The Beginner’s Guide to Chakras and 4 Ways to Unblock Them
If you’ve ever been to a yoga class or received energetic healing, you’ve probably heard of chakras before. If you haven’t or still aren’t sure what they are, we’ll demystify it for you here. We also bring you four ways to balance your chakras so you can release dense or stagnant energy and live your best life!
Chakras refer to seven energetic centers that run from the top of your head to the base of your spine. It is through these that life force energy - chi or prana - flows. When this energy flows smoothly, you feel good on a physical, mental, and spiritual level. When the energy in these centers gets blocked, your well-being suffers.
Experiencing challenges in any area of your life often points to something deeper. There could be past trauma or blocked emotions you may not even be consciously aware of. This negativity can get stuck in your chakras and energetic bodies. When you clear your chakras, you release limitations and expand your consciousness for greater spiritual awareness.
Understanding your chakra system helps you pinpoint the parts of your life that may need healing. Let’s start with a quick overview of where the concept of chakras came from.
Where did chakras come from and what do they do?
Chakras were first mentioned in the Upanishads, an ancient Vedic text dating back to 700 – 500 BC. The word chakra literally means “wheel.” These energetic centers are often referred to as spinning disks. People who are clairvoyant can sometimes see these chakras and the associated blocks in the body.
The chakras are responsible for moving the energy that’s related to different aspects of your human existence. Since nearly every ailment starts on a spiritual and emotional level, being aware of the emotional themes of each chakra can help you understand the root cause of physical symptoms.
Each chakra corresponds to a different color, sound, and vibration. When you’re working on healing or balancing your chakras, focusing on the correlating color or sound can help align the chakra that’s out of balance. Now let’s look at each chakra and what it represents.
The seven chakras and their meanings
Here’s your cheat sheet for each chakra. You’ll learn how it manifests when it’s in or out of balance as well as its location, color, sound, and associated gemstones or crystals for healing.
Root Chakra
Location: Base of your spine
Color: Red
Mantra sound: Lam
Associated theme: Safety, stability, comfort, security, instinct, basic needs, finances.
In balance: You feel safe in your body. You know your boundaries and take good care of yourself physically. You know your needs are taken care of by the universe. You trust your own power to provide for yourself and your loved ones when needed.
Out of balance: Fear about your basic needs being met, fatigue, depression, anxiety.
Healing gemstones and crystals: Black Tourmaline, Red Jasper, Hematite
Sacral Chakra
Location: Slightly below your navel
Color: Orange
Mantra sound: Vam
Associated theme: Creativity, pleasure, emotional intelligence, sexuality.
In balance: You take delight in life’s sensational pleasures without getting caught up in them. You feel proactive and use your talents, skills, and creative energy to manifest your desires. You express yourself creatively in a way that brings you joy.
Out of balance: Addictions or unhealthy obsessions, numbing your feelings, lack of creativity.
Healing gemstones and crystals: Tiger’s Eye, Citrine, Orange Calcite
Solar Plexus Chakra
Location: Upper abdomen in the stomach area
Color: Yellow
Mantra sound: Ram
Associated theme: Identity, self-worth, confidence, willpower, control, ego.
In balance: When this chakra is aligned, you have a strong sense of self and healthy confidence. You know what you want and have the willpower to go after it. You feel a sense of purpose and excitement about moving toward your goals.
Out of balance: Low self-esteem, shame, guilt, resentment, overachieving, indigestion.
Healing gemstones and crystals: Citrine, Amber, Yellow Jasper
Heart Chakra
Location: In the middle of your chest
Color: Green
Mantra sound: Yam
Associated theme: Love, harmony, acceptance, compassion.
In balance: You feel at peace with yourself and others. You give and receive love easily. You feel a sense of belonging and have compassion for others. You’re able to see the suffering of the world while recognizing your power to help others. You understand that healing yourself is important so you can maintain balance and harmony when helping others.
Out of balance: Loneliness, self-absorption, self-hatred, greed, inability to give or receive love.
