Present in the body of every human being, the chakras are the focal points for our energy. We may or may not be aware of them, but our chakras have an effect on our lives, whether for good (as when they are in alignment) or when they hold us back from getting the most out of our lives (such as when they are out of alignment or blocked).

Chakra is a Sanskrit word that means energy, and while its roots are Hindu, energy is not partial to a religion. Energy is in fact universal and every single person on this Earth has these energies. The chakra is really the vortex that this energy flows through and manifest physically. The chakras are the channels by which universal energy can flow in and out of our aura.

Ensuring that your chakras are aligned will allow you to better understand yourself; in body, mind and spirit. Most people are unbalanced, with their chakras being unaligned. Chakra meditation is for that reason a very useful practice. You must first know where your chakras are and their function in order to begin chakra meditation.

Situated in important areas of your body like the heart and the top of the head, the chakras influence the organs which surround them and they also play a part in proper energy flow. The number of chakras in your body is seven.

Located at the base of the spine, the Root Chakra is the first of the seven. This chakra represents our body as well as our relationship to it. Your health and constitution are connected to this chakra. This chakra is also the one which helps us to understand how we connect to the world outside of ourselves. This chakra's color is red.

In the lower abdomen is out second chakra, the Navel Chakra. Representing our physical drives toward love, pleasure and sex, as well as giving and receiving, this chakra is where you will feel generosity, harmony and selflessness, as well as some acts of creativity. The color of this chakra is orange.

Third is the Solar Plexus Chakra, sited right below your chest. This chakra is representative of your transformational ability and your willpower. Control over your personal energy is also a part of what the Solar Plexus Chakra does. This chakra is where your self discipline is seated; as well as control over the ego. The color of this chakra is yellow.

Your fourth chakra is the Heart Chakra, which can be found at the center of your chest. This chakra is representative of your feelings of compassion, love and understanding. Love which goes beyond the physical aspect is part of this chakra. Green is the color of this chakra.

Fifth is the Throat Chakra, which sits between the top of the sternum and your chin. This is the chakra which is in charge of communication and helps you to understand that honesty, expressed through speech can be a source of truth and wisdom. This chakra's color is sky blue.

Your sixth chakra is the Brow Chakra, which can be found on your forehead (and for this reason is sometimes called the third eye). This is the chakra which controls imagination, intuition and insight. Properly aligned, this chakra lets you examine your soul by looking inward. Experiences of the divine are found here, in the chakra which is also the source of peace of mind. The color of the Brow Chakra is indigo.

The seventh and final chakra is the Crown Chakra, located at the top of the head. This is the chakra which directly relates to the mind and spirit. The Crown Chakra is what allows us to examine our own consciousness and our place in the universe. The higher self is related to the Crown Chakra, whose color is violet.

If you know the function and the location of each of your chakras, you will be able to practice chakra meditation more effectively. You can use meditations which work on individual chakras, or ones which align them as a whole.