The word “chakra” means “wheel of light” in Sanskrit, an ancient language of India. The concept comes from the Hindu and Buddhist spiritual traditions, which see chakras as energy centers or portals in your body.
According to these Eastern traditions and some Western biofield therapy approaches, chakras need to stay balanced or in sync for the body-mind connection to function at its best.
Energy medicine and Eastern traditions propose that if a chakra is blocked or with depleted energy, physical and emotional symptoms associated with that particular chakra will develop.
The seven main chakras in Hinduism and Buddhism are believed to run along the spine. They start at the base and extend to the crown of the head. However, some people have postulated that there are at least 114 different chakras or energy centers in the body.
According to Hinduism and Buddhism, the names of the seven main chakras, from base to crown, are:
- root (Mūlādhāra)
- sacral (Svādhiṣṭhāna)
- solar plexus (Maṇipūra)
- heart (Anāhata)
- throat (Viśuddha)
- third eye (Ājñā)
- crown (Sahasrāra)
These chakras are thought to work as energy vortices that regulate your body’s energy and the connection between your different bodies (physical, spiritual, mental, and energetic) and your environment.
Each chakra is believed to resonate with a specific color and element.
Few scientific studies exist on the chakras, but existing evidence suggests these specific points or areas in the body do emit electromagnetic radiation and have an effect on plexuses. Plexuses are interconnected nerves and blood vessels that supply sensation and blood to different parts of the body.
Research also suggests an interconnection between chakra locations and the nervous system (brain and nerves). More extensive studies are needed to establish the nature of these connections, though.
Energy medicine (EM), the manipulation of subtle energy to restore the body’s imbalances, has also
EM views chakras as vital energy centers that are closely connected to biophysical systems (biological and physical processes), especially to the endocrine system (glands). This system regulates hormone production in the body.
According to these views of the chakras, disease develops when the energy flow in one or more chakras is compromised. Stress, adverse experiences, negative thoughts and emotions, grief, and other significant changes can deplete chakra energy.
According to Eastern traditions and
| Chakra | Location | Color and | ||
| Root | Base of spine, genital area | Red – Fire | Spine, kidneys, bladder, large intestine | Pelvic nerves – Adrenals |
| Sacral | Lower abdomen, below navel | Orange – Earth | Reproductive organs | Inferior mesenteric ganglion (digestive nerves) – Testes and ovaries |
| Solar Plexus | Bottom of rib cage | Yellow – Earth | Liver, stomach, spleen, pancreas | Celiac plexus (spinal cord and digestive nerves) – Pancreas |
| Heart | Chest, heart region | Green – Fire | Heart, circulation, vagus nerve | Celiac plexus -Thymus |
| Throat | Base of throat, thyroid level | Blue – Metal | Lungs, throat, voice box | Inferior cervical ganglion (neck and upper limbs) – Thyroid |
| Third Eye | Between eyebrows | Indigo – Wood | Left and lower brain, ears, nose, left eye | Superior cervical ganglion (autonomic nervous system) – Pituitary, pineal, and thalamus |
| Crown | Crown of head | Violet – Fire | Right and upper brain, right eye | Pineal gland |
Diane Malaspina, PhD, a specialist in yoga medicine, prefers to think of chakras as “out of balance” rather than blocked.
“There can be a depletion of energy flow or too much energetic activity in a chakra — each will manifest into different outcomes,” she explained.
When a chakra is low in energy, said Malaspina, you’ll have difficulty expressing the particular qualities associated with that chakra. When a chakra is overactive, she added, these qualities are a dominant force in your life. This can have both physical and emotional effects.
According to yogic traditions, the first chakra regulates the sense of security and survival, and the foundation of life.
Malaspina said if the chakra is underactive, it can manifest as symptoms like depression and insecurity. If there’s too much energy, it can manifest as fearlessness without precaution or hoarding because you need more to feel secure.
Malaspina said the location of an out-of-balance chakra may affect the parts of the body in close proximity to it. This includes the organs, glands, bones, joints, and tissues near that area. But imbalances can also show at other levels.
Psychologically, said Malaspina, imbalances in the chakras could manifest as increased anger, sadness, fear, or indecisiveness.
“It’s important to pay attention to both the psychological and physiological sensations because they can inform each other and uncover the root cause of the experience,” said certified yoga teacher and master reiki healer, Guadalupe Terrones.
According to Terrones, experiencing too much stress — physically or mentally — may affect the energy of one or more chakras.
“Personal habits such as poor physical alignment or posture, eating unhealthy food, or self-destructive behavior may cause a chakra to be imbalanced,” she said.
Terrones added that prolonged imbalance may lead to physical disease and illness, musculoskeletal issues, and mental health challenges like depression or anxiety.
According to Malaspina, a great way to promote balance in a chakra is to create alignment in your physical body through:
- yoga postures
- breathing practices to encourage the flow of energy
- daily meditation to bring about clarity of mind
Malaspina said yoga poses may help fine-tune chakra energy. According to yogic tradition, the following poses may help balance each of your seven chakras.
Root chakra
According to Terrones, Tree Pose or any balancing poses, like Mountain or Warrior, are great for establishing a stronger relationship with your body’s foundation.
Sacral chakra
The sacral chakra is associated with the reproductive area, and it is believed to be responsible for creativity and sensuality.
Terrones explained that poses that strengthen your pelvic floor, where the sacral chakra resides, such as Bridge Pose or deep hip openers, like Pigeon Pose or Lizard Pose, are great for strengthening the sacral chakra.
Solar plexus chakra
The solar plexus chakra is all about your inner fire and motivation. Core strengthening poses, such as Boat or Triangle, are great for firing up your abs and creating more balance in this chakra, said Terrones.
Heart chakra
Your heart chakra, according to Terrones, is the integration point between the lower chakras and the higher chakras. “It reflects our ability to open ourselves up to deeper connections with others,” she said.
To unblock this chakra, Terrones recommended heart-opening poses such as Camel Pose or Wheel. She also recommended Cow Face Pose and Humble Warrior, which may open your chest, shoulders, and arms so you can more fully embrace others.
Throat chakra
According to Terrones, Plow and Fish are great poses to open up your throat chakra and boost communication. Both help open up the back and front sides of your neck, where the throat chakra resides.
Third eye chakra
According to Easter traditions, the third eye chakra rules your ability to invite a new reality into your life by dreaming up different possibilities. Terrones recommends poses that involve getting your upper body intimately connected with your lower body.
According to Terrones, poses such as Forward Fold or Folded Eagle are great for balancing the third eye.
“In these poses, our higher self, represented by our upper bodies, establishes a connection with our more rooted parts of our bodies, our legs, so that we can manifest a dream into a physical reality.”
Crown chakra
The crown chakra rules your connection to your higher self. That’s why Terrones recommends the pose that comes after all yoga poses: Savasana, also known as Corpse Pose.
Terrones said this pose helps strengthen the crown chakra by connecting you with your eternal self — your soul — and reminding you where you came from and where you’ll go.
Chakras are concepts that originated in the Hindu and Buddhist traditions and have also been adopted by biofield medicine practitioners in the West. They refer to energy centers or vortices in the body that correspond to specific nerve bundles and internal organs and are also associated with spiritual and psychological properties.
The seven major chakras run from the base of your spine to the top of your head. According to the yogic tradition, when energy is depleted or blocked by toxic environments and stress, physical or emotional symptoms may arise. Meditation, breathing exercises, and specific yoga poses may bring the chakras back to balance.