If you’ve ever been in a yoga class, tried complementary therapies like Reiki, or experimented with various types of meditation, then you have likely come across the word “chakra” before. Perhaps you’ve even been given advice to open your chakras or work on a specific chakra.
But what exactly are chakras? And what do they have to do with our health and well-being? Let’s take a look at what chakras are and how to keep them in balance.
What are chakras?
The idea of chakras originated in India, and chakras are referred to in ancient texts dating back to 1500 to 500 BC. Over time, the concept of chakras came to form the foundations for Kundalini yoga.1
Chakras refer to energy centers of the body. The word “chakra” is actually a Sanskrit word meaning “disk” or “wheel.”2 Chakras have been described in many different ways, including:
- Spinning vortices of energy
- Points of connection
- Centers of consciousness
- Spiritual central organs
- Points of intersection between the mind and body2 3 4
According to the Chopra Center, “Chakras store the energy of thoughts, feelings, memories, experiences, and actions. They influence and direct our present and future mindset, behavior, emotional health, and actions.”5
It is important to understand that chakras are a non-physical, energetic concept. They are part of the “subtle body”—a part that cannot be seen by the human eye or touched. However, many people report to be able to sense chakras in other ways.5
While they may not be tangible or physical, chakras are often linked to anatomical locations and physical structures like nerve clusters, endocrine glands, and major organs in the body.2 3
Unfortunately, research on chakras and how they might relate to our physical human body is quite limited. As experts in this field explain, it can be quite challenging to prove a link between something non-physical (chakras) and something physical (the human body). Despite the challenges, however, there is continual research being done to learn more about chakras and their possible biological foundations.3
The 7 major chakras
Although many people believe that there are more than 100 different chakras within each of us, there are 7 primary chakras that form the foundation of the chakra system. These 7 major chakras are located along a central axis that runs from the base of the spine to the top of the head.2
Each of the chakras is believed to correlate to different states of consciousness, different characteristics, and different physical and mental health concerns, as well as to various elements, colors, and tones.1 2
Here is a basic breakdown of the seven major chakras:
Number
|
Name
|
Location
|
Color
|
Keywords
|
Associated physical structures
|
One
|
Root chakra
|
Base of the spine
|
Red
|
Family, tribe, survival, basic needs, safety
|
Adrenals
|
Two
|
Sacral chakra
|
Lower abdomen
|
Orange
|
Sex, power, pleasure, creativity, self-worth
|
Reproductive system, urinary system
|
Three
|
Solar plexus chakra
|
Upper abdomen/stomach
|
Yellow
|
Confidence, self-esteem, self-acceptance
|
Digestive system, pancreas
|
Four
|
Heart chakra
|
Center of the chest/sternum
|
Green
|
Love, compassion, connection
|
Circulatory system, respiratory system
|
Five
|
Throat chakra
|
Throat
|
Blue
|
Communication
|
Head, neck thyroid
|
Six
|
Third eye chakra
|
Center of forehead between the eyes
|
Indigo
|
Intuition, imagination
|
Pituitary gland, nervous system
|
Seven
|
Crown chakra
|
Top of the head
|
Violet or white
|
Awareness, intelligence, connection to divine
|
Brain, pineal gland
|
6
What happens when chakras become blocked?
You may have heard of a chakra becoming blocked, or the need to clear a blocked chakra to feel better or address physical and mental health concerns. This idea is based on the theory that energy needs to flow steadily throughout your system and through all of the chakras in order for you to experience inner harmony and good health.
When chakras aren’t fully open or functioning properly, it can create disharmony in mind, body, and spirit that can manifest as physical symptoms, emotional imbalances, mental health concerns, and illness. According to healing traditions that focus on chakras, it is essential that your chakras be open and active for proper flow of energy and optimal well-being.6 8
It is important to know that it isn’t just unblocking chakras that is important; what you really want is to focus on bringing them into balance. Too little energy flowing through a chakra can be problematic, but too much energy that moves too quickly through a chakra can also be harmful. The goal is to bring all of your chakras into alignment and allow your energy to flow at a healthy, balanced rate.5
How do chakras get out of balance?
