What Are Chakras?
Chakras are energy centers in your body that regulate physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual well-being. The word "chakra" means "wheel" in Sanskrit, and these spinning vortexes of energy connect your physical body to your energetic and spiritual bodies.
There are seven main chakras running along your spine from the base to the crown of your head. When they're open and balanced, energy flows freely. When they're blocked, you experience problems in the corresponding areas of your life.
How Trauma Blocks Your Chakras
Trauma — especially from difficult relationships — creates energetic blockages that disrupt your natural flow. Here's what happens:
- Fear and survival mode shut down your root chakra
- Shame and guilt block your sacral chakra
- Loss of personal power depletes your solar plexus
- Heartbreak and betrayal close your heart chakra
- Silencing your voice blocks your throat chakra
- Confusion and doubt cloud your third eye
- Disconnection from Source closes your crown chakra
The result? You feel stuck, exhausted, anxious, depressed, and disconnected from yourself and the divine.
The Seven Chakras and Trauma Healing
1. Root Chakra (Muladhara) — "I Am Safe"
Location: Base of spine
Color: Red
Element: Earth
Governs: Safety, security, survival, grounding, basic needs
How trauma blocks it:
- Living in constant fear and hypervigilance
- Financial insecurity or instability
- Feeling unsafe in your body or environment
- Disconnection from your physical body
Signs of imbalance:
- Anxiety and panic attacks
- Feeling ungrounded or spacey
- Financial problems
- Eating disorders or body issues
- Lower back pain, leg issues
How to heal it:
- Walk barefoot on earth (grounding)
- Eat root vegetables (carrots, potatoes, beets)
- Use red crystals: red jasper, garnet, hematite
- Practice yoga poses: mountain pose, warrior poses, child's pose
- Affirmation: "I am safe. I am grounded. I am supported by the earth."
2. Sacral Chakra (Svadhisthana) — "I Am Creative"
Location: Below navel
Color: Orange
Element: Water
Governs: Creativity, sexuality, emotions, pleasure, relationships
How trauma blocks it:
- Sexual abuse or violation of boundaries
- Shame around pleasure or desires
- Emotional suppression
- Creative blocks
Signs of imbalance:
- Inability to feel pleasure or joy
- Sexual dysfunction or shame
- Creative blocks
- Emotional numbness or overwhelm
- Reproductive issues
How to heal it:
- Dance, move your hips freely
- Spend time near water (ocean, river, bath)
- Use orange crystals: carnelian, orange calcite
- Create art, write, express yourself
- Affirmation: "I honor my emotions. I allow myself to feel pleasure. I am creative."
3. Solar Plexus Chakra (Manipura) — "I Am Powerful"
Location: Upper abdomen
Color: Yellow
Element: Fire
Governs: Personal power, confidence, willpower, self-esteem
How trauma blocks it:
- Feeling controlled or dominated in relationships
- Having your choices limited or taken away
- Feeling powerless in situations
- Criticism affecting your confidence
Signs of imbalance:
- Low self-esteem and confidence
- Feeling powerless or like a victim
- People-pleasing and inability to say no
- Digestive issues
- Difficulty making decisions
How to heal it:
- Set and enforce boundaries
- Spend time in sunlight
- Use yellow crystals: citrine, tiger's eye, yellow jasper
- Practice core-strengthening exercises
- Affirmation: "I am powerful. I am confident. I honor my boundaries."
4. Heart Chakra (Anahata) — "I Am Loved"
Location: Center of chest
Color: Green/Pink
Element: Air
Governs: Love, compassion, forgiveness, connection
How trauma blocks it:
- Betrayal and heartbreak
- Emotional abuse
- Loss of trust
- Building walls to protect yourself
Signs of imbalance:
- Difficulty trusting or opening up
- Feeling closed off or numb
- Codependency or love addiction
- Resentment and inability to forgive
- Chest pain, heart issues
How to heal it:
- Practice self-love and self-compassion
- Breathwork and deep breathing
- Use green/pink crystals: rose quartz, green aventurine, rhodonite
- Forgiveness work (for yourself first)
- Affirmation: "I am worthy of love. I forgive myself. My heart is open and safe."
