What Are Chakras and Why Do They Matter?

You’ve probably heard the word “chakra” before, but do you know how important it is to your well-being? The chakra is an ancient concept that comes from the Sanskrit word “wheel of light.” It refers to your body‘s subtle energy system.

There are multiple chakras within your body, and if they’re blocked or unstable, it can cause mental and physical suffering. Let’s take a closer look at the meaning of chakras and how they help you thrive.

Understanding Chakras

Chakras come from the earliest traditions of Hindu and Tantric Buddhist practice. The individual chakras throughout the body are focal points that blend the physical body with the spiritual mind.

Your chakras work in tandem with your life force energy. This energy flow is called many things in many traditions worldwide, including Ka, Ki, Prana, Mana, and Holy Spirit. In Chinese culture, it is known as Chi or Qi and is the energy that animates the body.

As long as energy flows freely through your chakras, you are able to experience life fully and without discomfort. But you may encounter blockages that stop the continual flow of energy. This requires certain activities, foods, movements, or thought processes to restore energy flow and chakra health.

Find out which of your chakras are open, weak, or closed.

I created this brand new Chakra Quiz to help you find out—and you’ll get immediate answers!

Take the 2-minute Chakra Quiz right now!

The Seven Main Chakras

There are seven major chakras in the chakra system throughout the human body that we can show you on this guide . Each is associated with certain physical and mental states of being. Together, these chakras flow with your individual life energy.

Root Chakra

Your root chakra, also called the first chakra or Muladhara chakra, is located at the base of your spine, or kundalini. It helps you feel grounded in your world. The root chakra is associated with feelings of security and safety.

Sacral Chakra

About two inches below your navel and two inches into your body is the sacral chakra. It is strongly linked to your sexuality and pleasure. It represents a connection to the outside world, especially in terms of relationships and openness to new experiences.

Solar Plexus Chakra

Your solar plexus chakra (also known as your Manipura chakra) is found in the upper abdomen near your stomach. It connects to your confidence and emotional stability. If this chakra is blocked, you may lack self-esteem and assertiveness.

Heart Chakra

Just inside or above your heart is your heart chakra (also known as the Anahata chakra). As you might have guessed, it is linked to love, joy, and inner peace. When this chakra is blocked, you are at risk of depression and even serious physical ailments.

Throat Chakra

At the base of the throat sits the throat chakra, which is associated with your ability to communicate. A blockage in the throat chakra can prevent you from expressing yourself or telling the truth about your feelings.

Third Eye Chakra

Your third eye chakra is located right between your eyes. Also called the Ajna chakra, it affects your ability to focus on your world and understand the larger issues you are facing. A blocked third eye chakra limits your imagination, intuition , and ability to make wise decisions in life.

Crown Chakra

The crown chakra is found at the top of the head and is associated with a spiritual connection to yourself and your world. When your crown chakra is unblocked and flowing freely with the other six chakras, you are open for full spiritual enlightenment.

The Colors Of The 7 Chakras

The seven chakras are represented by seven chakra colors that create a full rainbow or spectrum of energy. The chakra colors flow and change with the emotions and physical state of the body.

  • Violet: The Crown Chakra
  • Indigo: Third Eye Chakra
  • Blue: Throat Chakra
  • Green: Heart Chakra
  • Yellow: Solar Plexus Chakra
  • Orange: Sacral Chakra
  • Red: Root Chakra

Each chakra color plays a role in your health and mindset. Learn how to leverage them for chakra balancing and to create the most positive impact on your energy levels.

Importance of Each Chakra

The chakras affect your body‘s ability to cope with its surroundings and thrive in the world. Here are some ways the chakras bring value and energy healing.

Grounding With the Root Chakra

Emotionally, the root chakra helps you feel stable, secure, and safe. As the name “root” implies, it gives you a sense that you have deep roots in the ground and can survive any threat.

Physically, the root chakra affects our balance and stamina. It affects your bones, teeth, and adrenal glands. Work on unblocking this chakra if you need help coping with low adrenal function, osteoporosis, or mouth disease.

Pleasure With the Sacral Chakra

The sacral chakra affects your creativity, sexuality, and ability to feel the highest sensations of pleasure. It is also the chakra associated with fertility.

Your bladder and reproductive organs are part of the sacral chakra. Focus on unblocking this chakra, and you may find relief for problems with these systems.

Empowerment With the Solar Plexus Chakra

This is the chakra of self-esteem and empowerment. When you’re feeling a lack of self-confidence, this is the chakra that may be blocked.

In the physical self, this chakra affects the muscles and the digestive tract. It is often the focus of people who are experiencing digestive and intestinal issues.

Love With the Heart Chakra

The capacity to give and receive love is part of the heart chakra. When this chakra is blocked, all relationships in your life can be affected. Even your sense of compassion is dampened.

The heart, lungs, and circulation are closely tied to the heart chakra. You may need to unblock this chakra to support your respiratory and circulatory systems.

Expressing Yourself With the Throat Chakra

If you have ever had trouble expressing your feelings, this could be the blocked chakra. The throat chakra impacts your ability to communicate with others and interpret what others say.

This chakra affects your throat, ears, mouth, and thyroid. If you have low thyroid function or are making frequent trips to the ear, nose, and throat doctor, consider whether you have a blocked throat chakra.

