No matter a client’s presenting symptoms, in the end, bodywork is all about stress reduction and recovery. And one of the major causes of, and antidotes for, stress-related disorders is food.
Under stress, we naturally crave high-carbohydrate, fatty, sugary foods. These provide extra fuel and replenish the reserves used during a crisis. Unfortunately, chronic stress acts like a permanent “on” switch, causing continual yearnings for unhealthy foods. This is a setup for the toxicity, allergies, and addictions that lead to stress-induced reactions, including inflammation, pain, autoimmune disorders, allergies, addictions, and more.1
For quick and effective problem solving, I’d suggest approaching the subject through an energetic lens rather than a textbook lens. I introduced this topic in my last column (“The Energy of Food,” Massage & Bodywork, May/June 2018, page 97). In this article, I’ll expand on the points already made and add to them.
Chakras and Food
Chakras are subtle energy centers that manage all aspects of life. Subtle organs are similar to physical organs, except they operate on higher or lower frequencies of light and sound than their bodily counterparts. Even better, chakras are able to convert physical energy into subtle energy, and vice versa. Because of this, interacting with the chakras is an ideal way to evaluate for healthy versus unhealthy consumables and reprogram the negative energies associated with a substance.
Key to understanding the significance of chakra-based food management is knowing that each of the seven in-body chakras operates on a different band of frequencies, measurable as light and sound. In turn, each chakra, which governs a specific set of physical, psychological, and spiritual functions, interrelates to the foods and substances that match its frequency. Negative food programs will cause a chakra to crave the unhealthy consumables linked with that chakra. Positive food programs will do the opposite, enabling us to make healthy choices and reap the benefits from our food.
I’ve provided the chart on page 99 to help you understand the in-body chakras and their relationship with food and other substances. The chart labels each chakra, its bodily location, related hormone gland, frequency described as a color, and the issues it manages. The age of development indicates when this chakra activates most fully during childhood. Food issues incurred during that time period are more apt to stick and affect the client for the rest of their lives.
In order to best utilize this chart, consider the following steps.
1. Embrace the craving. Encourage a client to embrace a craving and figure out why they have it. The food or substance might have been originally provided as a substitute for what was really needed, in which case the immune system will attack the substance, causing sensitivities, allergies, inflammation, and autoimmune dysfunctions, but the inner self will think it still needs that food to get its needs met. The food might also be perceived in a negative light, and there will be a reason why. Help your client track the food to the correlated chakra and seek the storyline setting up the craving.
2. Concentrate on the developmental time period. For further clarification in relation to the above first, the client can hone in on events occurring in the chakra’s activation period to figure out why the craving or food issue arose.
3. Release others’ energies. If the client believes they might have absorbed another’s food issues, or been contaminated by another’s feelings or beliefs, ask them to release these subtle energies. Their Higher Power can best dispose of them in a way that is healthy for everyone.
4. Look up the organ. You can figure out which chakra to focus on if there is a particular organ in distress. If a client is diabetic, they will work with the third chakra, which is associated with the metabolism. If they are under constant survival stress, they will examine the foods related to the first chakra, which manages the adrenals. In general, they should eat healthy foods associated with the affected chakra and abstain from negative substances.
5. Assess with the hands. If unclear about which chakra needs to be focused on, hold your hand over a chakra area. Then, ask if this chakra holds the key to making healthy food choices. If the answer is yes, your hand will feel light. If it is no, your hand will feel heavy. You can test each chakra this way. If there are multiple yesses, select the one that seems the strongest or easiest to address first.
6. Heal with light. Once you’ve selected a focus chakra, when performing bodywork, ask your Higher Power to send the affiliated chakra color into that bodily area. A client can do the same.
7. Send them to a professional. It’s always OK to encourage a client to get professional assistance.
First Chakra
Location: Hips
Gland: Adrenals
Color: Red
Development: In utero–6 months of age
Manages: Safety issues Grass-fed and organically raised red meat; organic eggs; root vegetables; cherries, strawberries, red grapes, purple grapes, raspberries, and other red and purple fruits. This chakra requires lots of minerals and water. Meat from animals that are violently butchered or raised with antibiotics and growth hormones; alcohol; histamine-producing foods, including eggs, shellfish, chocolate, certain nuts, cured meats, fermented foods, and vinegar-containing foods; any life-endangering use of prescription medicines, including opioids; street drugs, such as cocaine and heroin; or dangerous performance and diet drugs. Use of any of the above can indicate severe career, sexual, financial, and bodily stress.
