the chakras, we see only the imbalances or challenging sides to
them. W e want to rush through the first three and skip ahead to the more
spiritual chakras. It’ s important to remember the blessings in each chakra,
even when we struggle with them. The power comes in embracing them and
bringing awaren ess to their beau ty. What we consider to be the ugliness of
human existence is also what brings us joy. This reminds me of an old s aying I once read: “Laughter is like
changing a baby’ s diaper; it doesn’ t solve anything, but it sure im proves the
situation. ” If you have ever chan ged a baby’ s diaper, you know this. The act
of wipin g the baby clean, applying some lotion, and putting  on a clean
diaper is part of  this sometimes smelly human existence. On top of it, you
know that in a few hours you’re going to have to do it all over again. But
boy, doe sn’ t that baby smell marvelous. And you have great memories of
hugging, snuggling, and enjoyin g your baby during this mundane and kind
of gross experience. That is duality. Reasons the Chakras Might Get Blocked
A block ed chakra means ener gy is stuck or hindered. Y ou might think of it
as a  blocked a rtery. In order for ener gy and information to flow, the
channels through which they flow must be open. Y ou will have dif ficulty
getting to work on time if the roads are blocked by traf fic. In th e same way,
the cha kras cannot work at optimal levels when the pathways have
blockages. These blockages can be physical, emotional or psychological,
spiritual, karmic, or ener getic. The bloc ks can be physical, in the literal sense, such as fatty deposits in
the arteries, a tu mor, a cyst, or excess waste. W e can create bloc kages in the
physical body through poor dietary choices, lack of exercise, overexertion,
and lifestyle choices such as overwork, drug use, or lack of sleep. Blocks in the ch akras can also be emotional or psychological,  such as
stored emotions  from the past or mental illness such as anxiety, depression,or addiction. W e accumulate emotional toxins and residue from not
properly processing and digesting emotions and experiences. These toxins
result in blocking the ener gy flow of the chakras. Blocks can be s piritual in nature. They can come from outside spiritual
forces or from within. If we refuse to honor the spiritual side of who we are,
we block the higher chakras. Being spiritually rigid and stri ct can also
restrict t he flow of ener gy. Rem ember, whether the forces are external or
internal, without your conscious awareness they can create harm. Blockages can also come from our karma. The word karma  in Sanskrit
literally means “action. ” In life we perform actions that a re good or
nourishing, bad or harmful, or neutral. An example of a good action might
be givin g mone y to charity. A bad action might be intentiona lly lying or
deceiving. A neutral action mi ght be making the bed (which,  if you dig
deeper, can also be considered a good action, depending on the
circumstances). In the East, certain religions and philosophies adhere to the
principle that we accumulate karma throughout lifetimes, and we carry it
forth into our cu rrent life. The definition of karma, in this sense, assumes a
belief in reincarnation and asserts that karma is not simply  the action
performed but also the consequ ences of that action. Good ka rma carried
forward can give us favor in our current lifetime. Bad karma is a debt we
must repay in this or future lifetimes. Whether or not you believe i n reincarnation or the explanation of
karma, y ou can learn to appreciate and grasp the concept. Have you ever
heard an yone sa y that they con stantly suf fer from bad luck. T he bad luck
may be more ab out paying back a karmic debt of which they aren’ t even
aware. Y ou’ve surely heard the adages “What goes around comes around”
and “Y ou reap what you sow. ”  These expressions explain the essence of
karma. Often, in our minds, kar ma has negative connotations. But note that
you can accumulate good karma through good actions or service to others. Finally, the blocks can be ener g etic. I explained a little about e ner getic
blockages when  I spoke about my astrological chart. W e are a part of this
earth, our solar system, and the universe. The influence of the earth’ s
ener gy a nd elements, as well as of the ener gy of the sun, moon,  and planets
in ou r solar syst em, is strong and undeniable. A yurveda, the fiv e-thousand-
year -old medical system from India, recognizes these ener getic forces and
acknowledges them as a means of healing. Y ou can learn more aboutA yurveda by reading my book The Wh eel of Healing with A yurveda: An
Easy Gu ide to a Healthy Lifesty le. A yurveda works on the principles of the
five elements — space, air, fire, water, and earth — which work together to
create th e three doshas, or mind-body types, of V ata (space and air), Pitta
(fire and water), and Kapha (w ater and earth). These elements and mind-
