What Are the 7 Chakras and How Can You Unblock Them?
If you’ve ever taken a yoga or meditation class, had an energy healing session like reiki, or just watched online videos about those subjects, you’ve no doubt heard about chakras and the role they play in the flow of energy in your body.
You may have also learned that it’s important to keep your chakras open, or unblocked.
But what exactly are chakras and how do they affect your physical and emotional well-being?
In this article, The Healing Circle will take a closer look at your main chakras. We’ll also help explain the impact these energy centers may have on your mind and body, and spirit plus how to keep them “open” in order to promote physical, mental, and emotional well-being.
What are Chakras?
In Sanskrit, the word “chakra” means “disk” or “wheel” and refers to the energy centers in your body. These wheels or disks of spinning energy each correspond to certain nerve bundles and major organs.
To function at their best, your chakras need to stay open, or balanced. If they get blocked, you may experience physical or emotional symptoms related to a particular chakra.
There are seven main chakras that run along your spine. They start at the root, or base, of your spine and extend to the crown of your head. You have at least 114 different chakras in the body.
The chakras most often referred to are the seven main ones that we’ll explore in more detail below.
What are the 7 Main Chakras?
The chakra system refers to the energy centers we have in our bodies. There are seven major chakras, each in a specific location along your spine. Let’s look at each one more closely.
Root Chakra
The root chakra, or Muladhara, is located at the base of your spine. It provides you with a base or foundation for life, and it helps you feel grounded and able to withstand challenges. Your root chakra is responsible for your sense of security and stability.
Sacral Chakra
The sacral chakra, or Svadhisthana, is located just below your belly button. This chakra is responsible for your sexual and creative energy. It’s also linked to how you relate to your emotions as well as the emotions of others.
Solar Plexus Chakra
The solar plexus chakra, or Manipura, is located in your stomach area. It’s responsible for confidence and self-esteem, as well as helping you feel in control of your life.
Heart Chakra
The heart chakra, or Anahata, is located near your heart, in the center of your chest. It comes as no surprise that the heart chakra is all about our ability to love and show compassion.
Throat Chakra
The throat chakra, or Vishuddha, is located in your throat. This chakra has to do with our ability to communicate verbally.
Third Eye Chakra
The third eye chakra, or Ajna, is located between your eyes. You can thank this chakra for a strong gut instinct. That’s because the third eye is responsible for intuition. It’s also linked to imagination.
Crown Chakra
The crown chakra, or Sahasrara, is located at the top of your head. Your Sahasrara represents your spiritual connection to yourself, others, and the universe. It also plays a role in your life’s purpose.
What does it mean if a chakra is blocked? congested, or unbalanced?
The Healing Circle, says she prefers to think of chakras as out of balance versus blocked.
“There can be a depletion of energy flow or too much energetic activity in a chakra — each will manifest into different outcomes,” she explained.
When a chakra is low in energy, she said, you’ll have difficulty expressing the particular qualities associated with that chakra.
When a chakra is overactive, GiGi said, the qualities are a dominant force in the person’s life. This can have both physical and emotional effects.
For example, the first chakra is about security, survival, and the foundation of our life.
If it’s underactive, GiGi said, it can show up as depression and insecurity. If there’s too much energy, it can show up as fearlessness without precaution or hoarding because you need more to feel secure.
Can a blocked chakra affect your health?
In general, the location of the chakra that’s out of balance may affect the parts of your body in close proximity to that chakra, according to GiGi this includes your organs, bones, joints, and tissues near that area.
Psychologically, she says, imbalances in the chakras may cause an emotional imbalance.
This may lead to increased anger, sadness, fear, or indecisiveness.
“It’s important to pay attention to both the psychological and physiological sensations because they can inform each other and uncover the root cause of the experience,” said certified master reiki healer.
Experiencing too much stress — physically or mentally — may cause one or more chakras to be out of balance.
“Personal habits such as poor physical alignment or posture, eating unhealthy food, or self-destructive behavior may cause a chakra to be imbalanced,” she said.
also said that prolonged imbalance may lead to physical disease and illness, musculoskeletal issues, and mental health challenges like depression or anxiety.
How can you unblock a chakra?
According The Healing Circle, a great way to promote balance in a chakra is to create alignment in your physical body through:
Yoga postures
Breathing practices to encourage the flow of energy
Meditation to bring about clarity of mind
Each chakra has yoga poses that may help fine-tune its energy. Here are some poses that may help unblock each of your seven chakras.
Root Chakra
The root chakra is the base chakra and reflects your foundation. According to GiGi, Tree Pose or any balancing poses, like Mountain or Warrior, are great for establishing a stronger relationship with your body’s foundation.
