There are seven primary energy centers in your energetic body. Each energy center, called a chakra, is representative of a certain set of characteristics.
1) Root Chakra: Your Root chakra is an energy center located at your tailbone. The root chakra represents your connection to the Earth, your tribe or family, and survival issues.
2) Sacral Chakra: The Sacral chakra is between your hips, a couple inches below your navel. The Sacral chakra represents creativity, manifestation, sexuality, and emotional connection to others.
3) Solar Plexus Chakra: The Solar chakra is located in the center of your torso, about six inches below your heart. The Solar chakra represents your courage, vitality, confidence, and personal power.
4) Heart Chakra: Your Heart chakra is located in the center of your chest. The heart chakra represents unconditional love, nurturing, and compassion.
5) Throat Chakra: Next is the Throat chakra. The throat chakra represents communication, expression of feelings, your ability to effectively convey the meaning of your words.
6) Third Eye Chakra: The Third eye is located low on the forehead, a little above your eyebrows. The Third eye represents insight, intuition, wisdom, intelligence, and psychic development.
7) Crown Chakra: The last primary energy center, the Crown chakra, is located a couple inches above the top of your head. The Crown chakra represents spirituality and connectedness to all things.
If a chakra is out of balance, your health in that area will be out balance. For instance, if your heart chakra is overactive, you will try to fall in love without healthy boundaries. If your heart chakra is underactive, you will be unable to love yourself or feel love for others.
I think of it as an energetic way of looking at overall health and well being. It's incredibly consistent, in my opinion. An understanding of the chakra system makes it much easier to deduce where your imbalances may be.
If you have heart disease, you probably have an imbalance in your heart chakra. If you have poor eyesight, it's likely an imbalance in your third eye. As a nutritionist and an energy worker, I have oftentimes been able to help people heal themselves through awareness of the 7 chakra system.
As with all bodily systems; cardiovascular system, immune system, etc., all of these 7 chakras interact with one another, like wheels. The balance of one affects the balance of the others. They're all connected, a part of the whole.
ROOT CHAKRA : THE 7 CHAKRAS SERIES
Your Root chakra is an energy center located at your tailbone.
It is often also called the first or muldhara chakra. This energy center is an energetic representation of your connection to the Earth, connnection to your family and tribe, groundedness, and survival issues.
IMBALANCED FIRST CHAKRA SYMPTOMS
Imbalances don't always mannifest on the physical. If your first chakra is weak or closed, it can result in lack of connection to friends or family or lack of wealth and abundance.
An overly open muldhara chakra can lead to selfishness, overindulgence in earthly pleasures, and materialism. People who live in very cluttery environments oftentimes have overly open base chakras.
CHAKRA COLORS THERAPY
The color for the first chakra is earthy red or black. These are the most primal energies, pure caveman style survival issues. Your ability to acquire food, water, and shelter. In modern times, it is associated with wealth and abundance. For color therapy, my personal favorite uses images of volcanoes. Volcanoes epitomize groundedness and primal forces.
FIRST CHAKRA BALANCING WITH SOUND
In my own sound healing practice, I chant Lam (a bija mantra) and play a crystal singing bowl tuned to C.
I find this combination very effective for energy healing. Drumming is another classic method for improving first chakra health.
You don't need to go to a drum circle or get a crystal singing bowl to take advantage of the benefits. You can also listen to music geared towards the first chakra like drumming music or chakra balancing cd's.
ROOT CHAKRA CRYSTALS
On the subject of crystals for the muldhara chakra: Tanja and I have different associations for garnet, ruby, and many other red stones. Traditional usage matches them with first chakra, our feelings are that earth colored stones are more root-ish and red stones are more sacral. Please pardon the discrepancy, we're just funny that way.
CHAKRA ESSENTIAL OILS AND AROMATHERAPY
Aromatherapy scents associated with the first chakra include Cedar, Patchouli, and Sandalwood.
Burning incense or smelling essential oils is a very simple way to keep energetic focus on groundedness.
Many people in the Western world downplay the power of incense, but there's a reason people have been creating and burning incense for thousands of years.
LIFESTYLE
Some lifestyle activities that help balance your Root chakra are hiking in wild places, tree-hugging (I know, ha-ha, but it really works), gardening, and walking barefoot on the Earth. You can check out more grounding techniques here, or a root chakra healing technique here for more...
SACRAL CHAKRA : THE 7 CHAKRAS SERIES
The Sacral chakra is an energy center located a couple inches below your belly button.
