The Chakra System for Yoga Teachers

Overview

You've probably heard students ask about chakras—maybe they want a "heart-opening class" or mention feeling blocked in their throat chakra. The chakra system offers a powerful framework for understanding and working with subtle energy in your teaching, but it can feel abstract or overwhelming at first.

Here's the good news: you don't need to be an expert in esoteric philosophy to work with chakras effectively. Understanding the basics—where they're located, what they govern, and how poses relate to them—gives you a practical tool for creating themed classes and helping students connect physical practice to energetic experience.

The chakra system describes seven main energy centers along the spine, from the base to the crown of the head. Each chakra corresponds to specific physical locations, psychological qualities, and life themes. When you understand these connections, you can sequence classes that address not just physical needs but emotional and energetic ones too.

Key Concepts

What Are Chakras?

The word chakra means "wheel" or "disc" in Sanskrit. B.K.S. Iyengar describes chakras as "nerve centres, the fly-wheels in the machine that is the human body." They're regions within the spinal column where energy channels (nādīs) cross each other, creating concentrated points of subtle energy.

Traditional yoga texts describe chakras as "lotuses" or "padmas" with varying numbers of petals, each associated with specific sounds, elements, deities, and qualities. While this symbolism is rich and meaningful, as a teacher you can work with a more practical understanding: chakras are energetic focal points that correspond to physical, emotional, and psychological aspects of human experience.

The Seven Main Chakras

Here are the seven chakras from base to crown, with their locations and core qualities:

1. Mūlādhāra (Root Chakra)

• Location: Base of spine, pelvic floor
• Anatomical Correlation: Pelvic plexus, adrenal glands
• Element: Earth
• Qualities: Grounding, stability, survival, safety, basic needs
• When Balanced: Feeling secure, grounded, present in your body
• When Imbalanced: Anxiety, fear, feeling ungrounded or unsafe

2. Svādhiṣṭhāna (Sacral Chakra)

• Location: Lower abdomen, below navel
• Anatomical Correlation: Hypogastric plexus, reproductive organs
• Element: Water
• Qualities: Creativity, sexuality, emotions, pleasure, flow
• When Balanced: Creative expression, healthy relationships, emotional fluidity
• When Imbalanced: Creative blocks, emotional rigidity, relationship issues

3. Maṇipūra (Solar Plexus Chakra)

• Location: Navel center, upper abdomen
• Anatomical Correlation: Solar plexus, pancreas
• Element: Fire
• Qualities: Personal power, confidence, will, digestion (physical and emotional)
• When Balanced: Strong sense of self, healthy boundaries, vitality
• When Imbalanced: Low self-esteem, control issues, digestive problems

4. Anāhata (Heart Chakra)

• Location: Center of chest, heart region
• Anatomical Correlation: Cardiac plexus, thymus gland
• Element: Air
• Qualities: Love, compassion, connection, forgiveness, breath
• When Balanced: Open-hearted, compassionate, connected to others
• When Imbalanced: Closed off, difficulty giving or receiving love, grief

5. Viśuddha (Throat Chakra)

• Location: Throat, base of neck
• Anatomical Correlation: Pharyngeal plexus, thyroid gland
• Element: Ether/Space
• Qualities: Communication, expression, truth, authenticity
• When Balanced: Clear communication, authentic self-expression
• When Imbalanced: Difficulty speaking truth, fear of judgment, throat tension

6. Ājñā (Third Eye Chakra)

• Location: Between eyebrows, center of forehead
• Anatomical Correlation: Cavernous plexus, pituitary gland
• Element: Light
• Qualities: Intuition, insight, wisdom, vision, clarity
• When Balanced: Clear perception, trust in intuition, mental clarity
• When Imbalanced: Confusion, lack of direction, overthinking

7. Sahasrāra (Crown Chakra)

• Location: Crown of head
• Anatomical Correlation: Cerebral cortex, pineal gland
• Element: Consciousness/Thought
• Qualities: Connection to divine, unity, transcendence, pure awareness
• When Balanced: Sense of connection to something greater, inner peace
• When Imbalanced: Disconnection, lack of purpose, spiritual crisis

Chakras as Nerve Centers

Iyengar's description of chakras as "nerve centres" and "fly-wheels" helps bridge traditional and modern understanding. Each chakra corresponds to a nerve plexus—a network of intersecting nerves in the physical body:

• Mūlādhāra → Pelvic plexus
• Svādhiṣṭhāna → Hypogastric plexus
• Maṇipūra → Solar plexus
• Anāhata → Cardiac plexus
• Viśuddha → Pharyngeal plexus
• Ājñā → Cavernous plexus
• Sahasrāra → Cerebral cortex

This anatomical correlation helps students understand chakras not as purely mystical concepts but as energetic focal points with real physiological connections.

