Okay, I have to admit—it took me a while to get on board with my chakras. First of all, they don’t teach us about our energy systems in science class. Second, we can’t see them, so they’re not obvious parts of our bodies like, say, our hands.
But the more I learned about chakras, and the more I got in tune with my body, the more I realized you can feel them.
Sometimes it can feel like a cool breeze, a subtle vibration or a warm tingling sensation somewhere along your spine. You can sense it, but it’s not necessarily triggered by something in your physical reality.
One must be clear-of-thought and fully present in order to notice these built in connectors to your cosmic self.
This elevated state of awareness is a key part of the practice I am about to share with you.
First off, what is a chakra?
“The chakra is a doorway. These are doorways that lead you into other dimensions. But you have to focus on them to the exclusion of everything else.”
—Frederick Lenz
The ancient mystics of India often illustrated the chakra system as seven brightly colored circles along the spine arranged in spectrum order with Sanskrit symbols in their centers. Chakra literally means “wheel” or “disk”, and these power centers in the body are believed to receive and radiate energy.
It is said that there lies, at the base of the spine, an abundance of dormant energy that is just waiting to be tapped into – this is often represented in the Kundalini tradition as a sleeping snake. By activating each chakra, we allow this life-force to travel up our body, awakening new abilities and transforming us as it goes.
All too often, however, energy can become sort of stuck—usually in one of the major chakras. This can be caused by stress, tension, lack of exercise, toxins in our diet, poor sleep and air pollution – to name a few.
Thankfully, our ancestors left us powerful tools and techniques to clear out these blockages. Today, we’re going to delve into one them!
Chakra Bathing
I was recently introduced to the concept of “giving my chakras a bath,” to help cleanse any stagnant energies and keep them open. Your chakras don’t literally get dirty, but much like our minds and bodily systems, stuff can accumulate in these invisible centers, and every so often we need to give them attention so they can shine brightly.
I want to invite you to take the next seven days to give something back to yourself with the following ritual. If you don’t have access to a bath, you could also use these elements and practices in a shower, or even during your meditation while seated.
The point of this ritual is to explore these energy centers within you and strengthen your mind-body-spirit connection.
Here are some simple steps and suggestions to create your chakra-cleansing rituals.
1. Choose your chakra. Have a chakra in mind as you set your intentions and prepare your space. Either follow along and each day choose one beginning from root to crown, or if you are in tune enough to know where you need to focus, select that chakra for the day.
*We’ve created a chakra guide (see bottom of post) that outlines each of your 7 chakras – including where they’re located and how to work with them.
2. Create a sacred space. Run a warm bath (or shower), preferably in a freshly clean tub. Clear away any extraneous products and clutter. Make it simple yet beautiful. Dim the lights, and light a candle.
3. Add Epsom salts to your bath. (Recommended: 1-2 cups). The salts are full of nurturing, cleansing minerals, and help the body to relax.
4. Add healing elements. These can include essential oils, herbs, crystals, or items of the same color associated with the chakra.
(We’ve include ideas below.)
5. Relax. Settle into your sacred space, take some easy breaths and continue with the following steps of the ritual.
6. Activate your chakra. On the chakra guide below, locate the sound that is associated with the particular chakra you are working on and begin saying it, softly or loudly, to yourself. The ancients believed that these one-syllable sounds, also known as “bija mantras,” could be used to purify and balance the body and mind. Bija means “seed,” and you are literally planting a seed of thought in your body-mind to wake up that particular energy center of your body.
7. Meditate. Focus on the chakra. Visualize where it’s located within your own body. See if you can sense it. Bathe it, not only in water and sound, but also your own loving, nurturing energy. Using the affirmations we’ve included in the guide below, feel the vibrations of these “thought energies”—how the idea of it makes you feel—and repeat until you feel it deeply resonating in each center.
8. Finish. Don’t hurry through this ritual. Take as much time as you need. But when you are finished, try to take your time while drying off and resuming your day or evening. Be gentle with yourself.