This energy center, also called the second and Svadhishthana chakra, is the energetic representation of sexuality, creativity, and manifestation. It also represents your emotional connection to others. I jokingly refer to it as the soap-opera chakra.
SECOND CHAKRA IMBALANCES
Blockages or closed second chakra issues manifest as prostate problems, low back pain, or frequent kidney, bladder, or urinary tract infections (UTI).
Energetically, When your Sacral energy center is too open, you could be overly driven by sexual urges (nymphomania or sex-addicted), and excessive fantasizing. You may also have trouble defining healthy boundaries.
When your Sacral is closed, you will have weakened sex drive or lack of creativity and productiveness. Writer's block is an example of a blockage in the Sacral.
CHAKRA COLORS THERAPY
SOUND THERAPY
The musical note associated with the second chakra is D. If you like music or sound healing, you can use instruments, chimes, or voice in D. I use Vam (rhymes with mom), a bija mantra associated with chakra balancing when chanting or play a singing crystal bowl. I also enjoy listening to classical music played in D. This can be particularly powerful. Something about the structure of classical music really lends itself to sound healing.
SACRAL CHAKRA CRYSTALS
Crystals that help heal or balance your second chakra include carnelian, orange calcite, and topaz. You can use these crystals or any crystals that feel right for you by holding them, meditating while looking at them, or making gem elixirs.
CHAKRA ESSENTIAL OILS AND AROMATHERAPY
Aromatherapy for your second chakra would be Ylang-ylang. Burning Ylang-lang incense or smelling essential oils is very effective for long term healing and rebalancing of the sacral energy center. It's simple, inexpensive, and does the job nicely.
LIFESTYLE
I'm a huge supporter of artistic expression. Paint, draw, write, sculpt. Do anything that makes you feel productive and creative. Make time to do something artisic for at least a few minutes every day or so. Your sacral chakra will thank you
SOLAR PLEXUS CHAKRA : THE 7 CHAKRAS SERIES
Your solar plexus chakra is located at your solar plexus, in the middle of your torso. This is the energetic center for personal power, courage, and self-esteem. It's characterized by fire, drive, and balanced motivation.
THIRD CHAKRA IMBALANCES
You can use chakra balancing techniques to heal your Solar chakra. Combined with eating more fresh fruits and vegetables, taking digestive enzymes and a probiotic, you can achieve optimal health and balanced vitality.
Energetically, if your solar chakra is too open, you could be judgemental, a workaholic (overly driven), or frequently or easily angered. Signs of a closed or blocked Solar chakra manifest as low self esteem, lack of motivation, or extremely self critical.
CHAKRA COLORS THERAPY
It's vital to keep the fires going strong and this is the energy center to focus on for raw energy. Color therapy for your Solar chakra could include wearing yellow or creating art that involves bright yellow.
THIRD CHAKRA BALANCING WITH SOUND
The sound of the Solar chakra is the note E. Singing or playing an instrument in E helps to stimulate a balancing effect in the third chakra. Chanting one of the bija mantras RAM (rhymes with mom) is one of my favorite simple ways to empower your Solar plexus chakra.
Stringed instruments such as guitar and piano are good for sound healing or music therapy. Mozart's stringed quartets are excellent.
SOLAR PLEXUS CHAKRA CRYSTALS
Hold your stone against your third chakra, carry it in your pocket through the day, or make a gem elixir by putting your crystal into or next to a glass of water before you sleep. When you awaken, sip the water throughout the day for a boost to your self esteem.
CHAKRA ESSENTIAL OILS AND AROMATHERAPY
Aromatherapy for the Solar plexus is quite effective. Take a bath with sea salts and pure essential oil of lemon, lime, neroli, or orange. Burn natural incense scented with ginger or cinnamon. In a pinch, just put a few drops of essential oil on a scarf and savor the scent throughout your day.
LIFESTYLE
Activities that balance your Solar chakra include deep breathing, fast walking or jogging, and weight lifting. Even 5 minutes a day is a great start to effective body balancing. Do whatever is comfortable, breathe, and enjoy the sensations of moving your body. I have also seen great results with postive affirmations for balancing self-esteem issues.
HEART CHAKRA : THE 7 CHAKRAS SERIES
The Heart chakra is the center, the balance point that involves the whole self.
Your Heart also called the fourth or the Anahata chakra represents your ability to feel love for yourself and for others. On a truly holistic level, the heart is your ability to see your connection to all that is. Ultimately, a perfectly balanced heart results in feeling genuine and unconditional love for all things. Your fourth chakra is located in the center of your chest, level with your heart.
