Lifepro and LIVFITT Collaboration | Yoga Chakras

If you have been following us for the past few months, you may have noticed that we hosted weekly Facebook Yoga Lives with the one and only Roseann Zaft! We partnered with Roseann back in January in order to bring you educational, yet fun and interactive Yoga workout videos for you to do in the comfort of your own space. Through this collaboration between Lifepro and Roseann’s training program, LIVFITT, the videos take you through a 30-45-minute yoga session that you can do with your Lifepro equipment.

A little bit about Roseann:

Roseann is a personal trainer and wellness coach that has been helping people 50+ to overcome their fears of aging, physical limitations and health challenges and empower them through exercise and nutrition for over 22 years now. As the founder of LIVFITT, she has created and executed her own educational programs and teaches her clients how to heal their bodies from the inside out.

By helping her clients find the right kind of workout for their body type, age, fitness level, flexibility and lifestyle, she ultimately shows them how to eliminate the challenges that get in the way of achieving those goals in order to feel younger, live longer and remain pain-free. Be sure to click here If you want to learn more about Roseann and her teachings!

Yoga Chakras

Roseann is a huge advocate for taking a holistic approach when it comes to fitness and overall well-being. If you have been doing yoga for awhile, you may be familiar with the term “chakras” and if not, Roseann created a guide to help you understand each of your seven chakras and the meaning behind each of them! Keep reading below if you would like to learn more about the chakra system and how balancing one’s chakras can benefit your health.

Chakra Overview

• Sanskrit meaning wheel or disc
  
• There are 7 major chakras and many minor chakras in our body
  
• Part of a subtle energy body (along with the nadis)
  
• The spiritual body is composed of vibrations of light (energy), chakras are found embedded in our energy field within the physical body; these spinning vortices of energy cannot be physically detected.
  
• Resonate at different frequencies corresponding to the colors of the rainbow.
  
• Location of chakras in the energy body corresponds directly to endocrine glands in the physical body; the endocrine system controls the hormone balance in the body and has a powerful effect on our moods and emotions.
  
• Can be excessive or deficient.
  
• Balance by working with the elements, sound, colors, crystal (gemstones), oils, bandas, mudras, healing touch (mudras), yoga (asanas).
  
• The seven major chakras are listed below. **Please note that this information is not inclusive but merely a guide to understanding the Chakras.
  

Chakra 1: Muladhara: mula = “root”, hara = “support”; Root Chakra

• Symbol: 4-petal lotus
  
• Location: Base of the spine, at the top of the legs, at the perineum (between genitals and anus)
  
• Focus: Controls our energy levels, our connection to the earth and our ambitions, self-preservation, survival instincts, health, security and dynamic presence, grounding and stillness.
  
• Element: Earth
  
• Color: Red
  
• Gemstone: Agate, Garnet, Ruby, Smoky Quartz, & Bloodstone
  
• Essential Oil: Cedar, Clove, Cypress, Marjoram, Myrrh
  
• Bandha: Mula Bandha
  
• Mudra: Thumb touches index finger
  
• Seed sound (bija): LAM
  
• Mantra: “I have”
  
• Glands: Adrenals
  
• Asanas: Child’s pose, Tadasasana, Utkatasasana,
  
• Physical focus: The back, legs, hips, feet, spine and the circulation of blood. Bones, teeth, nails, legs, arms, intestines, anus, & prostate.

Chakra 2: Svadhisthana: svad = “self”, histhana = “origin”; Hara/Sacral Chakra

• Symbol: 6-petal lotus
  
• Location: Lower abdomen, below the navel
  
• Focus: Your passions, sexual needs, and the fulfillment of your desires, self-gratification, feelings, sensations and sexuality; balances the free giving of receiving of feelings and emotions brings us fluidity and grace.
  
• Element: Water
  
• Color: Orange
  
• Gemstone: Moonstone, Carnelian, Tourmaline
  
• Essential Oil: Sandalwood, Ylang Ylang
  
• Bandha: Mula Bandha
  
• Mudra: Hands on lap, palms up on top of each other; left hand underneath; tips of thumbs touch gently.
  
• Seed sound (bija): VAM
  
• Mantra: “I feel”
  
• Glands: Ovaries, Testicles, Prostate
  
• Asanas: Supta Baddha Konasana, Navasana, Mandukasana (frog)
  
• Physical focus: Pelvic area, the sexual organs, bladder, kidneys, bowel and lower intestine; all liquid and fluids in the body.

Chakra 3: Manipura: “lustious gem”; Solar Plexus Chakra

• Symbol: 10-petal lotus
  
• Location: slightly down from the navel
  
• Focus: Ego, identity, our will, personal power, autonomy and metabolism; “feeling” and “being” are integrated here; where the personality is formed; brings us our strength, courage and will to succeed, achieve and survive. When healthy, this chakra brings us energy, effectiveness, and non-dominating power.
  
• Element: Fire
  
• Color: Yellow Gold
  
• Gemstone: Amber, Tiger’s Eye, Citrine, Yellow Topaz
  
• Essential Oil: Chamomile, Lemon, Thyme, Ylang Ylang
  
• Bandha: Uddiyana Bandha
  
• Mudra: Put hands before your stomach, slightly above navel; fingers straight and pointing away, thumbs crossed.
  
