The following information is summarised from Yogi Bhajan, Ph.D. The Aquarian Teacher: KRI International Kundalini Yoga Teacher Training Textbook Level One Instructor. Third Edition. Kundalini Research Institute, 2005
THE LOWER TRIANGLE
The first three chakras deal with the physical needs of the body and the basic needs of life. They focus on elimination and reduction.
First Chakra: Security and Survival
Foundation, survival, security, habit, self-acceptance.
Location: End of the spine between the anus and sexual organs.
Organ/Gland: Organs of elimination (e.g., colon).
Color, Element: Red, Earth.
Yoga Exercises: Crow Pose, Chair Pose, Body Drops, Frog Pose, Front Stretches, Lying on Stomach, Root Lock.
Second Chakra: Creativity
To feel, to desire, to create.
Location: Sex organs.
Organ/Gland: Sex organs, reproductive glands, kidneys, bladder.
Color, Element: Orange, Water.
Yoga Exercises: Frog Pose, Cobra Pose, Butterfly, Sat Kriya, Cat-Cow, Pelvic Lifts.
Third Chakra: Action and Balance
Willpower. Personal power and commitment.
Location: Area of the Navel Point, solar plexus.
Organ/Gland: Solar plexus, liver, gallbladder, spleen, digestive organs, pancreas, adrenals.
Color, Element: Yellow, Fire.
Yoga Exercises: Stretch Pose, Sat Kriya, Bow Pose, Diaphragm Lock, Breath of Fire.
BALANCE POINT
The Heart Center, or Fourth Chakra, is the balance point in the body between the flow of the upper energies of the Heavens and the lower energies of the Earth, where experience shifts from “me to we” or “me to Thee.”
Fourth Chakra: Love and Compassion*
Awakening to spiritual awareness; forgiveness and service.
Location: Middle of the chest on the breast bone at the level of the nipples.
Organ/Gland: Heart, lungs, thymus gland.
Color, Element: Green, Air.
Yoga Exercises: Ego Eradicator, Baby Pose, Yoga Mudra, all pranayama, all arm exercises.
UPPER TRIANGLE
The chakras in the upper triangle and the aura – which combines the effects of the other seven chakras – accumulate, create, and refine the energy. There are no specific gross elements associated with the Sixth, Seventh, and Eighth chakras, as they correspond to the more subtle realms.
Fifth Chakra: Projective Power of the Word
Hearing and speaking the Truth. The Teacher.
Location: The throat.
Organ/Gland: Trachea, throat, cervical vertebrae, thyroid.
Color, Element: Light blue, Ether.
Yoga Exercises: All Chanting, Cobra Pose, Plow Pose, Shoulder Stand, Cat-Cow, Neck Lock.
Sixth Chakra: Intuition, Wisdom, and Identity
The union of opposites; understanding one’s purpose.
Location: Between the eyebrows (the “Third Eye”).
Organ/Gland: Brain, pituitary gland.
Color: Indigo.
Yoga Exercises: Focus on the Third Eye, Kirtan Kriya, Archer Pose, Whistle Breaths, all exercises with forehead resting on floor.
Seventh (Crown) Chakra: Humility and Vastness
Transcendence. The Tenth Gate. The seat of the soul.
Location: Crown of the head.
Organ/Gland: Brain, pineal gland.
Color: Violet.
Yoga Exercises: Ego Eradicator, Sat Kriya, Concentrating on the Tip of the Nose, All meditation.
Eighth Chakra: The Aura
Radiance.
Location: Electromagnetic field surrounding the physical body.
Color: White.
Yoga Exercises: Triangle Pose, Ego Eradicator, Archer Pose, All arm exercises and all meditation.
The Sanskrit word, chakra, means ‘wheel’, which gives us a visual picture of a chakra: a spinning vortex that radiates energy. The energy in each chakra is specific to a particular aspect of health, well-being and contentment. There are eight chakras in total, beginning at the base of your spine (1st Chakra), progressing in intervals up to the very top of your head (7th Chakra), and finally surrounding your body as a magnetic field (8th Chakra).