So how do you know if your chakras are blocked? And what’s a chakra?

In episode 14 of The Authentic Wife Show, I give you a crash course in these seven energy centers of the body. I find this topic fascinating, and maybe you will, too.

I learned about these primarily from Dr. Berman in her book Quantum Love. Chakras are fascinating, and they have their roots in both the eastern world and the western world. When I read about them from Dr. Berman I was like, oh they’re energy, that’s cool. Then I read Eastern Body, Western Mind and I realized that you can actually line up different stages of development to the chakras.

So whether you believe in the swirling energy or not, these are stages of development. So they’re very valid to the person that you are now.

What Chakras Are

Chakras are like these energy centers in your body. Basically, there are about seven. Some people say there are more. They each vibrate at a different frequency. So technically, there is no scientific proof, but it has been studied and demonstrated time and again in ayurvedic and yogic traditions as well as with Chinese concepts of chi and meridians. So maybe science can’t explain it yet, but lots of people have used these to heal others. And again, they relate to different developmental areas of your life.

So what they are is this energy that’s spinning, it’s spinning clockwise, which moves energy out of the body into the field around us, we transmit. If it’s spinning counterclockwise, it’s pulling energy from the external world into our body, or it’s receiving. So it’s determined by the frequency state of the chakra whether it’s drawing in or receiving. So it’s either spinning clockwise pushing out, or counterclockwise pulling in.

How They Interact With Our Body

They can also be open or closed, or overactive or underactive. They’re like this ball of energy that penetrates the body. And they interact with the body with the endocrine system. So each one is associated with one of the nine endocrine glands and with the nervous system. So each one is associated with a particular group of nerves which is called a plexus.

So each one represents part of our consciousness. All our senses, perceptions, and possible states of awareness can be divided into seven categories and each is associated with a particular chakra. So when you feel tension in your consciousness, you feel it in that chakra. And the tension is detected by the nerves associated with that chakra and communicated to the parts of the body controlled by that plexus.

This is why what’s happening to us, or within us I should say, affects us physically. This is why we end up having symptoms in different areas of our body. When tension continues over a period of time or it reaches a particular degree of intensity, it creates symptoms on a physical level.

How Chakras Open Or Close

Now chakras can also open and close. What makes them close? A negative experience causes it to close, to block that energy out. Or, if we’re clinging to, what Dr. Berman called a low-calibrating feeling, a very depleting feeling like blame, if we’re refusing to deal with it or look at the wisdom of that emotion it gets stuck, otherwise the energy would escape. Low-frequency emotions will trigger a chakra constriction. Constriction as in tightness in your mind and your body from stress, so they close up.

So what makes them open? Well when they’re open, the energy is allowed to flow freely, things return to normal.

How do we open them? We either move energy throughout our body or we move our own frequency up. That’s by using the emotion and then using the ability to shift up into happiness or joy. So we can actually shift our own frequency up. Or we tackle and extract a difficult thorn that is stressing us out. We deconstruct the situation. We find the repressed emotional energy and allow it to go out.

Chakras Should Be Balanced

So balance here is really key, the main thing you need to do is make sure you are balanced. Because if one chakra is closed or underactive, another one will likely be overactive and it will pull energy away from that part of the body. Then if we’re not paying attention, our body will amp up the intensity of our symptoms until we actually do pay attention. So this is when something’s going wrong and your body’s like hey, hello, thing. So we manifest these physical symptoms and we have to take care of them.

The 7 Chakras

You may know what these chakras are already but I’m going to go through them for you right now. And I’m going to read to you some of what Dr. Berman shared about them, but I also love what Anodea Judith shared in Eastern Body Western Mind, and I have an entire video and blog on this and a whole chart that you can look at which dives into the developmental stage.

So we’re going to start at the top of your head. Remember there are seven along the body, all vibrating at different frequencies.

