Chakras! You’ve heard them mentioned in yoga class, guided meditations or while browsing crystal properties. Maybe someone has given you the advice that you should work on a specific chakra. But that doesn’t mean you know what they are. Rest assured, you are not alone. It might seem overwhelming at first but the best thing to do is to start from the root and work your way up as energy always rises. Each chakra is connected to specific parts of the body and emotions. If you are struggling with a specific area in the physical body or a certain emotion, there is nothing wrong with starting there either. This is your journey and it is important to listing to your intuition and follow what feels right.
The history of chakras
Chakras have recently become more well-known, with the growth and popularity of spirituality and or new age trend in general. Chakras are an ancient and complex energy system that originated in India and has been a method for understanding the human body for hundreds of years. The chakras were first mentioned in the Vedas, ancient sacred texts of spiritual knowledge dating from 1500 to 1000 BC.
In Sanskrit the word Chakra means “wheel” and refers to energy points in your body. They are thought to be similar to a vortex or spinning disks of energy that should stay open and aligned. Each of these seven main chakras have corresponding emotions, color, emotions, and specific areas of the physical body the affect our spiritual, emotional, and physical well-being. Some say there are 114 different chakras, but there are seven main chakras that run along your spine. These are the chakras that most of us are referring to when we talk about them.
Root Chakra
Element: Earth
Function: Survival
Body: large intestine, colon, hips, Legs, ankles, feet, bones, teeth
Foods: meats, proteins, cherries, kidney beans, tomatoes, beets
Stones and Crystals: Black Tourmaline, Hematite, Garnet, Ruby, Obsidian, Red Jasper, Jet
A blocked root chakra can manifest as physical issues like degenerative arthritis, constipation, weight problems, and complications with the hips, legs, and feet. When your emotions are effected feelings of insecurity about finances or our basic survival needs and well-being. When it’s in alignment and open with energy flowing freely, we will feel grounded, safe and secure, both physically and emotionally.
Sacral Chakra
Element: Water
Function: Creativity, pleasure, sexuality, procreation
Body: Genitals, kidneys, bladder, womb
Foods: Apricots, carrots, mangos, orange peppers, oranges, seafood
Stones and Crystals: Amber, Carnelian, Orange Calcite, Tangerine Quartz, Turritella Agate
Issues with this chakra can be seen via problems with the associated organs, like urinary tract infections, lower back pain, and impotency. Emotionally, this chakra is connected to our feelings of self-worth, and even more specifically, our self-worth around pleasure, sexuality, and creativity.
Solar Plexus
Element: Fire
Function: Will power, assertiveness, digestion
Body: digestive system
Foods: Banana, Lemon, Starches
Stones and Crystals: Citrine, Rutilated Quartz, Topaz
Blockages in the third chakra are often experienced through digestive issues like ulcers, heartburn, eating disorders, and indigestion. It’s the chakra of our personal power. This means it’s related to our self-esteem and self-confidence.
Heart Chakra
Element: Air
Function: Love, empathy, compassion
Body: Heart, lungs, breasts, arms and hands
Foods: Broccoli, sprouts, cabbage, kale, lettuce, spinach,
Stones and Crystals: Rose Quartz, Green Avenurine, Pink Opal, Jade
Energy locks in our heart chakra can manifest in our physical health through heart problems, asthma, and weight issues. But blocks are often seen even more clearly through people’s actions. People with heart chakra blocks often put others first, to their own detriment. It’s the middle of the seven chakras, so it bridges the gap between our upper and lower chakras, and it also represents our ability to love and connect to others. When out of alignment, it can make us feel lonely, insecure, and isolated.
Throat Chakra
Element: Sound
Function: Communication, expression
Body: Mouth, neck, shoulders, throat
Foods: Blueberries, blackberries, cocoa, fruit, soup, juice
Stones and Crystals: Blue Lace Agate, Sodalite,
As one would expect, this chakra is connected to our ability to communicate verbally. Voice and throat problems as well as any problems with everything surrounding that area, such as the teeth, gums, and mouth, can indicate a blockage. Blocks or misalignment can also be seen through dominating conversations, gossiping, speaking without thinking, and having trouble speaking your mind. When in alignment, you will speak and listen with compassion and feel confident when you speak because you know you are being true to yourself with your words.
Third-Eye Chakra
Element: Light
Function: Dreaming, intuition, meditation, seeing
Body: Pineal gland, eyes, sinus cavities
Foods: Eggplant, plum, grapes, turnips
Stones and Crystals: Blue kyanite, lapis lazuli, quartz, star sapphire
The third eye chakra, is positioned between your eyes. This chakra is responsible for your 6th sense and intution, this is because the third eye is in charge of instinct knowing. It is also related to your creativity and creative visions. When out of balance one may develop sinus blockages, sinus pressure, and frontal lobe headaches. When this chakra is balanced one will feel a sense of creativity and can focus easily towards their goals and dreams.
Crown Chakra
Element: Thought
Function: Understanding, consciousness
Body: Central nervous system, brain, pituitary gland
Foods: none, fasting
Stones and Crystals: Amethyst, diamond, charoite
Since this chakra is physically located on the head, blockages can manifest as headaches, migraines, issues with sight or concentration, and hearing problems. People who have trouble listening to reality (who seem to “know it all”) or who are not in touch with their intuition may also have a block. When open and in alignment, it’s thought that people will follow their intuition and be able to see the big picture.
The crown chakra is linked to every other chakra (and therefore every organ in this system), and so it affects not just all of those organs, but also our brain and nervous system. It is considered the chakra of enlightenment and represents our connection to our life’s purpose and spirituality. Those with a blocked crown chakra may seem narrow-minded, skeptical, or stubborn. When this chakra is open, it is thought to help keep all the other chakras open and to bring the person bliss and enlightenment.
The takeaway
As these are all energetic centers of the body that correspond to feelings, one of them probably resonated with you as you were reading. A different one may resonate with you tomorrow. It’s likely that one resonates with you more than any others as a continuous problem, a chakra where you often deal with blocks. Other blockages may pop up every now and then. In the chakra system, these patterns have specific terms and there are recommended treatments.