The Seven Chakras - Finding Balance in Art
THE ARTWORK - A FEW YEARS IN THE MAKING.
The Seven Chakras
When I was younger, I was determined to find a balance that would bring me mental and physical happiness. Although I've faced challenges and made mistakes, I've always tried to focus on the positives. In today's world, it's more important than ever to spread love instead of hate.
While searching for balance, I discovered the Seven Chakras: Root, Sacral, Solar Plexus, Heart, Throat, Third Eye, and Crown. Each Chakra has its unique attributes that, when activated correctly, can contribute to a more balanced and healthier lifestyle.
When I initially set out to create The Spiritual Awakening, a piece of digital art, I wanted to incorporate the chakras to represent the connection between the earth and the spirit during meditation. Despite being unsatisfied with the initial design, which featured flat and unremarkable vectors created using Adobe Illustrator, I continued to work on it by experimenting with various textures and backgrounds in Photoshop. After many attempts, I ultimately returned to Illustrator to utilise its new 3D features, which improved the chakras beyond my expectations. You can still find the original chakras in The Spiritual Awakening, which has since gone viral on Pinterest and become one of my best-selling prints.
*This blog is not intended to teach spiritual practices, such as unblocking chakras or following a spiritual guide. I am not a spiritual master or guru. Instead, I focus on sharing my artwork's symbolism and significance.
What is a Chakra?
Translated from Sanskrit, the term means ‘Wheel’ or ‘Disk’. These ‘wheels’ are said to be spinning wheels aligned in the centre of the body, starting from the base of your spine to the crown of your head, regulating all parts of the bodily system, influencing everything from emotional processing to resistance to disease.
I read there are 114 different chakras located somewhere outside of the body, but for this blog, I will stick to the primary seven; feel free to do some research on the 114 chakras. I would love to hear your results.
Muladhara The Root Chakra
Root Chakra - The First Chakra
The Muladhara Chakra, also known as the root base or foundation, is located at the bottom of the spine and provides a grounding connection to the earth. When this Chakra is open, it creates a sense of physical and emotional stability. It is depicted as a red lotus flower with four petals, a square, and an inverted triangle, with the mantra LAM at its centre.
The Root chakra holds significant meaning. It is associated with red, symbolising energy, awakening, movement, and evolution. Specifically, in the root chakra, red resembles the dawn and represents the transition from a passive state to active awareness.
The lotus flower that represents the root chakra has four petals, each representing a vital aspect of the human psyche: mind (Manas), intellect (Buddhi), consciousness (Chitta), and ego (Ahamkara). The square shape is a stable structure that provides a foundation for the other chakras to rest upon.
The inverted triangle symbolises the seeding of consciousness into the root chakra, where it flourishes and grows like the roots of a tree.
By chanting the LAM Mantra, one can open up their prosperity, belongings, and feelings and awaken the Root Chakra.
Svadhishthana The Sacral Chakra
The Sacral Chakra - The Second Chakra
The Svadhishthana Chakra, located in the lower abdomen, represents the self and is associated with water. This Chakra signifies fluidity, flow, movement, and liveliness. Its symbol is an orange lotus with six petals, with a crescent moon shape formed by two circles at its centre. The mantra VAM is written at the centre of the lotus.
The Sacral Chakra is represented by orange, symbolising activity, aliveness, and pure energy. Buddhist monks often wear this colour.
The Chakra's six petals signify six qualities that must be overcome to purify it: anger, hatred, jealousy, cruelty, desire, and pride.
The circles in the Chakra symbolise cycles, with the first representing the sun and the second representing the moon, forming the well-known lunar phase symbol. These cycles signify constant movement and lasting change.
The VAM Mantra is associated with sexuality, sensuality, and the desire for pleasure. It helps awaken the Sacral Chakra.
Manipura The Solar Plexus Charkra
The Solar Plexus Chakra - The Third Chakra
The Manipura Chakra, also known as the City of Jewels, is connected to the sun and fire element. Located in the upper abdomen, it symbolises energy, power, will, and determination. It is represented by a yellow lotus with ten petals and an inverted triangle featuring the RAM Mantra at its centre.
The Solar Plexus Chakra holds great significance and is associated with the colour yellow. Yellow is associated with fire and the sun, symbolising energy. In Hinduism, yellow is seen as a symbol of meditation, competence, and mental development.
The Solar Plexus Chakra has ten petals, which represent the ten forms of subtle energy used by the human body, known as ten pranas. When open, the petals act as a magnet, attracting energy from the cosmos and making it usable for the human body. Alternatively, some traditions believe that the petals represent ten blocking qualities that must be overcome to open the Chakra fully - sadness, foolishness, delusion, disgust, fear, shame, betrayal, jealousy, ambition, and ignorance.
