Still learning. Sharing what's helping.

Ever felt stuck without knowing why? Maybe you're successful on paper, but something feels off inside. Or you have everything you thought you wanted, but you're exhausted, anxious, or disconnected.

What if the answer isn't another productivity hack or mindset shift—but understanding your energy?

Based on the profound teachings of Anodea Judith in Eastern Body, Western Mind, this guide explores the seven chakras not as mystical concepts, but as practical maps for understanding why we feel the way we feel—and how to find balance.

What Are Chakras, Really?

Think of chakras like invisible spinning wheels of energy in your body. When these wheels spin smoothly, life flows better—physically, emotionally, mentally, and spiritually.

Anodea Judith teaches us about two vital energy currents:

The Upward Current (Liberation): Energy rising from earth to sky. It's about growing, expanding, reaching your potential, gaining awareness.

The Downward Current (Manifestation): Energy flowing from inspiration down into form. It's how dreams become reality—how you ground spiritual insight into daily action.

Both are essential. One helps you rise into purpose. The other helps you build your life in the real world.

1. Root Chakra: "Feeling Safe in a Messy World"

Location: Base of the spine
Color: Red
Element: Earth
Core Truth: The right to exist

What You're Learning Here

In your first year of life, you were completely dependent. Your basic needs—food, warmth, touch, love—shaped your sense of safety in the world. This is where your foundation of trust was built (or broken).

If your caregivers were loving and consistent, you developed a deep inner belief: "The world is safe. My needs will be met. I belong here."

But if those needs weren't met—through neglect, poverty, violence, or stress—you carry that insecurity into adulthood. You may never feel safe, even when you have everything.

When It's Out of Balance

Blocked: Constant anxiety, trouble trusting others, feeling "on edge," financial instability
Excessive: Obsession with security, hoarding, resistance to change, attachment to material things

What Balance Looks Like

When your root chakra is balanced, you feel grounded and present. You have a sense of belonging and security in your finances, home, and body. You're confident in simply being here, alive and worthy.

Simple Practices

• Walk barefoot on grass (earthing)
• Cook and eat root vegetables mindfully
• Create a small emergency fund—even $100 builds trust
• Practice this affirmation: "I am safe. I am grounded. I belong here."

2. Sacral Chakra: "Trusting Pleasure, Feeling Emotion"

Location: Lower abdomen
Color: Orange
Element: Water
Core Truth: The right to feel and to want

What You're Learning Here

Around six months of age, you began discovering pleasure. You wiggled with joy, splashed in water, laughed when tickled. This chakra teaches you how to experience emotion without shame and explore pleasure without guilt.

You're also learning boundaries: Where do you end and the world begin? Is it safe to feel? Is it safe to say no?

When It's Out of Balance

Blocked: Emotionally numb, guilt around pleasure, lack of interest in intimacy or joy
Excessive: Overly emotional, poor boundaries, addiction to drama

What Balance Looks Like

You feel emotions fully without being ruled by them. You have healthy relationships with pleasure, creativity flows freely, and you're comfortable with rest and self-expression.

Simple Practices

• Dance or sway to music with your eyes closed
• Take warm baths or spend time near water
• Name your feelings without judgment
• Practice this affirmation: "I allow myself to feel. I deserve pleasure."

3. Solar Plexus Chakra: "Owning Your Power Without Guilt"

Location: Upper abdomen
Color: Yellow
Element: Fire
Core Truth: The right to act and choose

What You're Learning Here

Around age two, you started asserting independence: "I do it myself." "No, I don't want that." You were learning that you have choices, preferences, and the ability to act on them.

If this stage was nurtured, you developed: "I can make things happen. I have value. My choices matter."

If it was crushed by shame or overcontrol, you carry that powerlessness into adulthood.

When It's Out of Balance

Blocked: Low self-esteem, fear of failure, difficulty making decisions, digestive problems
Excessive: Controlling behavior, perfectionism, workaholism, anger outbursts

What Balance Looks Like

You know your worth without needing to prove it. You take responsibility for your life without blaming others. You make decisions with clarity and are motivated without being aggressive.

Simple Practices

• Make one bold decision today—however small
• Practice saying "no" without apology
• Write down your accomplishments
• Practice this affirmation: "I am powerful. I trust myself."

4. Heart Chakra: "Loving Without Losing Yourself"

Location: Center of the chest
Color: Green
Element: Air
Core Truth: The right to love and be loved

What You're Learning Here

Between ages four and seven, you began forming deeper emotional bonds. This chakra teaches you: "I can love others without losing myself."

If your early experiences included affection and emotional safety, you grow up open and compassionate. But if you faced heartbreak or conditional love, you may build walls or over-give to feel worthy.

