The word “chakra” translates to “wheel” in Sanskrit. Chakras are the main energy centers of the body. Each of these energy centers correspond to nerve bundles, major organs, and even emotions. When the chakras are unbalanced (either stagnant or over-active), you may feel physical or emotional symptoms. Read on to learn about each of the 7 main chakras, how to know if their energy isn’t flowing optimally, and how to balance them.

The 7 main chakras:

The best way to ground yourself is to literally spend some time outside, with your feet touching the ground. Take your shoes and socks off, feel the grass between your toes and enjoy some fresh air. Try some yoga or stretching to enhance your grounding experience. Gardening, forest therapy, hiking, or even relaxing outdoors with a good book are also excellent ways to keep yourself grounded.

To balance the sacral chakra, make some time for activities that bring you joy, try things that you’ve always wanted to do, allow yourself to be artistic or creative, listen to / play music, or work towards a career or calling you feel passionate about.

To energize the solar plexus, try making a list of your talents and abilities and make a conscious effort to share them with others. Spend some time fine-tuning or developing your talents, discover new talents by trying something that interests you, meditate to receive clarity in your life, or try doing some Reiki or energy work.

Energizing a stagnant heart chakra may take some time. Many of us have spent our whole lives building up walls and defenses, and it isn’t always easy to knock those down. The first step is to show love and appreciation to yourself. Do what makes your heart sing.

Reflect on all of your positive attributes and talents. While we are generally quick to notice our own faults and failures, we all have successes and things we are good at. Give yourself compassion when things don’t go right, and give yourself the grace to learn from mistakes, try again or to try something new. Essentially, give yourself the love that you want others to give to you.

Blocked throat chakras may go all the way back to childhood when many of us were advised that good children were to be seen, but not heard. Culturally, we have a hard time dealing with strong emotions (especially strong emotions of others), so expressions like “You’ll be okay/alright,” “Be brave!” and “Don’t cry!” teach us to stuff our emotions rather than feel or express them.

To get to a place where you’re comfortable speaking your truth, practice sharing how you really feel in un-stressful situations first. For example, rather than saying “That’s fine.” say, ” You know, I don’t really feel like having pizza today.” On the other end of the spectrum, if you find yourself constantly speaking over people, try hearing people out and then try to rephrase what they’ve told you to check for understanding. Sometimes as adults we overcompensate for not being heard as children by feeling a need to speak all the time.

If you’re a parent, allow your child to feel their feelings without the knee-jerk reaction to quiet them. Instead of “Shhh, it’s okay.” Try, “I imagine that hurt. How can I help?” Shifting how we deal with the emotions of others will help the next generation to speak their truths in a healthier way.

When this chakra is in an unbalanced state, binary thinking (oversimplifying problems by reducing them to “right” vs “wrong” or “us” vs “them”) becomes the norm. It is challenging to see that issues have a middle-ground and that solutions to problems are often born from a wider perspective, not within the confines of a box.

A balanced third eye allows us to feel a sense of interconnection, creativity, non-judgement, and clarity. It allows us to calmly take a step back from our problems and observe, rather than react.

To help balance this chakra, journaling, self-reflection, meditation, Reiki, and breathing exercises are helpful. When we engage others with different viewpoints than us in conversation, just listen and truly try to understand their perspective. Approach life with curiosity and an open mind, rather than rigidity. Be willing to learn and allow yourself to grow, adapt, and change your mind.

Cynicism, apathy, lack of inspiration, a feeling that life is blah, addictions, “head in the clouds,” getting easily overwhelmed by information, poor coordination, exhaustion, and chronic headaches may be signs that the crown chakra is unbalanced.

Instead of attempting to open up and activate your crown chakra specifically, focus on balancing the other 6 chakras (especially the root chakra, which keeps you grounded). Meditation, time in nature, Reiki treatments, eating fresh, whole, healthy foods, yoga, and tai-chi are all great ways to balance all your energy centers.

As your crown chakra comes into balance, you may feel relaxed and at ease. Mentally, you might notice feeling more clear-headed, motivated, and happy. You may also find feel more connected with your spiritual side.

Conclusion

If you’ve neglected self-care for too long and you need to achieve balance in more than one chakra, Reiki is an effective way to relieve stress and get your human “circuit” flowing again.