What Are The Seven Chakras and How Do You Balance and Unblock Them?

Chakra in Sanskrit means 'Wheel' and refers to the spinning discs of free-flowing energy (life force energy aka prana) that sit at each major energy centre in the human body. There are seven main energy centres in the human body, starting at the base of your spine and moving all the way up to the top of your head. If your chakras are healthy and balanced, they are providing the right balance of energy to every part of your mind, body, and spirit. If one of your chakras is overactive, blocked, or underactive, symptoms will arise. It can cause you to feel like you’re ‘stuck’ in life or a bit ‘all over the place’. If you look closely, you will notice more specific symptoms which are often related to certain chakras. These symptoms may be mental, emotional, and even physical.

As you learn more about the seven chakras and how to balance and unblock them, you can take steps to work on them and you will begin to feel more aligned in your life and as if things are flowing. With your energy centres flowing optimally, there will be less resistance in life and you will find yourself living a life with more fun, love, peace and joy. Don’t we all want more of that? The best part is that you don’t need to rely on anyone outside of yourself to heal, balance or unblock your chakras. Sure, there are people out there who can guide you and provide assistance, but you are the healer and you have the power to heal yourself. But first, it begins with understanding what each of the seven energy centres are responsible for.

In the first half of this post, I’ll share a quick overview of each of the seven chakras. In the second half, I’ll also share some tips on how you can unblock or balance them. I will be diving more in-depth into each individual chakra in dedicated articles, so be sure to sign up for the mailing list or follow on Instagram to stay in the loop!

Start With Your Foundation: The Lower Chakras

Before we dive in, let's talk about the importance of balancing your lower chakras first – especially the Root Chakra. It's tempting to jump straight to activating those upper chakras like the Third Eye and Crown, but a solid foundation is key. Think of it like building a house: you wouldn't start with the roof, would you? The same principle applies to your energy centers. A balanced and stable Root Chakra sets the stage for harmonious energy flow throughout the rest of your system.

If a lower chakra is out of balance, it can ripple upwards, creating blockages in higher chakras. For example, Root Chakra issues can impact the Crown, Sacral Chakra imbalances can affect the Throat, and so on. By working from the bottom up, you'll create a smoother, more sustainable path to overall well-being.

Remember, the stronger your roots, the higher you can reach. The more grounded and embodied you are, the more light and wisdom you can integrate. As tempting as it may be to explore the mystical realms of the upper chakras, ensure you're firmly planted in the earth first. Plus, there's just as much magic and wonder to be found within your own body and the natural world around you.

The Seven Main Chakras

Muladhara – The Root Chakra (I AM)

The first chakra is the Root Chakra (Muladhara in Sanskrit) which is located at the base of your spine. This chakra is associated with the colour red and the element of earth. This chakra is all about being grounded and having inner stability. It's concerned with our survival, so our basic needs such as safety, security, sleep, and self-preservation are all key factors to balancing the Root Chakra.

This chakra is the foundation for the rest of our energy centres, so it is so important to take care of this before tending to the higher chakras. I’ve seen it many times and have experienced it myself - an ungrounded Root Chakra with activated upper chakras can lead to the inability to discern, lack of clarity or understanding, losing touch with reality, experiencing overwhelm and chaos in your life and nervous system, and more. It can even lead to you feeling ‘stuck’ for a very long time - even years. Just putting your bare feet on the earth for at least 10 minutes a day can go such a long way - begin with something as simple as that. 

• If you have a balanced Root Chakra you will feel safe, secure, grounded in the present, in control, and stable.
• If you have an overactive Root Chakra you may feel greedy, impatient, short-tempered, and materialistic.
• If you have a blocked or under-active Root Chakra you may feel anxious, uncertain, disconnected, fearful, and find that you are constantly overthinking. 

Crystals the are associated with the Root Chakra include any that are red, brown, or black in colour including Red Jasper, Mookaite, Garnet, Smoky Quartz, and Black Tourmaline. 

Tone this chakra by chanting the seed mantra ‘LAM’.

Svadhisthana – The Sacral Chakra (I FEEL)

The second chakra is the Sacral Chakra (Svadhisthana in Sanskrit) which is located below the navel where the reproductive organs are. This chakra is associated with the colour orange and the element of water. It is connected to our emotions, sexuality/sensuality, pleasure, and creativity. It’s where we tend to store emotional trauma, grief, and feelings of shame, fear and guilt. 

• If you have a balanced Sacral Chakra you will feel open, positive, passionate, and have a general sense of well-being. You may also have a healthy libido and find sex and intimacy very pleasurable.
• If you have an overactive Sacral Chakra you may feel addicted to sex or pleasure, manipulative, overwhelmingly emotional, overwhelmed, or arrogant. 
• If you have a blocked or under-active Sacral Chakra you may feel a lack of creativity, insecurity, a low libido, sexual dysfunction, a fear of change, feelings of guilt or shame, or emotionally unstable. 

