The seven chakras are the body's main energy centers. If you have taken yoga or meditation classes you've probably heard people talk about "unblocking" their chakras, which refers to the belief that when all of our chakras are open, energy can freely flow through them. When this happens the physical body, mind, and spirit are in harmony.

Starting at the base of your spine and working up the crown of your head, chakras influence your overall health and well-being. Understanding the nature and purpose of each chakra is an important first step toward balancing your chakras and restoring a harmonious energy flow. The seven chakras are all interconnected, therefore balancing one chakra creates changes in the others.

In Sanskrit, chakra means "wheel," and you can visualize them as free-flowing positive 

energy wheels.

1. Root Chakra (Muladhara meaning base, foundation and root support)

The root chakra, which represents our core, is the first of the seven primary chakras. It connects us to the earth and provides us with a feeling of stability. It serves as our base and anchor. Because the chakras are arranged in a specific order, when we open the root chakra and achieve this sense of grounding and confidence, we create the path for the other chakras to open as well. The root chakras are located at the base of your spine, near your tailbone.

When your root chakra is blocked you may suffer from tiredness, a sense of being off-balance, insecurity, and a constant sense of being on edge. You also may have problems letting go physically which can cause health issues in the colon and bladder. Your lower body may feel more inflamed with symptoms of muscle aches and cramping. When balancing the root chakra, it is important to connect yourself directly to mother earth. Spend time outside walking, plant a garden, and keep plants inside your home. Using crystals that support the root chakra is an excellent way to help unblock and detoxify the root chakra.

Location of root chakra: Base of spine, tailbone area

Element: Earth

Colour: Red

Represents: digestive health and confidence, survival issues such as financial independence

Crystals: Black Onyx, Smokey Quartz, Black Tourmaline, Smokey Quartz, Garnet, Tigers Eye

Affirmation: ?I am powerful, strong and rooted.?

2. Sacral Chakra (Swadhisthana meaning your own place)

The Sacral Chakra is our sex chakra and is connected to our emotions, pleasures, and ability to connect and live a fulfilling life. The location of this chakra is in the lower abdomen and for women sits right at your womb.

When our Sacral Chakra is healthy, we can freely express ourselves, tap into our creativity, and live life with energy and passion. Those with a blocked sacral chakra could feel a lack of control in their lives. Addiction, reproductive disorders, infertility, impotence and menstrual complications, as well as feeling fatigue, could also be a sign your sacral chakra is blocked. When balanced, the sacral chakra allows you to be creative, passionate and sensual while connecting with your feelings and emotions. Connecting with water, like rivers, lakes or the ocean can help restore balance. Carrying a stone such as a sunstone or a carnelian is a great aid in balancing your sacral chakra.

Location: Lower abdomen, pelvis area

Colour: Orange

Crystals: Tigers Eye, Citrine, Sunstone, Pink Moonstone, Carnelian

Represents: Sexuality, Pleasure, confidence and abundance

Affirmation: ? Creativity is flowing through me.?

 

3. Solar Plexus Chakra (Manipura, which means gems or city of jewels)

The third chakra, the solar plexus chakra, governs your deepest connections with willpower, self-discipline and self-esteem. The third chakra can be found in the upper abdomen just below the breastbone in the center of the body. If your solar plexus chakra is blocked, you might feel overwhelming amounts of shame, low confidence, poor digestion, lack of motivation and insecurity. Those with open sacral chakras feel empowered, and motivated and have a healthy immune system.

Location of Solar Plexus Chakra: Upper abdomen in the stomach area

Element: Fire

Colour: Yellow

Represents: Self-worth, self-confidence, and self-esteem

Crystals: Citrine, Sunstone, Ametrine, Agate, Golden Tigers Eye, Mother of Pearl, Pearl

Affirmation: ?Self-Love starts when I accept all parts of myself.?

4. Heart Chakra (Anahata, meaning unstuck)

The heart chakra serves as a bridge between the lower and upper chakras. As the name suggests, this chakra can influence our ability to give and receive love from others and ourselves. When the heart chakra is imbalanced, it is difficult to fully open up to the people in one's life and it can cause emotional and physical distress. If you are working on improving your compassion and empathy or forming a deeper bond with others around you, it is important that you open and balances your heart chakra.  

Location: Center of the chest, just above the heart.

Element: Air

Colour: Green

Represents: Inner peace, love, joy

Crystals: Amazonite, Rose Quartz, Jade, Rhodochrosite, Kunzite

Affirmation: ?I give and receive love unconditionally?

5. Throat Chakra (Vissudha- meaning pure or purification)

The fifth chakra is the throat chakra, where our voice and truth flow through to the outside world. When it's functioning at full capacity, it allows us to express ourselves truly and clearly. Someone with a blocked throat chakra will feel like they have trouble finding the words to say how they truly feel. Signs of an unbalanced throat chakra can be the inability to keep healthy boundaries, the inability to listen and often feeling misunderstood.

Location: Throat

Element: Sound/ Music

Color: Blue / Turquoise

Represents: Communication, self-expression, and truth

Crystals: Turquoise, Lapis Lazuli, Blue Lace Agate, Malachite, Aquamarine, Mother of Pearl

Affirmation:? I express myself with clarity and confidence.?

6. Third Eye Chakra (Ajna- means perceiving and command)

The third eye chakra is the seat of human intuition, located in the centre of the forehead. This is the gateway to our deepest pool of inner wisdom, clarity, and all the knowledge we need to reach greater levels of spiritual contemplation. The third eye is the part of our eyesight that looks inward and beyond what our other two eyes can see. An open third eye chakra can aid clarity, comprehension, trusting our gut instincts, and looking inside for all the answers and guidance we need. This chakra influences our thought processes, as well as our eyes, hearing, spinal cord, and neurological health. Poor eyesight, skepticism in your own decisions, lack of creativity, and inability to focus are all signs of an imbalanced third eye chakra.

Location: The center of the forehead between the eyebrows

Element: Light

Colour: Indigo, purple

Represents: Intuition, foresight vision, perception, psychic abilities

Crystals: Amethyst, Iolite, Labradorite, Flourite, Mother of Pearl, Azurite,

Affirmation: ?All that I need is within me?

7. Crown Chakra (Sahasrara Meaning thousand petaled)

The crown chakra is located at the top of the head and is the source of our highest vibrations and where we connect to the universe. This chakra is associated with our sense of purpose, spiritual well-being, and feelings of fulfilment. When you have an unbalanced crown chakra there can be headaches, insomnia, nightmares, stress, or feeling directionless., Crystals that suit the crown chakra are master healers with the highest vibrations.

Location: Top of head

Element: Devine consciousness

Color: Violet / White

Represents: Higher consciousness, Presence, Bliss, Devine Connection

Crystals: Moonstone, Clear and White Quartz, Howlite, Amethyst, Selenite,

Affirmation:? I am connected with the wisdom of the universe?