Chakras in the body represent an energy system that helps us understand how we operate as spiritual, emotional and physical beings. Understanding the chakras allows us to work with our energy as consciousness in a physical body and to achieve our highest potential through integrated self-development, mentally, spiritually and physically. Each chakra in the body is located according to the functions of certain glands and has its own psychological “rights” and meanings attributed to them.

The aura connects the physical body to its surroundings and the Universe on a quantum level, so every aspect of our environment such as family, culture and society affects our chakra systems. When chakras become distorted due to over or under use, this disrupts the optimal energy flow state and results in psychological consequences called chakra blockages. If chakra blockages are chronic and not re-balanced for many years, this can result in physical health challenges as well, since the optimal energy flow is restricted to certain cells and areas of the body.

Luckily, healing chakras at home can be achieved through self-awareness, mindfulness and intentionally working with your energy. By being aware of the areas of your life that feel out of balance and the internal struggles you deal with psychologically, you can transform the energy trapped by an overworked or shut down chakra and recalibrate all your chakras in the body. The psychological rights of each chakra will help you understand which chakras need the most attention. The list below describes how the flow of energy gets disrupted and why chakra blockages occur for each centre. A “right” represents the natural state of energy flow, or balance.

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Root Chakra— The Right to Have

Root Chakra blockages occur when we are denied the basic essentials for survival, such as easily accessible food, adequate clothing, physical or emotional safety, stable housing or physical touch and interpersonal connection. If we experience a lack of safety or stability in our childhood relating to our “right to have”, we will doubt that we have this right throughout our lives in relation to any or all of our needs, desires, wants and dreams. For example, a root chakra blockage could influence your ability to attract and/or retain money, a stable job, healthy relationships and result in self-sabotaging behaviour. Imbalances result in scattered energies, anxiety and fear. If you have a root chakra blockage, try reconnecting with Nature by earthing (walking in nature with bare feet) and doing shadow work.

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Sacral Chakra— The Right to Feel

Sacral chakra blockages occur when we repress our emotions, have our emotions consistently invalidated, or must limit our emotional expressions for whatever reason. We live in a society where overt emotional expressions are frowned upon, children are raised to believe their big emotions are inappropriate, and stigma surrounds many aspects of natural forms of human expression, such as sensuality and sexuality. Imbalances result in sexual dysfunction or hypersexuality, emotional isolation and creative blocks. If you are experiencing a sacral chakra blockage, allow yourself to play free from judgment or expectation and express yourself daily by writing morning pages.

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Solar Plexus Chakra— The Right to Act

Solar Plexus Chakra blockages occur when your actions have been severely limited by an abusive authority figure. If you have been denied the right to make your own mistakes, had extremely controlling parents or romantic partners, live in a society where your freedom and liberties are severely restricted or have otherwise had your life controlled by an abusive authority figure or institution (such as governments, cults or religions) then you may suffer from a solar plexus chakra blockage. Imbalances of the solar plexus chakra result in low self esteem and being controlling and manipulative in the areas of your life where you are able to. To heal a solar plexus chakra blockage, try writing, repeating and meditating on self-loving and self-esteem boosting affirmations daily.

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Heart Chakra— The Right to Love and Be Loved

A heart chakra blockage is formed when a child is denied their right to unconditional love and affection, which should be constant, and when these emotional wounds are replayed into adulthood through consistently toxic or unfulfilling relationships. If you felt as though you were harshly judged and criticized, only given affection or appreciation when you behaved a certain way, were ever told your were not loved or are unlovable, or experienced emotional neglect then you might suffer from a heart chakra blockage. The relationship dynamics you experienced as a child with your caregivers will play out again repeatedly in your adult relationships unless you choose to recognize self-destructive patterns and do the intensive inner work required to heal this intergenerational cycle of abuse. (I am right there with you. We’ve got this! <3)

For example, if you experienced emotional neglect or abandonment from a caregiver, you may be attracted to emotionally unavailable partners as an adult, spending your energy trying to earn their love and affection while neglecting our own needs in the process. Imbalances of the heart chakra often result in depression, strained relationships and lack of self discipline through diminishing your own desires, wants and needs. To heal a heart chakra blockage, start with a few minutes of loving-kindness meditation and practicing mindfulness daily.