• Crown (7th) – Purple – located at the top of the head. HIGHER PLAN

1. 1. 1. It represents states of higher consciousness and divine connection.
      2. Imbalances would be cynicism, disregarding what is sacred, closed-mindedness, and disconnection with spirit
         1. Overactive: addicted to spirituality, heedless of bodily needs, having difficulty controlling emotions
         2. Underactive: not very open to spirituality, unable to set or maintain goals, lacking direction
      3. Pituitary and pineal glands, brain, hypothalamus, cerebral cortex, central nervous system
      4. Symptoms: dizziness, confusion, mental fog, neurological disorders, nerve pain, schizophrenia or other mental disorders

• Third eye (6th) – Indigo – located in the center of the forehead. INTUITION

1. 1. 1. It represents intuition and foresight, and driven by openness and imagination.
      2. Imbalanced attributes would be lack of direction and clarity
         1. Overactive: out of touch with reality, lacking good judgment, unable to focus, prone to hallucinations
         2. Underactive: rigid in thinking, closed off to new ideas, too reliant on authority, disconnected or distrustful of inner voice, anxious, clinging to the past and fearful of the future
      3. Pituitary, eyes, brow, base of skull, biorhythms
      4. Symptoms: vision problems, headaches or migraines, insomnia or sleep disorders, seizures, nightmares (though this isn’t a physical symptom per se, it is a common occurrence)

• Throat (5th) – Blue – located within your throat. SELF-EXPRESSION

1. 1. 1. It represents the ability to speak and communicate clearly and effectively.
      2. Imbalanced attributes would be shyness, withdrawn, arrogance, and increased anxiety
         1. Overactive: overly talkative, unable to listen, highly critical, verbally abusive, condescending
         2. Underactive: introverted, shy, having difficulty speaking the truth, unable to express needs
      3. Thyroid, neck, throat, shoulders, ears, and mouth
      4. Symptoms: stiffness or soreness in the neck or shoulders, sore throat, hoarseness or laryngitis, earaches or infection, dental issues or TMJ, thyroid issues

• Heart (4th) –  Green – located in the center of the chest. OPENHEARTEDNESS

1. 1. 1. It represents love, self-love, and governs our relationships.
      2. Imbalanced attributes would be depression, difficulty in relationships, and lack of self-discipline
         1. Overactive: loving in a clingy, suffocating way; lacking a sense of self in a relationship; willing to say yes to everything; lacking boundaries, letting everyone in
         2. Underactive: cold, distant, lonely, unable or unwilling to open up to others, grudgeful
      3. Thymus gland and immune system, heart, lungs, breasts, arms, hands
      4. Symptoms: heart and circulatory problems (high blood pressure, heart palpitations, heart attack), poor circulation or numbness, asthma or other respiratory ailments, breast cancer, stiff joints or joint problems in the hands

• Solar plexus (3rd) – Yellow – located below the chest (navel). WORTHINESS/LOVE

1. 1. 1. It represents self-esteem, pleasure, will power, and personal responsibility.
      2. Imbalanced attributes would be low self-esteem, control issues, manipulation, and misusing power
         1. Overactive: domineering, aggressive, angry, perfectionistic or overly critical of oneself or others
         2. Underactive: passive, indecisive, timid, lacking self-control
      3. Central nervous system, digestive system (stomach and intestines), liver, pancreas, metabolic system
      4. Symptoms: ulcers, gas, nausea, or other digestive problems; eating disorders; asthma or other respiratory ailments; nerve pain or fibromyalgia; infection in the liver or kidneys; other organ problems

• Sacral (2nd) – Orange – located below the naval.  SEXUAL ENERGY

1. 1. 1. It represents creative and sexual energies.
      2. Imbalanced attributes would be lack of or repressed creativity, sexual dysfunction, withheld intimacy, and emotional isolation.
         1. Overactive: overemotional, very quick to attach and invest in others, attracted to drama, moody, lacking personal boundaries
         2. Underactive: stiff, unemotional, closed off to others, lacking self-esteem or self-worth, possibly in an abusive relationship
      3. Kidneys and reproductive organs (ovaries, testes, uterus)
      4. Symptoms: lower-back pain or stiffness, urinary issues, kidney pain or infection, infertility, impotence

• Root (1st) – Red – located at the base of the spine.  SECURITY

1. 1. It represents safety, security, and stability.
   2. Imbalanced attributes would be scattered energies, anxiety, and fears.
      1. Overactive: fearful, nervous, insecure, or ungrounded; materialistic or greedy, resistant to change
      2. Underactive: lacking a sense of being at home or secure anywhere, codependent, unable to get into one’s body, fearful of abandonment
   3. Adrenal glands, spine, blood, reproductive organs
   4. Symptoms: inability to sit still, restlessness, unhealthy weight (either obesity or eating disorder), constipation, cramps, fatigue, or sluggishness

