Written by: Angelica Neri
You may have heard a friend talking about how her 5th chakra is blocked—which is why she has a hard time communicating—or another friend telling you that her chakras are out of alignment. But what exactly are chakras and can they be out of alignment?
Chakras are energetic portals in the body that give us the keys to understanding why we may not be feeling like our highest self and where disease can manifest. Each chakra is a spinning wheel of energy. We have 114 in total but seven main ones along our spine: root, sacral, solar plexus, heart, throat, third eye, and crown.
All disease begins from a disconnect with spirit, our true nature. In order to align with our true nature, we have to understand what caused the disconnect in the first place. The chakra system gives us an intuitive map to understand our spiritual body. When we understand where our chakras our blocked, it becomes a portal to our healing journey. And although having a blocked chakra can lead to suffering, it can also be an opportunity to embrace our shadows and step into alignment.
An intuitive Ayurvedic practitioner is trained to understand the root cause of a client’s imbalance and can understand a client’s unique mind, body, and spirit to find the root cause of their disease. Part of understanding the root cause is investigating deep into the state of the chakras. And although we can feel out of alignment when disease is present, it doesn’t actually make sense to say that our chakras are out of alignment. It is better described as determining which chakras are blocked, have lack of flow, or have healthy flow. Determining the state of one’s chakras in itself is an art, takes a great deal of experience, and is pivotal for truly healing any type of disease.
Although the sacred experience between client and practitioner cannot be matched, we can also empower ourselves to understand where our chakras may be blocked in a way that is more accessible and can definitely be fun. Find a cozy spot at home, cleanse the space by burning sage or palo santo, and summon a group of your best friends for a spiritual evening on reading your chakras.
How to Read Your Chakras
- Find a pendulum or a pair of mala beads to measure the chakras. It works best to find both these items with higher quality and best found at your local mystic shop.
- Place the tip of the pendulum or tip of the looped mala beads over each of the chakras for about 60-90 seconds.
- The pendulum or beads will magically begin to move. This is because the chakras are energy vortices.
- If the beads or pendulum spin in a circle, the chakra has healthy flow. Note that the chakra circles may change from being small or larger. Certain chakras are more active than others. If the circle is spinning rapidly, it can mean that the chakra is overactive or unstable. This differs depending on the chakra it corresponds with, but in general means taking on the imbalance qualities of the chakra.
- If it does not spin, there can be a blockage in that chakra.
- If it swings back and forth, it can mean there is some energy flowing, but not enough to be in full alignment.
If there is no movement in any of the chakras, it doesn’t necessarily mean you are blocked in all seven. Sometimes, it takes a while to get used to reading the energy. The more you practice, the more sensitive you will become to reading the energy. It can also mean you are not over the proper chakra region. Check below to be sure you are lining up to the corresponding chakra.
Be mindful that this is a fun exercise to connect to your spiritual body, but is not the same as getting a diagnosis or treatment plan from a certified practitioner. A blocked chakra is not a medical diagnosis, nor is it the end of the world. It is a gift to understand how you can connect deeper to your highest self. Take it with a grain of salt, make it light hearted, and have fun connecting with your spiritual side!
If you are looking to go even deeper into healing your chakras, you can take our chakra quiz to see what chakra is the most out of alignment and how to start healing your chakras.
Intuitive Energy Map
Root Chakra
Healthy Circular Flow means you are grounded, stable and nourished in your home life, career and finances.
Location is over the genital region, excretory system
Blocked flow or lack of flow means that you are feeling anxious, scattered or unstable usually relating to home life, career and/or finances.
Sacral Chakra
Healthy Circular Flow means you are creative, in flow state and connected to your sensuality.
Location is 2 inches below the navel, womb area
Blocked flow or lack of flow means that you are feeling rigid, unsatisfied or have a lack of boundaries in your life. This can often relate to being out of touch with your feminine energy and even overindulging in egoic activities.
Solar Plexus Chakra
Healthy Circular Flow means you have a strong willpower, are determined and ambitious in following your dharma or life’s purpose.
Location is where the right and left rib cage meet
Blocked flow or lack of flow means that you are feeling unmotivated, procrastinate and/or have a lack of confidence usually pertaining to career. It can also mean being overly aggressive, argumentative and critical.
Heart Chakra
Healthy Circular Flow means you give and receive unconditional love, compassion and empathy in your relationships.
Location is the center of the chest or sternum.
Blocked flow or lack of flow means that you are having difficulty in your current relationships and there is an uneven balance between giving and receiving in them.
Throat Chakra
Healthy Circular Flow means you have clear communication, confidence and empathetic listening skills when expressing yourself to the world.
Location is the throat.
Blocked flow or lack of flow means that there is difficulty in communication, empathetic listening and/or expressing yourself.
Third Eye Chakra
Healthy Circular Flow means you have a strong intuition, trust yourself and have a strong inner knowing or feeling for staying true to your morals.
Location is in between your eyebrows and an inch above.
Blocked flow or lack of flow means that you are having trouble trusting yourself and listening to your soul’s desires. This can also show up as a know-it-all mindset or spiritual ego.
Crown Chakra
Healthy Circular Flow means you are connected to source or universe, can see a higher perspective in situations and have the ability to totally surrender.
Location is 2 inches above the head.
Blocked flow or lack of flow means that you are disconnected from the bigger picture and need a stronger and more truthful connection to source, universe or God.
Peace, Love, and Healing,
~Angelica
My passion for holistic health is rooted in my love for yoga. I began practicing yoga in 2011, which shed a beacon of light onto my true path. As I continued to further my personal practice, I unveiled the realization that my purpose was to educate others. I received my 200-hr Power Yoga Teacher Training in 2015 and expanded my consciousness even more. A whole new world was presented to me.