Energy Flow and Balance

Traditional teachings describe energy (prāṇa or kuṇḍalinī) rising through the chakras from base to crown. Mark Stephens explains: "Chakras are said to be part of a much higher energy system than the physical body. Traditionally it is said that awakening of the chakras depends on opening a higher source of energy than the physical body can provide, that it takes a concentrated quality level of awareness."

For teaching purposes, think of chakra work as creating balance rather than "awakening" or "opening." When all seven chakras are balanced, energy flows freely through the system. Your sequencing can help students experience this balance through poses, breath, and awareness.

In Practice

Poses for Each Chakra

Here are poses commonly associated with each chakra. Remember, these aren't rigid rules—poses can affect multiple chakras, and individual experience varies.

Mūlādhāra (Root) Poses

• Standing Poses: Mountain, Warrior I & II, Triangle
• Seated: Easy Pose, Bound Angle
• Supine: Bridge, Legs Up the Wall
• Focus: Grounding through feet, stability through legs, connection to earth

Svādhiṣṭhāna (Sacral) Poses

• Hip Openers: Pigeon, Lizard, Goddess Pose
• Flow: Cat-Cow, Pelvic Tilts
• Seated: Seated Wide-Angle Forward Fold
• Focus: Hip mobility, fluid movement, creative expression

Maṇipūra (Solar Plexus) Poses

• Core Work: Boat, Plank, Side Plank
• Twists: Revolved Triangle, Seated Spinal Twist
• Backbends: Cobra, Locust
• Focus: Core strength, twisting to "stoke the fire," building heat

Anāhata (Heart) Poses

• Backbends: Camel, Bow, Wheel
• Chest Openers: Fish, Supported Bridge
• Arm Balances: Upward Plank
• Focus: Opening chest, shoulder flexibility, breath expansion

Viśuddha (Throat) Poses

• Inversions: Shoulderstand, Plow
• Neck Release: Fish, Supported Shoulderstand
• Backbends: Camel (with head release)
• Focus: Neck space, throat opening, voice/breath connection

Ājñā (Third Eye) Poses

• Forward Folds: Child's Pose, Seated Forward Fold
• Inversions: Headstand, Downward Dog
• Meditation: Any seated meditation pose
• Focus: Forehead to earth/knees, inward focus, stillness

Sahasrāra (Crown) Poses

• Inversions: Headstand, Supported Headstand
• Meditation: Savasana, Seated Meditation
• Pranayama: Any breath practice with awareness at crown
• Focus: Connection to something greater, surrender, stillness

Chakra-Based Sequencing

When creating a chakra-themed class, you have several approaches:

Approach 1: Single Chakra Focus

Choose one chakra and build your entire class around it.

Example: Heart Chakra Class (60 minutes)

1. Opening (5 min): Seated meditation, hand to heart, setting intention around opening to love/compassion
2. Warmup (10 min): Cat-Cow, gentle twists, shoulder rolls
3. Build (20 min): Sun Salutations with emphasis on chest opening, standing poses with arms wide
4. Peak (15 min): Camel Pose, Bow Pose, or Wheel (depending on level)
5. Cooldown (5 min): Supported Fish, gentle twists
6. Savasana (5 min): With hands on heart

Approach 2: Ascending Through Chakras

Start at the root and progressively move up through the chakras.

Example: Full Chakra Journey (75 minutes)

1. Mūlādhāra (10 min): Standing poses, grounding
2. Svādhiṣṭhāna (10 min): Hip openers, fluid movement
3. Maṇipūra (10 min): Core work, twists
4. Anāhata (15 min): Backbends, chest openers
5. Viśuddha (10 min): Shoulderstand, neck release
6. Ājñā (10 min): Forward folds, inward focus
7. Sahasrāra (10 min): Meditation, Savasana

Approach 3: Balancing Pairs

Work with complementary chakras (root/crown, sacral/throat, solar plexus/third eye).

Example: Root and Crown Balance (60 minutes)

Alternate between grounding poses (root) and inversions/meditation (crown), creating a dialogue between earth connection and spiritual awareness.