So there is your quick rundown of the basic chakra system. When I was learning Reiki, I learned that the primary goal of Reiki is to correct the spin of each chakra. You basically go over each one figuring out which way they spin then hopefully, by the time you have channeled the Reiki energy it spins in the correct way. There is a lot of evidence on Reiki being very healing and working. I think it’s a very fascinating way to receive love from others and to receive care. I believe in it. I don’t use my Reiki certification a whole lot, just because there are other things that I do, but I totally believe in it. If you ever want Reiki you can reach out to me. I can send it to you, actually long distance because that’s how energy works, that’s how your cell phone works.

Development Of Each Chakra

Now in Anodea Judith’s work, she talks about when each of these centers develops. Now we’re going to go backward from the way we just went.

In the womb and to 12 months, the Root Chakra that we just talked about is formed. This is the first energy center that’s forming. And we know what traumas and abuses affect it. Things like birth trauma, abandonment, physical neglect, poor physical bonding with mother, malnourishment, feeding difficulties, major illness or surgery, physical abuse or violent environment, enema abuse, inherited traumas (holocaust survivor, war veterans, poverty conditions), those are all things that can interfere with this root chakra. This chakra is our right to be here in the world, to be here and to have. It can also be damaged when the child is unwanted, denied food, clothing, shelter, warmth, medical care, or a healthy environment. So if you have problems in that beginning stage of your life, it’s going to affect that chakra.

Then from 6 months to 2 years, the Sacral Chakra develops. This is the one around your womb space, the one that’s orange. This is our right to feel or to want. It can be damaged when culture/parent frowns on emotional expression or considers sensitivity a weakness. So that’s about all of us. And then the traumas and abuses can be sexual abuse (covert or overt), emotional abuse, volatile situations, neglect/coldness/rejection, denial of child’s feelings/lack of mirroring, enmeshment, emotional manipulation, overuse of playpen or restricting normal movement, religious or moral severity (antipleasure), physical abuse, alcoholic families, or inherited issues (parents haven’t worked out sexuality, untreated incest). This is the one I mostly think of as associated with emotions. And I would say that most people have some problem with development here.

And then, chakra 3, the Solar Plexus, back up to our naval, the yellow one. This is from 18 months to 4 years and almost everybody has some kind of issues here because this is our will, our willpower. Because what happens at 18 months to four years? We’re trying to be independent and our parents are annoyed and they’re shutting it down and trying to control us. It’s damaged when cultures have narrowly defined behavior patterns, impair right to act through fear of punishment and enforcement of blind obedience. So that’s most children raised with an authoritarian parenting paradigm. The traumas and abuses are shaming, authoritarianism, volatile situations, domination of will, physical abuse, dangerous environment, fear of punishment, enmeshment, age-inappropriate responsibilities (parentified child), inherited shame from parent. That’s when the parent is shaming the child when they have technically not done anything wrong.

Moving up to chakra 4, the Heart, this is developed from 4 to 7 years old. This is when they’re forming those peer and family relationships and developing their persona in the world. This is damaged when there’s any dysfunction in the parents’ ability to love and care for their child – also homophobia, racial strife, cultural prejudice, and war. And traumas and abuses are rejection/abandonment/loss, shaming/constant criticism, abuses to any other chakra, unpack grief, including parent’s grief, divorce, death of a loved one, loveless/cold environment, conditional love, sexual or physical abuse, or betrayal. Chakra four is damaged by any abuse to other chakras. When you do an open-hearted meditation or heart-opening meditation, you’re opening your closed heart chakra.

The Throat is developed 7 to 12 years old. I(t’s damaged when you’re not allowed to speak truthfully in our family “Don’t talk to me like that, young man!”, keeping family secrets, parents/culture/government lie to us. Traumas and abuses are lies/mixed messages, verbal abuse/constant yelling, excessive criticism (blocks creativity), secrets (threats for telling), authoritarian parents (don’t talk back), alcohol/chemical-dependent family (don’t talk, don’t trust, don’t feel).