Sacral Chakra
The sacral chakra is associated with our reproductive area and is responsible for our creativity and sensuality.
GiGi says poses that strengthen your pelvic floor, where the sacral chakra resides, such as Bridge Pose or deep hip openers like Pigeon Pose or Lizard Pose, are great for strengthening your sacral chakra.
Solar Plexus Chakra
The solar plexus chakra is all about your inner fire and resides around your core. That’s why GiGi says core strengthening poses, such as Boat or Triangle, are great for firing up your abs and creating more balance in this chakra.
Heart Chakra
Your heart chakra, according to GiGi, is the integration point between the lower chakras and the higher chakras. “It reflects our ability to open ourselves up to deeper connections with others,” she said.
To unblock this chakra, she recommends heart openers, such as Camel Pose or Wheel. She also recommends Cow Face Pose and Humble Warrior, which help open your chest, shoulders, and arms so you can more fully embrace others.
Throat Chakra
The throat chakra is your communication center. According to GiGi, Plow and Fish are great poses to open up your throat chakra. Both help open up the back and front sides of your neck, where the throat chakra resides.
Third Eye Chakra
The third eye chakra rules your ability to invite a new reality into your life by dreaming up different possibilities. GiGi
recommends poses that involve getting your upper body intimately connected with your lower body.
According to GiGi’s, poses such as Forward Fold or Folded Eagle are great for the third eye.
“In these poses, our higher self, represented by our upper bodies, establishes a connection with our more rooted parts of our bodies, our legs, so that we can manifest a dream into a physical reality.”
Crown Chakra
The crown chakra rules your connection to your higher self. That’s why GiGi recommends the pose that comes after all yoga poses: Savasana, or Corpse Pose.
This pose, says GiGi , helps strengthen your crown chakra by connecting you with your eternal self — your soul — and reminding you where you came from and where you’ll go.
The history of chakras?
Chakras have only recently become more well-known, with the growth in popularity of yoga and New Age philosophies in general. They are a complex and ancient energy system that originated in India. They were first mentioned in the Vedas, ancient sacred texts of spiritual knowledge dating from 1500 to 1000 BC. There’s a lot one can study about them.
So what should you know about the chakras? Below is your crash course.
Chakra 101
Chakra (cakra in Sanskrit) means “wheel” and refers to energy points in your body. They are thought to be spinning disks of energy that should stay “open” and aligned, as they correspond to bundles of nerves, major organs, and areas of our energetic body that affect our emotional and physical well-being.
Some say there are 114 different chakras, but there are seven main chakras that run along your spine. These are the chakras that most of us are referring to when we talk about them.
Each of these seven main chakras has a corresponding number, name, color, specific area of the spine from the sacrum to the crown of the head, and health focus.
7 Body Chakras
Powerful energy centers for a healthy you.
Chakra Balancing
Feel Healthier, Happier and Vibrant
7 chakras are the 7 wheels of energy in our body. Blocked energy in any of the 7 chakras may lead to illness. That is why, it is essential to understand what every chakra represents and how to keep energy flowing freely?
7 Chakras 7 Benefits
Chakra healing is an excellent way to balance your chakras and find balance within your body and mind.
Improved overall health and well being.
Greater and faster ability to heal your mental, physical, spiritual and emotional issues.
Increased openness, memory, concentration and awareness.
Positive outlook in terms of understanding, perception of behaviors and thought process.
Heightened creativity and better resourcefulness because of better perception.
Sense of self-worth, self-esteem and self- confidence.
Improved and deeper sleep, better control over your emotions and improved patience.
From above benefits it is clear that clear and healthy functioning chakras certainly propel you into the life you deserve to live.
Tap into the healing potential of your chakra energetic system.
Know Your Chakras
A blocked root chakra can manifest as physical issues like arthritis, constipation, and bladder or colon problems, or emotionally through feeling insecure about finances or our basic needs and well-being. When it’s in alignment and open, we will feel grounded and secure, both physically and emotionally.
Issues with this chakra can be seen via problems with the associated organs, like urinary tract infections, lower back pain, and impotency. Emotionally, this chakra is connected to our feelings of self-worth, and even more specifically, our self-worth around pleasure, sexuality, and creativity.
Blockages in the third chakra are often experienced through digestive issues like ulcers, heartburn, eating disorders, and indigestion. It’s the chakra of our personal power. This means it’s related to our self-esteem and self-confidence.
Blocks in our heart chakra can manifest in our physical health through heart problems, asthma, and weight issues. But blocks are often seen even more clearly through people’s actions.
People with heart chakra blocks often put others first, to their own detriment. It’s the middle of the seven chakras, so it bridges the gap between our upper and lower chakras, and it also represents our ability to love and connect to others. When out of alignment, it can make us feel lonely, insecure, and isolated.
