Chakra Clearing and Opening

CHAKRA HEALING

Chakras are spinning energy centers located throughout your body that influence and reflect your physical health as well as your mental, emotional and spiritual wellbeing. There are seven main chakras that begin with the root, or base, chakra at the base of the spine, ascending in a column to the crown chakra at the top of the head. Each chakra is associated with a particular color along with certain functions. All of your chakras must be open and clear in order to achieve optimum health and balance. Open chakras allow energy to flow cleanly and easily, resulting in an increase in energy and awareness along with arousing your natural intuitive abilities.

When chakras are out of balance, certain physical, mental and emotional symptoms appear. For a detailed description of each chakra and their related connections to food, lifestyle and health along with how to clear and balance them, please continue reading. 

FIRST CHAKRA (BASE or ROOT) Survival

Mantra: “I AM”
Color in the aura: Red
 
The base chakra, located at the base of tailbone, is the root connection to our source and serves to usher in life force into the body. It governs the awareness of survival and helps us meet our basic needs.
 
Symptoms of an
Overactive Base Chakra:
Paranoia, Aggression, Mania, Nervousness, Fear

Under-active Base Chakra:
Apathy, Weakness, Depression, Passivity, Lethargy

If the base chakra is overactive, a person may tend to over emphasize their basic survival needs and do things such as overeat as a means to calm their insecurities and feel nurtured, even though they are not physically hungry, but rather energetically hungry for support. Or the person may crave certain unhealthy foods, like fats and sugars, in an attempt to distance from feeling scared, nervous or anxious; all symptoms of being ungrounded. A person may also drink too much alcohol or do drugs in an attempt to diminish their feeling of insecurity, paranoia or vulnerability.

If your base chakra is under-functioning, you may tend to “abandon ship” with your body and neglect yourself altogether instead of taking care of yourself in a healthy and responsible way. If this is your problem, you will suffer from things such as depression, chronic fatigue, daydreaming, delusions, anorexia, chain-smoking and mental illness.

If you have an overactive base chakra you may struggle with addictions as well. I have found that visualization techniques and grounding techniques calm and balance the first chakra very well bring its energy into a more balanced state. It also helps to use affirmations, such as:

I am balanced. I am safe, secure and healthy. My first chakra functions properly. I am grounded.

Meditation, prayer, healthy eating, enough sleep and exercise quickly stabilize an Overactive first chakra.

A healthy diet greatly influences all of the chakras and your level of consciousness because food, like everything else, breaks down into energy. All foods vibrate at a different rate and influence the different chakras. Some foods that stimulate the base chakra are:

•   red meat
•   animal fats
•   coffee and cola
•   peppers and hot spices
•   spinach (because of its iron content)

Of course, if your base chakra is overly stimulated, common sense dictates that you avoid food and drink that stimulate this chakra even more. It will cause you to overemphasize survival On the other hand, if your chakra is under-stimulated, then adding these foods to your diet will stimulate your consciousness and help you better connect your soul with your body and raise your vitality.

To balance this chakra, affirm every day:
I have a beautiful physical body. I assume responsibility for my body. I recognize it is a gift from God and I can trust it I am safe inside my body and I take good care of me. My base chakra is open, balanced and I am fully grounded and comfortable being me.

SECOND CHAKRA (SACRAL or SPLEEN)

Mantra: “I FEEL”
Color in the aura: Orange
 
The second chakra is located approximately at the level of your mid-abdomen and governs your emotional body and your physical and emotional feelings and senses. It is the center of sensuality, emotion and pleasure. When your second chakra is balanced, you love life, feel generally optimistic and happy and take healthy satisfaction in sensual experiences.
 
Symptoms of an
Overactive Second Chakra:
Greediness, Addiction, Tension, Compulsivity, Frustration

An Underactive Second Chakra:
Disinterest, Repressed Feelings, Self-deprivation, Depression, Sexual Repression

This chakra is the center of self-love and creativity and activates the desire to enjoy life to its fullest and be creative. It encourages one to make choices that authentically nurture and support oneself. Spiritually speaking, this is a good thing! Believe it or not, God wants us to enjoy being physical and being creative. Our earthly experience is meant to be enjoyed.

