There are 12 chakras but the focus of this article is on the 7 most noted chakras. Some chakras have more than one name and I included both in the list below to help you become familiar with them if needed. The more you read about the chakras, the more information you will find there is to know. There’s so much out there to learn but I wanted to give you some basics I’ve collected about these seven chakras.
- The Base or Root Chakra
- The Sacral or Spleen Chakra
- The Solar Plexus Chakra
- The Heart Chakra
- The Throat Chakra
- The Third Eye or Brow Chakra
- The Crown Chakra
A few things to know about all of the chakras
Underactive chakras- This means that one is disconnected from the balance of the chakra. This is when the chakra is running in a deficit of balance.
Overactive chakras- This is when one is overcompensating to get back into balance. It manifests as an abundance of a way of being.
Spiritual Organ- Our body has physical organs that have particular functions. Our chakras are spiritual organs that connect with the physical body and organs. This is why it’s said that what happens spiritually will manifest physically. The physical and spiritual organs are intertwined.
The chakras all have time periods that they develop and these coincide with earthly years, physical and emotional maturity as well as relationship within society. Each chakra has a seven-year development cycle. However, in the first seven years, the root chakra is developing but all the other chakras take up one year in those first seven years.
So, the first year is all about the base. The second year is the base and the sacral chakras. The third year is the base and the solar plexus chakras The fourth year is the base and the heart chakras. The fifth year is the base and the throat chakras. The sixth year is the base and the third eye chakras. The seventh year is the base and the crown chakras. From the 8th year on, each chakra is developing for about 7 years.
The Base Chakra
The base chakra is located at the bottom of the spine- the coccyx area. It is referred to as the first chakra and red is the color used to represent it. This first chakra develops through the first 7 years of life, although the first year of life is ALL base chakra.
When you think safety and security, you think of the basic needs. It makes sense that it’s developing during the first year of life when, as a human child, you must rely on others for all your basic and safety needs to be met. Fear is integral during this stage because we are unable to do anything for ourselves. So, if our needs are met, fear is assuaged. This time period is the foundation upon which your energetic house is built. As you take on your healing journey, you want it to be solid. If your base chakra is balanced, you’ll feel safe, secure and living with purpose.
Some of the characteristics that will be showcased when the base chakra is balanced are feeling secure, patient, sturdy, persistent, being reliable, career, oriented, financially, stable, grounded, and sensible. Substance abuse is also indicative of an imbalanced base chakra. These words, all represent stability.
Conversely, symptoms that indicate an imbalance of the base chakra would include depression, resentment, aggression, fear, jealousy, guilt. In this list of imbalances, depression would be an example of an underactive base chakra and aggression would be an example of an overactive base chakra.
And imbalance can also manifest physically with disorders regarding the legs, feet, skin and illnesses related to blood, bones or bowels.
An overactive base chakra can present as feelings of not belonging and fear of change while an overactive base chakra can develop as addiction or aggression.
Here are 10 ways to ground yourself and find ease.
The Sacral or Spleen Chakra
The sacral chakra is represented with the color orange, and it is located between the pelvic bone and the belly button. It is associated with feelings of self-worth, sensuality, sexual intimacy, and giving and receiving pleasure. Creativity and unstructured expression are located here. This is where the womb exists, and the womb is where creation begins. This chakra develops during the second year of life and again from ages 8-14.
During the 2nd year of life, children are working on expression. It’s often dubbed the terrible twos because children are learning how to regulate their emotions. Those tantrums are often an attempt to get back to center and get balanced. The ages of 8-14 are when puberty, hormones and sexual desire start to come into play.
When the sacral chakra is in balance, one will be easy-going, emotional, creative, flexible, sensual, intimate, comfortable with pleasure, fertile, and relationship focused.
When the sacral chakra is blocked, the emotional manifestations can show up as lack of sexual desire, depression, low self-esteem, easily feeling, overwhelmed, disconnected, or closed off from emotions, and lack of creativity
When this chakra is blocked, physical symptoms can include constipation, menstrual issues, infertility, impotence, poor circulation, kidney troubles, hip or lower back pain, STDs. All of these physical ailments are in that belt of body between the navel and the base of the spine.
An overactive sacral chakra can manifest as compulsions, excessive sex drive and tension while an underactive chakra can show up as guarded and lack of pleasure or passion.
The Solar Plexus
Moving up to the belly button area the solar plexus is associated with the color yellow, and it’s considered the power center. This is where one first senses their identity and relationship to the world around them. This is where the inner world meets the outer world. This chakra develops during the 3rd year and again from 15-21.
The 3rd year is when a child is beginning to understand their “place in the world.” Their skills of observation have developed so they begin to understand what’s happening in the family and social dynamics. From the ages of 15-21, teens are gaining that independence and often times graduating school and headed to college or even moving out and starting a new job. Their part in society and the structures around them becomes clearer.
When the solar plexus is balanced it will be exhibited as confidence, courage, motivation, focus, action oriented, energy, decisive, comfortable in the limelight, and leadership.
Emotional indications that the solar plexus is out of balance, include feelings of shame, insecurity, fear of judgment, concern about being found out or getting in trouble, wounded emotions, victimization, stress, worry, doubt, and commitment issues.
When this chakra is out of balance, it can physically manifest in organs, having to do with digestion or filtering, such as the liver, stomach, pancreas, gallbladder, spleen, kidney. other issues could include stomach issues like ulcers and heartburn. Adrenal issues show up in the solar plexus. These are all organs that are in the stomach area of the physical body so it follows that the spiritual organ would be impacted.
