More Than Just Seven: The Leg and Foot Chakras

It might surprise you to know that there are hundreds of thousands of chakras in the body.  You might not be familiar with this fact because popular culture has focused our minds on the seven major chakras.  Doing this is akin to paying attention to, say, the vascular system and only looking at and attending to the aortic artery.  We all know that there is a vast system of branches of veins and capillaries, right? The same is true for the chakras.  The thing is, most people don’t even know that all of these chakras exist. Granted, these many thousands of chakras are very small and might be considered minor by most people, but for me as someone who have been aware and interested in energy for so long, I like to know the details. One such detail is the chakras which are located in the leg and the foot. 

Most articles will deal with the one “sole” chakra in the foot, but I think it is more helpful to know all of the main or larger foot and leg chakras as they go from the sole of the foot up to just below the root chakra where most people are taught our energetic vivacity begins. I would like to mention that often when someone tells me that they had this twinge and feeling of release in a really oddball part of their body where no chakra is, I have to smile because most often (but not always) this can be a chakra clearing itself, and it is a chakra they didn’t even knew existed (because we have just seven, right?).  Also, imagine a human awareness that is able to tune into and is able to see or visualize ALL of the chakras down to the nanoscale that are in the body! I can tell you that this is certainly possible, and if you are really interested in energy, I can help to teach you how you can do this.

As with all chakras, the energetic resonance of that region will tend to invite a certain vibration of emotional energy to be trapped or blocked there.  There is also an opposite range of emotional energy that this part of the body can resonate with, too.  With energy, everything is a double-sided coin.  As with all of the other chakras, knowing what each center will hold onto is one way to begin to build awareness about that center and to know how a given emotion might be triggered by one of these energetic centers. As with all other chakras, there is a positive aspect and a negative aspect for each one.  Shadow and light. So let’s dig into the leg chakras…

Atala
The first lower chakra which is located in the hips is aligned with fear. This center is also aligned in its shadow aspect with lust and promiscuity. The opposing attribute to balance this chakra is governed by a lack of shame and a right to ones own sexuality. 

Vitala
Located in the thighs is aligned with anger and burning resentment. The positive aspect of this chakra is forgiveness.

Sutala
Located in the knees, this center governs jealousy. The positive alignment of this chakra is self-confidence. I feel this chakra a lot. I feel it a lot because I work so much with self-confidence but am still shaken by events in my life that I have responded in a less than confident manner.  In fact it has been strong on one side of my body and I can point to it.  If you look at the inside of your knee and see the part of the knee where the front of the knee becomes the side of the knee, and the point where the rounded body part of the knee gives way to the slight hollow going into the back of the knee, this is where this chakra is centered.  This chakra is at the intersection of the knee hollow towards the back of the leg and the hard bony front part of the knee as it transitions into the back part of the knee. If you measure the width between the front of the knee and the back of the knee, this point will be about halfway or the very middle of the side of the knee.

Talatala
This chakra, which is located in the calves,  involves a state of prolonged confusion and instinctive wilfulness.  An inability to allow the higher aspects of self rise to the occasion; it is all dog eat dog. The positive alignment aspect of this chakra is being conscious, aware.

Rasatala
Located in the ankles,  is the center of selfishness and pure animal nature. The positive attribute in this center is the ability to be charitable, or giving.

Mahatala
Located in the feet, this center in the Sanskrit means a dark realm ‘without conscience’ and of inner blindness. The positive aspect of this center is having a grounded sense of conscience and awareness. One is not impeded in this center when expressing its positive aspect.

Patala
The patala is centered in the soles of the feet, at the front of the arch towards the front of the foot but behind the ball of the big toe.  This is the world where murder happens, death for the sake of it. This is the realm of malice, murder, and torture. The positive aspect of this chakra is the ability to feel empathy, to see the sacredness of all life.

