The link between the chakras and mental health might not feel readily apparent. Unlike with physical bodily parts, we don’t have machines that can detect the chakra system.
But just like you can take an x-ray of a bone to tell when it is broken, an energy healer can scan your chakras to sense when they are unbalanced, blocked, or open.
Not only that, but the chakras store information related to your mental health. And with a little body wisdom, you can learn to read them in order to get a clearer picture of your own mental and emotional energetics.
This blog post will help you tap into that body wisdom and start to get a sense of the emotional landscape of your body. You’ll learn how to use the chakras as a guide to your mental health.
The 7 Main Chakras
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The chakras are an energetic system that run along the spine. You can think of each of them like a clockwise rotating wheel of energy. They can also become blocked (no movement) or imbalanced (backwards, sluggish, or rapid movement).
Where are the 7 main chakras located?
- The root chakra located at the base of the spine.
- The sacral chakra is located around the pelvic region.
- The solar plexus chakra is located a couple inches above the belly button.
- Then, (getting a little more obvious) the heart chakra is located at the center of the heart.
- The throat chakra is located (surprise) in the throat.
- The third-eye (you guessed it) is located between the eyebrows.
- And lastly, the crown chakra is located at the top of the head and said to extend out into the auric field.
The Body Wisdom of the Chakras for Mental Health
This blog post is not intended to diagnose or treat mental or emotional disorders. This blog does not replace mental health or medical guidance. As always, treat this blog post like a guide to understanding. But remember to use your intuition, good judgement, and personal circumstances to help you make informed decisions.
The Root Chakra: Safety and Stability
The root chakra is located at the base of the spine and represented by the color red. Safety, stability, grounding, and security relate to the root chakra. Additionally, it is the area where we often house issues or experiences connected with family, belonging, and home.
At times, the root chakra is associated with trouble letting go or moving on.
When we hold on too tightly out of fear it might be related to the root chakra.
This can create feelings of anxiety.
Furthermore, traumatic experiences often manifest in the root chakra. This can include developmental or attachment trauma related to family issues or a difficult upbringing. This might also include trauma that compromised feelings of safety or security. However, later we will revisit how trauma might be related to the additional chakras as well.
The Sacral Chakra: Creativity and Flexibility
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The sacral chakra is located in the pelvic region and associated with the color orange. It is linked to creativity, fluidity, and flexibility.
The sacral chakra is connected with self-expression, sexuality, and openness.
If you are struggling to express yourself creatively or feeling authentic in your own skin look no further than the sacral chakra.
This is also the home of creative blocks.
We will revisit self-expression later, with the throat chakra. But the sacral form of self-expression is primarily non-verbal or creative. Think dance, writing, acting, modeling, yoga, or non-verbal communication.
Additionally, the sacral chakra is linked with sexuality. This is also where you may explore issues of fertility, sexual expression, or identity. Trauma related to sexual assault may also be housed in this area.
I highly recommend working with a licensed professional or bodyworker to explore sexual issues in a SAFE environment.
Solar Plexus: Power and Boundaries
I love working with the solar plexus. This is an area of the body located about 2 inches above the belly button, represented by the color yellow.
The solar plexus is where our personal power is housed.
Look no further people-pleasers. This area is where you struggle.
Your solar plexus may be imbalanced if you struggle to set boundaries, communicate assertively, or honor your needs.
I truly believe we all need to tap into our personal power. Issues with this area may also stem from inner child wounds.
Additionally, the solar plexus may be imbalanced due to a trauma. This area holds the traumas that violated boundaries or relate to issues of power and control.
Heart Chakra: Love and Forgiveness
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The heart chakra is located in the center of the chest and represented by the color green.
It is associated with love, forgiveness, and grief.
The heart chakra is often associated with love and relationships. Blocks in this area are often related to heartbreak or relationship ruptures.
However, the less obvious blocks stem from grief. We hold grief in our lungs and our heart chakra.
Your heart chakra may be blocked if you struggle to forgive, trust, or practice vulnerability.
A Yogic Mudra for Heart Charka Healing
One of my favorite ways to work with the heart chakra is to hold a mudra over the heart center.
I love the granthita mudra for clearing energetic blocks.
To do this, interlace the pinky, ring, and middle fingers inside the palms. Then, link the thumb and pointer finger of opposite hands around each other. Hold this mudra over your heart and imagine the knots and blocks around your heart unraveling.