Spiritual Insight With the Third Eye Chakra

The third eye chakra is crucial to your inner sense of intuition. Unblocked, it allows you to have wisdom in making important life choices.

This chakra is associated with the eyes and vision, so consider its importance if you are experiencing vision problems.

Divine Enlightenment With the Crown Chakra

The crown chakra at the top of your head forms your spiritual bond with divinity. Focus on this chakra if you seek higher enlightenment or a divine connection.

Physically, the crown chakra affects your cerebral cortex and your body‘s largest organ – the skin. In this way, the crown chakra connects from the top of your skull to your entire body.

Why We Need Balanced Chakras

Balanced chakras allow our life force energy to flow and keep everything working in harmony. When there is disharmony, it is felt mentally, emotionally, spiritually, physically, financially, and within our relationships.

Chakras can become imbalanced from many things: overuse, stress, pressure, criticism, chronic negativity, physical ailments, life events, and simply a lack of paying attention. You may notice warning signs like:

  • Persistent sickness
  • Wounds that won’t heal
  • Pain that can be hard to pinpoint
  • A feeling that something is “off”
  • Mistakes at work
  • An inability to lift a dark mood
  • A lack of thinking clearly
  • Forgetfulness and misplacing objects

How to Balance Your Chakras

If your chakras feel out of balance, here are some techniques to try.

Balancing the Root Chakra

When your root chakra is blocked, it is difficult for your entire body‘s energy to flow. So always check in with your root chakra and see if you feel deeply grounded.

If not, balance your root chakra with things that are connected to the earth. Go for a walk outdoors. Put your hands in sand or dirt. Eat root vegetables. Wear the color red. Do leg stretches.

Rediscovering Your Sexuality Through the Sacral Chakra

If you struggle to feel like a sexual being, your sacral chakra could be imbalanced. This may also manifest in a lack of creativity and imagination, which is particularly devastating for people who work in creative fields.

Restore balance through activities that move and stretch the hips, like dancing. Wade waist-deep through the water in a pool or lake. Try writing in a journal or playing a game that inspires free-form thought and unblocks your sacral chakra.

Reconnecting With Yourself Through the Solar Plexus Chakra

Do you feel disconnected from yourself? This chakra is about restoring your relationship with yourself and finding personal power.

This chakra is associated with fire, so restore an imbalance by meditating while watching a candle burning. Have a bonfire. Wear yellow and feel the sun’s rays on your face. Strengthen your core and try to feel a fire burning within you.

Balancing the Heart Chakra For More Love

You don’t have to be lovelorn to have an imbalanced heart chakra. It goes far beyond love into compassion, grief, exuberance, and any other emotion associated with a feeling in the heart and chest.

Restore balance to your heart chakra by connecting to the element of air. Practice deep breathing outdoors. Express love to others. Stretch your arms, chest, and hands, making gestures of love and gratitude.

Speaking Your Truth With the Throat Chakra

If you’ve ever felt tongue-tied, your throat chakra could be out of balance. It’s associated with speaking out, knowing when to stay quiet, and expressing yourself eloquently. Pain in the mouth and throat is also a sign of a blocked throat chakra.

To unblock it, select a mantra and practice saying it thoughtfully. Spend long periods in silence. Drink tea slowly. Wear the color blue or turquoise and listen to musical chants that make you feel meditative.

Revealing Your Third Eye Chakra

Because the third eye chakra is associated with insight, an imbalance can lead people to make impulsive and unwise choices. You may have a sensation of brain fog like you can’t find clarity of thought.

A dream journal can be helpful in finding balance. Give thought to your body‘s signals. Try moving through a safe space with your eyes closed. Wear dark blue and practice standing in positions that require balance.

Find Your Place in the Universe With the Crown Chakra

This is the chakra of divine enlightenment. If it’s been a long time since you felt any sense of spiritual energy, you may need to unblock this chakra. The same is true if you experience frequent headaches or a lack of empathy for others in the world.

Restore balance by taking a yoga class to learn poses that involve balancing on the top of your head. Volunteer for a charity or practice random acts of kindness. Spend time in chakra meditation thinking about the divine, nature, and the other creatures of the world.

The Power of Chakra Stones & Chakra Meditation

Chakra stones can also be used to stimulate positive energy. This could be a life-changing way to bring balance to your chakras and to your life. A chakra stone is a beautiful, powerful gemstone that infuses your mind, body, and spirit with strong life force energy. Hold them. Wear them. Store them in your home.

Over time, by using chakra stones, you’ll begin to feel the effects with fresh, free-flowing energy that will take root in your chakras and make you shine with vitality from inside out.

Chakra meditation is one of the most popular and effective ways of maintaining chakra balance to restore health and vitality. For thousands of years, meditation has helped people improve their physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual health. A good meditation practice leads to chakra healing and access to your limitless potential. Combine meditation with good yoga practice and you’ll be amazed at what you can achieve.

Live Your Truth

Are your chakras in balance? Or are you like most of us, in need of some restorative care?

Even a minor disturbance in your life force energy can cause lasting damage. Let’s find balance and harmony together. You are invited to discover how to unblock and truly heal your life through my new book on Chakras .

Want even more support with your chakras?

I created this brand new Chakra Quiz to help you find out which of your chakras are in need of a little support. Take this Chakra Quiz and get immediate answers to find out which of your chakras are open, weak, or closed.

Take the 2-minute Chakra Quiz right now!

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