The Chakras: A Framework for Understanding Yourself

I’ve known about chakras since I was probably six or seven. Not in the way one might expect, though. I didn’t grow up chanting mantras, meditating, or bending myself into yoga poses to enliven energy centers. Contrary to that, I grew up in a conservative Baptist household, where we attended church three times a week and were well versed in the Bible and equally well in the so-called “enemies of God.” Chakras were thrown into the same category as palm readers, tarot cards, and all that “new-agey, touchy-feely stuff,” as my dad used to call it. We didn’t really ever talk about that category because it was a little too out there. We were more concerned with Satanists and Democrats, the real problems in our cities. 

As you can probably guess, my relationship with the chakras has been a bit… fraught. For most of my life, even after leaving Christianity, they were nothing more than a strange, foreign concept I dismissed without a second thought.

That started to change about two years ago on a meditation retreat in Indiana. The retreat center had been founded by Christian Mystics, the term of which seemed like a discordant concept to me. I remember sitting in my room with a cup of hot tea, overlooking a garden. There was only one book on the coffee table and it was a pop culture chakra quick reference. Not exactly my cup of tea, but I remember thinking, Hmm, why not? I flipped through it, and the chapter on the Sacral Chakra caught my attention. It included a sound meditation where all I had to do was chant the sound “Vam” and focus on the Sacral Chakra.

It sounded simple enough, so I gave it a try. And, honestly, something shifted. I felt this movement in my body and brain, like new energy moved to the surface. It wasn’t profound like “the spirit” moving through me. But it was real. It stayed with me and is here with me while I write this.

Now, the logical part of me wants to pick this apart - to find a dozen reasons why it was definitely not a sound that woke up a chakra or two. After all, the whole concept of chakras can seem a bit… out there (there’s no scientific machine that can observe the chakras after all!). But the reality is, bringing awareness to that part of my body changed how I felt about myself and I can’t ignore that.

These days, I approach the chakras with a little skepticism, a huge amount of faith, and a whole lot of “I don’t know.” And in my studies and exploration, they’re moved from a curiosity to being incredibly useful. So much so that I regularly reference them in my hypnotherapy practice.

Chakras as a Framework for Healing

I don’t necessarily talk about chakras with my clients, but I use them as a framework for understanding how I can help. The way I see it is that each chakra represents a different aspect of our life and being, from our basic needs and safety to creativity, relationships, self-expression, and beyond (think Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs). They’re like a lense through which to examine life and see where things might be out of balance.

I’ve also started incorporating sound into almost all of my hypnotherapy sessions - using tones (measured in Hz) generated from either tuning forks or singing bowls that are associated with specific chakras. I’ve found that this helps create movement and release. And I tell my clients that no matter if they believe chakras are “real” or not,  they provide a matrix through which we can examine our lives and bodies.

Seven Routes to Self-Awareness

The chakras are often described as energy centers in the body. Each one represents a different aspect of our physical, emotional, and spiritual experience. The Root Chakra, which is usually given the number “1,” starts at the base of the spine and is associated with safety and security. Next is the Sacral Chakra, which is at the pubic bone (creativity and pleasure), then the Solar Plexus Chakra (personal power), the Heart Chakra (love and connection) next, followed by the Throat Chakra (self-expression), the Third Eye Chakra (intuition), and, finally, the Crown Chakra (spirituality).

I have written a series of blogs diving into each of the seven chakras (jump ahead to a specific chakra: Root Sacral Solar Plexis Heart Throat Third Eye Crown). Each post explores what that chakra represents and how it shows up in your life. I end each post with some practical tools to bring each chakra back into balance. My hope is that if you read this whole series, you’ll have a new way of understanding yourself. My hope is that you find a new framework to help you navigate life with more awareness and intention.

Does it matter if the chakras are “real”? Honestly, I’d argue no. What matters is whether they help. And for me, they’ve become an incredibly valuable tool for self-exploration and healing. So why not bring a little awareness to your own chakras? You might just discover something new about yourself.

Before jumping into the chakra blogs, read my blog post about Working with Your Chakras.