• Seed sound (bija): RAM
  
• Mantra: “I can”
  
• Glands: Pancreas, adrenals
  
• Asanas: Plank, Warrior Poses, Ardha Chandrasana, Parivrtta Trikonasana
  
• Physical focus: Lower back, abdomen, stomach, liver, spleen, digestive system, gallbladder, and nervous system

Chakra 4: Anahata: “unstruck sound”; Heart Chakra (middle of the 7)

• Symbol: 12-petal lotus
  
• Location: Center of chest
  
• Focus: Affects our emotions and feelings and how we express them towards others; love, balance, compassion; have a deep sense of peace ourselves and others; balance of material and spiritual
  
• Element: Air
  
• Color: Green
  
• Gemstone: Emerald, Green Jade, Rose Quartz, Kunzite
  
• Essential Oil: Geranium, Bergamot, Rose, Clary Sage
  
• Bandha: Uddiyana Bandha
  
• Mudra: Sit cross-legged; touch tips of index finger and thumb of both hands; put left hand on left knee and right hand on lower part of breast bone.
  
• Seed sound (bija): SAM or YAM
  
• Mantra: “I love”
  
• Glands: Thymus
  
• Asanas: Utasasana, Matsyasana, Cobra, Ustrasana, Dhanurasana
  
• Physical focus: Controls the heart and circulation in the lungs; upper back, rib cage, chest, skin, abdominal cavity.

Chakra 5: Visuddha: “pure amidst all impurity”; Throat Chakra

• Symbol: 16-petal lotus
  
• Location: Between inner collar bones
  
• Focus: Creative identity, governs the aspect of communication, will power, connection, truthfulness and creativity, self-expression we experience the world symbolically through vibration, such as vibration of sound representing language; balance of silence and speech.
  
• Element: Sound
  
• Color: Cyan, Light Blue
  
• Gemstone: Aquamarine, Turquoise, Sodalite
  
• Essential Oil: Lavender, Sandalwood, Sage
  
• Bandha: Jalandhara Bandha
  
• Mudra: Palms up, cross all fingers except thumbs; let thumbs touch and lift up slightly
  
• Seed sound (bija): HAM
  
• Mantra: “I speak”
  
• Glands: Hypothalamus
  
• Asanas: Sarvangasana, Halasana, Ustrasana
  
• Physical focus: Lungs, vocal cords, bronchials, throat, thyroid, voice, jaw, & neck.
  

Chakra 6: Ajna: “to perceive”, The Command Center; Third-Eye Chakra

• Symbol: 96-petals
  
• Location: Middle of the forehead
  
• Focus: Self-reflection; governs our senses, knowledge, senses, imagination, intuition, and wisdom; allows us to see clearly, in effect, letting us “see the big picture”; act of seeing physically and intuitively; knowing of Oneness.
  
• Element: Light
  
• Color: Indigo or White
  
• Gemstone: Lapis, Indigo Sapphire, Opal, & Lolite
  
• Essential Oil: Jasmine, Basil, Patchouli, Rosemary
  
• Bandha: ----
  
• Mudra: Put hands at lower part of chest; middle fingers are straight and touch at the tops, pointing forward; other fingers are bent and touch at the upper two phalanges; thumb points toward you and touch at the top.
  
• Seed sound (bija): OM
  
• Mantra: “I SEE, I AM THAT”
  
• Glands: Pituitary
  
• Asanas: Plank, Purvottasana, Dandasana. Garudasana
  
• Physical focus: Skull, face, eyes, nose, sinus, pituitary gland, cerebellum and nervous system.
  

Chakra 7: Sahasrara: “universal identity”; Crown Chakra

• Symbol: 1000-petal lotus
  
• Location: Cerebral cortex
  
• Focus: Self-knowledge, consciousness as pure awareness, our connection to the Divine healing energy, to the greater world beyond, timeless, space-less place of all knowing; miraculous healing, telepathy are all because of this chakra. When developed, this chakra brings us knowledge, wisdom, understanding, spiritual connection, and bliss.
  
• Element: All elements, thought
  
• Color: Violet, White, Gold
  
• Gemstone: Amethyst, Crystal, Topaz, Alexandrite, Sapphire
  
• Essential Oil: Frankincense, Olibanum, Oakmoss, Lotus
  
• Bandha: ----
  
• Mudra: Put hands before stomach; let ring fingers point up, touching at their tops; cross rest of the fingers with the left thumb underneath the right.
  
• Seed sound (bija): SILENCE
  
• Mantra: “TO BE, I AM THAT I AM”
  
• Glands: Pituitary
  
• Asanas: Janusirasana, Paschimottanasana, Salamba Sirsasana, Ado Muka Vrksasana
  
• Physical focus: Spinal cord, brain, nerves, cerebellum, skull.
  

The chakra system is balanced and harmonized as a result in our physical, mental, emotional and spiritual well-being, thereby allowing us to enjoy perfect health. This can be achieved by: Reiki, meditation, positive affirmations, yoga, or creative visualizations.