Chakras are the psychospiritual energy centers that govern thinking, feelings, sensations, emotions, perceptions, and intuition. They are not part of the physical human anatomy but significantly influence the biological processes taking place within the body.
Chakra is a Sanskrit word for the English word ‘wheel.’ These are spiraling wheels that allow the flow of energy in and out of the chakra. An unobstructed flow of this energy indicates good psychosomatic health, abundance, confidence, high self-esteem, and overall wellbeing.
The energy flowing within each of the chakras has a significant effect on us. It has a strong influence on our thoughts, actions, tendencies, and behaviors. When we create emotions out of our thoughts (and vice-versa), it is the “energy in motion.”
According to yogic traditions, we conscious beings are a complex mix of the physical body and the subtle body. The subtle body is the “non-material” body. Chakras are part of the subtle body and not the physical body.
Some people have this misconception that the chakras are a part of the physical body. But that is not true. There’s another misconception that the chakras are the glands of the physical body.
Although being part of the subtle body that is superimposed (kind of) on the physical body, the chakras significantly influence the glands. However, they are not the gland themselves.
There are seven chakras that coincide with various locations of the endocrine glands. They are vertically aligned, starting from the base of the spine (the end of the tailbone) and ending at the top of the head.
Each of these seven chakras has a profound effect on our physical and mental wellbeing. A blockage in a chakra is an indication of obstruction in the flow of life-force energy.
The chakras get blocked in two ways:
- When the energy-flow is deficient, the chakra is said to be underactive.
- When the energy-flow is in excess, the chakra is said to be overactive.
Both of the above cases are bad news for us. There’s a third case where the chakra completely gets blocked and is in a closed state. It results in energy accumulation at a particular point, which further leads to severe psychosomatic diseases.
Therefore, it’s essential to have your chakras in the open state to facilitate energy flow. Fully balanced chakras with optimal energy flows are associated with a higher state of consciousness, ultimate bliss, and transcendence feelings.
How The Chakras Get Blocked?
Citing personal experience, I can tell you that I suffered from a severe lower back injury. Every six months, the pain use to come back, and sometimes it was so bad that I could not even get up and walk. Even lying down was painful.
I could not find any scientific explanation as to why the pain kept coming back. It was debilitating and extremely frustrating. It interfered with my work and family life. I could not play with children. I would take sick holidays now and then. And I had gained 50 pounds in a short time.
Working on my root and sacral chakras helped get rid of back pain. Identifying blockage symptoms, I worked on my healing. I can say that at this point I’m fully functional physically and psychologically, and I’m able to spend quality time with my family.
But why do the chakras get blocked in the first place?
The chakras get blocked because we forget our true nature and who we are to ‘fit in’ society’s socio-economic framework. It gives us a false sense of security. The need to be a part of the group or organization comes from fear of alienation.
Since childhood, we are taught to behave in a particular manner and conform to society’s ideals. Being what others desire is deemed more important than being ourselves. This belief creates the following adverse effects:
- We continually seek approval of others (an indication of low self-esteem and confidence).
- We lose authenticity – our thoughts, opinions, and beliefs are not our own but influenced by others.
Not knowing our true self, we grow up to be immature adults. We become stressed, anxious, depressed, addicts, people-pleasers, codependents, and much more.
We lose our confidence and self-esteem and develop an unhealthy ego. Over time, we create a subconscious belief that we’re not enough.
We try to fill our void (the feeling of emptiness) by engaging in material pleasures like smoking, drinking, unhealthy eating, shopping, drugs, social media, and television. We numb our minds by watching screens all day and engaging in unproductive activities. In short, we make poor lifestyle choices.
We behave like addicts because these short compulsive indulgences give us a quick burst of dopamine release. The rest of the time, we feel miserable. We create limiting beliefs, hold negative emotions, and feel victimized. All of this creates energy blocks within the chakras.
Now that we know why the chakras get blocked let’s look at the blockage symptoms in all seven chakras. It will help us identify the chakras we need to work on for better health and wellness.
We are going to discuss both the physical and psychological signs of blockage in all seven chakras.
Symptoms of Blocked Root Chakra
The root chakra is associated with safety, stability, vitality, emotional needs, material needs such as food, water, shelter, and overall physical and psychological health.
Physical symptoms of blockage:
- Hypertension
- Impotence
- Eating disorders
- Constipation
- Lower back pain
- Indigestion
Some of the other symptoms of blocked root chakra are:
- Insecurity
- Codependency
- Restlessness & Irritation
- Anger
- Lack of focus
- Financial Issues
- Dysfunctional relationships
- Inability to take action
Symptoms of Blocked Sacral Chakra
The sacral chakra is associated with wellness, creativity, sensual pleasures, feelings, joy, emotions, fluidity, and flexibility.
Physical symptoms of blockage:
- Lower back pain
- Skin infections
- Constipation
- Fatigue
- Depression
- Impotence
- Infertility
- Prostrate issues in men
Other symptoms associated with blocked sacral chakra are:
- Lack of interest in sexual activity.