The Solar Plexus Chakra is also represented by an inverted triangle associated with radiant energy. This is unlike the root chakra, which symbolises the seeding of consciousness. The Solar Plexus Chakra attracts energy like a magnet from the cosmos and pushes it down to the lower chakras.
The RAM Symbol is also vital as it controls one's destiny and awakens the Solar Plexus Chakra, making one feel powerful.
Anahata The Heart Chakra
The Heart Chakra - The Fourth Chakra
The Anahata Chakra is a term used to represent the concept of being unstruck, unbeaten, and unhurt. It is situated at the centre of the chest, just above the heart. This Chakra is linked to the air element, love, relationship, connection, and compassion. It is represented by a green lotus with twelve petals and a six-pointed star in the centre. The Mantra YAM is written in the middle of the Chakra. The Heart Chakra, as it is often referred to, is always untouched at its deepest core, remaining in eternal love and peace despite the negative aspects of daily life and the pursuit of a perfect world. It is also associated with the heart as its source.
The Heart Chakra holds significant meaning and is associated with the colour green, representing life and nature and evoking feelings of peace and happiness.
The Twelve-Petaled Lotus symbolises twelve divine qualities of the heart, including love, empathy, and forgiveness, or twelve qualities that block it, such as arrogance and discrimination.
The Six-Pointed Star, made of two triangles, represents the Heart Chakra's centre, balancing spiritual and physical energies.
The YAM Symbol, through its mantra, can awaken the Heart Chakra, bringing inner peace, love, and compassion.
Vishuddha The Throat Chakra
The Throat Chakra - The Fifth Chakra
The Vishuddha Chakra, located in the throat, is associated with the element of ether and symbolises communication, authenticity, and purification. Its name, Vishuddha, translates to "impurity, poison purify (the purifier)" due to the energy known as Udana Prana, which helps rid the body of toxins while breathing and release suppressed negativity. The Throat Chakra also enables the clear expression of our inner thoughts and dreams to ourselves and the world. It is depicted as a blue lotus with sixteen petals, an inverted triangle in the centre, and a circle within the triangle. The mantra HAM is written in the centre as well.
The Throat Chakra represents communication and wisdom. Its associated colour is blue, which has a calming effect on the nervous system and is linked to purity.
The Sixteen-Petaled Lotus represents the sixteen development abilities, including joy, love, and intellect. It is also associated with the sixteen Sanskrit vowels, which signify the airy quality of communication.
The Triangle and Circle symbolise a pure channel for the soul's consciousness and a purified mind.
Lastly, the HAM Symbol is related to the physical and spiritual voice and can awaken The Throat Chakra.
Ajna The Third Eye Chakra
The Third Eye Chakra - The Sixth Chakra
The Ajna is a term that means "Command." It represents a higher level of knowledge and wisdom that should guide our actions. This centre is located at the forehead between the eyes and is associated with the dimension of light. It is the centre of clarity and insight and is responsible for awakening the pineal gland. The Ajna is described as having two purple or indigo petals with an inverted triangle inside. The holy symbol of OM, the source sound of all creation, is inside the triangle.
Indigo is often linked to our subconscious and our relationship with the universe. It can strengthen our intuition, creativity, psychic powers, and dreaming ability.
The Third Eye Chakra is symbolised by a lotus with two petals on either side, representing the balance between ourselves and the divine. The inverted triangle signifies our connection to enlightenment and the divine.
Lastly, the OM symbolises ultimate reality, consciousness, and soul. It transcends time and knowledge, surpasses the duality of God and Soul, and can awaken the Third Eye and Crown Chakra.
The Crown Chakra - The Seventh Chakra
Sahasrara The Crown Chakra
The Sahasrara Chakra is the final Chakra known as the "thousand" or "infinite" Chakra. It is situated at the top of the head and is associated with space and nothingness. This Chakra allows individuals to transcend themselves, unite with the infinite source of creation, and experience oneness. The Sahasrara Chakra is depicted as a white or violet lotus flower with a circle in the centre and a thousand petals surrounding it.
The colour violet is associated with spirituality and provides guidance, wisdom, and inner strength while purifying our thoughts.
The thousand-petaled lotus represents the full blossoming of consciousness, and the circle symbolises the full moon, a sign of the awakening of the conscious mind.
The OM symbol, which represents the Third Eye Chakra, is the ultimate spiritual symbol that indicates the ultimate reality, consciousness, and soul and awakens the Crown and Third Eye Chakra.
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