You can place this mudra over any blocked chakras. However, I feel the most benefit over my heart chakra.
The Throat Chakra: Voice Your Truth
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The throat chakra is located at the center of the throat represented by the color blue. This is the area that houses our truth, along with our ability to express it.
Authentic self-expression through speech is a powerful way to unblock this chakra. Even more-so, singing can help to clear blockages. Imagine writing all your feelings and thoughts on paper, then singing those truths to the important people in your life. I can’t think of a better way to represent the power of owning YOUR truth.
People who struggle to feel heard often have issues in the throat chakra. This might include issues of power.
Similar to the solar plexus, we are blocked in the throat chakra if she have issues vocalizing boundaries and assertiveness. And this might also stem from trauma. But this time, it is likely due to feeling invalidated, talked over, or ignored.
The Third Eye Chakra: Intuition and Knowledge
Issues with the third-eye might look like this:
- Constantly asking other people for advice
- Indecisiveness
- Second-guessing your choices
- Getting blind-sided or manipulated
- Feeling stuck or confused
- Feeling directionless
Our third-eye chakra is the space located between the eyebrows, represented by the color violet, and related to the pineal gland.
I like to think of the third-eye like a translucent sphere inside my forehead. But the more negativity and toxicity I absorb, the less clear it becomes. And with enough junk, it becomes impossible to see through. This is how we lose our vision.
The things we consume that clog up this area include social media, negativity in the news, and violence and drama on television. This also includes pollution and toxins in our environment or food. And it can even include harmful self-talk.
I love Kirtan Kriya for unblocking the third-eye. I practiced this for 30 days at sunset during the Covid-19 pandemic. It helped change the course of my life.
The Crown Chakra: Connected and Clear
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The crown chakra is located at the top of the head and represented by a thousand-petal-lotus flower spinning clockwise. It extends out around the auric (energetic) field of the body.
When this chakra is in balance we feel connected to our higher self, and we feel a sense of belonging and oneness with universal consciousness. It is more than a feeling; it is a knowing that all is connected and we are part of the divine.
However, our crown chakra can also be too permeable.
For example, empaths and highly-sensitive people often feel the emotions of others.
Crowds can create a feeling of sensory overload. And it can be difficult to separate other’s feelings from one’s own emotions.
We need to find a balance between feeling connected to ourselves while also connecting with others.
Chakra Alignment for Mental Health
Overall, each chakra builds upon the last. So, blocks in the root chakra will have a cascade effect on the rest of the system… and so on. Therefore, it is likely that more than one chakra is blocked.
In reality, it is rare that all chakras are open and flowing in a clockwise direction. However, you likely catch glimpses of moments when all is aligned.
What happens when all your chakras are aligned:
- You feel safe
- You have a sense of belonging
- Self-expression is effortless
- You are connected to others, your purpose, and higher consciousness
- You easily make decisions and trust your instincts
- Forward movement feels purposeful and aligned
- You speak your truth with ease
- Others and animals are attracted to you
- You are grateful
- Opportunities are abundant
- You feel joy, contentment, or bliss
Working with a Professional to Heal Emotional and Mental Imbalances
Balance Your Chakras with Reiki Healing
Working with a Reiki Master is one of the best ways to understand your chakra imbalances and clear energetic blocks. When I provide a reiki healing, I also give my clients guidance on their behaviors that may be causing the blocks. Unless they change the behavior, the gains made in a reiki healing session will not last.
Work with a Therapist for Mental Health
Similarly, you might benefit from working with a therapist. This is especially true if anxiety, trauma, or depression are causing your imbalances. Additionally, you might want to work with a professional if you’re having difficulties coping with grief, loss, or relationship concerns.
Rituals to help heal mental and emotional imbalances in the chakras:
- Daily meditation
- Walking in nature
- Yoga
- Journaling
- Connecting with animals
- Dance (belly dance in particular for women)
- Drumming
- Singing
Remember, the number one rule when working with the chakras is to trust your intuition. Tapping into your body wisdom starts by developing a mindful and easeful relationship with your mind and body.
About the Author
Olivia Lynn Schnur is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor, Certified Yoga Teacher, and Reiki Master. She writes about healing, health, and happiness to educate, inspire, and uplift readers.