A weak, under-active chakra can be brought back into balance in a variety of ways.  This ensures stability and wellbeing of the individual at every level of body, mind and spirit.

Base Chakra

Imbalances in this chakra can manifest as a chronic lack of energy, exhaustion, problems with stiffness and painful movement particularly in hips, legs and feet. Healing and energising is also needed when someone is uncomfortable with their body which can lead to a sense of confusion or unreality, lack of drive or motivation and an aversion to dealing with practicalities and taking physical exercise.

To energise the base chakra:

• A warm bath.
• Massage, aromatherapy or reflexology.
• Walking, running, drumming, dancing or jumping.  Just stamping the feet can improve circulation, co-ordination and our link to the earth.
• Gardening for extra grounding.
• Attend to practical matters.
• Meditation to bring you back to the present and increase focus.
• Eating, especially high protein foods. A good mineral supplement can also help. (Shortage of zinc is one of the most common causes of ‘spaciness’ and lack of mental focus.)
• Haematite crystal for increased focus and grounding.

Sacral Chakra

This chakra is concerned with balance and flow including the ebb and flow of the emotions. Any imbalances in this chakra can manifest as poor balance of fluids and lack of flexibility such as irregular or painful menstruation, constipation, lower back pain, sciatica, fertility problems, arthritis and rigidity of joints.  Imbalances can arise when we become fixated on something that is unrealistic or inappropriate which can lead to unhealthy emotional dependency, lack of emotional flexibility and repression of feelings. Adults who display sacral chakra imbalances may have experienced a lack of close physical contact as young children.

To energise the sacral chakra:

• Tai chi, chi kung, hatha yoga or belly dancing to increase sense of movement and balance and increase chi in the tantien.
• Creative pursuits such as painting, drawing, writing or making music to help blocked energy start flowing.
• Moonstone, rose quart and clear quartz crystals placed over the sacral chakra.

Solar Plexus Chakra

This chakra is associated with the element of fire. Fire can bring comfort and warmth but can also bring fear and terror when out of control, echoing the emotional breadth of this chakra.  Imbalances in this chakra can manifest as anxiety, digestive disorders, lack of personal power, victimhood or dominating others.

To energise the solar plexus chakra:

•  Seated spinal twist hatha yoga pose.
• Visualise a golden sun in your solar plexus chakra.
• Learn to accept yourself for who you are.
• Meditation without form or Vipassana/still point meditation to take you beyond your sense of who you are.
• Spiritual development including recogising that people and situations are a reflection of ourselves to stop you taking things so personally.
• Citrine and calcite crystals.

Heart Chakra

This chakra governs our interactions as we reach out to touch and embrace others. It continually strives to bring balance between external stimuli and internal emotions. The state of this chakra indicates our capacity for joy, compassion and tolerance.  Imbalances can manifest as feeling remote and isolated from the world around us or living your life according to other people’s rules. When you listen to your heart, you will be directed along a path which allows you to achieve your maximum potential.

To energise the heart chakra:

• Join groups/classes or do community work to meet people and make new friends if you have been feeling isolated.
• Gomukhasana hatha yoga pose to open the heart centre.
• Find a balance between your personal needs and the needs of others.
• Examine your values and beliefs to see if they are really yours. If not, identify your own and start to live by them instead.
• Pink and green crystals to strengthen and energise the heart chakra.

Throat Chakra

This chakra is associated with communication, self-expression and finding a path of inner peace.  Individual expression can be stifled by overbearing discipline. When that happens, energy is either directed upwards where it is locked in a fantasy world of imagination or downwards to distort the lower three chakras as aggression or excessive manipulation and dominance over others. Imbalances here manifest as lack of inner peace, communication difficulties and understanding the communication of others, difficulties swallowing or breathing, throat and thyroid disorders, metabolic disorders, neck and shoulder tension

To energise the throat chakra:

•  Singing, chanting a mantra or toning to release physical and emotional tensions.
• Release and purifying hurt, angry feelings by writing them down and burning the piece of paper.
• Creative/artistic expression such as drawing or painting.
• Ustrasana (camel pose) from hatha yoga.
• Examine core beliefs and see where there are conflicting viewpoints.
• Don’t tell lies; try to practice open, honest communication.
• Blue crystals such as blue lace agate, lapis lazuli and turquoise to assist self-expression.

Third Eye/Brow Chakra

This chakra governs perception, understanding, interpretation, perspective and thought processes.  It interprets information received by the brain. Imbalances here manifest as confusion, poor vision, jumping to conclusions or a closed mind.

To energise the brow chakra:

•  Creative visualisation with images of light.
• Cultivate a sense of detachment from strong emotional involvement to increase possibility of flashes of intuition and inspiration arising in the mind.
• Send distant healing regularly to increase inner vision/clairvoyance.
• Practice psychometry, with an open mind and sense of fun!, to receive impressions about an object, its history and owner.
• Practice tratak (candle-gazing) meditation to strengthen third eye.
• Indigo or violet crystals such as lapis lazuli or amethyst.

Crown Chakra

This chakra relates to spirituality understanding and concept of oneness or unity. The crown chakra is also the main co-ordinating centre of the body and connects the individual to universal sources of energy. Imbalances here manifest as limbic system disorders (body temperature, appetite, sleep patterns, emotions and movement), chronic fatigue syndrome and ME, lack of co-ordination, dyslexia, detachment and isolation or over-dependence on a person or way of living.  If the crown chakra is weak or prevented from working normally, it cannot provide all the energy and information required by the other chakras.

To energise the crown chakra:

•  Physical exercises such as cross crawl (right elbow to left knee etc) to improve co-ordination.
• Adho mukha svanasana (downward dog) hatha yoga pose to balance energy between feet and crown.
• Improve body-mind co-ordination with activities such as juggling and rubbing your stomach while tapping your head.
• Practice meditation and develop an interest in spirituality.
• Reiki or other energy healing attunements.
• Practice yoga nidra to visualise flow of energy and information throughout the body.
• Clear quartz crystal to energise whole auric field and selenite crystal to live more in tune with higher self.

Helen Shortland is a Reiki Master Teacher, Meditation Teacher and Holistic Therapist based at Little London Herbal Stores on Kings Walk in Nottingham city centre. For further information about her courses, workshops and therapies, please visit her website at http://helenshortland.com.