body types are relevant in reco gnizing ener getic blocks within  your body
and the chakras. This awareness will give you more tools toward your
healing of the ch akras and provide a superspeed highway to creating ener gy
flow. A war eness
In an y s piritual p ractice, awaren ess is the first key to awakening. When you
come ou t of a holiday, realize that you can’ t fit into your jeans, and get on
the scale, you become aware tha t you may need to lose weight. W ithout this
awareness, you will do nothing to change. A wareness means co ming out of
the d ark and stepping into the light. Most often awareness is for  our greater
good at the time it’ s revealed to us. Y et we are sometimes afraid  of what we
might fi nd. A wa kening can mean we find ourselves in a place where we
don’ t want to be. A wareness can mean we now see the mess we must clean
up. Sometimes our friend awareness comes as a slap on the face that doesn’ t
feel too good. Then our friend denial comes in and coaxes us b ack to what
feels good but may not be right. Y ou are human. Y ou have a physical body, an emotional body, and an
ener getic body. Y ou are also a spirit with a spiritual existence that is
currently bound  by a body. A wakening can come only when we accept the
entire pa ckage. Y et our other friend, the mind, also comes in and tries to
convince us that one way is better than another. For example, th e mind tries
to sa y, “If only you had better parents, you might be in a better financial
situation. ” Then  the ego comes along and adds its two cents: “Y eah, and if
your bos s treated  you better, you  might have gotten that raise you deserve. ”
So all these parts create who y ou are, and balance comes from  accepting
every part. As y ou work th rough the chakras, things will come up. Gri evances,
hurt, past af flictions, and pr esent discomforts will arise and make
themselves known to you. This is a good thing and what you want forhealing. Y ou certainly don’ t have to accept them right away. Just make
yourself aware of them. Notice t hem. Say hello. W atch them as you would a
movie on a scre en. Sometimes awareness alone will heal that  which ails
you. Balancing Y our Chakras
Y our exploration of healing through the chakras can add a layer of beauty
and dept h to your health and we ll-being. Imagine choosing a wedding cake. Y ou cou ld proba bly get by with a yellow cake and white frosting. But the
beauty c omes in when a pastry chef infuses chocolate ganac he into the
center, layers the cake in creative ways, and adds intricate decorations to
each layer and an eye-popping  topper. Y ou then have a work of art to
display a t your wedding rather than a plain single-layer cake. The intricacy
of that wedding cake mirrors the depth of layers in a marriage and the
magic of its beginning at the wedding celebration. The layers of yo ur health are no dif ferent. Y ou can focus on the physical
body an d have allopathic or W estern medicine fix it when something goes
wrong. O r you can focus on preventive health through diet, exercise, yoga,
meditation, and  other healing practices such as emotional and spiritual
healing. I wi ll give you  tools to balan ce the seven main chakras, w ith one
chapter devoted to each chakra. For each of the chakras I provide
descriptions of pranayama (breathing) techniques and yoga poses. Y ou can
check out demonstrations of all of these on my Y ouT ube channel:
www. youtube. com/c/Michelle  F ondin Author. While healing your chakras,
practice these poses once in the morning and  once in the evening. I have
also included dietary recommendations, a guided meditation, thoughts to
ponder for the day, and other areas to explore for emotional and spiritual
healing, with practices such as prayer, visualization, and chanting. I also
of fer suggestion s for taking your ener getic healing a step furt her through
work wi th colors and gems: you can wear the color of the chakra you’re
healing, and carry with you throughout your day the crystal or gem
associated with that chakra. Through these practices you ca n heal your chakras in seven days. Y ou
can repe at these seven days every week for a year, going deep er into yourawareness and healing each week. Or you can take seven months and
dedicate your practice to one chakra for each month. Or you can go at your
own pace, spending more time on certain chakras than others,  as needed. There is  no single best way to go about this healing practice. I know that
many of  you are good, disciplined students and will try to do every single
suggestion in each chapter. Instead of attempting to do everything in one
day, see which h ealing practices  call to you most, and try those first. If you
let it, your intuition will guide the way. As w ith the practice of yoga asanas, you don’ t need to adhere  to any
particular religion, sect, or spiritual belief to heal with the chakras. Y ou only
need to be open  to your body’ s inner wisdom and the ener gy field that
surrounds you. Now is the moment you might ask, “How do I tune in to my
