Immerse yourself in the world of chakras and discover the potential for growth they hold for children. Our series of articles guides you step by step through children’s chakras, their characteristics and their correspondences with Bach flowers, Australian Bush flowers and physical exercises.
Children’s chakras
The chakra system reflects a person’s development from the prenatal phase through birth to the completion of puberty and into adulthood. At the same time, it reflects the unfolding of a person’s personality across a wide variety of areas of life. Chakra theory thus describes the unfolding of the various facets of our personality.
The root chakra in children: the centre of life force
The root chakra develops from the prenatal phase up to the twelfth month after birth. The child’s life force is concentrated in this chakra. It is therefore linked to the development of the child’s body awareness and physicality. At the same time, during this phase, the child builds a zest for life and trust through bonding.
The themes associated with the Muladhara chakra and this first stage of a child’s life are survival instincts, physical well-being and the fulfilment of basic human needs. Eating, digesting, grasping, crawling, sitting, standing, taking the first steps and touching objects characterise this developmental phase and the unfolding of the root chakra in the child.
The sacral chakra in children: the centre of emotional development
The second chakra develops between the sixth and 18th month of life. The Svadhisthana chakra is linked to the child’s search for secure attachment and a sense of security. It is the stage of life in which the child first undertakes the difficult balancing act between attachment and separation, discovers the world of emotions and the senses, and becomes independent.
Within this framework, the child gives free rein to their curiosity and their urge for discovery through movement. In this process, through the development of the sacral chakra, they learn to ride the wave of emotions and to express their anger, fears and joy on a physical level as well. The theme of the second chakra is the child’s emotional development and emotional identity.
The navel chakra in children: the centre of willpower
The third chakra reflects a child’s development from the 18th month of life until around the age of four. During this phase, the child begins to seek independence and develop their personality. They try to assert their will and express their temperament, as well as to develop and shape their own personal space. Day by day, they discover their own character a little further and begin to experience themselves as an individual. Through carrying out and completing small tasks, the child begins to develop self-confidence and to express their will and their stubbornness. In a child, the Manipura chakra expresses the connection with their own self as well as the ability to recognise boundaries. For a parent, during the navel chakra phase, it is important to give the child both the necessary freedom for their development and a safe haven.
The more balanced the development of the first three chakras is, the more varied and free the way in which young people begin and shape their lives as independent adults.
The heart chakra in children: the centre of love
The heart chakra corresponds to the developmental phase between the ages of four and seven and reflects the development of the child’s ability to form relationships. The Anahata chakra is linked to the child’s discovery of their own social identity through imitating and enacting social roles. During this period, the child begins to form relationships with others, to express their empathy and social skills, and to verbalise their feelings more clearly. In doing so, they develop the relationship patterns that will accompany them throughout their lives. Appreciative, stable and constructive relationships help the child to develop their capacity for love and relationships to the fullest. The heart chakra develops particularly well when the relationship models demonstrated to the child respect the child’s free will and natural disposition.
The throat chakra in children: the centre of creative self-expression
The throat chakra corresponds to the developmental phase between the ages of seven and twelve. It symbolises the time when the child develops the creative aspects of their personality and experiments with them. Having developed their social identity and relational skills in previous years, the child, under the influence of the throat chakra, immerses themselves completely in their creativity and individuality. Empowered by their creative force, they begin to give free rein to their natural curiosity and uniqueness. The Vishuddha chakra is the centre of personal, authentic and courageous self-expression. An essential prerequisite for the development of this chakra is an educational environment that allows for appreciative, loving and free expression. In this way, a clear and stable foundation is laid, enabling the child to grow into a well-balanced, open-minded and mature personality.
The third eye chakra in children: the centre of identity formation
The third eye chakra corresponds to the developmental phase of puberty. During this time, as the child transitions into adolescence, abstract thinking begins to develop. The young person begins to question internalised models from childhood and to examine the congruence between their childhood role models and their own nature and identity. During this phase of growing up, the adolescent is usually brimming with vitality and energy, which bubble up from within them like water from a spring. The main theme of the Ajna chakra is the process of identity formation. In keeping with the potential of their vitality, the young person seeks, as part of their self-discovery, creative forms of expression in particular. It is important to give them the necessary freedom and to show them respect and understanding as they experiment with a variety of different roles. In this way, the adolescent can discover their own adult identity, remain true to themselves and move beyond the role of the rebel.
The crown chakra in children: the centre of independent life-shaping
The crown chakra symbolises young adulthood. During this phase, young people develop their own value system and worldview. The Sahasrara chakra represents the search for meaning in one’s own life and for one’s own inner truth. It expresses the relationship to one’s own vision of life on both a personal and professional level and is linked to the development of all the other chakras. It symbolises young adults’ first attempts to shape their life path autonomously and to gain access to their own inner wisdom. The development of the Sahasrara chakra motivates young people to direct their self-realisation inwards rather than making it dependent on external factors. The quality of the crown chakra thus encourages them not to constantly compare themselves with others and not to rely on the approval of those around them.
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