Crystals associated with the Sacral Chakra include any that are orange in colour including Carnelian, Orange Calcite, Tigers Eye, and Goldstone.

Tone this chakra by chanting the seed mantra ‘VAM’.

Manipura – The Solar Plexus Chakra (I DO)

The third chakra is the Solar Plexus Chakra (Manipura in Sanskrit) which is located above the navel at the centre of the stomach. This chakra is associated with the colour yellow and the element of fire. It is the energy centre that is responsible for our personal power, self-confidence, self-esteem, and willpower. 

• If you have a balanced Solar Plexus Chakra you will feel confident, driven, in control, and a strong sense of self.
• If you have an overactive Solar Plexus Chakra you will feel critical, egotistical, judgemental, domineering, stubborn, and power-hungry. 
• If you have a blocked or under-active Solar Plexus Chakra you may feel a lack of direction, unmotivated, low self-esteem, indecisive, and find that you procrastinate.

Crystals associated with the Solar Plexus Chakra are any that are yellow or golden in colour including Citrine, Pyrite, Tigers Eye, Golden Mookaite, and Peach Moonstone.

Tone this chakra by chanting the seed mantra ‘RAM’.

Anahata – The Heart Chakra (I LOVE)

The fourth chakra is the Heart Chakra (Anahata in Sanskrit) which is located at the centre of the chest. This chakra is associated with the colour green and the element of air. The Heart Chakra is the energy centre that is responsible for love, compassion, and relationships. 

• If you have a balanced Heart Chakra you will feel compassion towards others, love for yourself as well as others, peaceful, tolerant, loved and supported.
• If you have an overactive Heart Chakra you may feel needy, co-dependent, a lack of boundaries for yourself, jealousy, and overly giving.
• If you have a blocked or under-active Heart Chakra you may feel hateful, a lack of empathy, bitterness, anger, judgemental and a lack of trust.

Crystals associated with the Heart Chakra are any that are green or light pink in colour including Rose Quartz, Jade, Emerald, Green Aventurine, and Amazonite.

Tone this chakra by chanting the seed mantra ‘YAM’.

Vishuddha – The Throat Chakra (I SPEAK)

The fifth chakra is the Throat Chakra (Vishuddha in Sanskrit) which is located in the throat area. This chakra is associated with the colour blue and speech, communication, and self-expression. It oversees your ability to speak your truth.

• If you have a balanced Throat Chakra you will be able to listen well, express yourself confidently and clearly, speak with kindness and truth.
• If you have an overactive Throat Chakra you may be overly opinionated, speak harshly or critically of others, loud or interruptive, and gossip.
• If you have a blocked or under-active Throat Chakra you may have difficulty expressing yourself or speaking confidently, fear judgement, and struggle to stay focused.

Crystals that are associated with the Throat Chakra are any that are light blue in colour including Kyanite, Celestite, Aquamarine, and Blue Lace Agate. 

Tone this chakra by chanting the seed mantra ‘HAM’.

Ajna – The Third Eye Chakra (I SEE)

The sixth Chakra is the Third Eye Chakra which is located between the brows, towards the centre of your forehead. This chakra is associated with the colour dark blue or indigo and is all about intuition, wisdom, and perception. The pineal gland is responsible for the Third Eye and helps to receive information from sources outside of the five senses.

• If you have a balanced Third Eye Chakra you will feel highly intuitive, be able to see beyond the physical, and have a clear vision and sense of direction.
• If you have an overactive Third Eye Chakra you may experience nightmares, hallucinations, and feel overwhelmed by the Third Eye experiences.
• If you have a blocked or under-active Third Eye Chakra you may have poor judgement, poor imagination or memory, lack of focus, and lack of purpose.

Crystals that are associated with the Third Eye Chakra are any that are dark blue or indigo in colour, as well as and including Amethyst, Sodalite, Purple Fluorite, Lapis Lazuli, and Labradorite. 

Tone this chakra by chanting the seed mantra ‘OM’.

Sahasrara – Crown Chakra (I UNDERSTAND)

The seventh chakra is the Crown Chakra which is located at the top of the head. This chakra is associated with the colour white or violet and your consciousness, your connection with your higher self, and your spiritual connection.

• If you have a balanced Crown Chakra you will have a high level of awareness, have faith in the universe, receive downloads, and feel a connection to a higher power.
• If you have an overactive Crown Chakra you may be ungrounded, be overly addicted to spirituality, and feel disconnected from the physical body.
• If you have a blocked or under-active Crown Chakra you may feel a lack of connection to spirituality, doubtful, have a lack of faith, and be close-minded.

Crystals associated with the Crown Chakra are any that are violet or white in colour, as well as and including Clear Quartz, Selenite, Amethyst, Howlite, Celestite, and Labradorite.

How to balance and unblock the chakras

When your chakras are unblocked and balanced, your energy is constantly free-flowing allowing prana (life force energy) through them. So while it's important we put focus into balancing each chakra, ultimately we want all of our chakras to be opened and aligned. If one is out of balance, it has the potential to affect the rest.

