Chakras Are Real! Here’s How To Unblock Yours And Live Your Best Life

You might have heard the word ‘chakras’ before in a yoga class or if you were talking to your resident hippie friend. Well hi, my name is Markey and I’m that resident hippie. I’m not going to say I’m a complete expert, but I am pretty familiar with the chakras and the power and energy they hold. 

Chakras aren’t real in the physical-ball-of-energy way they’re often portrayed, but they are real in the way that your body holds energy in certain places and reacts to certain events and situations. They’re more of a way to understand your feelings and get in touch with your body. They’re never going to show up on an x-ray, but they can affect the way you live your life. 

While the initial belief of chakras is rooted in Buddhism, that doesn’t mean you have to follow that way of life to believe in the chakras. I’m a Christian and I literally can feel when my chakras are unaligned. I look at the chakras more as a way of your body telling you what’s wrong and what’s right. Many people spend hundreds of dollars and hours trying to align their chakras with reiki and yoga and meditation. I love all of these practices and I add in prayer and worship to the mix. 

When the chakras are unaligned, that means that something you’ve done or had done to you has caused a reaction in your body — this can be both physical and mental. I know one of my chakras is unaligned when I feel a ton of pressure and tightness in my hips and lower back. You might also find some of your behaviors are off if your chakras are unaligned. You could be the most decisive person, but all of the sudden not know how to pick what’s for dinner or what to wear to work. Understand your normal state of your body and compare it to when you feel a little bit off. Odds are your chakras are unbalanced! 

So let’s get into the specific chakras, what they are, where they are, and how to bring them back into alignment.

Root Chakra (Red)

This is the lowest chakra of the seven. This is at the base of the spine, the pelvic floor, and the first three vertebrae. So basically, the part of your bum that connects to the floor when you sit is your root. 

This chakra is where your sense of stability comes from. This is literally the base of your body and spine — without it, you couldn’t be. Also, it’s where you connect to the ground. We get so much energy from the bases of our body. Our feet and our root chakra take energy from the ground and pull it into us. That’s why you might feel better if you walk outside on the grass first thing in the morning — you’re grounding with nature. 

When this chakra is blocked you might suffer from anxiety disorders, panic or fear, or nightmares. Physical ailments could be bladder issues, lower back, leg, and feet problems too because this chakra is in charge of your lower body. I always say that when my lower back is tight or in pain, it means I don’t feel financially or emotionally supported because those are the two elements in my life that I need basic support in order to do any growing. 

You might feel blockage when you are unaligned with your base and start to feel that anxiety that comes from not having the support, but you could also be feeling the root chakra becoming overactive. That usually means you’ve connected too heavily with physical and material things — usually food and sex — and your root chakra is tired.

How to Unblock

I get that it’s wonderful to pleasure yourself with the things of this world, but maybe understand that you’ve done that a bit too much and take a break. Become one with nature and take a barefoot walk (I do this all the time and you might look crazy, but it’s for the chakras!). Understand that the root chakra thrives off of balance — so make sure you have equal material and natural pleasures in your life.

Sacral Chakra (Orange)

This chakra is located between the pubic bone and the navel. And as you can imagine, this baby holds our emotions. Because of its placement, it’s usually the one that has all the fun. It is where we store our emotions, pleasures, and passions. 

Keep this chakra aligned and you’ll just be a better person in general. You know those days when you can’t stop smiling and you even have a sweet word for that annoying girl at work? Those are the days when your sacral chakra is probably open. 

How to Unblock

One of the best ways to keep this chakra aligned is through movements such as hip-opening yoga and eating healthily. I know, maybe not as fun as having constant sex, but you saw what too much sex can do to your root chakra!

When it’s blocked, you might be feeling some creative blockage and emotional instability too. Also, because this location is where you get all the sexual arousal, you might suffer from lower-than-normal sex drive when the sacral chakra is blocked. It could be overactive if you’re struggling with a sexual addiction or just have an influx of really powerful emotions one day. 

Solar Plexus Chakra (Yellow)

For some reason, I hear about this chakra the most. You can find it in the area between the navel and the ribcage. This one reigns over the tummy — so the metabolism and digestion are all in its control. 

Now, even though it’s located in a food-centric place, this chakra is actually where people believe your source of self comes from. Is it too punny to make a joke that says you are what you eat right here? Anyway, reiki healer and yoga instructor Fern Olivia says that this is where the willpower, personal power, and commitment exist. 

When it’s blocked, you might suffer from low self-esteem or find it hard to make decisions, even if they’re as simple as choosing where to go for dinner (guilty!). Physically, the tummy will hurt a lot and you’ll either get an ache or gas or indigestion. When it’s overactive, you might get a big head and put your ego on parade. You’ll also have really high energy — which isn’t necessarily bad, but understand that there will always be a crash after. 

