Complete Beginner’s Guide to Our 7 Main Chakras 

Welcome to this Complete Beginner’s guide to our 7 main Chakras.

Despite our human appearance, each of us is so much more than our physical bodies, as we are each a being of energy. Beings of Divine Love and Light. 

And so we have our physical bodies, but we also have our energetic bodies. Despite the duality of words, these two are not separated but are intimately intertwined and connected.

Our chakras are a wonderful testament to this. They are energetic in essence but connected to the physical body and its organs and various areas. 

The word chakra is Sanskrit and means “Wheel”, sometimes translated as “Wheel of Light”. 

Depending on how we look at it, the number of chakras in our bodies varies. However, most would agree that we have 7 main chakras or energy centers in our bodies,

These are all located along the spine from the base of the spine up to the crown of the head.

Each chakra is energetically connected to the organs and glands surrounding it. If and when a chakra is out of balance or alignment, this will have a negative effect on our emotional, mental, and physical health and well-being.

And when the chakras are in balance and alignment, this leads to enhanced well-being and improved health. 

This post is meant to provide you with an understanding of what 7 main chakras are, how imbalances can manifest in our bodies, and how to bring them back into balance. 

The 7 main chakras

Down below is a complete description of our 7 main chakras and how they affect our bodies and emotions when in balance and when out of balance.

1. Root Chakra (Muladhara)

From the bottom up, the Root Chakra is the first of our 7 main chakras. 

It is located at the base of the spine, and it represents our foundation. It is connected to our sense of identity, stability, and security.

When the root chakra is in balance and alignment, we have a profound sense of stability and of being grounded. We experience a sense of security and self-sufficiency, and we have confidence in our ability to overcome challenges. 

We feel strong and balanced, as though we were standing balanced on our two feet – both physically and emotionally.

When the Root Chakra is out of balance, we can experience a sense of being threatened or as if we are standing on shaky ground. Fear and frustration are emotions associated with imbalances in the Root Chakra.

Physically, an imbalanced Root Chakra can manifest as allergies, various bowel disorders, depression, and addictions.

2. Sacral Chakra (Svadihishthana)

The Sacral Chakra is the second of our 7 main chakras. It is located just below the belly button, and it is associated with our sexuality, emotional intelligence, pleasure, and creativity.

When the Sacral Chakra is in balance and alignment, we feel vibrant, happy, positive, compassionate, and content.

When the Sacral Chakra is out of balance, this demonstrates as emotional instability. We may feel devoid of energy and creativity. We may also experience social anxiety and may have difficulty connecting with others.

Physically, imbalance in this chakra manifests as issues with fertility and menstrual cycles. Bladder problems and testicular diseases, as well as impotence, are other symptoms of imbalance in the Root Chakra.

3. Solar Plexus Chakra (Manipura)

The Solar Plexus Chakra is located in our solar plexus, between our upper abdomen and the chest bone. Linked to our gallbladder, liver, stomach, spleen, and pancreas, this is the chakra of our personal power. 

Being connected to our sense of self-esteem and self-confidence, the Solar Plexus Chakra governs how we show up in the world.

When it is in balance and alignment, we have a strong sense of personal power, strength, energy, and focus. We also have the courage to release and let go of that which no longer serves us.

A Solar Plexus Chakra that is out of balance and alignment manifests as various issues and diseases with the organs it is associated with. 

Digestive disorders such as eating disorders, indigestion, diabetes, and problems with the liver are all linked to the Solar Plexus Chakra.

Emotionally, imbalance in the Solar Plexus Chakra can manifest as depression, chronic fatigue, difficulty making decisions, and low self-esteem.

4. Heart Chakra (Anahata)

The Heart Chakra is located at the center of the chest, near the heart area. 

It is associated with our ability to love, express compassion and empathy, and connecting with others. It also supports the vagus nerve, the heart, and the circulatory system.

When the Heart Chakra is balanced, it helps us feel love, compassion, happiness, trust, and passion.

A Heart Chakra that is out of balance and alignment can manifest itself as various heart conditions, sleeping disorders, breast cancer, and high blood pressure, 

Emotionally, an imbalanced Heart Chakra can make us feel lonely and isolated and with difficulties giving and receiving love from others.

5. Throat Chakra (Vishuddha)

The Throat Chakra, located in the throat area, is associated with self-awareness and personal expression. Our ability to express ourselves. 

When in balance, the Throat Chakra helps us stay creative and able to express ourselves authentically and with integrity.

Imbalance in the Throat Chakra can manifest as a sore throat, asthma, loss of taste, and difficulty swallowing. Problems with the respiratory system are often associated with an imbalance in this chakra.

