What Are Chakras, Really?
You’ve probably heard the word chakra thrown around in yoga classes, on wellness podcasts, or maybe even during a massage or Reiki session. But what are chakras—really?
Let’s keep it simple.
🌀 Chakras = Energy Centers Along the Spine
Chakras are believed to be energy centers that run along the spine—from the base to the crown of the head. This concept comes from ancient Indian traditions, with roots in Hinduism, Tantra, Yoga, and Ayurveda. The earliest writings on chakras appear in classical yogic texts like the Shat-Chakra-Nirupana, and they also show up in some schools of Buddhist Tantra.
In both Yoga and Ayurveda, chakras are seen as key to maintaining physical health, emotional balance, and spiritual awareness.
While the framework comes from these traditions, the sensation of “energy” in the body is something people across cultures describe—especially during massage, meditation, breathwork, or Reiki.
There are thought to be many chakras throughout the body, but most systems focus on these 7 main ones:
💫 A Quick Guide to the 7 Main Chakras:
1. Root – Muladhara (Base of Spine)
Themes: Safety, stability, grounding
When out of balance: You might feel anxious, disconnected, or unsafe in your body.
2. Sacral – Svadhisthana (Lower Abdomen)
Themes: Creativity, pleasure, sexuality
When out of balance: You might feel blocked creatively or emotionally flat.
3. Solar Plexus – Manipura (Upper Abdomen)
Themes: Confidence, personal power, boundaries
When out of balance: You might feel powerless or overly controlling.
4. Heart – Anahata (Center of Chest)
Themes: Love, connection, compassion
When out of balance: You might struggle with self-love or experience emotional numbness.
5. Throat – Vishuddha (Throat)
Themes: Expression, truth, communication
When out of balance: You might hold back your voice or feel misunderstood.
6. Third Eye – Ajna (Forehead)
Themes: Intuition, insight, mental clarity
When out of balance: You might feel foggy, indecisive, or disconnected from your intuition.
7. Crown – Sahasrara (Top of Head)
Themes: Spiritual connection, purpose, awareness
When out of balance: You might feel isolated, cynical, or lack meaning.
⚡️ What Happens When a Chakra Is Blocked?
When energy gets “stuck,” it can show up as physical tension, emotional overwhelm, or just a general sense that something is off. For example, you might have chronic neck tightness (hello, throat chakra) or digestive issues paired with confidence struggles (solar plexus).
✋ How Reiki Helps
Reiki is a gentle, hands-on (or hands-above) practice that helps bring awareness, flow, and balance to these energy centers. It’s not about fixing or forcing—it’s about listening and allowing.
In my sessions at Sol Massage in San Diego, Reiki can be integrated with massage to focus on the physical body, or offered as a stand-alone session or 30-minute add-on to dive deeper into the energetic layer.
🌿 Final Thought
You don’t have to believe in chakras for your body to respond to energetic work. Sometimes, the shift is subtle—a softening, a release, a wave of emotion. Other times, it’s a sense of clarity you didn’t know you needed.
Curious? Book a Reiki or integrative massage session and feel the difference yourself.