An overactive solar plexus could present as a “woe is me” mentality or need for stimulation while an underactive solar plexus can manifest as bossy and power hungry.
The Heart Chakra
The heart chakra located in the band around the chest where the hear is located is associated with the colors of both green and pink. This is the chakra of love for self and others. It is the middle ground between the physical chakras (bass, sacral, solar), and the spiritual chakras (throat, third eye, crown). It bridges the physical and spiritual aspirations. It develops during year 4 and then again from years 22-29.
At the age of four, often times children are becoming more social through preschool and other social programs and so their relationship with others and family members are growing. During the ages of 22-29, there’s a better sense of self and living life. This is often when first serious relationships occur and when relationships lead to marriage.
When the heart chakra is balanced, it will manifest through loving actions, compassion, kindness, accepting of self and others, peace and love.
However, when the heart chakra is blocked, the physical challenges that can manifest are heart and breast illnesses, breath issues, (such as asthma, sleep, apnea, allergies, calls, flus or pneumonia and other issues with the lungs.
The emotional manifestation of an imbalance can show up as not accepting of self or others, conditional love for self and others, rejecting the magic and beauty of the self, putting others first to ones own detriment, social anxiety, isolation, loneliness, self-critical thoughts, prone to clinginess, smothering displays of love, and adopting the martyr role.
Suspicion and anti-social behavior can indicate an underactive heart chakra while codependent and jealous actions can be indicative of an overactive heart chakra.
You can utilize crystals to support all of the chakras. Here’s a list of 7 crystals that support the heart chakra.
The Throat Chakra
The throat chakra is aligned with the color blue. It’s located in the throat area and it encompasses the nose, throat and ears. This chakra is about communication, expression and inner truth, body language, and physical manifestations of feelings. The throat chakra is developed in year five and again in years 29-35.
As a child enters the world of the school system, they begin to see other ways of thought and being and start to connect with their authentic self. If allowed, they begin to express who they are. During the 29th-35th years, younger adults have had many years in the workplace or living life and perhaps raising a family and so they are utilizing their voice to express their preferences in how life should be for them and those around them.
When this chakra is balanced, authenticity, comfortable self-expression, honesty, purpose driven, inspirational and innovative ways of being are present.
When the throat chakra is blocked. It can manifest physically as diseases of the mouth, throat and larynx, jaw issues-like TMJ- ear, infections, tinnitus, thyroid problems like Reeves and Hashimoto’s disease.
The emotional implications of an unbalanced throat chakra can be gossiping, shyness, challenges being one’s authentic self, being over opinionated, struggling to have one’s own voice, feeling anxious in conversations, using words, or sounds irresponsibly, not actively listening, and an inability to discern the truth.
An underactive throat chakra can present as a fear of expressing oneself while an overactive throat chakra can be shown through gossiping and a dominating voice.
The Third Eye or Brow Chakra
The third eye which is located between the physical eyes in the brow area has indigo as its color. It is associated with heightened, spiritual growth, positive attitudes, and generous and humanitarian attitudes towards life. The third eye chakra develops during year 6 and again from 36-42.
At age six, intuition is developing even further. Because of social situations, there’s more opportunities to practice with it. If he other chakras have developed well, a child understands her relationship to others and can speak her mind when her intuition leads her to do so.
When this third eye is in balance, intuition, psychic abilities, imagination, visions, fair-minded, wisdom are present.
When the brow chakra is blocked, it can show up physically as headaches, vision issues, mental issues, migraines and personality disorders. Vision issues such as glaucoma and dyslexia are also issues with a blocked brow chakra.
Emotionally a blocked brow chakra can manifest as paranoia, mental illness and denial.
Other indicators of a blocked chakra include being overly logical, or overly emotional, absorbed by the details and challenged by seeing the bigger picture, inability to connect with the deeper self, having rigid opinions about the world, being stubborn, addicted to external things which one believes make them happy, and being egotistically attached to special powers.
An underactive third eye chakra can manifest as an inability to see into the future and make plans while an overactive third eye chakra can manifest as a tendency to be “out there” and spacy.
The Crown Chakra
The crown chakra is located at the very top of the head and associated with the color violet. The chakra is about thought and cosmic energy. It develops during year 7 and again from 43-49.
At age 7, children are also more curious about their connection to “the all”. Adults developing their crown chakras are often in the stage of questioning “is this all there is” and “How do I connect to the all?” This time period is therefore often associated with the mid-life crisis and a reconnection to religious and spiritual practices.
When it is balanced, one feels connected to universal life, force, grace, knowing in bliss, and seeing the interconnectedness of it all.
When it is blocked, it can manifest physically as a mental disorder, neurological problems, brain diseases- like cancer, meningitis, encephalitis and dementia.
Emotionally, a blocked crown chakra can manifest as being skeptical, narrowminded, disconnected from self and reality, feeling isolated, or separated, being egotistical, mental fog or lack of clarity, or materialism.
An underactive crown chakra can present as an inability to trust the universe and no believe in a higher power while an overactive crown chakra can manifest as an inability to think without consulting religious or spiritual guides.
There is so much information about chakras and you’ll find more posts on this site about them. They are fascinating and when you take a look at the years when the chakras develop and what was happening in your life you can see why you are the way you are. That doesn’t mean things can’t change. That’s one of the reasons to work with an energy healer, they help you balance your chakras.