Healing gemstones and crystals: Amazonite, Rose Quartz, Jade, Green Aventurine
Throat Chakra
Location: Center of your neck
Color: Blue
Mantra sound: Ham
Associated theme: Clear communication, authentic self-expression.
In balance: You can communicate your feelings effectively. You’re not afraid to speak your truth and to share what’s on your heart. You express yourself creatively and clearly – whether verbally, in writing, music, or through paintings or other mediums.
Out of balance: Fear of expressing your feelings, lying, sore throat, neck pain.
Healing gemstones and crystals: Blue Kyanite, Blue Apatite, Aquamarine, Blue Howlite
Third Eye Chakra
Location: In the middle of your forehead - between your eyes
Color: Indigo or dark blue
Mantra sound: Sham
Associated theme: Spiritual awareness, psychic abilities, intuition.
In balance: You’re aware of and listen to your intuition and inner guidance. You can tap into higher knowledge and access insight from the world of spirit. You feel that you are growing spiritually and have a sense of connection to something higher than yourself.
Out of balance: Confusion, inability to make decisions, stubbornness, headaches, blurred vision.
Healing gemstones and crystals: Lapis Lazuil, Amethyst, Sodalite, Fluorite, Obsidian
Crown Chakra
Location: Top of your head in the center
Color: Purple
Mantra sound: Om
Associated theme: Connection to the divine/source energy, unity, connection to higher self, self-realization, enlightenment.
In balance: You feel connected with everyone and everything around you. You understand your purpose in this world and feel fulfilled knowing that you are living it. You are excited about being incarnated in this lifetime and about the opportunities to learn and serve others for the benefit of All.
Out of balance: Disconnection, unfulfillment, lack of meaning, despair.
Healing gemstones and crystals: Amethyst,Phantom Amethyst,Selenite, Moonstone
How do you cleanse and balance your chakras?
If you feel like there’s an area of your life where you’re struggling, you can look to your chakras to see where energy may be blocked. Once you’ve identified which chakra you should work on, you can use one of these methods to bring it into balance.
Meditation and visualization
While you may not be able to see the chakras physically, you can bring awareness to them with your spiritual eye. In meditation, you can consciously move the energy within each chakra. As you center yourself and look within, you can feel which chakras are out of balance.
You can then visualize loving energy or crystal white light entering each chakra and removing negativity. You can also visualize impurities being removed through every exhale or try focusing on the chakra shining brightly in its corresponding color.
2. Crystals and gemstones
Crystals and gemstones have energetic properties that correlate to the frequency and vibration of the different chakras. When working with a chakra you want to align, find a crystal or gemstone that corresponds to this chakra. If you have the ability to hold the crystal or gemstone before you buy it, use your intuition to pick one that speaks to you most.
Once you have your crystal, keep it near you during meditation or wear it whenever you need a boost from that particular type of energy. There are different ways to clear your crystals depending on the kind but some include, energetic clearing, sunlight, moonlight, or incense.
3. Reiki and other forms of energy healing
If you practice any forms of energy healing such as Reiki, you can guide this energy to clear and balance your chakras. By focusing on the chakras you want to balance, you can send the universal energy into that spot to remove associated blocks.
You can also have a healer help you do this. If you’d like to experience a chakra cleansing or Reiki healing session in the New York City area or online, you can book it with one of our healing practitioners here.
4. Sound healing
Each chakra is associated with a certain vibrational frequency on the sound scale. You can chant mantras or listen to music specifically toned for the chakra you want to work on such as through the Solfeggio frequencies. If you put the name of the chakra combined with “healing music” into YouTube, you will find plenty of options to choose from. You can also cleanse your whole aura and align all your chakras with a sound healing or sound bath session.
Now that you understand each chakra better, you’ll be more in tune with your body, mind, and spirit. As you recognize parts of your life that don’t feel fully aligned, you’ll know where to turn to start the healing process. The clearer your chakras, the more energized and centered you’ll feel.
Ready to balance your chakras with us? We occasionally offer Chakra Balancing classes, as well as workshops on Color + Aura Reading. Check out our schedule here to save your spot in the next one.