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Writer's pictureDigital Wolf Magazine

The Chakras of Life



Eight years into her yoga-journey, Lindsay Barts has found philosophical guidance not in the

words of ancient gurus, but in the sage words of Mufasa, the noble father from the story of The Lion King: “We are all connected, as one.” As a practicing yogi, Lindsay’s teaching is based on the premise that the more we focus on oneness, the more we will experience the wholeness.


“I started to realize the concept of mind-body connection when I started practicing at Speakeasy Studio in Dayton, Ohio,” she explains. “The whole practice focused on the fact that the intention behind any posture should be to generate an effect in the body, rather than to simply perform the posture, or to look good doing so.”


With this goal to guide her, Lindsay has dedicated her practice and teaching to focusing on “getting the pose into the body, not the other way around.” She seeks to achieve this by doing and instructing poses until the intended sensation is experienced by the practitioner. Ultimately, the means of practice, along with a loving yogic community help to dispel the negatives that inevitably weigh people down, and promotes an ideal state of mind and a healthy body. To the uninitiated, this may sound like a challenging objective to accomplish, but Lindsay recalls the words of Nelson Mandela to dispel that notion: “It’s only impossible until it's done.”


With her perfectionist tendencies as a teacher, Lindsay focuses on designing ‘functional alignment dances’ that offer a SAFE yoga practice that engages every sense, energy, and emotion. “My students and I feel and see the oneness that exists between our minds, bodies and souls together,” she says. “The body speaks; all we have to do is listen.


Our bodies want to move!. So, how can we not afford to Take 5 minutes to bring breath and blood flowing back to your muscles & extremities. Here’s a 5-minute, meditative full-body

stretch/strengthening pose sequence to balance you before, during, and after the inevitable

hecticity of our daily lives. Take care of yourself.


What you’ll need:

Your Mind | Body | Quiet

5 minutes (~2.5 min/sideside)


Humble Warrior Part I:

Keeping a strong base by continuing to grip the floor and draw your button into your

spine, lower your hands behind your back and clasp them together, or cross opposite

hands to opposite elbows.


Shoulder blades down your back | Using your muscles work with gravity to pull your hands/elbows down to the ground behind you

Puff out your chest | Check-in with belly-to-spine, draw it in

Breath-In & Out for 5 breaths (with each inhale stand taller, with each exhale sink deeper)


Strengthening: torso, back leg, arms, front leg, core

Stretching: core, front of leg of back leg, chest/shoulders


Solar Plexus Chakra

Physical Attribute-Stomach, Liver, Digestion, Blood Sugar

Emotional Attributes-Energy, Self vs Local Self, Perfection

Sacral Chakra

Physical Attribute-Uterus, Blood Sugar, Urinary Tract, Adrenals

Emotional Attributes-Intimacy, Emotions, Boundaries, Addiction, Trust

Root Chakra

Physical Attribute-Reproductive System, Tailbone, Legs

Emotional Attributes-Security, Grounding, Sexuality, Survival


Humble Warrior Part II:

On your out breath, lower your shoulder to your knee, keeping your belly drawn into

your spine, squeezing your pelvic floor muscles to stabilize you so you don’t dump into

your front leg. Once in the pose try to press the outsides of your feet to the floor, and for a challenge try lift your toes off the ground.


Breath-In & Out for 5 breaths (check-in with your body, and feel it’s strength)


Strengthening: torso, back leg, arms, front leg, core

Stretching: groin, lower back, front of leg of back leg, chest/shoulders


Throat Chakra:

Physical Attribute-Thyroid, Neck, Ears, Respiratory System, Sinus

Emotional Attributes-Communication, Creativity, Hearing

Solar Plexus

Physical Attribute-Stomach, Liver, Digestion, Blood Sugar

Emotional Attributes-Energy, Self vs Local Self, Perfection

Sacral Chakra

Physical Attribute-Uterus, Blood Sugar, Urinary Tract, Adrenals

Emotional Attributes-Intimacy, Emotions, Boundaries, Addiction, Trust

Root Chakra

Physical Attribute-Reproductive System, Tailbone, Legs

Emotional Attributes-Security, Grounding, Sexuality, Survival


Warrior 1:

Step your right foot to the back and place it at a 45 degree angle as you extend your

leg behind you | Bend your front knee keeping it behind your toes

Grip the floor with your feet, as you draw the belly button up into your spine

With strong, straight arms raise your elbows to your ears and lower your shoulder

blades down your back | Extend your fingers to the sky

Press your chest out | Stretch the top, or the crown of your head up


Breath-In & Out and hold for 5 breaths (with each inhale stand taller, with each

exhale sink deeper)


Solar Plexus Chakra

Physical Attribute-Stomach, Liver, Digestion, Blood Sugar

Emotional Attributes-Energy, Self vs Local Self, Perfection

Sacral Chakra

Physical Attribute-Uterus, Blood Sugar, Urinary Tract, Adrenals

Emotional Attributes-Intimacy, Emotions, Boundaries, Addiction, Trust

Root Chakra

Physical Attribute-Reproductive System, Tailbone, Legs

Emotional Attributes-Security, Grounding, Sexuality, Survival

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