How to Unblock

Because this is such a personal chakra, one of the best ways to align it is with positive words. My therapist suggested that I write five affirmations a morning every day and it’s changed my life. If you’re feeling like you don’t trust yourself to do the big things in life, take a step back and tell yourself that you are a badass bitch who can get anything done and do it right.

Heart Chakra (Green)

I know this location will be a shocker, but this chakra is located in the chest — encompassing the heart, the thymus, the lungs, and the breasts. Because of its location, this is also known as the central chakra. This is where the physical and the spiritual meet in your body. 

You’ll feel the blockage when you are dealing with grief, anger, jealousy, betrayal, or other issues that are usually centered around relationships. I do want to note that the blockage won’t just hurt your relationships with others, but also yourself. Understand that the way you treat yourself is a relationship; in fact, it ought to be the most important relationship in your life. You’ll also feel difficulty in finding forgiveness and giving and receiving love. Now when it’s overactive, you can be seen as being too needy and clingy, jealous, and really losing any boundaries in your emotional life. 

How to Unblock

This chakra is a bit like the solar plexus, where alignment comes with words. Forgiveness is a huge part of unblocking this chakra, so maybe look at the people in your life who you are having a hard time forgiving and work through that — either with yourself or with them. Another great way to realign this chakra is by performing random acts of kindness. I adore this because by giving your time and yourself to others, you are able to get out of your head and reconnect to your heart chakra. 

Throat Chakra (Blue)

This one is way more important than we might think. This chakra involves the thyroid, parathyroid, jaw, neck, mouth, tongue, and larynx. 

This is when the power of words really comes into play. You’ll know this chakra is all good to go when you have no problem speaking your truth and also giving words of love out to others. You will also be able to listen, something that I know is a weakness for me. 

When it’s blocked, you might have trouble communicating what you need. You will also fear what other people might think of you if you say something, so you can see yourself almost literally swallowing your words. Physical issues are sore throats, stiffness in your neck and shoulders, and headaches. Not fun! The chakra might be overactive if you are speaking too much truth. Let your voice be heard, but also make sure everything you say is beneficial to both yourself and others. 

How to Unblock

You can align this chakra with smells. Often people will diffuse scents like frankincense, geranium, jasmine, sage, cypress, and peppermint among other scents to open the throat up. You can also always go back to the affirmations — tell yourself that you can speak your mind and your voice and opinion matter.

Third Eye Chakra (Indigo)

I hear about this one all the time in yoga. This chakra is located right between the eyebrows at your ‘third eye’. It rules over the eyes, head, and lower part of the brain.

This chakra governs your intuition and connects you to the outside world. What does that mean exactly? Your third eye is said to allow you to see through any illusions or lies.

If it’s blocked you might have a hard time discerning situations or remembering small things. Also, it might be out of line if any of your other lower chakras are messed up. It could be overactive if you’ve just seen too much and you realize that you weren’t supposed to know something you found out.

How to Unblock

You can open this chakra up by simply paying attention to yourself. If you had a dream and something seems funky after that, maybe look at what you dreamed and see if there is something or someone who stands out in your dream. Start following your gut more and understand that you can be right without having to plan or prove something. Start respecting yourself and your intuition.

Crown Chakra (Purple)

This is — wait for it — at the crown of your head. 

This chakra is the center of our alignment and where we are our higher selves. When it’s aligned, you realize your potential and you’re passionate about becoming all that you can be. When it’s blocked, you might feel apathetic or listless. You no longer see yourself achieving all the things that you are meant to, so why try? If it’s overactive, you might feel greed or arrogance, as it causes you to want more material things. 

How to Unblock

I love the solution to opening my crown chakra — it’s as simple as breathing! We often can go about our days with a to-do list and a, ‘what’s next?’ mentality. This puts our brains in a very tight mindset and causes us to focus on what we can produce. Go ahead and just breathe. Take some time to be with yourself and acknowledge what you have to do in the day, understanding that being present and in tune with yourself will allow you to get more accomplished. 

So, you now have a run down on all the chakras that make up your body and create the person that you are right now. After doing research, a lot of things make sense as to why certain physical ailments are so often associated with the emotional ones. The chakras are a true force in everyone — whether you are a self-proclaimed mystic or not. The energy that we give our bodies is real and affects us more than we think.

We hope this guide on how to unblock chakras was helpful to you! What’s your experience with chakras? Do you need to bring any back into alignment? Let us know in the comments!

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