Chakras for Beginners: A Guide to Balancing Your Chakra Energies by David Pond is a book that does just that in about 150 pages. It contains multiple exercises to accompany the chakras, which are “an ancient model for awakening and balancing your physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual energies.”
Lessons for Yogis (and artists):
1) “Energy First, Harmony Second.” This is what it says on the very first page you open to of this book. The idea is that you identify the source of conflict within yourself whenever a challenge comes along, as opposed to solely trying to change your external environment. Work on the chakras can be a good tool for this.
2) Creativity and the 2nd Chakra: “You experience a balanced Pleasure Chakra when you have a creative and controlled passion for life. An ability to lose yourself spontaneously in the wonder of life makes delving into instincts and passions a creative expression… Involvement with nature, art, dance, and beauty of all forms are techniques for enriching this chakra.” (Page 38-39)
3) Creativity and the 5th Chakra: “When you are able to balance the Fifth Chakra, you awaken to original insights by always looking at life with fresh eyes… This approach has a refreshing effect on others. You are able to live a creative life and stay balanced in all other areas as well.” This chakra is more about speaking your own truth and creating something new. (Page 78)
I remember reading this book for the first time while on a train leaving the city where I had a demanding work year and when I had really found Kundalini Yoga and claimed it as my savior. At the time it really spoke to me, and I enjoy going back and seeing what I’d underlined. Happy to lend it out to anyone who’d like a fairly quick read with a lot of good details! Otherwise used paperback copies are pretty inexpensive
GROUNDING YOGA 