There are many things that can contribute to imbalanced chakras and blocked energy flow, like repressing your emotions, not speaking your truth, not nourishing your body with good food, and lack of physical movement.8
Here are some examples of common factors that are believed to cause problems with chakras:
- Personal loss
- Relationship conflict
- Accidents or other trauma
- Unresolved emotions
- Stressful life events
- Physical blockages like cysts or tumors
The causes of imbalance may be different for everyone, and it takes building awareness of your inner and outer experiences to identify what exactly might be out of alignment for you as an individual.
How to balance chakras
To bring your chakra system back in balance, you’ll need to address both your inner and outer worlds—everything from your thoughts to your emotions to the foods you eat to the way you move your physical body.
As Reiki professionals put it, working on our chakras is like “clearing out the clutter in our lives, physically and emotionally.”8 When we do this, we are able to strengthen the flow of our energy and feel our best.
Fortunately, there are many different things you can do on your own and with the help of wellness professionals to address any imbalances within your chakra system.
Here are some examples:
1. Yoga
Various yoga poses are thought to support each individual chakra and to help bring things back into alignment. The benefits of yoga are widespread and well-known, so don’t hesitate in seeking out a certified yoga instructor to guide you on your journey.9
2. Meditation
Meditation is a wonderful tool to help you become more grounded in yourself so that you can build awareness and clarity of mind. This can help you to identify where blockages may be coming from and address what’s going on.
3. Self-reflection
Incorporate tools for self-reflection and personal growth that can help you to unpack and understand your emotional world better. This might include doing daily gratitude practices, exploring therapy, practicing forgiveness, journaling, etc.
4. Essential oils and crystals
It is believed that each chakra is linked to unique oils and crystals which can be used to correct imbalances.7 You can explore this on your own and experiment to see how it works for you.
5. Breathing
Try breathing practices like diaphragmatic breathing and yogic breathing (pranayama) to encourage unhindered energy flow.
6. Exercise
Lack of physical activity may contribute to imbalanced chakras. Get your body moving regularly in a way that feels best to you. Qigong and dance may be particularly useful forms of physical activity.6
7. Get support from various wellness practitioners
There are many different well-trained wellness professionals that understand how to work with chakras and how to bring them back into balance. Reiki is an excellent modality to try; Reiki practitioners are trained to use healing touch to identify blockages, open them, and channel energy through you to promote balance.2
Other experts to look to for support include acupuncturists, massage therapists, and other healing touch or energy medicine practitioners.
There are even revolutionary treatments like Rubimed that aim to combine the ancient theories of chakra and energy systems with modern-day medicine and science.
Chakra Balancing Virtual Item balancer
A digital signature representing chakra balancing can be scanned as a wellness service in the ZYTO Balance, Select, or Elite software. If you have added Chakra Balancing to your service inventory, you can see how the body responded to this item in the Services report. If Chakra Balancing was one of your top 5 positive (most biologically coherent) responses in the Balance Biosurvey, it will appear on the primary Wellness Report as well.
About Chelsea Clark
Chelsea Clark is a writer and certified health and wellness coach who is passionate about supporting others along their own health journeys. She enjoys helping people make positive, lasting changes so that they can live the happiest, healthiest life possible.
Sources:
1.. Schneider, A. & N.J. Cooper. “A Brief History of Chakras in Human Body.” Psychology Review 15 (2019): 21-27.
2. Edlund, D.M. “Reiki and its Effect on the Chakras, as Measured by the Aurastar Imaging Device.” University of Connective Health Center Graduate School. (2003): 1-38.
3. Maxwell, R.W. “The Physiological Foundation of Yoga Chakra Expression.” Zygon 44, no. 4 (2009): 807-824.
4. Jun, F., B.H. Bok, & Z. Lin. “Study on the Correlations between Chakra System and Ayurvedic Medicine.” International Journal of Ayurveda and Pharma Research 8, no. 4 (2020): 73-76.
5. Shah, Parita. “A Primer of the Chakra System.” Chopra Center. Chopra.com.
6. McMurrary, S. “Chakra Talk: Exploring Human Energy Systems.” Holistic Nursing Practice 19, no. 2 (2005): 94.
7. Richardson, P.S. “The Interrelationships of the Chakras and Mental Health.” Journal of Metaphysical Thought II, no. 1 (2019): 6-9.
8. “Chakra Basics.” International Association of Reiki Professionals. Iarp.org.
9. “Yoga: What You Need to Know.” National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health. Nccih.nih.gov.