The chart of the meridian system is very helpful in helping to locate these chakras also.  While the Chinese system does not acknowledge  the chakra system traditionally, the acupuncture points  sometimes point to these chakras.  And yes, there are more acupuncture points than there are chakras listed.  Bear in mind that the chakras that I am pointing out are from the Indian system and recognize seven major chakras in the legs (there are more).  I think it is helpful to understand both systems because between them you can engage a body worker who is practiced at releasing stored energy.  That said, you need a worker who is highly intuitive and knows his or her stuff. When I say this, you might wonder why.  the answer is simple.  The sensing of this energy can be done by anyone who is adept, but not everyone who is trained in, say acupressure or massage work may be naturally sensitive to detecting the energy in you.  Being able to detect blocks and go to them as well as how to open up the lines of energy in the right places to help coaxed those blocked areas is not always something that can be taught. So perhaps you can see why it is important to find a practitioner who works a lot with energy and who comes highly recommended.  We are dealing with systems in the body that harbor deeply buried material and even very good practitioners can miss this material (I had a healer tell me that the blocked material I could feel very well wasn’t even there because she could not feel it).

These centers respond to massage, movement, and meditation when you are able to really go deep. Join breath work with meditation by being open and receptive and trying to feel into those centers with a neutral probing mind.  If you do not have time or the inclination to do this type of inner work, finding a therapist who is good at what they do is important.  I have always found that it is important to find a therapist who works with energy and knows energy.  Some of the best practitioners come from traditions where they never received a certificate, for example. It may be somewhat correct to say the gifted ones are born, not made.  I tend to feel that while some might be born, it is also possible to study and work to develop awareness and this is why I recommend meditation and breath work for those willing to delve deeper. 

I will tell you that leg chakras are hard (for me) to clear and I have cleared hundreds of blocks in this ten year period since my awakening began. The leg and foot chakras are so fundamental I think we would rather not even think about them.  Some of our worst sins are there along with our greatest triumphs too. This is one reason why having a good practitioner who works with the meridian system or who does deep tissue massage along with energy work can be an incredibly important asset to you.  Having centers opened can feel like you have just gotten a tune-up.  You will feel different.  You will feel clearer, and you might even feel like you have to sit down for a while until you get your bearings again.  This usually means that your session went very well. 

If you want to learn more about this fascinating but often forgotten or less-mentioned set of chakras or energy points, there are a number of older and also newer posts on this subject.  If you would like to know more about energy and how this can help you in your development both spiritually and emotionally in your life, this blog has a lot of information that is first-hand about this process.  While some material is geared towards those who have already experienced awakening, there is a lot that can be readily grasped and understood for everyone.  I am glad you are here! 

Below is a chart of the leg and foot meridian system which I think will be helpful in helping you to visualize the placement of many of these centers. this one is using the Chinese model of acupressure/acupuncture points and the one that follows is the Indian system of the chakra. While these two things are different, they are interrelated because both concern themselves with the energy system in the body. This might be at first confusing, but in time the role that they play can best be understood as complimentary rather than conflicting. 

You can see that the LV points do not perfectly coincide with the last illustration showing the chakras. Both are part of the energetic system of the body. Much like how the vascular system pumps blood, the energy system corresponds to the electrical system (but is not a physical system like the nervous system).

Many people who do not know a lot about these seven chakras below the seven that we normally know and even practitioners are not well versed in them. Try to find leg or foot chakra charts online and you will begin to appreciate how little is actually known about them. Some charts will only list the negative aspects of these centers, but those who do this are missing the full truth of what these centers contain and as a result have a lack of awareness about what their roles are and how to work with them. Ideally, these centers are treated as part of the whole system of the person and the body as of course they are.

Here is another article on the topic, which goes deeper into some details about the energetics and topics related to these seven chakras:

https://wakingtheinfinite.wordpress.com/2016/07/21/leg-chakras/

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Clearing The Foot Chakra For Better Health And Well-being