ener gy field. ” The answer is, you are already tuned in to your ener gy field. Have yo u ever walked into a ro om filled with tension and felt that the
air was so thick you could cut it with a knife. Or have you fe lt a rush of
ener gy when walking into a sports stadium or rock concert. Y ou’re
perceiving ener gy all the time, but you’re not often aware that you’re aware. Expanding your  perception is something that happens naturally as a
result of spiritual practice. As you go through life on this physical plane,
you get accustomed to a narrow vision, seeing only things that are in your
pathway. W e all do this, as it’ s a way our brains filter out the “noise” to get
us through our days without getting distracted all the time. However, it’ s not
so usefu l when it comes to your health and well-being. A broadened
perspective is an asset and will allow you to notice subtle changes in your
body. Body aw areness, mindfulness, a nd learning how to direct your thoughts
are ways in which you can start to attain better health. W orkin g with your
chakra ener gy can help you wit h early detection before an illne ss becomes
full-blown, or it can help in your healing in the midst of a disease, as it did
in my case. Finally, it can be helpful to look at the ailments associated with each of
the c hakras. When I was ill with  thyroid cancer, my healing ulti mately took
place when I took a good look at the fifth chakra. I believe all diseases are
messages from the body indicating that something is of f. In  looking at
diseases you might be experienc ing, you can take a deeper look by knowing
which c hakra is  out of balance. T aking medicine or removing a tumor oreven an or gan or body part might be necessary to stop the sp read of the
disease, but it w on’ t help you ge t to the root of it. Considering the “why” is
important to achieve complete a nd total healing. Sometimes you don’ t get
an a nswer. But o ften you do. Th rough chakra balancing you learn to listen
to your intuition, that still, small voice inside you, and it will give you an
inner knowing of how to heal. O1  T H E  R O O T  C H A K R A
M u l a d h a r a
ELEMENT :  Earth (Prithivi)
COLOR:  Red
MANTRA SOUND:  LAM
ur j ourney begins at the base of the spine with the first chakra,
Muladhara. The word Muladhara  means “foundation” or “base” and
comes from the two Sanskrit words mul, meaning “base,” and adhara,
meaning “suppo rt” or “foundation. ” This is the first of the thre e elemental
or m aterial chakras in the body, and it’ s the thickest and dense st chakra of
the s even. While it’ s associated  with our being in our most basic state, it’ s
no l ess important than the other chakras on our journey. In f act, it’ s the
primary and fundamental chakra we must balance in order to en joy our time
here on earth. The elem ent of Muladhara is ear th, or prithivi  in  Sanskrit. W e are bound
to earth through gravity. Everything we do to remain on earth is found here. Think of the word survival. W e must find shelter, eat, sleep, and procreate. W e must protect our environme nt, including nature and Mother Earth. W e
must find job s, do work, and make money to fulfill our needs. W e  must
obey the laws of nature, our environment, and society. In the body, the first chakra is lo cated in the middle of the perineum and
includes the coccyx (tailbone), the pelvis, the base of the spine, and the firstthree ve rtebrae. The sense associated with the first chakra is smell, and the
sense or gan is the nose. The colo r we attribute to the base chakra is deep red. The mantra, or
bija  (seed) sound, we vocalize for the first chakra is LAM. First Chakra Ailments
While the earth element rules the first chakra, the ailments that occur with
its imba lance resemble the same diseases or imbalances that oc cur with the
A yurvedic mind -body type V ata, which is governed not by earth but by
space and air. A s you may dedu ct, the elements of space and air are polar
opposites of the element earth. Therefore, healing can begin when you bring
balance back to the earth eleme nt through proper grounding to counteract
the excessive space and air. First-chakra blo ckages may include constipation, hemorrhoids, sciatica
pain, degenerative arthritis, knee troubles, obesity, anorexia nervosa or
other eating disorders, anxiety disorders, fears, nightmares, and psychosis. Almost all of these symptom s and disorders are directly related to
imbalances in the V ata dosha or space and air mind-body type. Obesity
would be the on ly ailment in thi s list caused by an excessive amount of the
Kapha dosha, which is composed of water and earth. First Chakra Energy: Solid Like a Rock
The ener gy of the first chakra is vital to our existence. It’ s a downward
ener gy that grounds us and gives us stability. In the body, first-chakra
ener gy governs bone structure, feet, legs, and the lar ge intesti ne to digest
food. Everything  we eat comes from the earth and its ener gy. Th e homes we
