What are Chakras?

Chakras are the main energy centers of the body. There are seven chakras. When dealing with the healing of these chakras I like to work my way up sorta like building a house, the foundation(root) to the roof(Crown) Blocked energy in our seven chakras can lead to distress, so it is important to understand what each one represent and the route to take to keep it open and flowing freely. The chart above is a great example on how to locate each chakra. Chakra imbalances are difficult to avoid, especially when faced with a difficult or traumatic situation. Our coping skills we’ve developed may cause disruptions in our energy and prevent us from fully healing.

   1.    Root Chakra

·         The root chakra (also known as Muladhara) represents our foundation. Just like building a house it’s a key part to stabilizing the rest of the house. It anchors us and gives us a feeling of being grounded. When the root chakra is open, we feel confident in our ability to get through challenges and stand on our two feet. When it’s blocked, we feel threatened, unstable and insecure. Other signs include:         

• lack of focus
• co-dependency
• restlessness
• feeling abandoned

·         Location: Base of the spine

·         Themes & Emotions: Survival issues such as financial independence, money, and food. Cut off from emotions, such as love, compassion, and rational thinking

Ways to open/balance root chakra

  ·         Physical activity

  ·         Meditation

  ·         Energy healing

  ·         Walking

  ·         Chores around the house

  ·         Yoga

  ·         Dancing

  ·         Holding or meditate with red gemstone or crystal associated with root chakra (Ex: Agate (Fire  Agate) Black Tourmaline, Bloodstone, Hematite, Tigers Eye

Any physical activity can help unblock this energy center. No matter which activity you chose, it is key to be present in the moment and aware of your movement. (Remember to breathe… ALWAYS)

 

  2.    Sacral Chakra

The sacral chakra (also know as Swadhisthana) helps inform how we relate to our emotions and those of others. Swadhisthana is all about movement, flow, care, pleasure, sexuality, relationships, and procreation.  An open sacral chakra also control creativity and sexual energy. Signs of blocked sacral chakra:

• Lack of creativity
• Repetitive "Dysfunctional Relationships". You may have the same unpleasant experience over and over again.
• Lack of motivation
• Lack of sexual appetite or unpleasant sexual intercourse
• Emotional confusion
• Feeling unimportant
• Seem to think nobody loves you
• Thinking you are unaccepted by those around you or by the society
• Think you do not know how or you cannot take care of yourself

If your sacral chakra is too active, you are most likely a workaholic, dominant in relationships, greedy, obsessed with pleasure, addicted to all kinds of activities that you use to substitute for love (Ex: Smoking, drinking, partying, etc)

• ·     Location    : Lower abdomen
• ·         Themes & Emotions: Sexuality, Sense of abundance, and well being 

Ways to open/balance sacral chakra:

·        Take care of yourself (Sleep, healthy eating, long shower or bath, relax)

·        Be easy on yourself (Do not criticize every action you take)

·        Be near a body of water (sea, river, or lake)

·        Drink plenty of liquids (Water, Fresh juice)

·        Focus on hobbies (whatever that helps unleash creativity. Art, walking, music,etc.

·        Heal or give up toxic relationships (Let go of connections with people that doesn’t promote or support your growth.)

·        Carry or meditate with orange gemstone or crystals associated with Sacral chakra (Ex: Carnelian, Citrine, Coral, Moonstone)

The hanging or shoulders bent is a most likely due to unhealed sacral chakra. It’s an attempt to hide your chest or sexuality. It can also be a gesture to protect your heart chakra. Straighten your shoulders and opening your chest will open the heart chakra and reveal all unhealed pain. Sacral and heart chakra goes hand and hand, both are related to suppressed emotions and unhealed wounds. (Personal or generational)

  3.    Solar Plexus Chakra

The solar plexus chakra (also known as Manipura) governs your ability to be confident and control your life. Signs that your Manipura is at work are butterflies or felt a pit in the stomach (that gut feeling) You know that old saying “Trust your gut” its like your second brain. A balanced Manipura allows you to have control over your thoughts, emotional responses, set healthy boundaries, and have peace with yourself. Signs of blocked solar plexus include:

·         Low self-esteem

·         Inability to set or maintain boundaries

·         Codependency

·         Lack of self-control

·         Depression or anxiety

·         Addiction

·         Controlling, intolerant, or excessively competitive behavior

·         Overeating and overindulgence

·         Fatigue or excessive laziness

·         Location: Upper abdomen in the stomach area

·         Themes & Emotions: Self-worth, self-confidence, and self-esteem

Clearing the blockage in your third chakra will help return you to health. It’s best to try to do daily healing because falling back into old patterns can allow the blockage to form again.

