Chakra is a Sanskrit word that literally means circle or wheel. It originates from the ancient Indian yoga system and the philosophy of Tantra. Chakras can best be explained as vortexes of energy located vertically along the spine, and they correspond to the spinal plexuses in the physical body. Each chakra appears like a wheel of light that spins in a clockwise direction at a different speed, depending on your enlightenment level. There are many more chakras and meridians as well, but for the purposes of Reiki, we will talk about the seven chakras on the physical body.

The seven chakras shape your spiritual anatomy. Chakras are important elements on your spiritual path and understanding them will allow you to integrate your mind, body, and spirit in a better way when this is understood. Chakras can be viewed as the seven doors to higher consciousness that will allow you to ascend and better understand your full potential on your journey to enlightenment. Your body is your vehicle to your higher consciousness and your level of physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual health is important. It is vital to practice self-care.

Chakras are also known as lotuses, and each chakra symbol is portrayed with a different number of petals, which are the expression of their vibratory frequency.  With the seven chakras on the physical body, each symbol corresponds with the seven colors of the rainbow, and they are called the spectrum of white light. The chakra symbols are a form of sacred geometry, combining imagery, geometric shapes, Sanskrit letters, and colors. They represent each chakra’s energy signature and have rich spiritual meaning.

When we experience trauma, our chakras can become stagnant or even spin in the other direction. This can lead to various problems including physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual symptoms. For example, narcissistic abuse can affect various chakras such as your root, sacral, solar plexus, heart, and throat centers, if not all of them. Narcissism can directly affect your sense of safety, your communication, your power, and your sociability, in which case you would have clear signs that there were issues in the energy centers that represent your ability to function in these areas. The beauty of Reiki is that it can heal on many different levels and get to the root cause of most issues. Shamanic practices such as soul retrieval and shamanic journeying can further healing when there are roadblocks. We are complex beings, and we can learn to rely on our intuition to guide us throughout challenges.