build and the s tructures we enjoy, such as libraries, movie th eaters, and
skyscrapers, all  come from first chakra ener gy. Gravity keeps us in
communion with our planet. The art of manifesting emanates from
acceptance of our material existence. T amas is the ty pe of ener gy th at rules Muladhara. T amasic ener gy is
slow, du ll, inert. The A yurvedic dosha that dominates the first chakra is
Kapha, which is comprised of the elements of water and earth. An o verabundan ce of tamasic ener gy can make a person sluggi sh, lazy,
overweight, and  complacent. However, tamas is necessary when a pregnant
woman grows a baby. She needs to be grounded, slow down, take more
naps, reduce her activities, an d eat more food. The same goes for the
seasons. W inter is a tamasic season when nothing appears to be going on
and nat ure seems dormant. Animals hibernate. Grass and  trees stop
growing. But this period of rest  is necessary for the outburst of activity in
the spring. Kapha ener gy is similar to tam asic ener gy. A healthy Kapha person is
grounded, slow, methodical, humble, and down-to-earth. Babies go through
a Kapha  phase to be able to experience life on earth fully and to grow
properly. The two sense or gans of Kapha are the nose and mou th (tongue:
taste). All babies first experience the world by putting things in their
mouths. Babies sleep more than older children and adults. The y are drawn
to and fascinated by nature and the earth’ s elements. They are thus perfect
expressions of fully embracing earth ener gy. Adult Kapha types who are living in balance are peaceful people to be
around. They are loving, af fectionate, and kind. Their solid foundation
gives comfort to others by being the stable pillars to lean on. Our Societal Relationship with the Earth Element
While w e must embrace earth ener gy to grow, expand, and raise our levels
of consc iousness, modern societ y tends to move us in the opposite direction
of where we need to go. Our exp erience of being on ear th and staying grounded requires us to
have direct contact with the material. In other words, when we take walks in
nature, have picnics on the beach, gather with others for dinner or
conversation, an d take care of animals, we are directly interacti ng with the
ener gy that grounds us. Many of our experiences today happen virtually. W e
are livin g in the ether without having a solid foundation. While being on
our smartphones, computers, and tablets involves touching  something
material, we engage in a virtual reality through such technology. W e talk or
text with  people  out there in any number of places. W e play games with
people or bots without know ing the dif ference. W e have one-sided
conversations a s we post on social media, hoping that so meone willrespond. These experiences kee p us ungrounded. In addition, we live in a
society t hat likes to take pills, drugs, and alcohol to transform o ur state. W e
seek the transformative ecstasy of spirit without having the proper roots. As a  result, we eat a lot of food to try to ground ourselves. Because the
body ha s an innate intelligence, it tells us we need to do something to bring
ourselves down  to earth. So we consume loads of calories seeking the
grounded, comfo rting feelings of a loving mother ’ s warm embrace. Y et too
much food and eating the wrong foods does the opposite of making us feel
grounded and safe. It disconnec ts us from the body and our true needs and
desires. In order  to experience the earth,  you must get back to it. Relearn  how to
enjoy lif e witho ut a device in front of your eyes, in your ears, or in your
pocket. Meet people face-to-face. T ake walks and listen to th e sounds of
nature. Cook foods from scratch. Let the sunshine penetrate your face. Gaze
at th e stars. Get comfortable be ing here rather than somewhere else. Make
earth your home again. Living Life in the Muladhara Chakra: Security
In e ach of the chakras, there  is a dif ference between emb racing and
accepting the ener gy and gifts from that chakra and living solely from that
chakra. As you awaken to the limitations in each chakra, you a re driven to
discover ways to operate from d if ferent levels of consciousness. It’ s human
nature to want t o explore and grow. However, not everyone op erates from
this leve l of thinking. Many pe ople accept limitations as hard boundaries
and don’ t seek to move beyond them. If you’re ready to extend beyond the
limitations of your chakras, it’ s  important to understand what living at the
level of each chakra looks like. People who live in first-chakra e ner gy are in survival mode. Th eir basic
emotion is fear. They are only concerned with security and how  to obtain it. The parts of th e brain responsible for survival are the brain stem, or
medulla, and the limbic system, comprised of the amygdala and the
hippocampus. Fight-or -flight is a primitive response hardwired in these
parts of the brain, a reaction to fear and a need for survival. In animals, the