HEART CHAKRA IMBALANCES
On an energetic level if your fourth chakra is too open, it oftentimes manifests as co-dependence, jealousy, or over-empathizing. Too much empathy manifests as living at the mercy of other peoples emotions.
When fourth chakra energies are closed or blocked, it can manifest as fear of intimacy, lack of compassion, and bitterness.
CHAKRA COLORS THERAPY
Chakra color therapy would include wearing green and visualizing vibrant green fields, forests, and bodies of water surrounded by grass or trees.
FOURTH CHAKRA BALANCING WITH SOUND
The musical note for the heart chakra is F. The Bija mantra YAM (rhymes with mom) works nicely. Singing love songs is an obvious way to incorporate sound therapy. I also like to chant HU (sounds like hue). The HU chant is almost magical in its ability to bring about feelings of balanced love and serenity.
HEART CHAKRAS CRYSTALS
Other nice heart stones include jade, green moss agate, and serpentine. Wear these stones over your heart or make gem elixirs.
CHAKRA ESSENTIAL OILS AND AROMATHERAPY
Aromatherapy for heart chakras would include chamomile and rose. I also find sandalwood pleasant and heart warming. Taking a relaxing bath with essential oils and rose petals floating in the water is a lovely practice. I like to apply a couple drops of jasmine oil mixed with sandalwood to my wrists. One of my all time favorite aromatherapy blends for the fourth chakra center.
LIFESTYLE
Hugging affirms that you are loved, loving, and lovable. Even hugging yourself can be effective. Deep breathing is excellent for empowering both the heart and solar chakra. Cardiovascular exercise is also a great way to improve heart health, both physically and energetically.
THROAT CHAKRA : THE 7 CHAKRAS SERIES
Your Throat chakra is an energy center located at your voicebox. This energy center, also called the fifth or Vishuddha chakra, represents your ability to express yourself or speak your truth. It also relates to eloquence and communication.
THROAT CHAKRA IMBALANCES
Fifth chakra imbalances can also manifest purely energetically. People with overly open fifth chakras will speak out of turn, interrupt frequently, and have a tendency to speak very loudly. Blockages will be apparent in people who are very shy, speak very quietly, or have trouble speaking in public. If you have a persistent catch in your throat, you should do fifth chakra work and eat kelp and other iodine rich foods to nourish your thyroid gland.
CHAKRA COLORS THERAPY
FIFTH CHAKRA BALANCING WITH SOUND
The fifth chakra relates to the musical note G. Listen to music in the key of G, or chant the bija mantra, "HAM" (rhymes with mom). Because of the specific nature of the throat energy center, any work you do on singing, humming, or even talking will have a healing and balancing effect on your throat chakra. A good rule to follow for this chakra is to express yourself lovingly and openly, without fear of judgement.
FIFTH CHAKRAS CRYSTALS
Many people will get a large pendant of their favorite stone and wear it daily for a full moon cycle or longer to enhance their ability to speak clearly and with confidence.
CHAKRA ESSENTIAL OILS AND AROMATHERAPY
Incense or aromatherapy for the fifth chakra are benzoin, sage, eucalyptus and frankincense. Dilute essential oils in a carrier such as jojoba or grapeseed oil and dab a little on your throat and neck. You can also kick back in a relaxing bath with sea salt and essential oils. If you have a sage smudge, you can light it, blow it out and put it in an abalone shell, then chant or do deep breathing.
LIFESTYLE
Other things you can do to balance your throat chakra are positive affirmations about free and clear self expression. Stand in front of a mirror and proudly declare, "I speak freely and clearly" or "I speak my truth with confidence". A daily habit of chanting, toning, singing, or humming is fantastic for developing a happy fifth chakra. Deep breathing is another great habit for your throat, heart, and solar chakras.
THIRD EYE CHAKRA : THE 7 CHAKRAS SERIES
Your third eye chakra is an energy center in the middle of your brow. This energy center, also called the sixth, brow and ajna chakra, represents your insight, intuition, and intelligence.
It also relates to psychic awareness, sometimes referred to as the sixth sense. Lucid dreams and dream recall are components of the third eye energy center. This chakra embodies the purposeful use of imagination.
THIRD EYE CHAKRA IMBALANCES
On an energetic level when your sixth chakra is too open, you will be too daydreamy, unable to focus your attention, have anxiety, or panic attacks. When there are blockages, you could be depressed, confused, or have very poor judgement. You may also have poor dream recall, rigid thinking, or be too logical at the expense of emotion and feeling.