5. Throat Chakra (Vishuddha) — "I Speak My Truth"
Location: Throat
Color: Blue
Element: Ether
Governs: Communication, self-expression, truth, authenticity
How trauma blocks it:
- Feeling silenced or unheard
- Fear of speaking up
- Having your truth questioned
- Fear of consequences for being authentic
Signs of imbalance:
- Difficulty speaking up or expressing yourself
- Fear of being judged or rejected
- Lying or people-pleasing to keep peace
- Throat problems, thyroid issues
- Feeling voiceless or unheard
How to heal it:
- Speak your truth, even in small ways
- Sing, chant, or hum
- Use blue crystals: blue lace agate, aquamarine, lapis lazuli
- Journal your authentic thoughts and feelings
- Affirmation: "I speak my truth. My voice matters. I express myself authentically."
6. Third Eye Chakra (Ajna) — "I See Clearly"
Location: Between eyebrows
Color: Indigo/Purple
Element: Light
Governs: Intuition, insight, wisdom, imagination, clarity
How trauma blocks it:
- Doubting your perceptions
- Confusion and mental fog
- Being told you're wrong about your feelings
- Disconnection from intuition
Signs of imbalance:
- Confusion and lack of clarity
- Inability to trust your intuition
- Nightmares or disturbing dreams
- Headaches, vision problems
- Feeling disconnected from spiritual guidance
How to heal it:
- Meditation focusing on third eye
- Trust and act on your intuition
- Use purple crystals: amethyst, labradorite, fluorite
- Visualization exercises
- Affirmation: "I trust my intuition. I see clearly. I am connected to divine wisdom."
7. Crown Chakra (Sahasrara) — "I Am Connected"
Location: Top of head
Color: Violet/White
Element: Thought/Consciousness
Governs: Spirituality, connection to Source, enlightenment, purpose
How trauma blocks it:
- Feeling abandoned by God/Universe
- Loss of faith and spiritual connection
- Questioning your purpose
- Feeling alone and unsupported
Signs of imbalance:
- Feeling disconnected from spirituality
- Loss of meaning or purpose
- Cynicism and closed-mindedness
- Depression and existential crisis
- Feeling isolated and alone
How to heal it:
- Meditation and prayer
- Connect with nature and the divine
- Use clear/white crystals: clear quartz, selenite, amethyst
- Study spiritual teachings
- Affirmation: "I am connected to Source. I am divinely guided. I trust my path."
A Complete Chakra Healing Practice
Use this practice daily or weekly to clear and balance all seven chakras:
- Prepare your space: Light candles, burn sage or incense, play soft music
- Lie down comfortably with your spine straight
- Take 7 deep breaths to center yourself
- Start at your root chakra:
- Visualize a red spinning wheel of light
- Say the affirmation 3 times
- Imagine the chakra spinning freely and glowing brightly
- Move up through each chakra (sacral, solar plexus, heart, throat, third eye, crown)
- Visualize white light flowing down from your crown through all chakras and into the earth
- Rest for a few minutes feeling balanced and whole
Reiki for Chakra Healing
Reiki is one of the most powerful tools for chakra healing because it works directly with your energy body. During a Reiki session, I can:
- Identify which chakras are blocked or imbalanced
- Clear energetic debris and trauma from each chakra
- Restore the natural flow of energy through your system
- Balance and align all seven chakras
- Strengthen your overall energy field
Signs Your Chakras Are Healing
As your chakras clear and balance, you'll notice:
- Increased energy and vitality
- Better emotional regulation
- Clearer thinking and decision-making
- Stronger intuition and spiritual connection
- Improved physical health
- Greater sense of purpose and alignment
- Feeling more like yourself again
A Message for Empaths
As an empath, your chakras are especially sensitive. You absorb energy from others easily, which means you need regular clearing and protection.
Your sensitivity is not a weakness — it's a gift. But you must learn to manage your energy so you can use your gifts without being depleted.
Healing your chakras isn't just about fixing what's broken. It's about activating your full potential as a powerful, intuitive, divine being.
Ready to Restore Your Energy Flow?
If you're ready to clear your chakras and reclaim your vitality, I'm here to help. Through Reiki and energy healing, we can work together to heal your energy system and restore your natural flow.