Balance Your Chakras Through Adventure & Travel Experiences

According to the yogis our “chakras” relate to various power centers throughout the body. They can become out of balance or distorted which creates problems not just in the body and mind, but in the life.

The word chakra translates from the Sanskrit to the English word “wheel” and refers to the vortices of prana that are formed by the crossing of the major flows of energy on the left and right sides of the energy body.

Each vortex aligns with nerve centers in the physical body, and we can look to these regions of the body to understand their physical and energetic functionality, as well as if they are in balance or out of balance.

Read on to determine your state of being within each chakra and if you are being called to push beyond your comfort zone in order to gain experiences that could bring you back into balance.

First Chakra

We start with the first chakra, in Sanskrit it is called Muladhara which translates as “root existence.” This is located in the region of the tailbone and pubic bone at the base of the spine. It correlates to the element of Earth and our most basic needs. The planetary ruler is Saturn, the planet of limitation, foundation and restriction. It relates to our survival instincts and our sense of “home.” In its balanced state you are practical, grounded and self-disciplined. You have a strong sense of self, and move with ease through life. It can become unbalanced when we are locked into fight or flight; when we are fearful or feel ungrounded. When our homelife is not balanced, and when we don’t feel safe and comfortable in our own skin. When imbalanced we find ourselves becoming depressed, or pessimistic. We can feel unloved and untethered. This can surface in the body as tension or immobility in the hips; or constipation.

Travel ideas – going to an Ayurvedic spa for a panchakarma cleanse and abyangha massage; visiting a country of origin for your family in order to learn more about your roots; doing a “staycation” in your own hometown; slow and grounding yoga practices.

Second Chakra

The second chakra is located in the region between the hipbones; the low belly and sacrum. The Sanskrit term is Svadisthana which translates as “one’s own home.” It is said to be the seat of the soul, and relates to the element of Water. The planetary ruler is Jupiter, the planet of expansion, creativity and vision. Women can exercise the ultimate creative power by birthing human beings from this space. When our second chakra is in harmony, we are optimistic, generous and creative. We enjoy the pleasures of the body and of human life. When this chakra is out of balance, we find ourselves overly indulgent or excessive. Over-confident or oppressing others. Guilt can cause us to stifle our desires or become obsessive or addicted. We can experience problems with our reproductive organs, or have digestion issues.

Travel ideas – go somewhere you can take a course or gain a certification; bucket-list type travel; cruise ship or catamaran to bring in the water element; visit an exotic culture very different from your own, somewhere that they speak a different language; retreats that focus on art or music.

Third Chakra

The third chakra is Manipura, the “city of jewels,” located a little above or below our naval center and lumbar spine region. This is our fire center, and is ruled by the planet Mars. This is the center that drives our will and independence. That gives us our “get up and go” energy; it is our will and willpower. This energy center becomes easily aggravated in our culture because it is the one right before the Venus (heart) chakra. The planet Earth comes between them and we often “drop” in lower Martian vibrations. When our third chakra is balanced, we are courageous and confident. Full of energy and able to make wise decisions. We take positive actions to get what we want and claim our space in the world. When our Mars energy becomes unbalanced, we fall easily into anger and power struggles. We become argumentative and unable to react to difficulties with wisdom. We can become over-sexed or abuse our bodies with too much exercise or overeating. We feel shame for our desires because we cannot find a way to claim them in a healthy manner. We can experience heat related ailments in the body like ulcers of the stomach, or acne.

Travel ideas – take an active vacation or a bike and yoga retreat; learn a new sport like surfing or volleyball; healthy competitive retreats; ashtanga or other vigorous systems of yoga.

Fourth Chakra

Our fourth chakra is Anahata, the spiritual heart center. It relates to the planet Venus and is of the element of air. It is located right around our sternum in the front and thoracic spine in the back body. This is the energy center related to love, respect, beauty and service. It is how we express our love and values out in the world. It relates to love of others, but also love of self. And when it is in balance, we are gentle, kind, loving and compassionate. We are doing good works in the world, and we are valuing ourselves. When this energy center becomes closed off, we become selfish. We can become crippled by our emotionality and live from our wounds. We can allow ourselves to make choices that cause pain and suffering because we feel that is all we deserve. We can become lost in grief and regret; or become cold, cruel, or indifferent. We can experience pain between the shoulder blades, or find ourselves hunching over to protect our spiritual heart.

Travel ideas – go to an exotic location to volunteer; experience an indulgent, pampering retreat; go with your lover to a romantic spa or resort; yin type yoga experiences, particularly heart openers.

Fifth Chakra

Our fifth chakra is called Vishuddha or “pure.” This is the region at the base of the throat and cervical spine between the collarbones. The Throat Chakra is ruled by the planet Mercury and relates to the element of ether. This is the energy center that relates to communication and expression. It also relates to the mind in its function as a processor of basic data and information, the lower or “manas” part of our mind. It is how we speak to the world, but also how we speak to ourselves. It is how we write and think. When this center is flowing properly, we are articulate and diplomatic. We can balance our honesty with wisdom and kindness. We can understand what we want and ask for it. When this center becomes blocked, we find ourselves nervous and indecisive. We are unable to make decisions, and can become frustrated when we feel unheard or misunderstood. We find ourselves unable to wrap appropriate words around our emotions or express ourselves. We tell lies and untruths. We can have constant sore throats, or even find the sound of our voice becoming dim or harsh.

Travel ideas – go on a writing or journaling retreat; take a seminar on communication; go on a retreat that focuses on bhakti yoga, kirtan or chanting; experience a kundalini retreat with lots of powerful breathwork.

Sixth Chakra

The sixth chakra is our third-eye, Ajna chakra at the front and Chandra chakra at the back. This is called the “command center” and is located between the eyebrows, at the apex of the nose and at the base of the bump of the back of the skull. This space encompasses both the Sun and the Moon and is the seat of wisdom and intuition. The back of the skull is one of the primary ways that prana enters the energy body and the center between the eyebrows relates to the pineal gland and is considered the seat of the spirit. When our sixth chakra is balanced, we are connected to our intuition, higher self and gain insight from meditation and quiet time to connect to our ancestors and guides. We are creative, honorable and wise. We are adaptable and less reactive. When these higher centers become unbalanced, we become deluded and confused. We can be arrogant or lost in a world that exists only in our minds. We can exhibit poor judgment, or be overly moody and emotional. We can experience severe headaches and insomnia. We can become lost in negative self-talk or hear only the critical voices of our past echoing through the mind. We can get lost in the illusion of being separate and forget that we are but one strand in the fabric of the Universe. We can lose our sense of wholeness.

Travel ideas – meditation retreats; guided imagery; trip involving volunteering or selfless service.

Seventh Chakra

Our seventh chakra is technically not a chakra because it is not a wheel of prana; it is, instead, a doorway to the cosmos. It is called Sahasrara, the “thousand-petaled lotus” and is beyond the elements and the planets in this Universe. This is located at the fontanel at the top of the skull, and is the doorway to the subtle cosmic realms. When it is flowing, we are connected to the entire Universe; when it is blocked, we are stuck in our attachments to the Earth plane.

Travel ideas – silent retreat; an extended stay at a monastery or ashram; spiritual pilgrimage or retreat in a location that holds magical lines of energy (think India, Peru, Mexico).