Q&A with Michelle about the Chakras

Chakras • Home Yoga Practice • How to • Infertility Resources
July 14, 2021

During this Q&A, Michelle, co-founder of Orchid Experience, shares how she first learned about the chakras and how she uses them to bring balance back into her life.

1) What was your understanding of the chakras during your infertility journey? 

I knew absolutely nothing about the chakras while going through infertility. It wasn’t until after I decided to live childfree that I was formally introduced to them during my 200-hour yoga teacher training (YTT). I say formally because I know now that the yoga teachers I had been practicing with were using energy in their classes — I just wasn’t aware that they were (e.g., ground down = root). That was just the beginning. Over the past four years, I have continued my studies by reading Anodea Judith’s “Eastern Body, Western Mind” as well as other books, I became certified in Reiki (an ancient Japanese energy healing technique) and completed my 300-hour yoga teacher training, which included additional training on the subtle body. 

2) How do you work with the energy centers, and how frequently? 

For me, working with energy is a constant. I’m also an empath, which means I’m always sensing other people’s energy while regulating my own. Here are two ways I’ve worked with energy:

1. During my infertility journey and a few years beyond, I was in a very dark place. My heart chakra (Anahata) was deficient — I was withdrawn, cold, and depressed. My second chakra (Svadhisthana) was deficient as well due to the trauma caused by infertility. I could keep going because truly every chakra needed to be brought back into balance, which is exactly what I did. I used many of the techniques we’ve shared over the past few weeks to identify and work with my energy, like heart and hip openers, and chanting (fifth chakra – throat).

2. Very recently, I returned from a three-month-long camping trip out west (I was towing a tiny camper). During that time, I was changing locations every 1-3 days, which meant my root chakra had been uprooted. To alleviate this, I would wind down my evening with a restorative yoga practice or meditate. I used a massage ball to roll out the bottom of my feet (our feet are our primary connection to the earth). And I reached out to my tribe (family and friends) any time I needed to reconnect.

3) What benefits have you noticed from working with them? 

By working with the chakras, I’ve been able to regulate my use of energy (e.g., exhaustion versus excitement) on a daily basis. I’ve also been able to address patterns and behaviors that didn’t serve me. For example, I have very poor boundaries in my romantic partnerships. Knowing this, I’m constantly trying to use self-awareness to gauge when I need to establish and maintain a clear boundary. It’s a work-in-progress for me.

One other benefit is that I’m able to read other people’s energy through their body language, tone of voice, and breathing. This is extremely helpful when collaborating with coworkers, talking with friends, and working with a client. Doing so, allows me to meet them where they are, and give them the support they need.

4) What are you currently working on balancing and why? 

I’m getting ready to move again, and so I’m working with my root chakra to remain grounded. Anytime we move all of our belongings to a new location, we’re uprooting our foundation. My goal once I’m completely unpacked is to establish a daily practice of yoga and meditation to connect with the new space and reconnect to myself (especially after my adventure out west).

5) Anything else you’d like to share or tell to those just getting started with balancing their chakras?

Read through the blog posts we’ve shared over the past few weeks and identify one chakra that you’d like to work with. Give the tips and tools we recommend a try. Identify one or two that work best for you and apply them consistently over the next six months. Then, revisit how that energy center feels for you and see if anything has shifted. If that chakra feels balanced, work with another one. Rinse and repeat until you feel balanced throughout your energetic body.

I like to think of chakra healing (also known as chakra balancing) as a proactive measure for alleviating common deficiencies and/or excessive energy. We get our teeth cleaned twice a year. Why not rebalance your chakras every six months or when you’re experiencing a major life change (e.g., marriage, infertility, move, new job, divorce, or death)? Sign up for our newsletter to be alerted when our upcoming chakra program is available.