Aromatherapy and the Chakras Part 2

In the last article, we began to see how aromatherapy can help balance and realign the various chakras. Here are the other five main chakras and the essential oils best suited to them.

3. Manipura (Solar Plexus Chakra)
The Manipura chakra located in the area of the navel is associated with will and power.
Physical imbalances may include: Problems of the diaphragm, kidneys, respiratory system, hormonal & digestive systems, ulcers and gallstones. Basil is good for the nervous system, intestinal antiseptic and digestion. Bergamot has antidepressant and calming properties and is good for the stomach.

Other Essential oils like carnation, gold chamomile, fennel, Juniper, lavender, sandalwood, Ginger and Lemon  will help to strengthen and keep this center protected, relaxing the body and balancing mood swings.

Oils to relax, balance mood swings, protect the solar plexus and increase confidence such as benzoin, chamomile, clary sage, geranium, jasmine, juniper, lavender, lemon, mandarin, melissa, palmarosa, sage, myrrh, helichrysum, ylang ylang and sandalwood. Collectively these will help balance and heal issues around stress, self esteem, desire, frustration, fear, guilt and doubt.

4. Anahata (Heart Chakra)
The heart chakra is the power house of the human energy system and the center of love and healing.

Physical imbalances include: stroke, angina, arthritis, heart disease, rotator cuff injuries, tendinitis, carpal tunnel, arm and hand pain, chronic restrictions in the upper back and thoracic area. Eucalyptus is an expectorant, anti-infection and a good tonic. Rose has a calming effect, which helps in calming the nerves, headaches and shock.

Marjoram, orange, rose otto, lavender, benzoin, sandalwood and bergamot will help keep the heart area open and receptive to love, and heal the heart. Essential oils that help to balance love of self and others are rose, geranium, palmarosa, neroli, melissa, hyssop, rosewood, chamomile, ylang ylang, galbanum, angelica and jasmine. Other suitable oils for this chakra include sweet orange, frankincense, himalayan cedarwood, heilchrysum and vetiver. These essential oils can help you to balance and heal emotional issues around grief and loss, emotional heaviness, sadness, feelings of despair and depression or anger turned inward, feelings of lack, loss, less than, never having enough or being good enough or not being quite up to the task of your life, feelings of being unloved, unappreciated, unaccepted, disconnected, restricted, or in some way limited and unable to find your niche in the world.

5. Visuddha (Throat Chakra)
The throat chakra is the center of our communication and rules the neck region including the thyroid, throat, trachea, neck vertebrae and mouth.

Physical imbalances may include: headache, neck tension/pain, ringing ear or tinnitus, thyroid conditions, low immunity to colds and flu, chronic infections, allergic reactions, eye problems, rigid attitudes and various phobias.

Chamomile is soothing, calming, anti-inflammatory and anti-infection. Linden blossom has calming and anti-spasmodic properties.

Other essential oils like benzoin, bergamot, blue chamomile, frankincense, hyssop, lavender, and lemon open communication skills and release stuffed unexpressed emotions that may be trapped.

Oils to enhance communication and creativity include blue chamomile, black pepper, eucalyptus, ginger, jasmine, and myrrh. Helichrysum, frankincense, lavendar, ylang ylang,and petitgrain balance and heal issues around repression of one’s thoughts and feelings, not being able, or feeling safe to speak your truth.

6. Ajna (Third Eye/Brow Chakra)
The third-eye chakra located in our forehead, between the eyes is the key to our wisdom, learning and putting things in perspective.

Physical imbalances may include: pituitary glandular disorders and kidney disease.

Use angelica seed, a general tonic, which encourages inspiration and inner focus. Other essential oils like camphor, eucalyptus, jasmine, lemon, rosemary, frankincense, chamomile blue, sandalwood, clary sage, cedarwood and cypress will help balance: both the right and left hemispheres of the brain, stimulating intuitive thinking and releases rigid, judgmental thoughts.

Oils to stimulate intuition and to clarify the mind such as basil, black pepper, carrot seed, clary sage, fennel, ginger, peppermint and rosemary. Also consider lavender, neroli, petitgrain, spikenard, and ylang ylang which aid in achieving balance and help heal obsessive compulsive thoughts and emotions, recurring nightmares, repetitive unconscious patterns of experience, inability to discern the difference between fact and fantasy, feeling of being ‘out of control’, blocks to creativity, imaginative darkness and inability to focus and manifest your dreams.

7. Sahasrara (Crown Chakra)
The Crown Chakra is our connection to our spiritual nature and connects to the central nervous system.

Physical imbalance include: pineal gland disorders, depressive states of mind.

Frankincense will aid in the handling of emotional problems as it is calming and antiseptic as well as an antidepressant. Other essential oils such as myrrh, viola, sandalwood, lavender and spikenard, petitgrain, ylang ylang are also particularly useful in helping issues around memory loss, breakdown of mental faculties for organizing and perceiving material reality, loss of inspiration; and to create balance in these areas in one’s life. Try cedarwood, linden blossom, neroli, and rosewood for opening the mind and dealing with spiritual issues.

*Image Credits : Pictures by Death Poodle, Opacity, wiccked on flickr.