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Ready to get started? Great! Now, let’s take a deeper look into each chakra and learn how you can connect to each one.
Root Chakra
The root is associated with basic needs and survival, belonging, and tribe. When imbalanced, you may experience insecurity, eating disorders (over- or undereating), paranoia, aggression, depression, lethargy, negativity, cynicism, greed, slipping back into “survival mode”—even when surrounded by abundance. Located at the very base of the spine, the root chakra corresponds with the perineum, along the first three vertebrae, at the pelvic plexus. This is perhaps the most important to keep clear, as it is the foundation on which we build our life and impacts our entire sense of being.
Color: Red
Related organs: Kidney, bladder, adrenals, hips, vertebral column
Mantra: LAM. (pronounced laam)
Affirmation: “I am balanced and safe. I trust myself and am grounded.”
Essential oils and herbs: Patchouli, cinnamon, lavender and bergamot.
Crystals: Garnet, black tourmaline, onyx, smoky quartz.
Sacral Chakra
Residing just above the genitals, the sacral chakra helps us to connect to the physical world and enjoy its pleasures in all forms. This is the center of creativity, self-love, and sensuality, and when out of balance, can lead to greed, addiction, frustration, compulsion, sexual repression, depression, self-deprivation, and apathy.
Color: Orange
Related organs: Sex organs, uterus, prostate, large bowels.
Mantra: VAM (pronounced vaam)
Affirmation: “My feelings are healthy. I am strong and creative. I love myself.”
Essential oils and herbs: Jasmine, sandalwood, orange, and ylang-ylang.
Crystals: Carnelian, orange fire agate
Did you know there is a Chakra-Asana? Click here.
Solar Plexus Chakra
This energy center is all about action. Located just above your navel, this is the power center, and when energy gets stuck here, people can experience loss or abuse of their power. When in balance, you’ll feel a strong sense of motivation and direction, and will have a greater ability to trust your “gut feelings.” An imbalance here can lead to sarcasm, pessimism, subjectivity, bossiness, overly analytical or dictatorial personality, abuse of authority, abrasiveness, naïve passiveness, being wishy-washy, fatigue, becoming oblivious, and feeling inferior.
Color: Yellow
Related organs: Liver, stomach, spleen, small intestine.
Mantra: RAM (pronounced raam)
Affirmation: “I accept myself completely and am receptive to divine energy. I accept my responsibilities and am guided and receptive to divine will at all times.”
Essential oils and herbs: Rosemary, lemon, and cypress.
Crystals: Citrine
Heart Chakra
It’s where we hold the vibration of love, compassion, tenderness, patience, connection, forgiveness, generosity, and kindness. This energy center is located right in the center of your heart. When out of balance, we experience the opposites of these vibrations, such as impatience, bitterness, resentment, cruelty, loneliness and isolation, jealousy, possessiveness, and suspicion. This fourth chakra is a sort of transition between your lower and higher chakras, between survival and “thrival.”
Discover a Heart Chakra Purifying Recipe and Ritual, click here!
Color: Green
Related organs: Heart.
Mantra: YAM (pronounced yaam)
Affirmation: “I am loved. I love myself. Everything I do, I do with love. I am receptive and open to receiving love. I forgive others and forgive myself. May the abundance of the universe to pour divine love into my heart.”
Essential oils and herbs: Geranium, bergamot, and neroli.
Crystals: Green tourmaline, green garnet, rose quartz.
Throat Chakra
Located in your throat, near that place where people sometimes feel a “lump in their throat,” when they get choked up. While not directly adjacent to the power center in your solar plexus, this is often where power is expressed. Perhaps you’re beginning to see how these systems work together, and when one area becomes imbalanced, it can lead to imbalances up the energy chain. Through our speaking, by passing these vibrations through our throat chakras, we are calling things into being. We are creating our world—so if our sacral chakras are imbalanced and we’re creating with an over- or underactive throat chakra, we can be manifesting exactly what we don’t want. An imbalance here could lead someone to experience self-righteousness, infidelity, negative self-talk, repression of self-expression, being overly critical, destruction with words, confusion, and disorientation.