Ways to open/balance Solar plexus chakra:

·         Working with Reiki healer or other energy healer (Helps to start your healing journey, helps break up the blockage, locate other blockages or imbalances in your energy.

·         Meditation

·         Holding or meditate with gold or yellow gemstones or crystals associated with Solar Plexus chakra (Ex: Calcite(orange) Citrine, Malachite, Topaz, Amber, yellow tourmaline, Tigers eye)

·         Sunlight

·         Yoga

·         Yellow healthy foods (bananas, sunflower seeds, yellow peppers

  4.    Heart Chakra

The Heart chakra (also known as Anahata) is one of the most important chakras. It connects the bottom three chakras (associated with materiality) with the top three chakras (associated with spirituality) The Anahata can influence our ability to give and receive love- from others and ourselves. Stress and emotional pain, usually caused by bad memories, old programming, emotions, and/or overthinking – can block your heart chakra. Signs of blocked heart chakra include:

·         Dwelling on a past relationship

·         Holding grudges

·         Experiencing trust issues

·         Feeling Shy

·         Bottling up or suppressed emotions

·         Commitment issues

·         Anxious

·         Stress

·         Fear of rejection

·         Feeling unworthy of love

·         Loving too much

·         Low energy

·         Easily manipulated

·         Loneliness

·         Social anxiety

·            Location: Center of chest, above the heart

·            Themes & Emotions: Love, joy, and inner peace

If this chakra is imbalanced in some way it could mean that somewhere along the line, there was a disruption in your attitude and/or understanding of love. You may consequently be a possessive and mistrustful person who lacks much compassion. It’s important to keep this chakra open because this is where the physical and spiritual comes together. It’s the core of our energetic frequency and the root of all emotional and energetic healing. When open you’ll feel an abundance of empathy, compassion, and love.

Ways to open/balance heart chakra?

·         Meditate

·         Carry or meditate with green gemstone or crystals associated with heart chakra (Ex:Green calcite, Green tourmaline, Jade, Rose quartz, Moss agate,Ruby, Green aventurine, Malachite,Rhodonite..)

·         Music

·         Yoga

·         Physical touch and hugs (careful you can’t just touch or hug just anyone)

·         Letting go/ Forgiveness

·         Allow yourself to fall in love

·         Breathe and visualize green (breathe and visualize inhaling the color green)

·         Be mindful of your thoughts (choose the positive thoughts, be aware of what your mind spends most of its time)

·         Affirmations for the heart

5.    Throat Chakra

The throat chakra (also known as Vishuddha) gives a voice to the heart chakra and controls our ability to communicate. Through the throat, sound is propagated into the air and it’s vibration ca be felt in the ears as well as our entire body. Psychological and behavioral characteristics for the throat chakra includes: Expression, the ability to express your truth, to speak out. Communication, whether its verbal or non verbal, internal or external. Connection with the etheric realm, the more subtle realms of spirit and intuitive abilities. Propensity to create, such as projecting ideas and blueprints into reality. Realizing your purpose and a good sense of timing. The throat chakra also connects you to spirit. An overactive throat chakra may lead to gossiping, nonstop talking, as well as being verbally aggressive or mean. You know the term “No filter” even if you try to filter it, it’ll just spill out. Signs of a blocked throat chakra includes:

·         Feelings of insecurity

·         Timidity

·         Introversion

·         Lack of control over ones speech; speaking too much or inappropriately

·         Not being able to listen to others

·         Excessive fear of speaking

·         Small, imperceptible voice

·         Not being able to keep secrets, keeping your word

·         Telling lies

·         Excessive secretiveness

·         Shyness

·         Lack of connection with vocation

·         Lack of connection with life purpose

·         Manipulativeness

·         Arrogance

·         Anxiety

·         Compulsive or excessive eating

·         Fear

·         Diminished self-esteem

·         Struggle with Self-expression

·         Location: Throat

·         Themes & Emotions: Communication, self-expression, and truth

When the throat chakra is balanced you have more confidence and find that you are a more effective communicator. You may find that you have more vivid dreams and dream recall. You’ll be more sensitive to the energies put forth by others around you and are more at ease with the world. Balancing this chakra can impact your emotional honesty, whether you live an authentic life. How well you handle conflict or confrontation, the quality of your relationships, you ability to be heard, as well as your awareness of your needs.

