Chakras
Chakra 1
The first chakra, also called the base chakra, is found at the bottom of the spine, with additional chakras underneath the feet. This is where energy (you could call it a life force) from the earth enters the system to supply all chakras with energy and where superfluous energy and polluted energy is drained. Its theme is the will to exist, to survive, to live in the here and now and to deal with the challenge of life on earth.
A first chakra that works well ensures that you are grounded properly, i.e. have a good connection to the earth. This will enhance your vitality and will help you drain polluted energy. It also ensures that you are fully present in the here and now.
Blocks in this chakra can feel like being very absent/absentminded, floating, finding life on earth too challenging, but it can also cause you to be extremely impatient. I believe that before we come to earth, we reside in a world where things happen the moment we think them up, and if you are poorly grounded you can have difficulty accepting that things on earth take a lot more time and effort to come into existence.
Another sign of a blocked or impaired first chakra is the fact that you tend to have little energy, partly because the lessened connection to the earth hinders absorbing energy, but also because you lose energy by not being fully present to prevent others from taking your energy, as you are not fully in the here and now.
The colours that belong to the first chakra are red and black.
Chakra 2
The second or sacral/sexual chakra is found just below the navel. It’s the centre of our emotions and the place where most emotions are stored. This chakra is connected to the digestive system. It represents the ability to enjoy life on a physical level, not just physical love/sexuality, but also sports and activities. The right to have feelings, and to express them, is located here as well. Taking good care of yourself and feeling like you are allowed to find pleasure in life.
Blocks in this chakra can cause problems with sexuality, or problems in the digestive system, but at a deeper level can also cause you to feel like you have to apoligise for the fact that you exist. You can feel you are not allowed to be here, like you are a burden to everyone. Dysregulated eating patterns, or not being able to know when you’ve had enough can also indicate a block in this chakra, but they are not exclusively an indication of it.
The colour of the second chakra is orange.
Chakra 3
The third chakra, or solar plexus, is found in the stomach area just below the diaphragm. This is where we connect to the outside world, where outside influences come in and the location of our self-worth and personal identity, otherwise known as ‘who am I and what do I want?’.
The solar plexus is also connected to the digestive system, but more focused on the stomach and the supporting organs than the intestines.
Blocks in this chakra can cause you to be influenced in the sense that you pick up and yield to the opinions and emotions of others and that you set them above your own. When your self-esteem and self-confidence are low, you will tolerate being invalidated and pushed aside because your ability to stand up for yourself is diminished. Added to that, it can also cause you to distrust the rest of humanity and the world in general and can cause anxiety.
The colour of the third chakra is yellow.
Chakra 4
The fourth chakra is the heart chakra, which is, of course, located near the heart. It won’t surprise you that this chakra has everything to do with love. Not just love for those dear to you, but also love for yourself, animals, nature, the universe and life itself. It is the chakra of giving AND receiving love.
When the heart chakra is blocked, you have trouble giving, and, usually even more so, receiving love. Sometimes they say you have to love yourself before you can love someone else, though in my experience that’s untrue. You can totally hate yourself but still love others. Just because you feel you’re not worthy of love doesn’t mean you feel everyone else is too. A blocked heart chakra will, however, hamper you in feeling and demonstrating that love.
This does not in any way mean you have to give everything away. It also means that you love yourself enough to take good care of yourself, with the realisation that you have to take care of yourself before you can take care of someone else.
The back of the heart chakra represents willpower and perseverance, achieving what you want to achieve. When it’s blocked, reaching your goals will take a lot more effort and will make you feel like you’re swimming against the current. A sign of this is that lots of things go wrong (a.k.a. Murphy’s law: everything that can go wrong will go wrong), which can mean you are subconsciously sabotaging yourself from reaching your goals and doing what you love because somewhere deep inside there’s this conviction that you don’t really deserve it OR that you feel you are not allowed to want it. Or to want anything, period.
The colours of the heart chakra are green and pink
Chakra 5
The fifth chakra is the throat chakra, located around in the area of the throat, mouth, neck and jaws. Its focus is communication: expressing your feelings and ideas. Physically, this chakra is connected to the thyroid.
Blocks in this chakra may be caused by unexpressed feelings and/or ideas. You’ll have trouble expressing yourself, feeling as if you have to cross a threshold before saying something, like something is holding you back.
Blocks at the back of the fifth chakra are connected to feeling undervalued and seeing life as a burden, possibly accompanied by performance anxiety and/or fear of failure.
The colour of the throat chakra is blue
Chakra 6
The sixth chakra is located on the forehead, between the eyebrows, and is usually referred to as the third eye. Its focus is intelligence, creativity, intuition and wisdom. Physically it’s connected to the pituitary, the gland that regulates the hormone system.
Blocks in this chakra often relate to how you view the world. How you interpret reality, but also how you act (or don’t act) on any ideas you have. It may also affect your interest in spirituality or your understanding of it.
In the most extreme case, this chakra is completely blocked. If there is a block on the rear side of this chakra, then you will be creative and have ideas, but they won’t be realistic and can’t be realized. Someone with a block in the sixth chakra may also often put the blame on someone else or on circumstances and may have trouble with the concept that you can influence your circumstances by looking at them from a different perspective.
The colour of the sixth chakra is indigo
Chakra 7
The seventh and last chakra in this explanation is the crown chakra. This one only radiates upwards and represents your connection with the cosmos or God, depending on how you want to refer to it.
It’s the realisation that you are part of the cosmos and experiencing that in yourself. It stimulates a feeling of inner peace and helps you connect with your higher self (your soul).
The crown chakra regulates the pineal gland, which is responsible for part of the hormone system and, among other things, the biorhythm.
When there’s a block in the crown chakra you will have little affinity with spirituality. You might even hold the opinion that there is no such thing as an afterlife, and you will fail to recognise how you relate to the cosmos.
The colour of the crown chakra is purple.