If you feel excessively greedy or addictive, or seek pleasure in unhealthy things such as drugs or gambling, or you are controlled by your physical senses instead of your common or higher consciousness, then your second chakra is out of balance and over-stimulated. To rebalance it, imagine this chakra spinning in perfect harmony with your spirit and imagine any sense of attachment to anxiety or tension in your body easing up. Remind yourself that it is healthy to enjoy yourself in a loving way. Allow yourself to experience pleasure, but realize it does not take the place of the enduring energy of love. Imagine this chakra is calm, bringing in the proper influences of emotion and creativity, leaving you peaceful and content. Breathe in and relax. Open your eyes. This exercise should take about five to seven minutes.

If you have an underactive second chakra, you may feel or have felt a scarcity of love, especially when you were a child, which may have shut down your natural feeling centers altogether. If this is the case, you may be afraid of positive sensations and keep yourself from allowing good vibrations in your life. Often people with an under-active second chakra deny themselves sensual pleasure, believing that sensuality is not spiritual. There is no spiritual benefit to denying you have a body or enjoying it. Your body is not the problem — balance is.

Foods that stimulate the second chakra are:

•   chocolate
•   fruits such as bananas, watermelon, pears
•   honey
•   bread and butter
•   milk and dairy products
•   ice cream
•   pastas
•   wine

If your second chakra is overactive or you are addictive avoid these foods. If your second chakra is shut down and you have trouble feeling, then eat more of these foods.

The second chakra also responds well to other sensory input such as classical music, art, gardening, flowers, cooking and dancing. All of these activities are naturally sense-balancing. Sex with someone you love is great for balancing the second chakra. If you have sex with someone who doesn’t love you, however, you don’t need to be psychic to know it is very disturbing for both your first and second chakras, and is not a happy experience for your soul.

People with an imbalanced second chakra lose touch with their feelings and their creative expression. The way to balance an underactive second chakra is through the same visualization exercise you did before, but following it with this affirmation:
My feelings are healthy. Part of the miracle of being alive is having the capacity to feel, to learn and experience the world through my senses. I do not confuse this wonder with the greater wonder of love. I can allow myself to feel without fear. I am guided by the voice of my Higher Self, not controlled by my body. My body seeks only genuine and healing pleasures that are healthy and balanced.

THIRD CHAKRA (SOLAR PLEXUS)

Mantra: “I WILL”
Color in the aura: Yellow
 
The third chakra is located at about the level of your belly button, near what is called the solar plexus, and connects you to the astral plane of will power and self-direction. It is the center of focus, decision, volition and will power. When this chakra is balanced, a person feels confident, decisive, focused and committed to their path.
 
Symptoms of an
Overactive Third Chakra:
Subjectivity, Bossy, Narrow-Minded, Abrasive, Dictatorial

Under-active Third Chakra:
Wishy-washiness, Inability to Concentrate, Naive, Passive, Oblivious
 
Many motivational speakers use the third chakra to inspire people. It moves you! The third chakra’s energy is formidable and charismatic and engages others to DO something!
 
This chakra also opens up a person to higher levels of awareness or finer energy bands than normally experienced. It is the gateway to our most basic psychic impulses and out-of-body experiences. Unlike the first two chakras, this is the first energy center to connect you with others and the higher planes of awareness.
 
The more open and balanced your third chakra, the more aware you will be of auras, other’s vibrations, and Divine spiritual forces. This is the first point of consciousness in the body where you become receptive to higher influences on the spiritual plane. If it is opened, you can feel the help of your spirit guides. If it is closed, you depend on your ego alone for guidance.
 
If this chakra is under-stimulated or closed down, a person will be tired and tiring. Life will be hard to live, and you may want to avoid it by sleeping away. If the chakra is shut down, you will miss the most obvious of things, let alone the more subtle planes of psychic energy around them. When this chakra is under-active, you are egocentric and insensitive to the bigger picture of life, and afraid of responsibility and authority. You are indecisive and manipulative getting others to be responsible for you rather than taking responsibility for yourself. You miss the guidance of your soul or higher planes.

