If you know me already or have followed this blog for some time, you’ll know that I am fascinated by holistic healing, and incorporate various methods into my clinical practice with patients. If you’re new here, welcome! You’ll find out much more about my methodology here on the blog and throughout the site.
Today we’re talking chakras – ahead of the upcoming launch of my newest wellness programme, which is still in its infant stages. Part of the healing work I do involves the chakra system, a discipline originally discovered in India thousands of years ago.
The chakra system and all it encompasses is fascinating, and the chakras themselves are wonderfully complex – but this can be confusing and off-putting if you’re new to them. So, I’ve written this blog as a super simple, basic guide to the chakra system and how balanced and imbalanced chakras can affect your overall health.
What are chakras?
The chakra system was developed and discovered in ancient India, and is closely linked with the Ayurvedic traditional medicine system and yoga philosophy. In more recent times, the chakras have spread into other cultures and spiritual practices, such as Reiki.
Chakras are energy centres in the body – each has a specific location and function. They are described as discs of spinning energy, that vibrate at certain frequencies corresponding to major organs and bodily functions.
‘Chakra’ is the Sanskrit word for wheel – which reflects the rotary spinning nature of the chakras themselves. Each chakra has a unique symbol and a beautiful colour associated with it.
There are seven main chakras that run along the spine – although some schools of thought recognise many more. To keep things simple today, I’m going to introduce you to these chakras only, listed in order from the bottom to the top.
Root chakra: Found at the base of the spine, this is our foundation. Root chakra helps us to feel grounded, secure and stable when in balance.
Sacral chakra: Located just beneath the belly button, our sacral chakra is responsible for our creative and sensual energy as well as our physical health and wellbeing.
Solar Plexus: Sitting in the stomach area, our solar plexus governs our sense of confidence and self-esteem and is the centre of our personal identity.
Heart chakra: Found at the centre of the chest, unsurprisingly our heart chakra embodies love and compassion – both for ourselves and for others.
Throat chakra: Located at the throat, this chakra is concerned with our ability to express ourselves and verbally communicate.
Third eye: Found directly between the eyes, our Third Eye chakra is linked to our intuition and imagination.
Crown chakra: Located at the top of the head, crown chakra represents our spiritual connection to ourselves, to others and to the universe.
How do our chakras influence our health?
Chakras need to stay open and balanced in order to support optimal health. When a chakra (or multiple chakras) becomes blocked, we can experience emotional and physical symptoms as a result. Chakras can also be affected by too little, or too much, energy – and as a result become underactive and stagnant, or overactive and dominant. Having an awareness of our chakras and maintaining balance can have a profoundly positive impact on all areas of our lives.
What negatively influences the chakras?
Many things can inadvertently affect chakra health and in turn, our overall sense of wellbeing.
What positively influences the chakras?
Taking care of ourselves mentally and physically is a positive first step to maintaining chakra balance. Eating a plant-based diet filled with a rainbow of colourful fruits and vegetables, taking care of the energy we allow around us and combatting stress are all key components for chakra health, especially for those with busy modern lifestyles. There are lots of healing practices that can be incorporated as daily or monthly self-care rituals to maintain chakra balance, such as reiki, yoga, crystal healing and meditation (I’ll be writing blogs on each of the chakras where I’ll go into more detail about methods you can use to achieve balance for each one). Chakras can be worked on individually or together, but they must be worked on in order, from the bottom up, if all are imbalanced. Failing to do so can create increased imbalance.
Signs of chakra imbalance
Each individual chakra will display certain signs of imbalance – as a rough guide, usually it’s the opposite of their purpose or function when balanced. For example, when our root chakra is imbalanced or blocked, it can show up as depression, insecurity and fear (underactive) or fearlessness and hoarding in an effort to feel more secure (overactive).
How I approach chakra healing in my work
My blended approach to wellness incorporates both clinical and holistic methods – so where patients are open to it we work with the chakras to enhance and accelerate healing. If you’re intrigued by the chakra system or would like to know more about my methodology, please get in touch with me today for a friendly free consultation.
You may also wish to download my free guide The Chakra Healing Guide here
