Different cultures identify seven energy centers of the body, often referred to as chakras. They pinpoint ways to balance or align our chakras for complete energetic harmony of the body, mind, and spirit. For example, you can connect chakras to astrology, crystals, plants, and even colors of the rainbow. Then, what happens when a chakra is off-balance, overactive, or blocked? How can you restore balance to your chakras? Let’s explore the chakras one by one below:
#1: The Root Chakra
The Root chakra, located in the pelvis area, is associated with our sense of belonging, grounding, and survival needs. When balanced, we feel safe, secure, grounded, sturdiness, centered, and happy to be alive. A blocked Root chakra gives us a sense of instability (especially financial instability and personal identity), anxiety, and fear. And an overactive Root chakra makes us materialistic, greedy, lust for money and power, and aggressive. Of all the chakras, the Root chakra requires the most work to bring it back in balance. A blocked Root chakra triggers an imbalance in the rest of the chakras as a survival driver.
#2: The Sacral Chakra
This chakra is associated with our sexuality, pleasure, and passion. Balanced Sacral chakra exudes joy, amusement, sexuality, sensuality, attachment, optimism, nurturing, procreation, and deep emotions. Yet, low libido, an unsatisfactory sex life, fear or lack of intimacy, loneliness, and isolation suggests a blocked Sacral chakra. An overactive sacral chakra may result in our sexual overdrive. Here, someone becomes a sex addict, manipulative, and overly emotional.
#3: The Solar Plexus Chakra
The Solar Plexus Chakra, located underneath the rib cage and above the navel, gives us the drive and confidence that keeps us in control of our lives. Anyone with a balanced Solar Plexus chakra has a raised self-image, self-esteem, willpower, and assertiveness. Only an imbalance in our Solar Plexus chakra creates feelings of self-doubt, powerlessness, feeling threatened, low self-esteem, and having an inferiority complex. However, an overactive Solar Plexus chakra manifests itself through our domineering, perfectionist, power-hungry, critical, or judgmental tendencies.
#4: The Heart Chakra
The Heart chakra, symbolized by the color green, is the chakra of love. When balanced, the Heart chakra sustains our feelings of unconditional love, peace, receptivity, acceptance, compassion, gratitude, and forgiveness. More so, it helps us form and retains meaningful relationships. In contrast, a blocked Heart chakra manifests itself through our bitter or hateful feelings, trust issues, lack of empathy, and intolerant of others. Likewise, an overactive Heart chakra creates feelings of codependence, self-sacrifice, and jealousy.
#5: The Throat Chakra
This chakra concerns communication (our speaking and listening abilities). When balanced, we maintain clear communication, behave like a leader with confidence, and use creative expression around our peers. Except, if you have a blocked Throat chakra, you may have issues expressing yourself and listening to others. Often, you find yourself in heated arguments, misunderstandings, and holding on to grudges or secrets. People with overactive Throat chakra often abuse their communication privileges. They tend to be loud, sassy, opinionated, and gossipy.
#6: The Third Eye Chakra
The Third eye chakra symbolizes our intuition. Its awakening revolves around our ability to manifest psychic abilities, inner wisdom, visualization, and clarity. This opening only happens when the chakra is balanced. The harmony helps us manifest visions beyond the physical realm. We stay in tune with our intuitions and become imaginative and creative.
A blocked Third eye chakra limits our intuition, inner thoughts, creativity, or guidance from spiritual entities. More so, this chakra hardly gets overactive. But when it does, you may have broken the veil into a spiritual realm prematurely through such spiritual work like Kundalini. Hence, you experience vivid hallucinations, nightmares, and delusions.
#7: The Crown Chakra
The Crown chakra is associated with consciousness, bliss, oneness, spirituality, and understanding. As a temple, it connects us to the spirit realm, our higher purpose, or God-consciousness.
A balanced Crown chakra exudes feelings of universal love and a deep spiritual understanding of your higher purpose. In contrast, someone with an overactive Crown chakra struggles with dogmatic, judgmental, or ungrounded ideas. And a blocked Crown chakra leaves you feeling depressed. More so, you may battle brain fog or have learning disabilities.
Unblocking the Chakras
Here are some tips to help you unblock and balance your chakras: –
#1: Affirmations
Chakra affirmations are a great way to balance your chakras. Repeating affirmations direct healing energy to restore balance in your body and your life. When we repeat chakra affirmations, we become capable of rewriting the patterns in our subconscious minds and direct healing vibrations to the chakras.
Affirmations for the Root chakra:
- I am safe!
- I am grounded!
- I am rooted and strong!
Affirmations for the Sacral chakra:
- I am creative!
- I am joyful!