CHAKRA COLORS THERAPY
AJNA CHAKRA BALANCING WITH SOUND
The musical note for the third eye chakra is A. OM is the bija mantra that heals and balances your third eye. I chant OM while visualizing an indigo light in front of my forehead. Listening to classical music and daydreaming is a very light and relaxing way to engage and balance your third eye chakra. It's also a great way to stimulate ideas for your next imaginative art project.
CRYSTALS
I have found azurite to be very effective for activating my third eye. Other healing crystals that help include lapis lazuli, sodalite (also for throat), and sapphire. One note, don't ever put azurite in water, it has some toxic elements. Holding azurite is safe, just don't make a gem elixir directly. Place azurite near your cup of water to charge it overnight. In the morning, drink it to charge your imagination batteries.
CHAKRA ESSENTIAL OILS AND AROMATHERAPY
Incense and essential oils are nice ways to use aromatherapy to heal or balance your brow chakra. Vanilla, jasmine (one of my favorites), and anise are excellent for bringing balance to this energy center. Put a little essential oil in a carrier oil like grapeseed oil, jojoba or coconut oil and dab lightly on your brow. You could also use essential oils in your unscented moisturizer or after shower splash to activate your third eye chakra.
LIFESTYLE
There are lifestyle habits you can do for third eye chakra balancing. For starters, do energy work on your eyes. Keep a dream journal by your bed and write your dreams down, even if you don't remember them. Oftentimes, the intent alone is enough to stimulate dream recall and lead to lucid dreaming. You can also test your psychic skill by drawing a tarot card. Don't look at it, just tune into your mind and guess what it may be and its meaning. This is a great way to increase intuition and psychic ability.
CROWN CHAKRA : THE 7 CHAKRAS SERIES
Crown Chakra Cleansing Guide with this Guide to Imbalances, Color Therapy, Crystals
Your crown chakra is an energy center a couple inches above the top of your head. This energy center, also called the seventh and Sahasrara chakra represents your connection to Spirit, the Universe, and your Higher Self.
An interesting aspect of the seventh chakra is that it doesn't necessitate any spiritual beliefs at all. An atheist can have a healthy crown energy center simply by having understanding and contentment about their place in the Universe.
CROWN CHAKRA IMBALANCES
Energetically, an overly open crown center results being airy-fairy and unable to bring yourself down to earth. Many new-age folks get into this rut and then their physical health suffers from a lack of focus on nutrition or exercise. A closed crown results in being overly grounded in the physical world. You may also find yourself bitter or resentful about other people's belief systems.
CHAKRA COLORS THERAPY
SEVENTH CHAKRA BALANCING WITH SOUND
The musical note for the crown seventh chakra is B. Listen to music or play chimes tuned to B to engage sound healing. The bija mantra for your crown is "ALL". For the crown energy center, I chant all the bija mantras in a row, "LAM, VAM, RAM, YAM, HAM, OM, ALL" in one breath, inhale, and repeat as many times as I care to, usually a total of 7 times. The first five mantra sounds all rhyme with "mom".
CROWN CHAKRA CRYSTALS
CHAKRA ESSENTIAL OILS AND AROMATHERAPY
Aromatherapy for your seventh chakra includes frankincense and myrrh, lotus, and rose. Warming a little water with a few drops of these therapeutic essential oils can set up a great environment for meditation. You can also burn incense to aid you in developing your seventh chakra.
LIFESTYLE
The best lifestyle habit for crown health is prayer or meditation. Prayer is simply expressing your inner thoughts about life and asking for guidance. Meditation reduces mental clutter and allows you to follow inspirations when they come. I believe that meditation is the best thing you can do for achieving both a meaningful life and a healthy and balanced crown chakra.
Chakra Names Chart | |||||||
Chakra Names | |||||||
Chakra Names by Number | First Chakra | Second Chakra | Third Chakra | Fourth Chakra | Fifth Chakra | Sixth Chakra | Seventh Chakra |
Sanskrit Chakra Names | Muldhara Chakra | Svadhishthana Chakra | Manipura Chakra | Anahata Chakra | Vishuddha Chakra | Ajna Chakra | Sahasrara Chakra |
Chakra Color Names | Red Chakra | Orange Chakra | Yellow Chakra | Green Chakra | Blue Chakra | Indigo Chakra | Violet Chakra |