What is chakra breathing?
Chakra breathing is an extension of Central Channel Breathing that enlivens each of our chakras or energy centers, balancing our body’s energy. An understanding of The 7 Chakras and their locations is helpful for this practice. Visualizing the breath moving through each chakra is key to this practice. See the picture above for an approximation of each chakra’s location in the body.
Benefits of chakra breathing:
Chakra breathing brings our energy to life, balancing our energy flow by aligning each area of the body to its natural vibrational frequency. This practice will leave you feeling in sync, harmonious with your higher self.
Chakra Breathing How To:
Sit or lie in a comfortable position
Keep good posture
Breath through the nose and into the belly
Take two breaths through each chakra starting with root chakra and ending with the crown chakra
Root Chakra Breath How To:
Focus your attention on the base of your spine
Perform a root lock - contract your pelvic floor muscles by lifting them toward your belly button as you draw your low belly in – this a basic Kegel exercise – like the squeeze of stopping your urine midstream
Hold this root lock as you breathe deeply and slowly, drawing the breath up from the ground and through your pelvis
Follow the breath all the way up and out the top of your head
Then reverse – draw the breath in from overhead as you hold a root lock
Follow the breath all the way down through the pelvis and out into the ground
Sacral Chakra Breath How To:
Focus your attention on the belly button
Hold your root lock as you breathe deeply and slowly, drawing the breath up from the ground and through your belly – really focus on expanding your belly
Follow the breath all the way up and out the top of your head
Then reverse – draw the breath in from overhead as you hold a root lock
Follow the breath all the way down through the belly and out into the ground
Solar Plexus Chakra Breath How To:
Focus your attention on the area just above the belly button but below the chest
Hold your root lock
Keep your shoulders pulled back and down and squeeze through your chest
Hold this squeeze as you breathe deeply and slowly, drawing the breath up from the ground and through the solar plexus
Imagine the area just above your belly button expanding into the size of a grapefruit with your inhale and contracting into the size of a baseball with your exhale
Follow the breath all the way up and out the top of your head
Then reverse – draw the breath in from overhead as you hold a root lock and squeeze your chest
Follow the breath all the way down through the solar plexus and out into the ground
Again, imagine the area just above your belly button expanding into the size of a grapefruit with your inhale and contracting into the size of a baseball with your exhale
Heart Charka Breath How To:
Focus your attention on the center of your chest
Hold your root lock
Keep your shoulders pulled back and down as you breathe deeply and slowly, drawing the breath up from the ground and through your chest
Imagine your chest, lungs, and body expanding as the breath overflows through them and into the room
Follow the breath all the way up and out the top of your head as your chest and lungs deflate
Then reverse – draw the breath in from overhead as you hold a root lock
Follow the breath all the way down through the chest, expanding the chest and body and then follow it out into the ground as your chest and lungs deflate
Throat Chakra Breath How To:
Focus your attention on the center of your throat
Hold your root lock
Keep your shoulders pulled back and down and squeeze through your chest
Hold this squeeze as you breathe deeply and slowly, drawing the breath down from overhead through the throat – work to open the throat for this breath by breathing as if you were yawning with your mouth closed
Follow the breath all the way down and out the base of your spine into the ground
Then reverse – draw the breath up from the ground as you hold a root lock and squeeze your chest
Follow the breath all the way up, through the throat, and out into the atmosphere; work to open the throat for this breath by breathing as if you were yawning with your mouth closed
Third Eye Chakra Breath How To:
Focus your attention on the center of your head just above and between your eyebrows
Hold your root lock and roll your eyes up as you breathe deeply and slowly, drawing the breath in from in front of your face, through the center of your head, and out the back of your head
Then reverse - draw the breath in from the back of your head as you hold a root lock and roll your eyes up
Follow the breath through the center of your head and out the front of your head
Crown Chakra Breath How To:
Focus your attention on the top of your head
Hold a root lock and roll your eyes up as you draw the breath in through the top of your head and follow it all the way down your central channel and out into the ground
Then reverse – draw the breath up from the ground as you hold a root lock and roll your eyes up
Follow the breath all the way up your central channel, out through the top of your head, and into the atmosphere
Notes:
Feel the energy circulating through your entire body
With practice, this breathwork exercise will become a simple flow through the chakras that will only take a few minutes for you to complete
Focus on following each breath through the focal chakra in each direction
For chakras 1-4 (root, sacral, solar plexus, heart), the first breath is up the central channel and the second breath in down the central channel
For chakras 5 and 7 (throat and crown), the first breath is down the central channel and the second breath is up the central channel
For chakra 6 (third eye), the first breath is drawn in from in front of your face and the second breath is drawn in from the back of your head
Feel your body and energy waking up – let it feel good
Visualize each chakra and your central channel with each breath
Allow yourself to relax
Simply Be. Enjoy!
Photo by Sharon Pittaway on Unsplash
Reference:
Morter, S., The Energy Codes: The 7-step System to Awaken Your Spirit, Heal Your Body, and Live Your Best Life, 2019.