If this chakra is off balance, it also makes you wishy-washy, unable to say no, or unable to stand confrontation. You may be a daydreamer, lack concentration or have to be policed by other people. You may constantly feel anxious, dwell on past events or fear the future. You may also be lazy and/or passive-aggressive with people in your life. Your ego will drown out the voice of your Higher Self.

Foods that stimulate the third chakra are:

•   fish
•   chicken
•   eggs
•   apricots
•   oranges
•   carrots
•   sweet potatoes
•   cranberry juice
•   papaya
•   squash

Eat these foods to activate your third chakra. Stay away from fish and chicken if you are overly egocentric or have a difficult time picking up any psychic energy.

The affirmation to use for your third chakra is:
I am receptive to Divine energy moving into every cell of my body. I am committed to expressing my creativity, to accepting my responsibilities, and to making decisions that are balanced and supportive to my spiritual growth. I am guided and receptive to Divine will at all times.  

FOURTH CHAKRA (HEART)

Mantra: “I LOVE”
Color in the aura: Green

The fourth chakra is located at the center of your heart and connects you to the vibrations of love, security, kindness and compassion. It is the seat of the soul and the center of love in your consciousness. Love is patient, calm, generous and kind. It is accepting of oneself and others.

Indications of
An Open Heart Chakra:
Patience, Kindness, Generosity, Peace, Humor, Forgiveness, Love

Closed Heart Chakra:
Loneliness, Suspicion, Neediness, Possessiveness, Bossiness, Greediness, Jealousy

This chakra governs self-acceptance, acceptance of others, trust, well-being, a sense of having what you need, abundance, prosperity and good health. It is also the point of consciousness where a person feels compassion and empathy, the pain and joy and struggle of others. It is the empathic center. This chakra opens us to become sensitive and concerned with others experience and not just our own.

If your fourth chakra is under-stimulated or off balance you are resentful and jealous. If you give, you give out of duty rather than out of a genuine sense of generosity. You may also resist receiving gifts and love from others. You fear being resented, as you have resented others. You may not care about others, leaving you isolated.

To activate and balance the fourth chakra, close your eyes and bring your awareness to the center of your heart. Imagine that this chakra is a perfectly balanced spinning green orb, five inches in diameter, the color of freshly mown grass. Breathe in and imagine this wheel of energy pulling in waves of healing energy, washing over each cell in your body, healing all wounds and hurts and filling you with a profound sense of love. Imagine this loving energy comes from God, leaving you feeling completely loved and cared for by God.

Foods that stimulate the heart chakra are:

• plums
• cherries
• strawberries
• whole brown rice
• couscous and other grains
• miso, soy and bean proteins
• greens, except spinach

 
Eat these foods if your heart is closed. I don’t think you can ever eat too much of these foods and there can never be too much love.

Remember that all the chakras serve to both give and receive energy. In working with the loving feelings of the heart chakra, focus both inward as well as outward, allowing you the experience of loving yourself. This also opens the way to your being able to receive love from others.

The fourth chakra affirmation is:
I am loved, and loving God provides all I need. Everything I do, I do with love. I am receptive and open to receiving love. My heart is healing, my needs fulfilled. I let go of all resentments. I forgive others and ask forgiveness and lovingly let go of the past. I allow the abundance of the universe to pour into my heart. I feel others but do not attach to their lives.

FIFTH CHAKRA (THROAT)

Mantra: “I SPEAK”
Color in the aura: Sky Blue

The fifth chakra is located at the level of the throat and controls the psychic consciousness of hearing, and listening to both the true meaning of others communication, and your guides. It also activates the function of listening, especially deep listening. This includes telepathy as well as hearing the guiding wisdom of your soul. The ability is called clairaudience.

