The Ultimate Guide To Chakra Health

Chakra is a word that seems to be popping up more and more these days. But what does it mean? Well, the term comes from old Sanskrit and means “wheel.” In the human energy body, there are technically 114 chakras but most people work with the main 7 that runs from the top of the head to the base of the tailbone.

Root Chakra

• Location: Base of the Spine/Tail Bone

• Color Association: Red

• Physical Body: Blood, immune system, bone marrow, base of the spine, legs, feet

• Emotional Body: Connected with our survival instincts and primal needs (food, shelter, safety)

• Spiritual Body: This is the center from which we ground ourselves and connect with Mother Earth.

• Out Of Balance Indicators: Feeling unsafe or as though one doesn’t belong or have a “tribe”, feelings of lack, exhibiting hoarding-type behavior

Sacral Chakra

• Location: Lower Stomach/Pelvis

• Color Association: Orange

• Physical Body: Sexual organs, lymphatic system, kidneys, pelvis, hips, bladder, prostate, large intestine, pancreas, appendix

• Emotional Body: Connected with our sexual desires and creativity

• Spiritual Body: This is the center from which we create and give birth to new life and new ideas.

• Out Of Balance Indicators: Lack of passion, being overly sexual or a lack of interest in sex, fear of physical intimacy, frigidity, feeling a creative block, feelings of guilt around expressing one’s sexual desires

Solar Plexus Chakra

• Location: Belly Button

• Color Association: Yellow

• Physical Body: Small intestine, liver, gallbladder, spleen.

• Emotional Body: Confidence/self-esteem, determination, willpower/self-control

• Spiritual Body: This is the center from which our self-power and inner strength come from.

• Out Of Balance Indicators: Poor self-esteem, victim mentality, poor boundaries, lack of self-control, “people-pleaser”, weight gain (particularly around the abdomen), lack of motivation, inflated ego, feelings of entitlement.

Heart Chakra

• Location: Center of chest

• Color Association: Green and light pink

• Physical Body: Heart, lungs, ribs, cardiovascular system, pulmonary system

• Emotional Body: Compassion, love, self-love, joy, forgiveness

• Spiritual Body: This is the center from which we integrate our earthly needs (connected with the lower three chakras) with our spiritual endeavors (connected to the upper 3 chakras). It is with an open heart that we are able to connect with a higher power.

• Out Of Balance Indicators: Inability to give or receive love, hero/rescuer complex, co-dependency, inability to let go of grudges, lack of compassion for others, heart and lung-related health issues.

Throat Chakra

• Location: Throat

• Color Association: Blue

• Physical Body: Throat, tongue, teeth, mouth, tongue, tonsils, glands, voice, esophagus, thyroid, ears, bronchial tubes, neck, shoulders, jaw

• Emotional Body: Speaking one’s truth, authenticity, self-expression, feeling heard, verbal and non-verbal communication

• Spiritual Body: Connected with intuition (especially claircognizance and clairaudience). It’s also the bridge between thinking with your heart and thinking with your brain.

• Out Of Balance Indicators: Timidness; quiet speaker or an inability to project one’s voice; sore throat; cough; congestion in the ears and/or throat; inability to filter oneself when speaking, often resulting in making rude or overly critical comments; chronic negative self-talk; inability to speak up for oneself and his/her needs and desires; gossiping; excessive chatter or over-sharing

Third Eye Chakra

• Location: Center of the forehead, at the brow level

• Color Association: Indigo

• Physical Body: Eyes, nose, sinuses, face, pineal gland, brain

• Emotional Body: The Third Eye allows one to look within and exam his/her own thoughts and limiting belief systems. It is located where the left and right hemispheres of the brain connect so it is connected with balancing our creative mind and analytical mind.

• Spiritual Body: This is the mind’s eye. It’s through this chakra that clairvoyance (clear seeing) occurs. The Third Eye is sometimes called, “the seed of the soul”. It’s where our ability to see within ourselves and others is combined with a greater universal understanding. The Third Eye allows us to see the truth and the meaning behind it.

• Out-of-Balance Indicators: Headaches, vision problems, sinus issues, mental fog, seizures, hallucinations, feelings of judgment

Crown Chakra

• Location: Centered at the top of the head.

• Color Association: Violet

• Physical Body: Central Nervous System, Brain, Head, Skin

• Emotional Body: Feeling of life purpose and sense of self. Connection to a higher power. Source of dream activity.

• Spiritual Body: The center from which we connect to Star energy and divine source.

• Out Of Balance Indicators: Headaches, rashes/skin eruptions, feeling a loss of purpose, loss of identity, loss of connection to a higher power, apathy, narrow-mindedness, lack of empathy, inability to see “the big picture.”

So what exactly are these wheels? Well, they are the power centers that connect to the different physical, emotional, and energetic functions in our body. When they are healthy and balanced they spin clockwise and energy is able to move freely; balancing our physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual bodies. When they are out of alignment, energy can get stuck starting in the outer regions of our auric field. When not addressed, the blockage begins to manifest into the emotional state and finally, it can progress into the physical body in the form of a tangible ailment. This process can take years sometimes decades to manifest into physical form.

The Importance of Chakra Healing

I personally was reminded of this on my most recent dental check-up. I went in for what I thought would be a simple cleaning and perhaps needing a filling. But I left with a follow-up appointment for a crown, 2 filling replacements and a giant goodie bag containing an electric toothbrush, water pick, and prescription mouthwash. I texted a friend that afternoon with a photo of all my new goodies and the caption, “How do you know you still have more clearing to do on your throat chakra? Spirit sends you a message via your dentist!” Now the text was sent all in good fun but it was very much the truth.

The throat chakra is an area for me that in the past has had a tendency to fall out of alignment more easily then let’s say my heart chakra or third eye. It would be a fair assessment to say that as a child I had a tendency to be quiet and not always speak up for myself. This was a habit I carried into adulthood by not always speaking my truth and in times of stress, I often practiced negative self-talk. These are things I’ve come to recognize about myself and have been consciously taking steps to shift and heal.

The results of my check-up reminded me that I still had more work to do. In fact, the presence of cavities sent home the very clear message that I was holding on to some old belief systems that were so stagnant they were now physically causing parts of me to decay. I’ll admit my first response was some classic negative self-talk, further proving Spirit’s point that I had more work to do. Realizing this, I shifted what I was saying and instead of being upset I decided to view this as an opportunity to practice self-care. And while in the chair at my follow-up appointment for that lovely crown and filling replacement, I envisioned my dentist not only removing old fillings but also removing old energy that no longer served me; replacing it with pure golden white light from source.

And my crown? Well, you better believe that I think of it as my badge of self-care. A reminder to speak up for myself and to myself as only a real Queen would; with love and compassion!

Remember to Seek Balance

In today’s busy world it can be easy to forget about our chakras, especially when everything is balanced because we feel great! We have a spring in our step, our mind is calm, and everything feels in flow with the Universe. It’s when things start to fall apart and we don’t know why; the shaking your fists to the sky moments, it’s these times that tend to prompt a chakra performance evaluation.

Fortunately, we can get our wheels back in the correct rotation by incorporating the use of specific colors, crystals, and mindfulness techniques into our day to day lives. Meditation, Reiki Energy Therapy, and Healing Sound Bowl Treatments are just a few of the methods one can use to clear out and balance the chakras. Once back on track, daily practices of self-care can help to keep the wheels in motion and at optimal performance. At the end of the day, it’s important to remember that taking care of our luminous energy body is just as important as taking care of our physical body.