11 Ways to Realign Your Chakras

Feel like you’re spinning out of control, stuck in a rut, or bogged down by the blahs? If so, one or more of your chakras could be out of balance. The shift in seasons, the cycle of the moon, the weather, personal and world events, and life transitions can all cause the body’s energy centers to become blocked or out of balance. Yogis believe strongly that an imbalanced energy body will negatively affect one’s mental wellbeing and physical body. The good news is you don’t have to be a Reiki master to realign the chakras—there are several quick and easy ways to get your “disks of light” whirling again.

1. Ignite a Stick of Incense

The first of the seven main chakras, the root chakra, is closely linked to our sense of smell. Earthy scents can help ground a restless, unstable body and clear out negative energy. Lower the lights, sit tall in a chair with your feet rooted firmly on the ground or sit in Sukhasana (easy pose), and burn a stick of cedar incense. The woodsy scent could be just the thing to connect your body to the earth and restore your sense of stability and groundedness. If not, consider burning a different scent—you can purchase incense for any of the 7 chakras.

2. Get Grounded with Gemstones

The properties of individual gemstones are as unique as their colors, shapes, and sizes. Gemstones can be held in the hand, worn as a pendant, used to make mala beads, or placed directly over the chakras. For example, To target the second or sacral chakra use gemstones with an orange tint like orange calcite.  If you are wanting to cultivate a strong spiritual connection at in seventh chakra use gemstones like crystal quartz and Lapis Lazuli. You can purchase a seven gemstone kit to have crystals on hand to balance any of the major chakras.

3. Light a Salt Lamp

Bring the experience of a soothing salt cave into the comfort of your home with Himalayan salt lamps. Salt lamps help purify the air, reduce the symptoms of allergies and asthma, improve blood flow, and act as a sleep aid. The glowing pink-orange-gold lamps also help balance the three lower chakras. Choose one with a golden glow to target the third chakra or solar plexus.

4. Take a Yoga Class

A skillful yoga teacher will design a class that works to gently stretch and open specific areas of the body in a natural succession. Focused classes can target areas where you feel shut down or closed off. For example, hip-opening postures like Bound Angle Pose, and Pigeon Pose to target the lower chakras. Upper back bends and shoulder opening yoga poses like Camel Pose, Wheel Pose, and Upward-Facing Dog can be good for the heart chakra. Core work and twisting poses help ease energy blocks in the solar plexus chakra.

5. Sip Some Tea

Tea time is traditionally a time to pause, slow down, and savor the moment in an otherwise busy day. You can create or choose specially blended herbs to enhance the benefits of each individual chakra. For example, the next time you curl up with a cup, brew a blend of fifth chakra tea to balance the throat chakra and you’ll not only communicate clearly, but you’ll rekindle your creativity as well.

6. Experiment with Essential Oils

With essential oils becoming more popular, many are discovering the positive impact of scent on the body, mind and spirit. Essential oils are commonly mixed with other oils or diluted with water so they can be safely applied to the skin. Inhaling the scent of essential oils can help calm or uplift the body, balance emotions, and support physical and spiritual well-being. For example, use a calming lavender face mist to relax the mind, soothe the skin, and bring the third-eye chakra into balance.

7. Recite a Mantra

If you’re like many of us who have trouble sitting in silent meditation, mantra recitation can be a useful tool to focus the mind and balance the body. A mantra can be a phrase or word that is meaningful to you, or an ancient Sanskrit chant designed to evoke a specific deity. Try repeating the sound of Om with a set of rudraksha beads to balance the crown chakra and connect to your higher self. Or choose a different bija mantra from the list below to harmonize the specific energy center that feels out of balance.

8. Connect with Nature

Spend time outdoors, whether it’s walking along a trail, sitting by a lake, or taking a hike. Nature has its own rhythm, which helps us slow down and connect with ourselves and others. Reconnecting with nature also gives us a chance to breathe deeply, let go of stress and worry, and become present with our bodies, minds, and spirits. Each chakra resonates with one of the five elements, so mindfully choosing the location and time of your outdoor experience can emphasize a specific element.

The air element calms the fourth chakra, while the fire element stimulates the third chakra. Water nourishes the second chakra, while the ether element connects us to the fifth chakra. Thus, if you want to activate and strengthen the fiery energy of the manipura or third chakra, schedule your outdoor time in the middle of the day to best soak up the bright golden light of the sun.

9. Practice Pranayama

There are several yogic breathing exercises that help harmonize and align your energy centers. Practicing a few minutes of pranayama helps to connect you to your subtle body and improves the quality and flow of energy throughout your entire body. The basic diaphragmatic breath (breathing from the abdomen) soothes the nervous system and improves the energy flow in the lower chakras.

Box breathing is a great tool for calming the nervous system and bringing us into a state of equanimity and peace. The main benefit of this pranayama practice is to equalize, harmonize and balance the prana flowing through the body’s nadis or energy channels. This four-part breathing technique is primarily practiced for calming and balancing the mind and body to reduce mental stress and worry. Box breathing is a great way to align your chakras and create a sense of safety and security.

Alternate nostril breathing purifies the energy channels and brings about a deep sense of calmness. This technique of breathing through one nostril at a time improves concentration and memory, increases focus, reduces anxiety, promotes emotional balance, and helps us sleep better. It is a powerful way to bring harmony and balance to the energy pathways. When done correctly, it also creates a feeling of lightness and peace within the practitioner.

10. Meditate with Visualization

Visualization is one of the best meditation practices to calm your mind and align your upper chakras. You can visualize a specific chakra or imagine a white light purifying all seven centers at once. Visualizing on a specific center allows you to access their power and learn how to use them effectively, but imagining the whole system is quicker and may be more efficient and effective. Traditionally, these energy centers are visualized by their associated color and by a lotus blossom with different numbers of petals.

11. Incorporate Color Therapy

Color therapy is another powerful tool for chakra balancing, as each energy center is associated with a specific color. Wearing or decorating your home with colors that correspond to your chakra imbalance will help bring balance to your life. For example, if you’re wanting to activate the sixth chakra, you would surround yourself with the color blue. If you want to remove an energy blockage in your heart center, you would use shades of green. To create a balanced root chakra, add more of the color red to your life.