Ways to open/balance throat chakra

·         Meditation

·         Carry or meditate with blue gemstone or crystals associated with throat chakra (Ex: Aquamarine, Lapis Lazuli, Turquoise,Amazonite)

·         Healing Foods (Ex: Blueberries, Apples, Oranges, Lemongrass, Ginger)

·         Yoga

·         Throat chakra affirmations

·         Sing your favorite song

·         Listen to music (that puts you in a positive state)

·         Fasting

·         Steer clear of chatter (silence)

·         Deep Breathing

·         Wearing the color blue

6.    Third-Eye Chakra (Sixth-Sense)

The third-eye chakra (Also known as Ajna) is our ability to see the big picture and connect to intuition. Its sorta like the top security system in a house, the eye of the soul. It registers information beyond the surface level. Having the Ajna balanced we’re getting closer to communion with the divine. Characteristics of this chakra includes vision, intuition, perception of dimensions and movements of energy, psychic abilities, access to mystical states, illumination, connection to wisdom, insight, motivates inspiration and creativity. A blocked or imbalanced third-eye chakra can appear as:

·         Lack of clarity

·         Rejection of everything spiritual or beyond the usual

·         Unable to establish a vision for self and realize it

·         Migraines

·         Poor vision

·         Delusions

·         Depression

·         Anxiety

·         Paranoia

·         Location: Forehead between the eyes

·         Theme & Emotions: Intuition, imagination, and wisdom

There are signs that can be noticed when your third-eye is opening. Some signs include: a feeling of pressure between the eyebrows, increased foresight, increased light sensitivity, increased senses ( smell, taste and hearing) , seeing colors of blue or purple( indigo), a feeling of vibration and rhythm from your surroundings. When the third-eye is balanced you see everything clearly. You’ll be able to function and make decisions with a sense of neutrality…meaning; you are concerned but not attached to any outcome.

Ways to open/ balance third eye

·         Avoid fluoridated tap water (spring water)

·         Avoid fluoride toothpaste

·         Reduce meat intake

·         Eat more plant-based meals

·         Meditate

·         Carry or meditate with Purple/Indigo gemstone or crystals associated with third-eye chakra (Ex: Amethyst, Black obsidian, Purple fluorite, Moldavite)

·         Yoga

·         Breathing

·         Sunlight

·         Sleep in complete darkness

·         Exercise daily

·         Sensory Deprivation, immerse yourself in total darkness

·         Eat raw cacao

·         Reduce stress

·         Reduce refined sugar, flour, and vegetable oils

·         Heal leaky gut

7.    Crown chakra

The crown chakra (also known as Samsara) the highest chakra, represents our ability to be fully connected spiritually. When fully open you’re thought to access a higher consciousness. Characteristics associated with the psychological and behavior includes: Consciousness, Presence, Awareness of higher consciousness, Wisdom, Realization Liberation from limiting patterns, Communion with higher states of consciousness, Ecstasy, and bliss. When the crown is blocked or imbalanced signs will include:

·         Feeling of being disconnected to spirit

·         Disconnection with the body

·         Living in your head

·         Obsessive attachment to spiritual matters

·         Closed minded

·         Isolation

·         Loneliness

·         Lack of direction

·         Inability to set or maintain goals

·         Depression

·         Mental fog

·         Chronic Fatigue

·         Greed

·         Materialism

·        Location: The very top of the head

·        Themes & Emotions: Inner and outer beauty, spiritual connection

An excess of energy in the crown can cause problems such as: Sensitivity to light and sound. Neurological or endocrine disorders, boredom, frustration, and a sense of elitism or unearned accomplishment. Unfortunately the crown does not have any healing food specific to it, due to its role in spiritual nourishment. But nurturing the body with healthy foods ( fruits, veggies, and natural herbs) can help heal this chakra.

Ways to open/balance crown chakra

·         Carry or meditate with gemstones or crystals associated with the crown chakra (Ex: Diamond, Quartz, Amethyst)

·         Meditation

·         Yoga

·         Reiki (Self or Practitioner)

·         Fruits

·         Veggies

·         Spring water

·         Exercise