- I embrace and celebrate my sexuality!
Affirmations for the Solar Plexus chakra:
- I am powerful!
- I feel motivated to pursue my purpose!
- I am enough!
Affirmations for the Heart chakra:
- I love myself unconditionally!
- I follow my heart!
- I am open to giving and receiving love!
Affirmations for the Throat chakra:
- I am open and honest in my communication!
- I express myself creatively through speech, writing, and art!
- I am an active listener!
Affirmations for the Third eye chakra:
- I trust my intuition!
- I am constantly expanding my awareness!
- I feel connected to my spiritual truth!
Affirmations for the Crown chakra:
- I am Light!
- I am divinely guided and inspired!
- Everything is working out for my highest good!
#2: Crystals
Crystals send out vibrations that resonate with the seven chakras. That way, they help in unblocking chakras and restoring harmony. Plus, the crystals respond best when they are of a similar color to the out-of-balance chakra.
Use red, black, and brown crystals and stones to heal and balance your Root chakra:
- Red Jasper
- Black Tourmaline
- Smoky Quartz
- Carnelian
- Lava
- Black Onyx
For balancing your Sacral chakra, use orange, peach, and brown crystals and stones:
- Imperial Topaz
- Amber
- Sardonyx
- Fire Opal
- Peach Moonstone
- Orange Calcite
- Peach Selenite
For healing your Solar Plexus chakra, use yellow and golden stones:
- Jasper
- Citrine
- Yellow Topaz
- Golden Tiger’s Eye
- Pineapple Calcite
- Yellow Sapphire
- Golden Quartz
- Pyrite
Use green and pink stones and crystals to heal and balance your Heart chakra:
- Green Aventurine
- Rose Quartz
- Alexandrite
- Emerald
- Amazonite
- Malachite
- Pink Calcite
For balancing and healing your Throat chakra, use light blue, deep blue, and teal crystals and stones:
- Larimar
- Aquamarine
- Angelite
- Blue Topaz
- Turquoise
- Blue Lace Agate
- Aqua Aura Quartz
- Blue Tourmaline
- Aqua Aura Quartz
- Blue Quartz
For Third eye chakra healing and balancing, use indigo and violet stones and crystals:
- Blue Aventurine
- Indigolite
- Lapis Lazuli
- Labradorite
- Azurite
- Blue Apatite
- Sapphire
For balancing your Crown chakra, use purple, golden, white, and clear crystals and stones:
- Clear Quartz
- Amethyst
- Rhinestone
- Clear Calcite
- Selenite
- Spirit Quartz
#3: Essential Oils
Did you know you can use essential oils to balance your chakras? You can regulate the energy flow and facilitate unblocking chakras by massaging essential oils on the areas where your chakras project the most.
Use patchouli, nutmeg, vetiver, bergamot, cedar, and clove essential oils for balancing your Root chakra.
For your Sacral chakra, use neroli, cardamom, ylang-ylang, and sandalwood essential oils.
Apply pine, eucalyptus, vetiver, grapefruit, rosemary, bergamot, and lavender essential oils for healing your Solar Plexus chakra.
Rose, lavender, geranium, and jasmine essential oils will help you harmonize your Heart chakra.
For balancing your Throat chakra, use lemon essential oil, vanilla, coriander seed, lavender, sage, and eucalyptus essential oils.
Sandalwood, rosemary, German chamomile, frankincense, jasmine, peppermint, and sandalwood essential oils are great for your Third eye chakra healing.
Use lime, lavender, neroli, vanilla, frankincense, and lotus essential oils for balancing your Crown chakra.
#4: Bija Mantras
A bija mantra or “seed mantra” is a mantra that consists of one or more sounds or syllables. Bija mantras carry the concentrated energy of the Universe. When we practice bija mantras for chakras we create vibration processes in the ether, which, in turn, control the sources of energy within our chakras.
Bija mantras for chakras include the LAM chant for the Root chakra, VAM chant for the Sacral chakra, RAM chant for the Solar plexus chakra, YAM chant for the Heart chakra, HAM chant for the Throat chakra, and AUM chant for the Third eye and the Crown chakras.
#5: Take Nature Calls
Your chakras correspond to love from Mother Nature. Tap into this universal healing power by spending more time in nature. Think of forest baths, mud baths, or lying down on bare grass during your family picnic.
Conclusion
Now that you know how balanced, imbalanced, blocked, and overactive chakras feel, which of your chakras is out-of-balance? Indeed, by recognizing the signs of blockage or imbalance, you can take active steps to balance your chakras. Practice unblocking chakras through yoga, massaging essential oils, chanting or listening to mantras, staying outdoors, and using healing crystals.