You will also need to heal your inner child and attachment trauma through connecting with Little You and assuring them that they are loved unconditionally, that you will never abandon or judge them, and that you will take care of them no matter what. Give yourself permission to cry and grieve the childhood you never had but rightfully deserved, and honour yourself by choosing to do everything in your power to make Little You feel as cherished as possible.

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Throat Chakra— The Right to Speak and Hear (the Truth)

Throat chakra blockages are formed when we are consistently denied the right to express our selves and our own inner truths, are told to keep secrets from others for fear of punishment and feel as though we must maintain family lies to preserve a sense of stability in the family dynamic. Throat chakra blockages also occur later in life when we are harshly judged, criticized or ostracized for what we say or believe and when our trust is chronically betrayed. If you’ve experienced severe deception, manipulation, criticism or societal pressure to repress your inner truth, and currently struggle with expressing yourself verbally and lack healthy communication skills, you may have a throat chakra blockage. This may also present itself as a fear of public speaking, social anxiety, insecure and avoidant attachment styles or general fear of sticking up for yourself or going after your dreams.

Many children today are consistently told to “be quiet” or “shut up”, that their ideas and feelings are not valid or valuable, and are told not to ask too many questions. Many of us were raised in families where troubles of any nature were not spoken about openly, lies and deception were ignored or hushed up, or who grew up in religious institutions that enforced the belief that we should not speak unless spoken to and should never discuss challenging topics openly for fear of retribution. Throat chakra imbalances result in shyness, anxiety and arrogance (to overcompensate for the inability to express oneself as a child). Try giving yourself a healing sound bath by increasing your vagal tone and practicing chakra-balancing chants daily.

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Third Eye Chakra— The Right to See (the Truth)

Third Eye chakra blockages are formed when our realities are consistently invalidated or disbelieved, when important things are hidden from us and when what we see is violent, scary, inconsistent or unreliable. Essentially, if you ever learned to distrust or not listen to your intuition or other senses, you may suffer from a third eye chakra blockage. For example, if your psychic abilities as a child were discredited or punished, or if a caregiver was hiding pervasive truths from you such as a drinking problem or financial issues, or if you’ve experienced gaslighting in an abusive partnership, you may have developed a third eye chakra blockage.

Imbalances related to third eye chakra blockages result in lack of clarity and direction in one’s life, diminished psychic abilities, an inability to discern one’s intuition from other feelings or senses and a lack of self-trust or desire to manifest one’s highest purpose. You may see the world through a disillusioned, pessimistic lens and ignore the miracles and synchronicities right in front of you, denying their truth or existence at all. For example, refusing to acknowledge the significance or repeated coincidences or ignoring opportunities your intuition is guiding you towards. To heal a third eye chakra blockage, try meditating, taking deep, slow breaths then posing a question with a clear mind. Wait for any insights. You can also keep a dream journal, asking your Spirit Guides to deliver messages to you in your dreams. Read more about learning how to trust your intuition here.

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Crown Chakra— The Right to Know (the Truth)

The crown chakra is the final major energy centre located above the crown of the skull and controls our sense of spiritual connection, divine channeling, personal growth and self-actualization, inspiration and alignment with our Soul’s path. Crown chakra blockages lead to a multitude of psychological issue such as self-defeatism, cynicism, feeling lost and closed-mindedness. Those suffering from a crown chakra blockage may experience addictions to numb their pain or escape their realities, emotional turmoil and co-dependency, feeling unfulfilled and hopeless, become easily overwhelmed and feel chronically stressed. They may regularly experience dissociation where they feel disconnected from their bodies or environments, or become obsessed with materialistic pursuits like money and social status, prioritizing them above all else. You may also experience headaches, exhaustion and lethargy, self-destructive procrastination and impulsive bad habits.

If other chakras in your chakra energy system are unbalanced, it is likely that your Crown chakra is less activate, as the energy is not flowing freely. To begin healing a crown chakra blockage, begin cultivating a worldview founded in gratitude by keeping a daily gratitude journal and visualizing energy streaming down your chakras, through the top of your head from Source during meditation. Also do your best to treat your body like the divine vessel it is by eating anti-inflammatory foods and by reducing processed and non-plant-based foods like meat and dairy. Consuming the suffering of innocent beings wreaks havoc on the soul through strengthening cognitive dissonance, which is the willful decision to remain blind to the truth and to live unaligned with one’s values (ie: that violence against innocents is wrong).