What Are Chakras?

In Sanskrit, the word chakra literally translates to "wheel" or "disk", so it's no surprise that yoga, meditation, and Ayurvedic medicine refers to the chakras as wheels of energy throughout the body.

Although there can be up to as many as 114 chakras above and below our physical body (the subtle, or astral body), we’re going to be focusing on the 7 main chakras in this post. Each align with the spine, and they begin at the tailbone (root chakra), and continue through to the top of the head (crown chakra).

The energy flowing through our chakras is called Prana energy, which is what keeps us vibrant, healthy, and alive. Each chakra corresponds to massive nerve centers and major organs in the body, and each one contains our psychological, emotional, and spiritual states of being.

Ideally, the goal is to have all 7 chakras stay open, aligned, and with the energy moving fluidly between each of them; connecting them all. If there is a blockage in one or more chakra, then the energy can’t flow throughout our body, and it ultimately creates stagnant energy which over time will manifest itself as various imbalances in emotional or physical ways. Because our energies are in constant flux, determining which chakra is imbalanced can be difficult if you do not have an apparent problem, or know what to look for. Keeping the energy flowing freely within our body, and our chakras open is much easier to do when you have awareness of them and what an imbalance might feel like.

Answer a few questions about each chakra, and if you tend to have 3 or more “Yes” answers per section, then it’s very possible you’re probably dealing with a blockage there. Let us know in the comments what your results are, or feel free to contact us and we'd be happy to talk more about what we can do to help recalibrate them!

Root Chakra
1. Are you disorganized?
2. Do you eat, drink or smoke excessively as a means of escape?
3. Did you have some trauma, distress or difficulty between conception and the age of 7?
4. Do you feel fearful or anxious much of the time?
5. Are you low in energy and often feel weak, tired or just not well?
6. Do you have any physical problems in your legs, knees or feet?

Sacral Chakra
1. Do you have difficulty with touch – either being touched gently or being able to touch others?
2. Do you have problems with your kidneys, bladder or with retaining fluid?
3. Did you suffer distress or trauma between the ages of 7 and 14?
4. Do you feel that your general vitality and stamina are low?
5. Do you have difficulties with any part of your sexuality?
6. Do you feel your creativity is blocked or that you are not a creative person?

Solar Plexus Chakra
1. Do you have digestive problems, e.g. ulcers, heartburn or recurrent indigestion?
2. Do you have an aggressive nature?
3. Did you suffer distress or trauma between the ages of 14 and 21?
4. Are you easily influenced?
5. Do you sometimes feel powerless or have a low self-esteem?

Heart Chakra
1. Do you find it difficult to love or feel loved?
2. Are you intolerant, critical, judgmental?
3. Do you feel exhausted and drained most of the time?
4. Are you impatient or the opposite, i.e. so patient and tolerant that people take advantage of you?
5. Do you have difficulty in saying you are sorry or in feeling forgiveness?

Throat Chakra
1. Do you have difficulty with general communication?
2. Do you have problems expressing yourself with speech, with making yourself understood clearly?
3. Do you have problems listening attentively to other people’s point of view?
4. Do you have problems with throat infections, thyroid, ears or neck problems in general?
5. Are you shy, quiet, withdrawn?

Third Eye Chakra
1. Do you suffer from migraine, vision problems or headaches?
2. Are you unable to visualize your future?
3. Do you have nightmares?
4. Do you have a lack of imagination?
5. Do you have difficulty concentrating?

Crown Chakra
1. Do you feel separated from abundance and wholeness?
2. Do you have difficulty learning new things?
3. Do you feel uncertain or feel a lack of purpose?
4. Do you have a fear of death?
5. Are you overly intellectual?