Chances are, you know all about the benefits of a balanced diet — but do you know about the benefits of balanced energy? If you've ever taken a yoga class or shopped for healing crystals, then you've likely heard about the seven chakras and the role they play in your body's energetic function. But if you're still not quite clear on the meaning of chakras or how chakras affect your physical and emotional well-being, then you've come to the right place. We've got the scoop on how these energy centers impact your mind and body, as well as tips on how to unblock your chakras and experience their full power.
What are chakras?
According to New York City-based astrologer, author, and energy healer Lisa Stardust, chakras are energy centers located throughout the body. The earliest written record of chakras comes from the Vedas, which are ancient Indian texts that describe the philosophy of yoga written sometime between 1,500 and 500 B.C.
Nowadays, you can still learn about the seven chakras and chakra alignment through meditation, Reiki, or yoga — but before you can unblock your chakras and achieve free-flowing energy, you should understand the basics. Here's what you should know about your seven chakras.
What do the seven chakras mean?
The Sanskrit word "chakra" literally translates to "wheel" or "disk," but it typically references a spiritual energy center within the human body, of which there are seven. "The seven chakras are vortexes of energy that represent our seven levels of consciousness," explains author, yoga teacher, and certified holistic practitioner Thimela Garcia. "Through these seven chakras, we move from the lower self, or an unconscious state, to the higher self, or conscious state."
According to Garcia, there are actually at least 114 different chakras in the body — but the chakras most often referred to are the seven main ones that start at the base of your spine and extend to the crown of your head. "They are positioned in a perfect straight line in the spine, and they are responsible for the functioning of the body systems and key organs," Garcia adds, noting that each chakra has a specific location and function.
Where are chakras located?
To be clear, chakras aren't something you can see. Likewise, there isn't much scientific evidence that supports the physical manifestations of spiritual energy. As Garcia explains, "The chakras don’t exist in the physical plane. They are present in the astral or spiritual realm, but they can still influence our health and life." It's believed that having your chakras open and aligned allows prana — or the ultimate pure healing energy — to flow through them, which in turn can make you feel happier and healthier.
According to Stardust, the seven main chakras are as follows:
- The Root Chakra, or Muladhara, is located at the base of your spine.
- The Sacral Chakra, or Svadhisthana, is located below your belly button.
- The Solar Plexus Chakra, or Manipura, is located in your navel area.
- The Heart Chakra, or Anahata, is located in the center of your chest.
- The Throat Chakra, or Vishuddha, is located in your throat.
- The Third Eye Chakra, or Ajna, is located between your eyes.
- The Crown Chakra, or Sahasrara, is located at the top of your head.
What powers does chakra have?
Each of our seven main chakras serve different purposes in the body. "They not only play an important role in the optimal functioning of the different set of organs, glands, and systems in the human anatomy, but they also allow us to experience and move through the different layers of this physical realm," Garcia says. According to her, it is through the seven main chakras that we experience, grow, and evolve, and when all the chakras are balanced and harmonious, we are able to live our best lives.
As Stardust explains, here is the role played by each main chakra:
- Your Root Chakra focuses on stability and security. It helps you feel grounded and able to withstand challenges.
- Your Sacral Chakra rules sexual and creative energy. It also influences how you relate to your emotions and the emotions of others.
- Your Solar Plexus Chakra is all about confidence, as well as helping you feel in control of your life.
- Your Heart Chakra is linked to self-love and love for others.
- Your Throat Chakra is a place of speaking truth and ensuring your inner truths are properly communicated.
- Your Third Eye Chakra governs your intuition. It's also linked to imagination.
- Your Crown Chakra is all about your connection to spirituality. It also plays a role in your life’s purpose.
What causes chakras to be blocked?
There are a variety of reasons why your energy centers may be blocked, or not functioning as they should. Stardust says that your emotional well-being can influence your energy balance and potentially throw it out of whack, especially if you're not "able to let go or release emotions." As she explains, "This is why it’s important to resolve matters, because lingering emotions can create blockages."
Experiencing too much stress, physically or mentally, can also lead to one or more chakras falling out of balance. "Personal habits such as poor physical alignment or posture, eating unhealthy food, or self-destructive behavior may cause a chakra to be blocked," Garcia tells us. And while each chakra has its own distinct properties, they work as a system, which means if one's out of balance, then it affects all the rest. Prolonged imbalance can impact your health and general wellbeing — but luckily, there are ways to unblock your chakras and allow prana to flow freely.
How can you activate or unblock your chakras?
Signs of blocked or out of balance chakras include everything from headaches and brain fog to a lack of inspiration, and to unblock the chakras, you must first bring awareness to the root of the problem and work effectively on the affected chakra. A great way to promote balance in a chakra is to create alignment in your physical body through yoga postures and meditative practices. "Once the blocks are removed, we can increase the energy flow in the body using energy healing techniques and work on activating the chakra," Garcia says.
Yoga and meditation aren't the only ways to unblock or align your chakras. According to Stardust, "Crystal therapy, Reiki, and embracing one’s inner child through regression therapy can help." Unblocking your chakras takes work, and if you're interested, then you can always research chakra balancing and realignment for more information.
Corinne Sullivan is an Editor at Cosmopolitan, where she covers a variety of beats, including lifestyle, entertainment, relationships, shopping, and more. She can tell you everything you need to know about the love lives of A-listers, the coziest bedsheets, and the sex toys actually worth your $$$. She is also the author of the 2018 novel Indecent. Follow her on Instagram for cute pics of her pup and bébé.