Teaching Tips

1. Keep It Accessible

Not all students resonate with chakra language. You can teach chakra-based classes without using the Sanskrit names:

• "We're focusing on the heart center today" instead of "Anāhata chakra"
• "Grounding and stability" instead of "root chakra work"
• "Core power" instead of "solar plexus activation"

2. Use Visualization

Help students connect to chakra energy through simple visualizations:

• "Imagine roots growing from your tailbone into the earth" (root)
• "Feel warmth and light radiating from your belly" (solar plexus)
• "Visualize your heart space expanding with each breath" (heart)

3. Incorporate Color

Each chakra has an associated color. You can mention these subtly:

• Root: Red
• Sacral: Orange
• Solar Plexus: Yellow
• Heart: Green
• Throat: Blue
• Third Eye: Indigo
• Crown: Violet/White

4. Connect to Life Themes

Help students understand how chakras relate to their daily lives:

• Root: "When you're feeling anxious or ungrounded..."
• Sacral: "If you're experiencing creative blocks..."
• Solar Plexus: "When you need to set boundaries..."
• Heart: "If you're working through grief or opening to love..."

5. Balance, Don't Force

The goal isn't to "blast open" chakras but to create balance. Emphasize gentle awareness over forceful opening.

Common Questions

Do I need to believe in chakras to teach chakra-based classes?

Not at all. You can approach chakras as a useful framework for organizing classes around themes and body regions. Whether you view them as literal energy centers or as metaphorical organizing principles, they provide a coherent system for sequencing.

What if students ask about "blocked" chakras?

Avoid diagnosing or claiming to "fix" chakras—that's outside our scope as yoga teachers. Instead, offer: "Yoga practice can help create balance and awareness in all areas of the body and energy system. Notice what you experience without judgment."

How do I know which chakra to focus on?

Consider:

• Student requests: "I need grounding" → root; "I want to work on self-expression" → throat
• Seasonal themes: Fall/winter → lower chakras (grounding); spring/summer → upper chakras (expansion)
• Class energy: Anxious group → root and heart; low energy → solar plexus and heart
• Your intuition: What feels right for this moment?

Are there different chakra systems?

Yes! As Mark Stephens notes, "Different chakra models found in historical, philosophical, and literary works have as few as five chakras or infinite chakras throughout the subtle body." The seven-chakra system is most common in modern yoga, but it's not the only model. Acknowledge this diversity while working with the system that serves your teaching.

Can poses affect multiple chakras?

Absolutely. Warrior II grounds through the legs (root), opens the hips (sacral), engages the core (solar plexus), and expands the chest (heart). Most poses touch multiple chakras—that's part of yoga's holistic nature.

Should I teach chakras to beginners?

You can introduce chakra concepts to any level, but keep it simple for beginners. Focus on one chakra at a time, use accessible language, and emphasize physical sensations over esoteric philosophy. As students develop their practice, you can offer deeper teachings.

Next Steps

Now that you understand the chakra system, you can:

1. Experiment with single-chakra classes: Choose one chakra and build a complete class around it
2. Notice chakra themes in your existing sequences: Which chakras do you naturally emphasize?
3. Study pose-chakra connections: Observe how different poses affect your own energy centers
4. Explore chakra meditation: Experience the chakras through seated practice and visualization
5. Read traditional texts: Deepen your understanding through source materials

Remember, chakra work is both an art and a science. The traditional framework provides structure, but your intuition and observation of students guide the application. Trust the process, stay curious, and let the chakra system enhance rather than complicate your teaching.

Related Articles

• Energy Arcs in Class Design - How energy builds and releases in class
• Guna Qualities - The three qualities of energy
• Kosha Layers - The five sheaths of being
• Class Structure - Five-stage class framework

Sources

This article draws on traditional yoga teachings and modern sequencing methodology from:

• Swami Sivananda, Kundalini Yoga (chakra locations and traditional qualities)
• B.K.S. Iyengar, Light on Yoga (chakras as nerve centers, anatomical correlations)
• Mark Stephens, Yoga Sequencing: Designing Transformative Yoga Classes (chakra-based sequencing)
• Yoga anatomy resources (plexus and gland correlations)

Content informed by RAG queries to the Sutrix knowledge base (kundalini_yoga_sivananda, light_on_yoga, yoga_anatomy_notes, yoga_sequencing collections).