There are seven main chakras in your body. Chakras are known as “energy points” in your body, in the form of a spinning wheel. It comes from the belief that the entire body is made up of energy, and specific areas have “hot spots” where the energy is at its strongest. The concept of chakras comes from Hinduism, which is possibly the oldest surviving belief system to this day. Today, chakras have become more mainstream and are often talked about within New Age communities, there is even a WebMD article about it.
In this post, I’ll be discussing what the seven chakras are. There are actually many, many more chakras, but generally there is a focus on the major seven. The order goes from bottom to top, and as we go on, the chakras become more complex, developed, and spiritually mature.
In this school of thought, it is said that illness and discomfort is caused by an imbalanced chakra — the energy is either excessive or depleted. And so, good health comes from a balanced chakra — not too much and not too little. With each chakra, I will go over symptoms of imbalances, and guidance to keep balance.
1. Root Chakra
The root chakra (Muladhara) is the first, most basic chakra. It is located at the root of the body — the tailbone. While imagining the chakras on the body, it is best to think of yourself sitting down crossed-legged, rather than standing up straight. This is the first energy point from the ground up. Imagine yourself sitting on the floor, and all of the energy of the earth is coming in through your root chakra.
The color of the root chakra is red, symbolizing survival, instinct, and desires. The root chakra is what connects you to your “roots” — your parents, your ancestors, and most of all, your primal self. This is the animal inside of you — stripped of ego, conditioning, or “higher self.”
Just like an animal, the root chakra is only focused on one thing: survival. It just wants to keep you alive. As previously mentioned, chakras increase in complexity from first to seventh, and the first chakra is the most absolute basic.
Imbalances:
Lower back pain tends to be the greatest symptom of root chakra imbalance. There’s also lethargy, laziness, constipation (excessive energy) or fear, anxiety, diarrhea (depleted energy.) Feeling guilty, passionless, unworthy, and overly apologetic is linked to root chakra imbalance.
A balanced root chakra presents itself as vibrancy, high energy, stability, and overall good health. This chakra can be balanced through earthy foods, root vegetables, or (naturally) red food such as red bell peppers, apples, cherries, pomegranates, etc. Child’s pose and other yoga stretches that focus on the back and bottom are helpful.
And spiritually, a root chakra can be balanced by digging to the “root” of things — figuring out the cause of a problem rather than covering it up with quick fixes. Digging into your family history, or general history, can be healing. You can ground yourself by spending more time in nature, walking barefoot, touching the trees and the grass, petting and playing with animals. Let your wild side out.
2. Sacral chakra
The sacral chakra (Svadhishthana) is the second — very basic and primal, with slightly more development and complexity. It is located in the lower abdomen, below the belly button. It rules the reproductive system, as well as the kidneys and bladder. It represents creativity and sexuality.
The sacral chakra is often confused with the root chakra — an important difference is that the root chakra simply wants to survive, while the sacral wants to go slightly beyond survival by reproducing offspring that will also survive. The main concern of the sacral chakra is to reproduce — along with that, not only to specifically create new life, but to create in general. It is connected to imagination and ideas.
The color of this chakra is orange, representing excitement, sensuality, and uniqueness.
Imbalances:
An excessive sacral chakra can lead to sex addiction, obsessiveness, attachment, and oversensitivity. One may cling very hard to a partner, or constantly jump from one partner to another. Meanwhile, depletion can lead to fear, guilt, insecurity, depression, and creative blockages. This can cause self-isolation and refusal to open up to others.
When balanced, there is childlike joy and excitement. Sense of imagination is strong, without causing delusions or loss of reality. Ideas flow through very easily. There is an urge to create new things, make art, express oneself proudly.
This chakra can be balanced by eating (naturally) orange food — oranges, sweet potatoes, mangoes, pumpkin, etc. Yoga poses that focus on opening the hips make a difference. Creative projects are healing — drawing, writing, singing, and dancing. And yes, physical intimacy (with a trusted and committed partner) helps. You should honor and respect your body while also removing shame from your desires.
