What the chakras are
The word chakra comes from Sanskrit and is often translated as wheel. In energy traditions, the chakras are described as seven main centers along the spine, each linked with a part of life: safety, feeling, power, love, expression, intuition and connection.
I treat them as a map and not as anatomy. A map isn't the territory, but it can help you notice where you are. I'm a Reiki Master, and I use the chakras the way my Usui Shiki Ryoho training handed them down: as a way to give attention something to rest on.
The seven chakras
in order
From the base of the spine up. Tap a chakra to read its full page.
| Chakra | Where it sits and what it holds |
|---|---|
| RootRed | WhereBase of the spineWhat it holdsSafety, grounding and the sense that your basic needs are met. |
| SacralOrange | WhereLower bellyWhat it holdsCreativity, emotion, pleasure and flow. |
| Solar plexusYellow | WhereUpper abdomenWhat it holdsPersonal power, will and confidence. |
| HeartGreen | WhereCenter of the chestWhat it holdsLove, compassion, forgiveness and connection. |
| ThroatBlue | WhereThroatWhat it holdsCommunication, expression and truth. |
| Third eyeIndigo | WhereBetween the browsWhat it holdsIntuition, insight and clear seeing. |
| CrownViolet | WhereTop of the headWhat it holdsConnection, meaning and wholeness. |
These are descriptions from energy traditions, not medical claims.
How a chakra
becomes blocked
I don't think of a blocked chakra as a clog. I think of it as a nervous system that learned what keeps it safe. A body that learned to stay on guard, stay small, stay useful or stay quiet will often show it in the same places a chakra is said to sit.
That's why forcing a center open rarely works, and why steadiness tends to help more than effort. See blocked chakras for signs across all seven, and nervous system regulation for the body side.
Where Reiki fits
Reiki doesn't depend on the chakras, but many practitioners find them a helpful map, and I do too. In my own work, I'm there as a vessel, and Reiki goes where it is needed. Nearly every activation I record works through the chakras, and I guide the energy to more than one.
I can't promise a specific result, and Reiki is a complement to medical and mental health care, never a replacement. See Reiki chakra balancing for how a session moves through the body, and what is Reiki if you're new.
The seven chakras
and the seven gates
In my work in the Temple of Mysteries, I teach Inanna's descent through seven gates. As we move down the seven gates, we move up the seven chakras, and on the way back the path reverses.
If that calls to you, read the seven gates of Inanna or visit the Temple of Mysteries.
Which chakra
to start with
You don't need to work through them in order. Notice how you're feeling, and begin there.
| If you're feeling | Where to begin |
|---|---|
| Unsteady, unsafe or ungrounded | Start with the root chakra |
| Creatively flat or cut off from feeling | Start with the sacral chakra |
| Unsure of yourself or running on willpower | Start with the solar plexus chakra |
| Guarded, grieving or finding it hard to receive | Start with the heart chakra |
| Swallowing what you want to say | Start with the throat chakra |
| Doubting your own inner knowing | Start with the third eye chakra |
| Disconnected from meaning or from something larger | Start with the crown chakra |
Beyond the seven
The seven main centers are plenty to start with. If you're curious, there are more: the hands and feet, the thymus, and the earth star and soul star beyond the body. Systems describe them differently, and I share what I've felt and worked with on my minor and extra chakras page.
Go deeper
Eight pages to explore the chakras further.
A free activation to settle first
Reiki for Anxiety: A Nervous System Healing Transmission is a Reiki activation I recorded for settling the body. It is free on my YouTube channel, and a good way to arrive before any chakra practice.
Reiki for Anxiety ยท A Nervous System Healing Transmission
You can listen any time, and if you drift off along the way, let yourself. Nearly every activation I record works through the chakras, and I guide the energy to more than one.
More to listen to
Three more that meet individual centers and the whole body.
Morning Meditation for Positive Energy
A gentle morning meditation to begin the day settled.
Listen on YouTube
Valentine's Day Reiki | Heart Chakra Activation
A heart chakra activation to open and receive love.
Listen on YouTube
Frequently asked questions
How many chakras are there?
Most traditions agree on seven main chakras along the spine. Beyond those, systems differ: you will see centers above the head, below the feet, and in the hands and feet. I cover those on my minor and extra chakras page.
What are the 7 chakras in order?
From the base of the spine up: root, sacral, solar plexus, heart, throat, third eye and crown. Many people remember them by their rainbow colors, from red at the root to violet at the crown.
What do the chakras mean?
In energy traditions, each chakra is a center linked with a theme: safety for the root, creativity and feeling for the sacral, personal power for the solar plexus, love for the heart, expression for the throat, intuition for the third eye and connection for the crown. These are ways of describing experience and are not medical statements.
What is a blocked chakra?
In energy traditions, a blocked chakra is a center described as depleted, or sometimes overactive, so that the qualities it governs feel hard to reach or settle. I think of it less as a clog and more as a nervous system that learned what keeps it safe. See blocked chakras for signs across all seven.
Can chakras be healed or balanced?
Many people describe feeling more settled, warm or clear after energy work, meditation or time in nature, and link that to particular chakras. I can't promise a specific result, and none of this treats a condition. Chakra work is a complement to medical and mental health care, never a replacement.
Does Reiki balance the chakras?
Reiki doesn't depend on the chakras, but many practitioners find them a helpful map. In my own work, I'm there as a vessel, and Reiki goes where it is needed. See Reiki chakra balancing for how a session moves through the body.
Which chakra should I start with?
Many people start with the root, because grounding makes everything else easier. If something else is calling you, follow that. The table on this page points you to the right place based on how you're feeling.
Are chakras real?
They come from energy traditions and are maps for exploring experience, not anatomy. I encourage you to feel for them in your own practice and keep what holds true for you.
Guided by Carissa Andrews, Reiki Master and lineage holder.
Reiki is a complementary practice and not a substitute for medical or mental health care. No specific outcomes are promised or guaranteed. This page is educational and is not therapy or clinical advice.