Symptoms of an:

Overactive Fifth Chakra:
Distraction, Negativity, Resentfulness, Preoccupation with Others, Gullibility

Under-active Fifth Chakra:
Dishonesty, Willfulness, Hostility, Confusion, Repressed Expression

In addition to clairaudience, the fifth chakra also opens your consciousness to your subconscious records, and to the subconscious records of all time, known as the Akashic records. Sometimes, through this chakra, a person will also hear spiritual music.

If this chakra is off balance or shut down, you will be plagued with negative self-talk and inner voices. You may repress your ability to express yourself authentically, to be honest with others or listen deeply to what others are saying. You may tune out others, or partially tune them out, so as to manipulate what you hear. You may also hear negative “voices” that confuse, coerce or upset you. You may tune into negative astral planes, attracting confusion or distorting your focus and concentration. You may struggle with intense negative self-dialogue, being overly critical and self destructive in your words, telling yourself mean and harmful things. You may have too many voices in your head at one time — those of yourself, others and spirits all mixed up together, leaving you confused and disoriented.

To balance the throat chakra, close your eyes and mentally locate it at the level of your throat. Place your full attention on this chakra and imagine it is spinning at an even faster rate than the fourth chakra, the color of a blue sky at noon into the aura. As you concentrate on this chakra, imagine you are programming your chakra to focus only on the channels of:

•   your conscious mind to your Higher Self,
•   helpful guides and divine guidance,
•   telepathy (but only if it comes from a source that is both loving and wiser than yourself).

Imagine this spinning sky-blue orb opening like a twirling flower, to a size of five inches in diameter. See the light and energy of God’s divine guidance pouring into your mind, enlightening every cell of your being. Hold this image for five to seven minutes.

As with the other chakras, there are certain foods that stimulate this chakra such as:

• ginseng
• gingko biloba
• reishi mushrooms
• barley
• wheat grass
• bananas
• supplements like ExtraSharp
• echinacea
• kelp

 
If your throat chakra is shut down and you don’t speak your truth eat these foods often. If you don’t listen, or if you speak over others back off these foods.   

If you have a blocked or off-balance fifth chakra, finish this visualization with this affirmation:
The only voice influencing my life is the voice of my Higher Self and God’s Divine wisdom. All other voices I lovingly ask to leave. I AM A CLEAR RECEIVER.

SIXTH CHAKRA (FOREHEAD)

Mantra: “I SEE”
Color in the aura: Indigo

The sixth chakra is located at the level of your eyebrows in the center of your forehead vibrating the color of a deep indigo blue sky. Also known as the third eye, this chakra governs imagination, bright ideas, visualization and the psychic awareness called clairvoyance. This endows one with the ability to see auras, chakras and spirit guides.

Symptoms of an:

Overactive Sixth Chakra:
Hallucination, Paranoia, Daydreaminess, Tendency to Space out

Under-active:   
Lack of Imagination, Insensitivity, Self-absorption, Narrow-mindedness

The sixth chakra is balanced in very few people. To balance this chakra takes visualization, focusing and meditation, which we have all been working on. By following this exercise you can begin to gently open it further and further.

Breathe deeply in, then out, and gently close your eyes. Bring your attention to your sixth chakra, located in the middle of your forehead. Imagine this chakra whirling in space, the color of indigo blue, almost a black-blue, fading into violet. Imagine that as you watch this satellite swirling round and round it begins to expand, growing larger and larger until it becomes a very large sphere.

Now, imagine that this sphere begins to turn into a large screen, and upon this screen you notice a beam of white light entering into the center. As you concentrate on this light, it begins to expand, lighting up the screen.

As it expands, imagine seeing your own reflection — not in your mortal image, but your soul image. Imagine that your soul is looking back at you on this mental screen. Don’t force the image. Just let your imagination create this image for you. Be patient... Look at this image in wonder, without judgment. As the image emerges, make note of all the details, even if they are vague.

After doing this exercise for a few minutes, relax. Breathe in and very slowly watch the image fade. See the light going out on the screen, and watch it return to a deep indigo blue, fading into violet. Watch this screen slowly reduce back into a swirling round orb, resting in the middle of your forehead. Breath in, relax and open your eyes. Recall your soul image.