We may also experience difficulty expressing ourselves, paranoia, and extreme insecurity. 

Individuals with their Throat Chakras out of balance sometimes become overly introverted and are prone to develop various social difficulties.

6. Third Eye Chakra (Ajna)

The Third Eye Chakra is located between our eyebrows. 

Linked to our left brain, this chakra lets us see the world clearly. It is also deeply connected to our ability to intuit and imagine. 

When in balance and alignment, the Third Eye Chakra helps us enhance our intuition and perception. It allows us to see the bigger picture, beyond fleeting surface appearances. 

Feeling vibrant and confident are also expressions of a balanced Third Eye Chakra.

A Third Eye Chakra that is out of balance and alignment can manifest as migraines, dizziness, and even a variety of infectious diseases. 

Emotionally, we may experience chronic stress, being overly irrational, a sense of indifference, and having difficulty making decisions.

7. Crown Chakra (Sahasrara)

The Crown Chakra is located at the top of our head. 

It is associated with our spiritual connection, enlightenment, and consciousness. As well as with our right brain (creativity).

It is the bridge between our physical body and the spiritual dimension.

When in balance and alignment, the Crown Chakra promotes spiritual awareness, inner peace, and a general sense of well-being. It also helps us have a clear perspective of the world.

Imbalance or non-alignment in the Crown Chakra can lead to migraines, depression, delusions, and insomnia. 

On the emotional level, imbalance in the Crown Chakra can manifest as a constant sensation of frustration and intense destructive emotions. 

Apathy, arrogance, and pride are also emotions associated with the Crown Chakra being out of balance.

How To Work With and Balance Our 7 main Chakras

There is no one way to balance our 7 main chakras, as what works for one individual may not work for another. 

Listed below, however, are a number of tools and techniques we can lean into to help us balance and re-align our chakras.

Chakra Meditation to balance our 7 main chakras

Chakra Meditation is an ancient form of meditation that aims to balnce and realign the chakras. 

It can be performed through visualizations, mantra chanting, using affirmations, focusing on the breath, or engaging with crystals and colors. 

We can do it silently, or we can use guided meditations with the purpose of balancing the 7 main chakras. All depending on what we feel work the best for us. 

Yoga

The whole philosophy of yoga is to bring balance and harmony into our lives, bodies, and minds. 

Different asanas (yoga poses) are designed to cater to different areas and chakras. Finding the asanas that correspond to the specific chakra we want to work with is a good start.

However, as yoga is designed to enhance balance and harmony, doing yoga on a regular basis will always promote and enhance our sense of general well-being.

Breath Work (Pranayama)

There are a number of breath work techniques that facilitate relaxation and energy flow, such as breathing deeply from the belly or conscious nostril breathing.

Sound Healing

Soundbaths with specific frequencies associated with the chakras we want to balance can help bring the them back into alignment.

Diet

A balanced, nutritious, and healthy diet will go a long way toward bringing balance and harmony to our bodies and thus also to our chakras.

If there is a specific chakra we want to balance, we can find the types of foods that resonate the most with that particular chakra.

Nature

Spening time in nature is a beautiful way to ground ourselves, which works particularly well to balance the lower chakras. 

Walking barefoot on natural surfaces also allows us to connect with Mother Earth in a powerful way. Which in a powerful way promotes balance and harmony, as well as a profound sense of well-being.

Cultivating a Way of Life that Promotes Balance in our 7 Main Chakras

As with pretty much everything else, repetition, regularity, and consistency are keywords to living a centered and balanced life (i.e, having our chakras in balance).

We can absolutely lean into any one of the practices mentioned above whenever we have the need for it. 

However, making them or some of them a habitual part of our lives will go a long way toward having more or less permanent balance in our chakras and lives.

Bringing Balance to Our 7 Main Chakras

It all comes down to is us being conscious and active participants in the unfolding of our lives. 

In other words, if we want to have peace, joy, balance, and harmony in our lives, we need to choose to live in alignment with these. 

We cannot expect permanent changes to happen in our lives unless we are willing to permanently change. And once we begin to change, once we begin to make new choices for ourselves and in our lives, everything will begin to change.

So cultivating a way of life that is in alignment with balance and harmony will powerfully bring balance and harmony to our chakras as well.

A powerful question that we are wise to ask ourselves on a regular basis is: “This choice that I am about to make, or that I just made, is this in alignment with peace, joy, balance, and harmony?“

If the answer to that is Yes, that means that we are making a high choice. And if the answer is No, it means that we get to make a new choice. A choice that is more in alignment with peace, joy, harmony and balance.

And as we make this question a habitual part of our daily practice, gradually we begin to cultivate that way of life that supports and promotes a sense of ever expanding well-being.