Did you know that you have energy centers all through your body that are best known as chakras? Most often we know just about the seven major chakras in the torso. Paying attention to the other lesser-known centers can actually elevate your sense and awareness of energy in new ways.
Right now I am doing a lot of work on a set of chakras located along a meridian that runs from my foot all the way up close to my heart, and thought I would share some of the insights I have been gaining as I have been moving along in my practice.
The foot is an important part of our energy system since it is where energy exits and enters first and last through our bodies. While some systems explain that prana or chi only exits the foot, studies of energy amongst those with high prana flow show that people detect it flowing in and out at that location, much in the way that the crown chakra is seen to transmit life force into the higher dimensional aspects of our awareness.
The two chakras in the foot are the Patala and Mahatala. The Patala is more centrally located towards the balls of the feet while the Mahatala is into toward the back of the arch. When you are quiet and calm, try seeing if you can feel where they are. Sometimes you can get a feeling of buoyancy and lightness when a chakra is active and balanced. Just by doing the chakra clearing exercise I’m going to relate to you is often enough to spark this awareness.
The single best way to tell if you have blocked energy in your feet is that it can cause you to have a difficult time feeling or knowing who you are, or what your purpose is. Blocked energy in the foot can lead to a difficulty in being able to make decisions or to feel decisive. You might also begin projects but not complete them.

 

A Simple Method

To help unblock the foot stand with bare feed and focus on your feet while imagining that there is a whirling vortex of energy now moving in them. Do this until you can imagine it well, and just keep focused on your feel feeling new energy moving into and out of them.

Bring The Energy Up
Next, to get the most out of this exercise, you will want to imagine the energy rising up through your feet and up your legs and up into your torso. This will help to not just get the energy moving through your feet, but will give the rest of your body a treat to the lightness of being while building a simple sense of grounding all at the same time.
To help in moving the energy, it’s important to move your body. The single best way besides breathing deep to move energy is to feel your body move. Begin this by twisting around at the waist, turning your torso first one way and the next, with arms flowing out by your sides, slowly bringing your arms up as you open them to the sky. This movement is done fluidly and in a carefree manner; don’t be too serious!
When you do this, you should feel clearer and lighter. You might also feel a renewed sense of energy flowing up your legs, into your hips and then up into your torso towards your heart. You can sometimes even feel a shimmering effect of the energy that you didn’t feel before. These and more are a few of the results of clearing up blocked or stagnant energy in the feet.

Q:I can feel the energy moving in my feet, but it all slows down once it goes up my leg. How do I keep the energy moving further up?
A: You can open one center and wind up feeling some blocks further up the line. The best thing to do is to use the same visualization that you used for your feet, focused on those other points of blocked energy. Additionally, if that does not work for you, a gentle massage of the points on the chart (but on YOUR body!) can help move the energy.  Also, having a masseuse or other body worker who understands energy can be a good bet for helping move the energy.  An acupuncturist also could be of help as well.

As a side note, many people will correctly be able to identify key positions for blocked energy all on their own. For example, I have had to points close to my knees that have given me trouble for years energetically and these correspond perfectly to a specific acupuncture point. Someone else was able to identify energetic effects in the foot that also corresponded to a key acupuncture point that is there.

 

When prana flows it follows the paths of the meridians. The illustration (above) shows one meridian that goes from the foot up into the torso.

Q: How long should I do this exercise?

A: Take all the time you need to feel like it’s beginning to work for you. As a general rule, anywhere from fifteen to thirty minutes should suffice. Your mileage may vary.
One thing you can also do is to gently massage your foot before or after. In fact, gentle but firm pressure is a great way to help move stuck energy.
The most direct flow of energy from the legs comes up the outer part of the torso. It can impact all the major energy centers as it goes: root, sacral, and solar plexus chakras. This is a wonderful way to feel lighter in a way you might not always feel otherwise.
Technically, there is more than one chakra in the foot. One is located near the back sole of the foot near the arch and the other is located closer to where the front of the foot is in its center nearer the balls of the feet. By focusing on the foot you might feel both of these becoming more active. But by focusing on moving energy in the foot, all other centers will benefit. Again, gently massaging the points or centers can help them to release.  Also, strong pressure on the point even though it might be uncomfortable, can be a method that can work (similar to what is behind acupressure methods).
You can repeat this exercise anytime that you want and you can repeat it as many times as you want, too!

 

Read More:

This article goes into depth about the leg and foot chakras.