If your sixth chakra is completely shut down, you will have difficulty imagining. You will be overly intellectual, only seeing the literal world and missing the energy that flows before, behind and beyond the concrete world. You may be blind to the essence of things, often missing the point of what’s around you. Your life will be linear, rational and flat.

If this is your problem, stimulate the sixth chakra with imagination exercises like drawing, coloring and painting. You may also try to imagine, daydream or make up pictures in your mind. Try to see into situations instead of just taking things at face value, and of course, the sixth chakra imagery exercise will help you. You should practice it exercise often.

Foods that stimulate the sixth chakra are:

•   lecithin
•   wheat germ
•   barley
•   vitamin E
•   alfalfa, chamomile
•   water
•   water
•   water

SEVENTH CHAKRA (CROWN)

Mantra: “I KNOW”
Color in the aura: Violet-White

The seventh chakra is located at the highest point in your body at the crown of your head, and is known as your crown chakra. This chakra is connected to your pineal gland and governs the consciousness of spiritual awakening, inner wisdom and enlightenment.

To open your crown chakra, you must meditate consistently so as not to raise your consciousness too abruptly. Prayer is also a wonderful way to slowly open this center up to God’s love and guidance. Take your time, and as you meditate or pray, imagine seeing Divine energy pouring into your crown chakra as a violet-white orb spinning at a very fast rate at the top of your head.

Next imagine a golden white light pouring into your chakra and filling your soul up with love and divine wisdom. Let this feeling sink deeply into your body slowly, turning into a golden white light of love and awakened enlightenment. Pray for God’s direction. Breathe in, relax, and slowly open your eyes.

The highest degree of psychic ability comes with successfully opening the crown chakra. Highly evolved spiritually people can access even higher chakras than those we’ve spoken about.

There are no special foods for the seventh chakra. Its food is simply prayer and meditation.

Balancing The Seven Chakras

Breathe, relax and close your eyes. Bring your full awareness to the base of your spine. Imagine at this level, resting in the aura just outside your body, is the first chakra. Notice it spinning gently in space, emitting a bright red color into the aura. Imagine this orb as four inches in diameter, balanced and glowing.

Next shift your attention to your the level of your lower abdomen and imagine your second chakra spinning in space slightly faster, emitting an orange color, four inches in diameter, perfectly balanced.

Continue upward to the level of your belly button. See there the bright yellow orb of the third chakra spinning in space, four inches in diameter, perfectly balanced.

Now move your awareness up to your heart chakra and imagine it is centered and balanced. Imagine you can see this green orb spinning faster yet, reflecting the color of a spring bouquet.

Move your attention upward to center next on your throat chakra. There imagine you see, spinning faster yet, a perfectly balanced orb the color of a summer sky at noon, spinning faster and faster, brilliant blue rays flowing out, about six inches in diameter and growing.

Continue to move your awareness upward and shift next to the level of your forehead. There you will see a perfectly balanced spinning orb the color of the sky at midnight, black-blue or indigo blue, five inches in diameter.

Finally, let the brilliance of your crown chakra in as you pull your eyes upward to the very top of your head and even beyond. See there above your head a spinning orb so fast as to appear motionless, brilliant violet white and surrounded by a golden halo lighting up the top of your head. Allow yourself to inhale its beauty.

Now, very carefully, Connect these centers, moving downward from the top chakra to the base chakra: violet... to indigo... to sky blue... to green... to yellow... to orange... to red... and finally down into your feet and into the ground.

Breathe in, relax, and open your eyes.

This imagery exercise balances all of your chakras and lets psychic energy flow easily. To further develop your ability to balance your chakras you may want to actually make an outline of the body and color in the appropriate place the corresponding colors that you are asked to imagine. If you get stuck or cannot bring these images and colors to mind, simply reflect on your diagram to assist you.

Copyright © 2011 Carina Bachman / CrystalSpringsHealing.com