3. Solar plexus chakra
The solar plexus chakra (Manipura) is located at the stomach. This is where your sense of self comes into play — your ego, your personality, your identity. Going beyond survival and creation, you are now focused on who you are as a person. Here, you are focused on thriving — chasing your dreams, completing your goals, showing the world who you are.
It is represented by the color yellow, for happiness, vibrancy, and power, like the sun. It rules the digestive system and adrenal gland. Knowing that gut bacteria accounts for serotonin production in the body, it makes sense that the solar plexus is directly linked to a happy, calm, and balanced mood.
Moving further away from our primal self, the solar plexus is mainly concerned with personal power. This is the part of us that craves a specific type of fashion or wardrobe, the way you groom your hair, your mannerisms and how you present yourself to others. It is concerned with making a mark in the world, carving out a special path for oneself.
Imbalances:
Imbalance is commonly related to appetite and digestive issues — overeating or loss of appetite, struggling to process or absorb nutrients, heartburn and stomach pain, etc. It also relates to your competitiveness and personal power. Excessiveness breeds controlling, authoritative, and demanding behavior. Depletion breeds insecurity, powerlessness, letting others take advantage of you.
A balanced sacral chakra shows strength, courage, high self-esteem, and strong will-power. A person focuses on controlling themselves — rather than controlling others, or letting other people control them. They are not overly concerned with what other people do or think — they follow their own desires with confidence and let others do the same.
Balance can be achieved through eating (naturally) yellow foods — such as bananas, pineapple, lemon, butter, cheese, corn, and honey. Helpful yoga poses include cat-cow, knees to chest, spinal twist, cobra pose, and upward dog. Also, belly dancing is helpful. Deep self-exploration (like journaling) and positive affirmations can improve your confidence and awareness of self.
4. Heart chakra
The heart chakra (Anahata) is all about the heart! This chakra falls exactly in the middle — between the “lower self” and “higher self”, between the “primal self” and “spiritual self,” between the “physical self” and “mental self.” Therefore, it is especially important to keep this chakra balanced.
This chakra is located at the center of the chest, right near the heart. Along with the heart, it also rules the thymus gland. It is represented as the color green due to abundance, selflessness, peace, acceptance, and the need to give and provide to others. Just like the trees and the plants, it is all around us, seemingly limitless.
The heart chakra is absolutely focused on love. This includes romantic, platonic, and familial love. It wants to love and feel loved. It craves harmony, community, and belonging.
Imbalances
Heart conditions, high blood pressure, and breathing problems are linked to heart chakra imbalance. Excessive energy leads to codependency, unhealthy attachment, possessiveness, jealousy, and a lack of empathy. This comes out in a person who is afraid of being alone. They will constantly cling onto one person, or multiple people, in order to feel any sense of security.
Depletion leads to shyness, social anxiety, loneliness, bitterness, and resentment. It can make a person overly suspicious and interrogational of their loved ones, unable to receive praise or compliments, causing self-sabotage within relationships. They keep their guard up high and struggle with opening up.
A balanced heart chakra gives and receives love easily. It leads to granting favors without expecting anything in return, but also without over exhausting oneself. It brings feelings of peace, acceptance, trust, and faith. Balance is achieved through (naturally) green foods — lettuce, kale, and other leafy greens, avocados, pesto sauce, herbs. Yoga poses include fish pose, bridge, cobra, and upward dog. It also helps to practice gratitude, write down what you’re thankful for.
5. Throat chakra
The throat chakra (Vishuddha) is located at the throat. It rules the throat, vocal cords, and thyroid gland. Far removed from the primal self, we now step into the world of the spiritual self. The last three chakras go beyond physical desires or personal needs. These are more challenging and complex chakras that require strong, spiritual discipline.
The throat chakra is all about speaking and communication. Its main goal is to speak the truth, to be honest, and to communicate clearly. This is linked to knowledge, understanding, and connection between the intuition and material world.
Expression is key to this chakra. As humans, our primary way of expressing ourselves is through our voice. That can be through words and speaking — it can also be through singing, yelling or screaming, humming or whistling, cheering, or making any type of noise.
The color of this chakra is blue, for clarity, truth, and honesty.