When It's Out of Balance

Blocked: Fear of intimacy, feeling unlovable, isolating yourself
Excessive: Over-giving, losing yourself in relationships, jealousy

What Balance Looks Like

You give and receive love freely while maintaining boundaries. You feel compassion for others and yourself. You forgive without losing self-respect.

Simple Practices

• Write a letter of forgiveness—to someone else or yourself
• Spend time with animals or in nature
• Say something kind to yourself out loud
• Practice this affirmation: "I am open to love. My heart is safe."

5. Throat Chakra: "Speaking Up Without Fear"

Location: Throat
Color: Blue
Element: Sound
Core Truth: The right to speak and be heard

What You're Learning Here

Around age seven, you started using your voice more consciously—asking questions, sharing opinions, expressing feelings. This chakra governs your right to speak your truth without fear of rejection or judgment.

When shut down at this stage, you often grow up afraid to speak or unsure of what you truly feel.

When It's Out of Balance

Blocked: Shyness, trouble expressing thoughts, fear of conflict
Excessive: Talking too much, not listening, using words to control

What Balance Looks Like

You speak honestly with compassion. You listen deeply to yourself and others. You feel safe expressing needs and boundaries. You trust that your voice matters.

Simple Practices

• Say what you really mean—kindly, without apology
• Sing or hum (even in the shower)
• Write freely in a journal
• Practice this affirmation: "My voice matters. I speak with truth."

6. Third Eye Chakra: "Trusting What You Already Know"

Location: Between the eyebrows
Color: Indigo
Element: Light
Core Truth: The right to see

What You're Learning Here

In adolescence, you began asking big questions: "Who am I?" "What is real?" "What do I believe?" You developed inner vision—the ability to reflect, imagine, and understand deeper truths.

This chakra helps you trust your instincts, form clear visions, and connect to deeper wisdom.

When It's Out of Balance

Blocked: Difficulty trusting intuition, overthinking, mental fog, dismissive of spirituality
Excessive: Fantasy addiction, obsession with psychic phenomena, rigid beliefs

What Balance Looks Like

You trust your inner guidance and can visualize meaningful goals. You reflect and learn from experiences. You stay grounded while connected to imagination.

Simple Practices

• Take quiet time daily to reflect
• Journal dreams or intuitive thoughts
• Visualize your goals clearly before acting
• Practice this affirmation: "I trust my inner vision."

7. Crown Chakra: "Living With Peace and Purpose"

Location: Top of the head
Color: Violet or White
Element: Consciousness
Core Truth: The right to know and connect

What You're Learning Here

By early adulthood, something deeper awakens: "What's the purpose of all this?" "Is there something greater than me?" This chakra represents your search for meaning through direct experience of consciousness.

It's not about religion—it's about presence, stillness, and remembering you're part of something bigger.

When It's Out of Balance

Blocked: Disconnection from purpose, cynicism, spiritual numbness, existential confusion
Excessive: Spiritual bypassing, detachment from reality, avoiding real-life problems

What Balance Looks Like

You feel deep peace even without answers. You live with purpose and spiritual alignment. You trust life's unfolding and stay connected to both earth and spirit.

Simple Practices

• Spend time in silence without phone or stimulation
• Practice gratitude for things beyond your control
• Look up at the sky—connect with vastness
• Practice this affirmation: "I am connected. I am guided."

Understanding Energy Flow: Two Directions That Change Everything

Energy doesn't just sit in chakras—it flows in two directions:

Upward Current (Liberation): From root to crown. Your journey from survival to awakening—from doing to being, fear to freedom.

Downward Current (Manifestation): From crown to root. Bringing inspiration into form—turning dreams into reality through grounded action.

For example, building a house:

• Crown: Vision of a peaceful home
• Third Eye: Imagining how it looks
• Throat: Discussing with partners
• Heart: Connecting emotionally
• Solar Plexus: Creating plans
• Sacral: Choosing designs excitedly
• Root: Building the foundation

This is how heaven becomes earth, soul becomes action.

Where to Start

You don't need to heal everything at once. Start with one chakra that resonates most. Pay attention to patterns in your life:

• Always anxious? Start with root.
• Emotionally numb? Focus on sacral.
• Can't make decisions? Work on solar plexus.
• Afraid of intimacy? Heart chakra.
• Can't speak up? Throat.
• Overthinking everything? Third eye.
• Feeling purposeless? Crown.

Remember: balance isn't a destination. It's a daily practice of tuning in, one layer at a time.

This guide draws inspiration from Anodea Judith's "Eastern Body, Western Mind"—a profound book that bridges ancient wisdom with modern psychology. Still learning. Still sharing what helps.