So how do you unblock them? There are a number of ways to do this. There are certain practices that will be immensely beneficial to specific chakras - I will cover these in a blog post dedicated to each individual chakra. Below are some practices that can be applied to all of the seven chakras. 

Addressing The Root

Sometimes blockages are caused by things like bad habits, past traumas, our environment, people we surround ourselves with, and other factors. If that's the case, addressing these blockages at the root will be one of the most effective things you can do for balancing that chakra. Addressing the problem at the root means taking part in a whole lot of inner work, which may involve journalling, shadow work, mirror work, guided meditation and more. Often, it comes down to shifting your perspective or awareness and/or letting go of what no longer serves you, whether that is a bad habit, toxic people, or limiting beliefs.

Sometimes, more practical steps are required. Let’s use the root chakra as an example. Say you feel unsafe, unstable or a lack of security in your life - all symptoms of a blocked Root Chakra. These could all be a result of being surrounded by toxicity, staying in an unsafe environment, or financial instability - what practical steps could you take to address these? Are you able to remove some people from your life? Move to a place where you feel safe? Change your working situation? There was a time in my life - when running this business, actually - when I was beginning to find it difficult to stay grounded. As a small business owner in tough times, income was inconsistent and that was shaking my foundations. As a result, my other chakras began to fall out of alignment and life felt chaotic. When I finally decided to take on part-time contract work to gain some stability, everything began to fall back into alignment so quickly! 

Guided Meditations

One common way to help balance your chakras is with chakra meditations. While they don't necessarily need to be guided, if you're unfamiliar with chakra meditations, doing them guided will be the easiest and likely most effective for you. There are hundreds of amazing guided meditations that you can find online. You can start on YouTube and meditation apps such as Insight Timer.  You'll want to do these meditations more than once but the consistency will be worth it in the long run. You can add crystals to your guided meditation sessions too. Simply choose a crystal for the chakra you would like to balance and hold it in your hand or place it in the corresponding area.

Crystals

When we interact with crystals, their energy affects ours, making them a wonderful tool for balancing our energy centres. Chakras are also influenced by their associated colour making certain crystals more influential on different chakras. Below is an example of how you can use crystals to align your chakras.

• The first thing you want to do is select one crystal for each chakra. You can refer back to the first half of this article for suggestions.
• Next, create a relaxing setting for this session. Dim the lights, light some incense and/or candles, and put on some nice relaxing music (I recommend searching for chakra healing tones or chakra healing music on YouTube).
• Place the crystals on or around the corresponding chakra you would like to heal. Refer back to the first half of this article to see the corresponding areas for each chakra. For the crown chakra, place the crystal just above your head. These energy wheels are quite large, so you don't have to worry too much about being precise with your placement. Take your time with this. If a crystal falls off, just replace it or leave it.
• Take some deep breaths and centre yourself. Keep your focus on your breath and let the music and ambience bring you to a state of deep relaxation. Stay like this for anywhere from 5 to 20 minutes.

Yoga

Yoga is another fantastic method for unblocking and aligning the chakras. Yoga works to move the energy in your body through certain postures, the breath (pranayama), mudra (hand and finger gestures), and meditation. If you’re looking to balance the Sacral chakra, for example, you may choose to do deep hip flexor poses, as this is often where emotional trauma is stored. Certain yoga practices such as Kundalini Yoga also use mantras which may be beneficial for balancing and unblocking chakras.

Journaling

Journalling is a great way to get to the root cause of some of your blockages. There are plenty of great resources you can find on the internet about how to use journalling to address your chakras, but here are a few prompts you can use to get started. 

Root Chakra Prompts
• How do I feel safe/unsafe in my life?
• How can I better support myself / give myself more stability?
• What are some fears that I am not letting go of?

Sacral Chakra Prompts
• Where can I express more creativity in my life?
• How do I suppress my sexuality?
• What are my deepest desires?

Solar Plexus Prompts
• Where do I feel confident / not confident in life? Why?
• If I was my best self right now, how would I act? What traits, habits, and attitudes would I embody?
• In what ways do I give away my personal power?
• Where can I set more boundaries in my life?

Heart Chakra Prompts
• In what ways can I start loving myself / others more deeply?
• What am I grateful for?
• Where do I hold judgement for myself / others and how can I be more accepting?

Throat Chakra Prompts
• How can I start living and speaking my truth?
• How do I express myself most effectively?
• How would speaking my truth make me feel?
• Where has my voice been suppressed and how can I change this?

Third Eye Chakra Prompts
• When was a time I listened to my gut and it turned out to be right?
• What is the happiest version of myself doing? How do I act?
• Where am I lacking clarity in my life?

Crown Chakra Prompts
• In what ways do I try to control life? 
• How am I connected to others?
• What areas in my life would I like to place more awareness?

While there are more methods you can use to balance your chakras, the ones listed are a great place to start. I will share more about balancing each individual chakra in future posts. If you found this article helpful at all, I'd love to hear what methods you used and which ones were your favourite.