Understanding Chakras and the Energy System

Chakras are energy centers located throughout the body.  The chakras manage the flow of subtle energy in and out of the body.  They are cone-shaped and extend from the front and back of the body.  When the chakras are functioning properly, they open and close in a spiral/circular motion emitting and receiving energy.  If there are energies (life circumstance, emotions, etc.) that you do not wish to receive, your chakra(s) will close to filter that energy out.  Similarly, if you do not wish to open to or connect with another person, situation or circumstance, the same will occur.  When you desire to give or receive energy, your chakras open.  For example, when you are feeling love or compassion for another, and are willing to receive love, the heart chakra will open to allow that energy to flow between you and another person.  In a healthy energetic system, the chakras are free to open and close, and act as energy filters as they respond to the world around you.

The chakras are also consciousness centers and when we have conflict with certain life issues or events, chakras become too open, too closed, congested, blocked or damaged.  This can influence your emotional, physical, mental and spiritual well-being and the way in which you think, act and respond to others and events in your life.  In the physical body, this may lead to disorder or disease in the areas of the body governed by those chakras.  The chakras are interconnected, and affect the flow of energy throughout the body.  Consequently, blockages or damage in one may also affect the flow of energy to the other chakras.

There are chakras located throughout the entire body.  For example, each acupressure point is an energy center.  Most literature refers to seven main chakras.  This overview will focus on those primary chakras; however, other sources may provide information about the rest of the energetic system.  The seven chakras are the root, sacral, solar plexus, heart, throat, third eye and crown.  Each of the seven chakras controls different parts of the physical, mental, spiritual and emotional bodies. 

Chakra	Location	Physical Influence	Properties/Associations	Blockages and Imbalances
1st/Root Chakra	Perineum - Unlike most other chakras, the root chakra opens downward from the perineum toward the Earth, instead of flowing to the front and back of the body.	Genital and rectal area, male reproductive system, bladder, coccyx, legs, knees, feet, spinal column and kidneys.	Connection with the Earth; ability to 'be here now'; survival and self preservation, informing impulses (sense of danger, direction, gut recognition); physical sexuality; sense of security/insecurity; ability to draw abundance from the Earth; ascending energies	May affect the health of influencing organs; physical enjoyment, sense of safety/security; sexual behavior; sense of power; will to live
2nd/Sacral Chakra	Approximately 1 1/2-2" below the naval	Female reproductive organs, large intestine and colon, bones and muscles of the pelvis	Energetic connections with others; boundaries; emotional bonding and sexual union; familial and sexual relationships; nurturing of self and others; self-containment; charisma; self-empowerment; purification and cleansing; self-identity	May affect the health of influencing organs; inappropriate boundaries; fertility; emotional connectedness; power struggles; inability to nurture self and/or others; sense of self
3rd/Solar Plexus Chakra	Approximately 1 1/2-2" below the base of the sternum	Pancreas, liver, stomach, gall bladder, spleen, small intestine, kidneys and lumbar vertebrae	Openness to change; self-acknowledgement; internal validation; care of self; self-advocacy; self-worth; engagement in life; emotional awareness and connection with your emotions; ability to bring your needs and desires into your life	May affect the health of influencing organs; food issues; digestive problems; lack of self-care; fear of change; inability to advocate for own needs
4th/Heart Chakra	Heart - approximately 1" above the base of the sternum	Heart, lungs, mid-thoracic vertebrae, circulatory system; blood; upper arms and breasts	Compassion; intuitiveness; love of self and others; acceptance of self and others; soul force; psychic center; integration of life experience; empathy; spiritual digestion; forgiveness and release	May affect the health of influencing organs; despair; hard-heartedness; emotionally closed off; inability to love self and others; heart disease; emotional blockages
5th/Throat Chakra	Throat - center of the throat	Throat, thyroid, larynx, jaw, mouth, cervical vertebrae	Self-expression; communication; giving voice to self; creative center; overseer of self and will	May affect the health of influencing organs; stifled creativity; inability to express ones-self; stage fright; sore throats; damming the energies of other chakras; prejudice; communication issues; control issues
6th/Third Eye Chakra	Mid-forehead	Eyes, brain, pituitary gland, ears, nose	Mental clarity; vision in this dimension and others; intuition	May affect the health of influencing organs; narrow mindedness; egotism; trust in experience; trust; struggle to understand events around or within you; lack of sense of peace
7th/Crown Chakra	The crown chakra is one-directional, located at the top of the head, opening upward toward the sky	Spine, joints, brain, cervical vertebrae, pineal gland, nervous system	Spiritual awareness; connection with the divine, transcendence; energetic openness to the nonphysical dimension; acceptance of one's identity beyond the finite	May affect the health of influencing organs; Shoulder stress, joint problems, feeling of being burdened, feeling of isolation, can cause feeling of being ungrounded