- Daydreaming and fantasizing.
- Lack of emotion control.
- Anger, irritation, and aggression.
- Indulging in addictive behaviors.
Symptoms of Blocked Solar Plexus Chakra
The solar plexus is the third chakra of the spiritual body associated with self-development, self-confidence, self-belief, transformation, and personal growth.
Physical symptoms of blocked solar plexus are as follows:
- Anxiety
- Fatigue and laziness
- Diabetes
- Overweight and obesity
- Indigestion, gas, bloating, and constipation
Other symptoms include:
- Lack of confidence
- Inability to make decisions on your own
- Codependency
- Low self-esteem
- Victim mentality
- Stubbornness
- Anger and aggression
- Judgmental attitude
- Need to control others
Symptoms of Blocked Heart Chakra
The heart chakra is said to be the ‘seat of the soul’. It is associated with compassion, kindness, forgiveness, emotions, empath, unity, peace, harmony, and unlimited love.
Physical symptoms of the blocked heart chakra are as follow:
- Pain or feeling of heaviness in the heart
- Heart palpitations
- Breathing issues
- Chronic fatigue
- Hot flashes
Some psychological symptoms of the blocked heart chakra are as follows:
- Keeping grudges and feelings of resentment
- Victim mentality
- Continually blaming others
- Sedentary lifestyle
- Fear and anxiety
- Suppressing your thoughts and emotions
Symptoms of Blocked Throat Chakra
The throat chakra is associated with the sharpness of the mind, purity of thoughts, and purity in actions without selfish desires and motives. It is related to sound energy and the power to express yourself freely.
Physical symptoms of blocked throat chakras are:
- Anxiety
- Headaches
- Anemia
- Thyroid problems
- Neck and shoulder pain
- Mouth ulcers or other dental issues
- Frequent throat infections
Some of the psychological symptoms of blocked throat chakra are:
- Selfish thinking directed towards personal gains
- People pleasing
- Lying and gaslighting
- Excessive talking (loud voice)
- Feeling scared to speak (weak voice)
- Inability to listen
- Interrupting others when they talk
- Social anxiety
- Suppressing your thoughts, feelings, and emotions
Symptoms of Blocked Third Eye Chakra
The third eye chakra is associated with higher knowledge and wisdom. It is beyond factual objective knowledge. The third eye is associated with higher intuition, clairvoyance, and clairsentience.
Physical symptoms of blocked third eye chakra are:
- Migraines
- Vision problems
- Memory problems
- Seizures
- Sinuses
Psychological symptoms of blocked third eye chakra are as follows:
- Your intuition is wrong most of the times
- Narrow mindedness
- Difficulty in concentrating while performing tasks
- Hallucinations
- Feelings of paranoia
- Over obsession with material things and desires
Symptoms of Blocked Crown Chakra
Crown chakra is the point of merging the individual self with the universal self. It is the highest energy point associated with enlightenment, deep peace, joy, blissfulness, and a state of consciousness.
Physical symptoms of blocked crown chakra are as follows:
- Insomnia
- Depression
- Delusional disorders
- Pineal gland disorders
- Neurological disorders
Some of the psychological symptoms of blocked crown chakra are:
- Feelings of loneliness
- Inability to find a purposeful path in life
- Lack of direction
- Overemphasis and focus on individuality
How to Clear the Blocked Chakras?
Fulfilling the objective of living a meaningful life and finding our worldly purpose globally and beyond, we should focus on clearing the chakras’ energy blocks. For that, You don’t have to believe in a particular religion, ideology, or dogma.
In my articles, I follow a secular approach to healing chakra blockages without adhering to rigid dogmas or fixed belief systems. Although I do occasionally refer to ancient eastern scriptures, that in no way is an attempt or indication to make you follow a particular sect, group, or spiritual/religious organization.
You don’t need a guru to heal your energy body. As you engage in spiritual practices, you’ll gain access to your higher self (or intuition or god), which will guide you at every step along the journey.
You can open your chakras in the ways:
- Practicing meditation and mindfulness
- Observing and reflecting on your behaviors.
- Aromatherapy with essential oils.
- Using healing crystals and stones.
- Practicing yoga postures.
- Practicing chakra affirmations.
Please note that meditation and self-reflection alone are sufficient for opening the chakras. The use of essential oils and crystals is not mandatory. It just helps along the process.
You deserve a life of happiness, success, fulfillment, inner peace, joy, and bliss. And nobody has the power to take that away from you. Therefore, make it a priority to work on yourself.
When you’re full of positive energy, you radiate the same, and that’s the most effective way to make this world a better place.
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If you’re interested in knowing more about chakra healing, check out a complete chakra resource that includes chakra worksheets, chakra printable card sets, a 99-page awakening the seven chakras e-book (PDF), and chakra affirmations posters.