onset of this pr imitive response helps them determine if the y will fight
predators or run away. Fight-or - flight is a chain reaction that begins in theamygdala. It includes a relea se of stress hormones, such as cortisol,
adrenaline, and noradrenaline. Y our heart races, your blood pressure goes
up, you r blood  platelets get sticky, your im mune system becomes
suppressed, your blood is shunted away from your digestive or gans and
moved t oward t he limbs; you sweat and feel compelled to either run or
fight. This prim itive response to real a nd present danger is useful sometimes. Let’ s su ppose y our small child runs into the street after a ball. Y ou must
have quick ener gy to run after him to save him from a movin g car. Or if
you’re driving and another vehicle suddenly pulls out in front of you, you
need fight-or -flight to slam on the brakes. However, the fight-or -flight
response isn’ t so useful whe n your life isn’ t in danger and you’re
responding to fear rather than reality. People who live solely from the first
chakra r espond to fear most of the time. Their motives are fear of lack, fear
of loss, fear of not enough, and the “what if. ” syndrome. First chakra people would rather stay in a dissatisfying job than risk
losing jo b secur ity or a steady  paycheck. They are not often leaders but
followers with blind obedience. They fear standing out from the  crowd and
would rather blend in. The nee d to fight for security can be seen in first chakra people’ s job
choices. They might choose to be soldiers or police of ficer s to ensure
security of their cities or co untries. They constantly seek  favor and
acceptance from  their superiors and work hard to serve them. First chakra
people strive for rewards whil e greatly fearing punishment. While they
obey and look up to authority, they are often harsh with people under them. A person living from an instinctive and primal response is like a small
child. W ithout proper instruction and limitations, a child can become greedy
or hoard  materi al goods. She c an refrain from sharing. She c an lash out
physically at another child if she’ s dissatisfied or hurt, or doesn’ t get her
way. She can ignore proper etiquette or societal norms. She can lose her
temper and say mean things out of anger. While all of us can and do reve rt back to this type of behavior some of
the time, a first chakra person lives this way most of the time. T rust is a big iss ue for first chak ra people. W e learn trust in the first two
years of life through the care of our parents and caretakers. If the care is
consistent, loving, and present, we develop trust in others and in ourenvironment. Through trust we develop the value of hope. However, if
we’re in  a home where a parent is absent, or our needs are delayed or not
taken care of properly, we learn to distrust that others or our environment
will provide for us. Those stuck in the first chakra seem to be constantly
working out trust issues, which is why they’re fearful. Recognizing First Chakra Imbalances
The firs t way to move beyond a limitation is to recognize it. A s I pointed
out, each  object and concept in life has its strengths and weaknesses. That is
the natu re of duality. The Mulad hara chakra keeps us rooted to the earth. It
allows us to fully enjoy our earthly existence and manifest our desires into
material objects. Muladhara is solid, thick, dense, and real. The flip  side of Muladhara is ex cessive fear that leads to worry,  anxiety,
and lack of tr ust. Y ou can f eel the weight of the gravita tional pull
downward and feel burdened and heavy. In an ef fort to ground yourself, you
can ove reat, which leads to being overweight or obese and feeling
disconnected from your body. People with shaky foundations m ay feel that they never have enough or
that what they do have will be taken away. They might hoard material
goods and pile them up in their homes. They can be stingy or miserly with
their money. Think of the principle of survival of the fittest. When we are stuck in the
first chakra, this becomes our guiding principle. Accepting First Chakra Gifts
W e live on this beautiful, bountiful planet called Earth. Our planet is filled
with lavish abundance. Our ability to experience this planet through our
senses is what can make us appreciate the objects that this life has to of fer. First chakra gifts tell us we’re not in lack. All we have to do is look around
and see the plentiful resources at our disposal. Nature brings us these gifts
we don’ t have to pay for. There is enough for everyone. While g ravity c an seem weighty, it’ s necessary for us to live out our
purpose in life. W e need to dig our hands into the dirt (so to speak) and live
in the here and now. Healing Muladhara
DAIL Y AFFIRMA TION
I am secure and grounded. My basic needs are met. I am fearless. Healing the Physical Body
Healing in the f irst chakra comes with accepting that you have a physical
body an d learnin g to appreciate and love it. Many people view their bodies
