With all of the environmental and physical factors we are exposed to regularly, it's important to take good care of your health; and spiritual health is a big part of this. Your chakras are no less susceptible to these factors than are any other parts of your body and your chakras can also be affected by spiritual and emotional events. This makes chakra cleansing a necessary part of maintaining your health through keeping mind, body and spirit in balance. Regular chakra cleansing keeps us healthy and ensures the proper flow of energy through our bodies.

Our mind, spirit and body all work together in harmony, so chakra cleansing is important to your health, just like regular exercise and eating right.

What follows is a list of some of the chakra cleansing techniques which have been shown to be effective and have been used for many centuries.

*Smudging: Smudging involves letting herbs smolder; their smoke can eliminate the negative energy which prevents the flow of energy through your chakras. White sage is one of the best ? burn some of this herb in a room after closing the doors and windows so that the smoke fills the room; you?ll need to be in the room for a few minutes to get the chakra cleansing benefits of smudging.

*Auric brushing: Using crystals and gems can clear blockages from our chakras, but this should be done by an experienced professional, since it can produce deleterious results if done improperly.

*Get a healthy diet, drink lots of water and juice and get adequate sleep. Your chakras will stay in better shape if you keep your physical body healthy.

*Get regular exercise and breathe properly to maintain proper chakric function.

*Make time to experience the natural world. Spending time outdoors can do wonders for your chakras. Even if you live in a large city, spend some time with the plants and wildlife in a larger park or even your own backyard.

*Color therapy: Every chakra corresponds to a color. By looking at these colors or even just visualizing them, you can stimulate your chakras into proper function and clear away energy blockages.

*Music: Music is a powerful means of chakra cleansing as well as a way to activate chakras and boost the function of the endocrine system.

*Keep your mind active: When you continue to learn and grow intellectually, you are keeping your energy centers (the chakras) active.

*Meditation and reflection: Set aside a little time in your day to think about the events of the day. You'll gain some valuable perspective on the goings on of your life and keep your chakras in better shape in the bargain.

*Love yourself: You cannot give or receive love until you first love yourself; love causes the production of brain chemicals which produce a sensation of well being and is also healthy for your chakras.

*Stay in tune with your emotions: You need to be able to accept and understand your emotions and when necessary, communicate your feelings to other people. When you repress your emotions, you allow negative energies to build up and cause chakra blockages.

*Use your creativity. When you allow your creativity to have a place in your daily life, you keep your energy flowing properly and will start enjoying your life more.

*Past lives: You need to be open to your past lives, especially to the opportunity to learn about yourself through them. The self awareness and sense of purpose this can give you will make all of your other chakra cleansing techniques more effective.

*Live as you wish others would live and be the change you want to see in the world: be honest, respectful and trustworthy.

*Prayer, like meditation can keep your chakras in balance and help you to maintain good health. Prayer quiets our minds and opens them.

All of these chakra cleansing techniques can work for you and should be practiced regularly. It may not happen overnight, but when you keep up using these chakra cleansing methods, you'll start to see the benefits and have a higher quality of life.