As one would expect, this chakra is connected to our ability to communicate verbally. Voice and throat problems as well as any problems with everything surrounding that area, such as the teeth, gums, and mouth, can indicate a blockage. Blocks or misalignment can also be seen through dominating conversations, gossiping, speaking without thinking, and having trouble speaking your mind. When in alignment, you will speak and listen with compassion and feel confident when you speak because you know you are being true to yourself with your words.
Since this chakra is physically located on the head, blockages can manifest as headaches, issues with sight or concentration, and hearing problems. People who have trouble listening to reality (who seem to “know it all”) or who are not in touch with their intuition may also have a block. When open and in alignment, it’s thought that people will follow their intuition and be able to see the big picture.
The crown chakra is linked to every other chakra (and therefore every organ in this system), and so it affects not just all of those organs, but also our brain and nervous system. It is considered the chakra of enlightenment and represents our connection to our life’s purpose and spirituality. Those with a blocked crown chakra may seem narrow-minded, skeptical, or stubborn. When this chakra is open, it is thought to help keep all the other chakras open and to bring the person bliss and enlightenment.
As these are all energetic centers of the body that correspond to feelings, one of them probably resonated with you as you were reading. A different one may resonate with you tomorrow. It’s likely that one resonates with you more than any others as a continuous problem, a chakra where you often deal with blocks. Other blockages may pop up every now and then. In the chakra system, these patterns have specific terms and there are recommended treatments.
Therapies To Activate & Balance Chakras:
How Identify your chakra blockage with crystal healings
Knowing where your chakra imbalance lies is the first step in being able to treat it, so checking chakras is a wonderful way to start a healing process.
Sound therapy for chakra balancing
Singing Bowls are excellent tools for restructuring the energy field of the body and improving the processing of energy by the chakras.
Crystal Light Therapy
Chakra balancing healing crystal light therapy
Balancing the mind & body
Lighted bed
Seven hand carved quartz crystal
The Crystals radiate colored light through
Balancing the body and the chakra as well as
clearing and balancing the aura.
What are chakra affirmations?
The chakras have long been a part of Hindu, Buddhist, and other spiritual systems.
They’re believed to be wheel-like energy centers distributing throughout the body that influence physical, emotional, and spiritual health, though there’s no scientific evidence to support this.
Proponents typically consider the seven chakras distributed along the spine to be the main ones, but some systems list hundreds of chakras.
According to energy workers, these energy centers can become blocked. Blockages are believed to amplify negative qualities that can manifest in many ways, from difficulty communicating to feelings of hostility.
Some believe that repeating affirmations can help unblock the chakras and allow the energy to flow freely again. Chakras can also be overactive, meaning that too much energy is flowing or accumulating at that particular center.
“Affirmations offer a potent alchemical synergy of intention, spoken word, and the mindfulness to harness the power of the present moment,” says The Healing Circle a self-defined modern alchemist and expert in vibrational medicine.
“Our intention directs the flow of energy within our physical and nonphysical bodies, known as our energy field,” she says. “This field of energy contains our chakras, also known as our energy centers.”
The Healing Circle says these centers receive and transmit information and experiences through the mind-body connection. By working with affirmations, she believes you can enhance the energy flow in your body.
The Root Chakra
The root chakra is the first chakra in the human body. It’s linked to:
Strength
Safety
Grounding
Community
Nourishment
Stability
“Our root chakras represent our connection to the Earth, our bodies, our tribe or family of origin, and our communities,” says The Healing Circle. “How we care for our physical body and nourish our beings is directly related to this chakra. Our sense of feeling safe, secure, and financially stable are also connected to our roots.”
Negative aspects, or shadow issues, associated with the root chakra include:
Aggression
Indecision
Anxiety
Insecurity
Greed
Attachment
Fear
Root chakra affirmations
Some possible root chakra affirmations include:
I am healthy and vibrant.
I am deeply and safely connected to my body and the Earth.
I feel the ground firmly beneath my feet.
I honor the temple of my body with deep care and reverence.
I’m open to life’s opportunities.
I am committed to fulfilling my life’s purpose.
Sacral Chakra
The sacral chakra is the second chakra in the human body. It’s linked to:
Creativity
Sensuality
Sexuality
Pleasure
Emotions
Intimacy
“The sacral chakra in part governs the flow of life, the emotional body and soul, and also the creative process,” says The Healing Circle,“Essential Oils in Spiritual Practice: Working with the Chakras, Divine Archetypes, and the Five Great Elements.”
“Our sensuality and sexuality are also connected to this center, which desires authentic and intimate communion with another,” says The Healing Circle.