Chakra 6 or the Third Eye Chakra is the one developed 9in adolescence. It’s damaged when we’re told what we perceive is not real, things are hidden or denied, or when what we see is beyond our understanding/scary. The traumas and abuses are when what you see doesn’t go with what you’re told, invalidation of intuition and psychic occurrences, ugly or frightening environment (war zone, violence).

Finally, chakra 7, the Crown Chakra, is developed throughout life. i9t’s damaged when spiritual dogma forced on another, or information and education denied. So if someone grows up in a very strict religious environment they’ll have problems with this one. Traumas and abuses are withheld information, education that thwarts curiosity, forced religiosity, invalidation of one’s beliefs, blind obedience, misinformation/lies, spiritual abuse.

How Imbalances Are Created And Why We’re Not Embodied

So what happens is, if you imagine these going from left to right from the root to the crown chakra, when things are going bad down here on the left, when you’re not getting security, when your emotional needs are being met, when your power is being thwarted and you’re being controlled, you lean into the chakras on the right. You lean into wisdom and spirituality. So the energy of the person moves from down low in the body up into the head, and they become less embodied, less aware of their body, they become more intellectual. They rely on the brain to keep them safe and feeling safe. So they’re not as down in their body, in the moment, really feeling into the pleasure of the human experience, than people who are raised in a safer way with less trauma in those early areas.

And as you can see, the heart takes a lot of damage so when stuff goes wrong at every developmental level, your heart is really armored, super guarded, very armored. It closes up.

The Second Round of Chakra Development

Another fascinating thing is that these are developmental stages that you go through as a child, then you also have a second round about twenty years later.

• So we go back to the root chakra and it’s developed again when we find a place to live, learning to care for yourself, finding means of independent income.
• The sacral chakra goes through second round when we form sexual relationships (need for partnership becomes primary), satisfaction of emotional needs is underlying drive, projected on partner, awakens unconscious patterns from shadow, sabotages early relationships.
• The solar plexus is developed again when we’re creating of our own path and future, triggered by meaningless jobs, enslavement of relationships in which we are defined by needs and expectations of other person; time of political involvement, recovery groups, spiritual groups (misaligned power over, aligned power with).
• The heart is developed again with true empathy and altruism and maintenance of lasting partnerships, examine ALL relationships, emphasis on family dynamics if children, examine our role, balance of masculine and feminine.
• The throat chakra goes through this period of personal contribution to community; business, writing a book, building house, seriously pursuing artistic hobby; public service; this usually happens in our midlife.
• The third eye chakra is developed again at a point when we’re interested in reflection and study of patterns, exploration of mythology, religion, philosophy, introverted stage of taking in from outside, spiritual interest and development (if they began in introversion, communicating their knowledge to outside world).
• The crown chakra is developed again when we leave the mundane world for spiritual pursuit, teaching and sharing, developing mastery.

So I feel like I went through four or five of those all in the past five years, but I’m sure I’m still there. I think this is really fascinating (sorry for way over using this word!!). Use it as you will. Just know that you do have energy in your body. You do have different energetic centers that were developed at different times of your development and are being developed again.

And if you ever feel like you’re stuck, you can actually use this to go why might I be stuck at this stage? Let me see what’s going on. Or, why might I be having physical symptoms in this area? You can still go to the doctor, still pursue medical advice, but you can also look at, is there something else here that I could explore a little bit further, I could dig into, I could address from an emotional or holistic perspective?

To learn more about having a conscious marriage, click here.

If you want to begin to heal and balance your chakras, I recommend beginning to learn what your emotions mean. I have a download for you, which you can go right to by going to theprincessandthepeeve.com . You can download that assessment and it’s really simple. Because if you don’t actually know what you’re feeling yet, you just kind of check off some boxes, and then it tells you at the end ok this is what you’re feeling, and this is what it means. So that’s a great way to get started with this work.

I also have a class on emotions called Royally Guarded which I think is amazing! And I hope you’ll take that. And if you have any questions, you can always send them directly to me as well.

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Beth Rowles

On a mission to stop creating childhoods that kids have to recover from by ending divorce culture, Beth helps ambitious, often entrepreneurial, moms use their marriage conflict as a feedback loop so they can grow in self-awareness and authentically create the relationship they want without leaving the one they're in.

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