as a hindrance t o getting where they want to go. They say things like “Oh,
eating is such an inconvenience” or “If I didn’ t have to go to th e bathroom
or sleep  so much, I could get m ore done. ” Societal norms have us believe
that the body is designed to break down, experience disease, and get worse
with age. This is simply not true. Those are just beliefs. W omen often have body image issues. They feel shameful or hate their
bodies. They want their breasts to be smaller or bigger. They feel their
thighs are too fat or their b ottom is too thin. Conversely, men can
sometimes ignor e the needs of their bodies by for getting to get a  checkup or
not paying closer attention to the early physical signs of disease. I re cently had an A yurvedic c onsultation with a client who has an
inflammatory a utoimmune disease. She was worried about taking
prednisone daily and wanted to get of f it, but every time sh e tried, she
experienced the pain of her disease. In our consultation I discovered that her
primary dosha was V ata and she was only eating once a day and was barely
sleeping. I explained to her that  if she wanted her body to heal, she had to
get back  into her body. She’ s a highly creative individual and loves her
creative work. She embraces he r space and air qualities so much that she
lives daily in the  ether and reinf orces that by not eating or sleeping. Getting
back into her body means she needs to take care of it and do grounding
practices. Then, and only the n, will she be able to heal from her
autoimmune disease. Y our beautiful body is comprised of the elements of the earth: space, air,
fire, water, and earth. Y ou’re a part of this amazing and miraculous
existence. First,  accepting your body as a vehicle through which youexperience life is essential. Second, honoring your body by feeding it the
proper foods, exercising it, and  giving it adequate sleep shows that you
respect it. E A TING AS A  S ACRED  A CT
In W estern society we don’ t tak e time to appreciate the food we eat daily. W e ofte n eat food on the go, in  our vehicles or while walking, or we skip
meals throughout the day. Preparing food, serving it, and eating it should be
a s acred act. Ou r body is the only channel through which we enj oy our time
on e arth. Loving your body m eans appreciating its needs and benefiting
from its strengths. T o r econnect with your body through the act of eating, commit t o taking
at le ast o ne meal each week in s ilence. Shop for your food in gratitude and
excitement at the prospect of s haring the gift of a meal with your body. Prepare the food with love. T ake the time to smell your food and taste each
and every bite. Be grateful to Mother Earth for providing you with the
nourishment and sustenance that you need to live. P RACTICING  B ODY  A CCEPT ANCE
Y our body is giving you the gift of life every day. If you can get up and
walk, ru n, jump, and bend, you  have so many blessings. I love what Dr. W ayne Dyer used to say: “W e should have a liver appreciation day. ”  In
other words, celebrate the parts of your body you normally take for granted. When I’ m teaching yoga I sometimes have my students massag e their own
feet and thank their feet for supporting them. Look at your naked body in a m irror. Y ou read that correctly. Lo ok at it. Send it love and appreciate its beauty. Y OGA  A SANAS AND  P RANA Y AMA  E XERCISES T O  H EAL THE
F IRST  C HAKRAPracticing yoga is a great way to  heal your chakras. T o heal the first chakra,
you will focus o n grounding poses or any pose that engages the base of the
spine and the area of the perineum. T o view a video demo of these exer cises, go to
www.
Michelle S. Fondin
Who wrote the book "The Wheel of Healing with A yurveda"?
The author believes that the chakras can be used for healing and spiritual growth, and that it's important to accept and balance the different aspects of our lives.
What is the author's perspective on the concept of chakras and their role in healing?
The primary goal of the book is to provide a holistic approach to health and wellness, and to help readers balance their doshas and chakras.
What is the primary goal of the book "The Wheel of Healing with A yurveda"?
The author has had a personal experience with using alternative healing methods, including meditation and visualization, to heal from thyroid cancer.
What is the author's experience with alternative medicine and healing?
The author emphasizes the importance of accepting and balancing the different aspects of our lives, including the physical, emotional, and spiritual, in order to achieve self-realization and overall well-being.
What is the author's message on the importance of accepting and balancing the different aspects of life?
The author believes that karma is a real concept, and that it's important to accept the present moment and the limitations it brings, in order to move forward and heal.
What is the author's view on the concept of karma and the importance of accepting the present moment?