A blocked or overactive sacral chakra may manifest as:
Overindulgence
Codependence
Lack of sexual desire
Feeling numb
Disconnection
Sacral chakra affirmations
Some possible sacral chakra affirmations include:
I accept the flow of life.
I use my energy for creative expression.
I’m free to express my emotions in a healthy way.
I honor my sensual expression.
I am an empowered sexual being.
My creativity flows effortlessly.
Solar Plexus Chakra
The solar plexus is the third chakra in the human body. It’s said to influence:
Personal power
Mental abilities
Decision-making
Self-discipline
Influence
“The solar plexus rules, in part, the mental body, including the ability to make decisions and act logically. It also houses personal power and is a protective source for self and others,” says The Healing Circle.
Shadow issues associated with an imbalanced solar plexus chakra include:
Feelings of helplessness
An unhealthy need to control
Acting obsessively
Lacking clear direction
Low self-esteem
Solar plexus affirmations
Try these affirmations for opening the solar plexus:
I am decisive.
I make clear choices.
I take healthy risks.
I commit to my direction in life.
I am open to possibilities.
I am empowered to live my best life.
Heart Chakra
The heart chakra is the fourth chakra in the human body. It’s associated with:
Love
Beauty
Compassion
Transformation
Connection
Relationships
“Our heart connects us to all of humanity and kingdoms of life around us,” says The Healing Circle. They “desire wholeness and harmony and… to connect in intimate loving relationships.”
An imbalanced heart chakra may manifest as:
Fear of intimacy
Defensiveness
Jealousy
Antisocial behavior
Holding grudges
Guilt and shame
Heart chakra affirmations
Try these affirmations for opening the heart:
My heart is open to give and receive love.
I feel compassion for myself and others.
I am a conduit for love and peace.
I am full of gratitude for my ability to love.
My heart is full of unconditional love for all beings.
Throat Chakra
The throat chakra is the fifth chakra in the human body. It’s linked with:
Communication
Self-expression
Honesty
Speech
Truth
Clarity
“The throat chakra is, in part, about elegant speech used to create environments internally and externally. It’s about recognizing truth and finding clarity,” The Healing Circle says.
“A balanced throat chakra allows us to speak with both grace and also the strength of our convictions,” says The Healing Circle. “The throat is also a center of higher creativity and the self-expression of our personal freedoms.”
Negative aspects associated with the throat chakra include:
Inability to speak your truth
Telling lies
Difficulty communicating
Lack of purpose in life
Lack of creative expression
Throat chakra affirmations
A few affirmations for the throat chakra include:
I listen to my own inner knowing.
I speak my truth.
I let my voice be heard.
I trust my conviction and act on my truth.
I do no harm with my words.
I speak with authenticity, grace, and courage.
I express my creativity with ease and joy.
Third Eye Chakra
The third eye chakra is the sixth chakra in the human body. It’s associated with:
Intuition
Foresight
Psychic vision
Mysticism
Spiritual knowledge
“The third eye relates to inner and outer vision, intuition and the mystical aspects of nature and our physical relationship to the natural world,” The Healing Circle explains. “It is from here we can envision ideas and even sophisticated mental constructs to be materialized in the physical world.”
Shadow issues associated with the third eye chakra include:
A lack of clarity and vision
Feeling stuck
An inability to see the whole picture
Disconnection from spiritual perceptions
Third eye chakra affirmations
Try these affirmations to enhance third eye energy:
I see my life’s purpose clearly.
I am connected to the spiritual world.
I am open to the truths of the universe.
I am connected to the divine within.
Crown Chakra
The crown chakra is the seventh chakra in the human body. It’s connected to:
Higher states of consciousness
Nonduality
Enlightenment
Self-realization
Universal awareness
“The crown represents our connection to Divine Source and a myriad of levels of consciousness for understanding the cosmic and universal nature of life and our multifaceted place within it,” says The Healing Circle. “We can access expanded levels of consciousness through the crown and immerse ourselves in a far greater comprehension of connectedness of the great web of life.”
An imbalanced crown chakra may manifest as:
Disconnection from spirit
Closed-mindedness
Subject-object consciousness
Apathy
Materialism
Crown chakra affirmations
To activate the crown chakra, try the affirmations below:
I experience unity with all things.
I surrender myself to the divine.
I am aligned with the highest aspect of my being.
Divine light and love flow through me.
Chakra healing is an excellent way to balance your chakras and find balance within your body and mind. Improved overall health and well being. Greater and faster ability to heal your mental, physical, spiritual and emotional issues. Increased openness, memory, concentration and awareness.
Other ways to balance the chakras
Aside from affirmations, other items or practices are believed by some to heal and balance the chakras.
Just a few include:
Crystals
Meditation
Essential oils
Prayer
Yoga
Sound healing