Imbalances
Throat chakra imbalance most commonly presents itself as a sore throat, coughing, or thyroid issues. It’s also connected to teeth, gums, and mouth. This can be dental problems, mouth infections, and throat soreness.
Excessive energy can be seen in someone who dominates conversations, speaks negatively, yells often, or lies. In contrast, depleted energy can be seen as shyness and fear of speaking up, a shaky and hesitant voice, or muffled words that lead to miscommunication.
The best way to balance this chakra is through singing. You can also practice affirmations and mantras, repeating positivity phrases aloud. A balanced throat chakra is seen in someone who speaks clearly and honestly, in a helpful and kind manner. They express their truth in a gentle way without overstepping. Foods include blueberries, blackberries, herbal teas, raw honey, and coconut water.
6. Third eye chakra
The second-most spiritual chakra is the third eye (Ajna.) It is located on the lower forehead, between the eyes. This is what we see beyond what meets the eye. It is connected to intuition and inner-knowing. It’s connected to the eyes, ears, and sinuses.
The third eye charka brings a sense of spirituality and gives purpose to life. It is what promotes ideas and creativity. A person with a balanced third eye chakra is highly self-aware and reflective. They have a strong sense of trust and faith in the universe — but they do not take blind risks. Their imagination is strong, but they do not get lost in fantasy.
Located near the pineal gland, which produces melatonin, the third eye also plays a part in our dreams. The spirit world delivers us messages through our sleep — a balanced third eye allows us to understand these dreams more clearly.
It is represented by the color indigo for wisdom and intuition.
Imbalances
When the third eye chakra is unbalanced, this may lead to headaches, sinus issues, dizziness, dry eyes or blurry vision, and insomnia or sleep disturbances. Excessive energy can lead to delusions, paranoia, and hallucinations. One may struggle to differentiate fantasy verses reality; they may believe their own lies or fall into deep denial about something.
Depleted energy leads to a lack of direction in life. They may feel completely disconnected from spirituality. It can cause a lack of empathy — along with creative blockages, boredom, depression, loneliness, and a lack of trust in oneself. They may struggle with “reading the room” or picking up on vibes. There may be nightmares or disturbing dreams.
Foods include purple grapes, purple cabbage, purple carrots, eggplant, blueberries, and cocoa. The third eye chakra can also be healed through dream work — lucid dreaming, astral projection, dream journaling, and dream interpretation.
7. Crown chakra
The crown chakra (Sahasrara) is the highest spiritual chakra of all. Similar to the third eye, it connects us to beyond this realm, but it is more focused on the universal consciousness rather than the self. The crown sits at the top of the head. It is the area in which we surrender our ego and become one with the universe.
The crown chakra goes completely beyond the physical body. A person with a balanced crown chakra lives in peace and harmony. They do not rely on external pleasures to bring them joy. They can easily abstain from material luxuries. They have deep trust in the universe, they aren’t in a hurry to go anywhere, and they are completely comfortable with stillness and silence.
Those with a balanced crown chakra have deep respect for those around them — including the plants and the animals. They honor everyone’s soul — with less concern for someone’s job title, social status, or class. They have equal amounts of love for all — no matter your race, background, ethnicity, gender, or identity.
Imbalances
Physical symptoms of an unbalanced crown chakra includes headaches, dizziness, depression, anxiety, sensitivity to light, central nervous system disorders, or trouble focusing. Excessive energy is not very common, but can certainly happen to those who fall into ascetic lifestyles — for example, monks or nuns. Excessiveness can also cause one to lose their sense of identity, which may lead to a spiritual psychosis, in which they lose all sense of self-purpose.
Depleted energy may lead to control issues, distrust in others, and a lack of faith in the universe. This can make a person become extremely anxious and depressed. They will be very self-absorbed and narcissistic. This type of person is discriminatory, judges a book by its cover, and demands harsh expectations of others. They are quick to criticize and likely to abuse their power.
There are actually no foods to balance this chakra. Instead, it can only be healed energetically, through meditation and prayer. It can also be healed through the power of herbs and essential oils. Spending time in nature is important. Going barefoot, touching grass, and hugging trees helps you connect to the spirit of the earth.
Crystal Aura Gaze 
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