Second chakra
Location: Abdomen
Gland: Testes and ovaries
Color: Orange
Development: 6 months–2½ years of age
Manages: Emotions and creativity Organically raised chicken, turkey, and other fowl; yams, sweet potatoes, pumpkin, tropical fruits, salmon, tuna, flaxseed, carrots, oranges, quinoa, sprouted grains, organic grains, orange squash, coconut products, yogurt, and nuts. Cow dairy and soy products; peanuts; gluten (wheat, oats, barley, rye) and other complex and sugary carbohydrates. A craving for rich carbohydrates like white potatoes, sugar, or flour can indicate emotional stress and the desire for comfort.
Third chakra
Location: Solar plexus
Gland: Pancreas
Color: Yellow
Development: 2½–4½ years of age
Manages: Personal and professional power; fears; life structure Non-GMO corn, yellow squash, bananas, plantains, yellow peppers, brown rice, beans, lentils, apples, buckwheat, pineapple, papaya, and many types of nuts and whole grains. Eating several small meals a day can support the pancreas. Beer; corn-processed alcohol; processed corn, including corn syrup; diet soda. Stress can lead to the overuse of caffeine products, including sodas, coffee, and stimulants, as well as pain relievers that affect the liver. May also need to avoid purine-rich foods, including organ meats, anchovies, seafood, red meat, and other foods that stimulate production of uric acid. Cravings for crunchy foods, such as popcorn and chips, might indicate stress. The overuse of caffeine can be a sign of being overscheduled or hatred of a job.
Fourth chakra
Location: Chest
Gland: Heart
Color: Green
Development: 4½–6½ years of age
Manages: Relationships, love, and healing Think the Mediterranean diet, to include green leafy and cruciferous vegetables; avocados; oils, including olive, coconut, and artichoke; teas, herbs, and spices; mercury-free fish; whole grains; most fruits. White sugar; wine; too much salt; canned fruits and vegetables; trans-fatty acids; cured meats; additives, including monosodium glutamate (MSG). Compulsive use of sugar, chocolate, sweet alcoholic beverages, or any of the above can indicate stress related to love and relationship.
Fifth chakra
Location: Throat
Gland: Thyroid
Color: Blue
Development: 6½–8½ years of age
Manages: Communication and receiving of guidance Tart fruits, such as blueberries, blackberries, lemons, kiwi, and grapefruit; iodine-rich foods, including chlorella and kelp; magnesium-rich food, such as nuts; herb teas, spices, and water; soups and stews. Depending on hormonal conditions, might react to soy, cruciferous vegetables, gluten, cow dairy, trans-fatty acids, sugar, alcohol, and processed foods. A compulsive need to constantly chew or drink can indicate fifth chakra stress.
Sixth chakra
Location: Brow
Gland: Pituitary
Color: Violet
Development: 8½ to 14 years of age
Manages: Self-image, clairvoyance, goal setting Mercury-free fish, leafy greens, nuts, whole grains, dark chocolate, purple berries, and foods high in omega-3s. The pituitary runs our hormonal system, and therefore any craving that throws our endocrine system out of balance can indicate stress in this center or create more stress in other chakras. The underlying challenge, if the stress relates to this chakra, is poor self-image or confusion about the future.
Seventh chakra
Location: Top of the head
Gland: Pineal
Color: White
Development: 14–21 years of age
Manages: Higher purpose, relationship with the Spirit In general, seventh chakra enhancements involve the use of prayer or blessings when eating or drinking; abstaining from chemical-laden foods; and using substances in a worshipful way, such as through rituals like fasting. Eating foods or taking supplements enabling pineal gland functioning is very important (see a naturopath or nutritionist for advice). Also, select supplements that can cross the blood-brain barrier that separates the digestive system from the brain. Any unhealthy food or substance can inhibit the functioning of the pineal gland and seventh chakra or indicate a seventh chakra stress. Rigidity in food choices often indicates stress in the seventh chakra and lack of comfort with one’s spiritual identity.
Note
1. Hara Estroff Marano, “Stress and Eating,” Psychology Today, last reviewed June 9, 2016, accessed May 2018, www.psychologytoday.com/articles/200311/stress-and-eating.
Cyndi Dale is an internationally renowned author, speaker, and intuitive consultant. Her popular books include The Subtle Body Coloring Book: Learn Energetic Anatomy (Sounds True, 2017), Subtle Energy Techniques (Llewellyn Publications, 2017), Llewellyn’s Complete Book of Chakras (Llewellyn Publications, 2016), The Intuition Guidebook: How To Safely and Wisely Use Your Sixth Sense (Deeper Well Publishing, 2011), Energetic Boundaries: How to Stay Protected and Connected in Work, Love, and Life (Sounds True, 2011), The Subtle Body: An Encyclopedia of Your Energetic Anatomy (Sounds True, 2009), and The Complete Book of Chakra Healing (Llewellyn Publications, 2009), as well as nearly 20 additional books. To learn more about Dale and her products, services, and classes, please visit www.cyndidale.com.