Fear has been the main theme of this year. The whole world seems to be anxious. We worry about the health of ourselves and our loved ones, about where our world is heading, and we worry about potential agendas or conspiracies behind COVID-19. This year has certainly flipped us upside down, caught us off guard, and created a degree of uncertainty in all of our lives. By taking the time to make sure our chakras are balanced, and learning to balance them in new ways when needed, we can learn to live happy and fulfilling lives through any challenge that comes our way.
Each of our seven main energy centers rules different areas and aspects of our wellbeing. It is important that all of them are open and flowing freely because when they are balanced, our lives are balanced too. Two of the chakras in particular are most likely to be thrown out of balance by this global experience, the Root Chakra and the Crown Chakra.
Finding Your Root
The Root Chakra is associated with our sense of safety and security and so it is the main energy center that is affected by fear, and therefore this pandemic. An open, balanced Root Chakra means feeling at peace in our bodies and on Earth.
Opening the Root Chakra:
- Get in nature: This will look different for you based on where you live and the current COVID-19 rules/guidelines in your area. You could go for a hike, go camping, spend time in your backyard, spend time in a park, go to the beach, walk in the woods, etc… Just make sure you find some way to connect with the natural world.
- Use the color red: This is one you can easily do at home. Put on red clothes, eat red food, paint with red paint, or just sit with your eyes closed and imagine the color red (this is extra healing if you imagine a spinning red orb on your tailbone).
- Carry crystals that help open the Root Chakra: If you don’t know much about crystals anything red or black will do. Or use your intuition to guide you to chose what crystal would be most helpful for you: hold each in your hand and ask “how does this make me feel?”. If the answer is “safe, secure, grounded, and calm”, then you found the perfect root chakra crystal for you!
- Do Inner Child work: Explore the root cause of your fear, when did you first feel this type of fear? What did you need then that you didn’t get? Give yourself now what you needed then. This simple practice can be incredibly healing.
Staying Connected
The Crown Chakra rules our connection to our spirituality (God, the Universe, Source, Higher Self,…), it’s our awareness of the fact that we are all one. The Crown is the sister chakra of the Root, they are closely connected and when one is out of balance, the other tends to be too. Think about it this way, how can we be fearful of what’s to come while remembering that we are spiritual beings being taken care of by the Universe (God, Source, the Divine,…)?
Opening the Crown Chakra:
-Meditate: Taking time to sit still and become aware of the consciousness behind our thoughts and feelings is one of the best ways to connect to spirit. If you are new to meditation, be aware that it is a skill, and it’s normal to “not be able to quiet your mind” right away. There are many different ways to meditate but if you are a beginner, I recommend listening to a guided meditation.
–Write a gratitude list: Gratitude is very powerful. Write or say a list of all the reasons you have to be grateful right now, in this moment. There are always reasons to be grateful. You woke up this morning and not everyone did, so start there. TIP: Make sure you really FEEL the gratitude as you’re listing the reasons.
–Practice spirituality: This means something different to everyone. What is it that helps you feel closest to your spirituality? If your church or place of worship is closed during this pandemic, now is a good time to explore other ways to connect to God/Source/ the Universe… You could watch videos or read books by spiritual teachers or do an activity that puts you in a state of flow (dancing, painting, knitting, whatever works for YOU).
–Use the color purple (or gold or white): Violet is the color of the Crown Chakra, so surround yourself with all things purple! Eat purple, wear purple, visualize purple, and/or make purple art. If you want to use crystals to help open your crown chakra chose ones that are purple or clear. Dressing in the color white can also make you feel spiritual and help open your Crown. NOTE: The Crown Chakra is often depicted as gold (think, halos) so if the color gold resonates with you more than purple does, feel free to use it instead.
The Other Five Chakras
Once you’ve taken care of the two chakras that are most likely to be affected by living through a pandemic, it’s time to make sure the other 5 main energy centers are open and balanced as well.
Sacral Chakra:
Associated with creativity and sensuality, you can tell that this chakra is blocked if you have neither of the two. The best way to heal the sacral chakra is to express your emotions through movement. Crank up the music and dance like no one is watching.
Solar Plexus Chakra:
This is the chakra that makes us feel powerful, or when blocked, powerless. Examining your sense of self can tell you all you need to know about the current health of this energy center. To activate this chakra, put on clothes that make you feel confident, stand up straight, and take an action that brings you out of your comfort zone. Is there something you’ve been wanting to do for a while that you haven’t done because it scares you? Find a way to do that thing, or at least take a step towards it. There may be additional challenges in your way due to the current state of the world, but get creative and don’t let this stop you.
Heart Chakra:
All about the relationships, if you are self-isolating for an extended period of time, your heart chakra may be suffering. If you are feeling lonely, find a way to connect with others in a meaningful way. This can be done remotely if needed. Self-care is also a great way to open your heart chakra. Pamper yourself as often as you can and make sure you do deep emotional work when you need to.
Throat Chakra:
The Throat Chakra rules communication. Do you feel like you aren’t being heard? Do you feel like you have nothing to say? Do you feel misunderstood? These are all signs that your throat chakra is closed. The best way to open this chakra is to use it. Singing can be very healing for this energy center. Talk with intention and honesty. Writing and other modes of expressing yourself will also help bring balance.
Third Eye Chakra:
This Chakra is the one that allows us to “see”. When your Third Eye Chakra is open, you have a deep understanding and awareness through life. Have you ever had an intuitive feeling that turned out to be true? That is the magic that comes with having a balanced Third Eye Chakra. We are currently being faced with many unknowns and difficult decisions with everything going on in the world, so it is especially important to be able to hear and listen to your intuition. To open your Third Eye Chakra, close your eyes and imagine a ball of indigo light between your eyebrows. Stay focused on this for as long as you can and do this exercise regularly.
Balanced Chakras, Balanced Life
Make sure to check in with your chakras every now and then. If you are struggling with an area of life, make an effort to rebalance the associated chakra. Working with the seven main energy centers can be a great way to become aware of any hidden issues or problems that might have gone overlooked. Having an understanding of the chakras is a tool that can help us look at things from a more holistic viewpoint and take control of our lives. As we are living through a historic time where we may feel like we have little to no control, there is no better time to start utilizing this tool than now.