Color: Turquoise Blue
Related organs: Thyroid, lungs, upper digestive tract.
Mantra: HAM (pronounced haam)
Affirmation: “I am learning and growing. I receive and express clear communication.”
Essential oils and herbs: Lavender, Roman chamomile, and peppermint.
Crystals: Aquamarine, turquoise, sodalite, lapis lazuli, angelite
Click to see a 2-min Video Intro on the Pineal Gland
Third-Eye Chakra
The sixth chakra is the center of intuition and intellectual enlightenment, located right between your eyebrows. When in balance, you experience peace regardless of the world around you. When imbalanced, people can experience narrow-mindedness, self-absorption, lack of imagination, insensitivity, headaches, a scattered mind, and impaired vision.
Color: Indigo
Related organs: Eyes, sinuses, lower head.
Mantra: OM (pronounced aaum or ohm)
Affirmation: “I am wise. I see.”
Essential oils and herbs: Lavender, clary sage, and marjoram.
Crystals: Amethyst, quartz
Crown Chakra
Once you’ve nurtured your other six chakras and the energy is flowing, you are likely feeling a great sense of peace, purpose, and flow. The crown chakra is located at the crown/top of your head, and is the center for your spiritual awakening, wisdom, and enlightenment. When out of balance, people can experience depression, schizophrenia, feelings of superiority, lack of contact with reality, lack of concern for others.
Color: Purple
Related organs: Brain, pineal gland
Mantra: OM (pronounced aaum or ohm)
Affirmation: “I am filled with greatness and am connected to the divine wisdom of the universe. I trust my higher self.”
Essential oils and herbs: frankincense, myrhh, and cedarwood.
Crystals: Quartz
In conclusion, I hope you receive exactly what you need from this time-honored practice. We’d love to hear how it goes for you in the comments section below!
Stay curious,
Nick Polizzi
Founder, The Sacred Science
There is no doubt in my mind that keeping the chakras clear is very essential to wellbeing over the last ten years I have been doing chakra cleansing often on mediums who are still working with old energies and are often not enjoying good health so I know it works keep up the good work love and light John L
Brilliant ! Informative, and Inspirational …….. Thank You !
Thank you for this wonderful post! Your posts always come in the right moment and I know that this is not happening by chance. This post has inspired me to share about Essential Oils and Chakras in Skin at Heart 🙂 thank you! Have a lovely week!
J’avais oublié comment et à quel point cela fait un grand bien ,merci de tt cœur , j’en avais vraiment besoin
This sounds wonderful, thank you for sharing!
Your posts come at the right moment for me as well. Thank you. I used to do all these things when I was younger and am now being pulled in all directions. You bring the whisperings of spirituality that is often forgotten in the hustle of everyday life. 🙂
This is an essential part of the healing process. It allows detox and spiritual healing at the same time. Such great info for someone like me that is healing from cancer. Thank you!
Thank you for all the work you to and bring towards healing and giving us ownership of healing! Blessings always.
As a Reiki Master I can attest to the benefit of Chacra healing. Your blog is a wonderful help.
Keep up the good work.
I really enjoyed the article. thanks for sharing
Clear quartz balances all chakras…….chakras also pool magnetite in healthy individuals…..
As a Reiki Master I can attest to the benefit of daily chakra clearing and hands-on healing! I also love the use of beeja mantras and Sound Healing in my practice with myself and others. More and more I have been led to the use of essential oils in my practice, as well. Thank you for a concise and informative article and for the listing of essential oils recommended for each chakra.
Wonderful!! Thank you so much.
Excellent article, something I will try for sure.
Don’t forget about the Feminine Center, a pink energy center just left of the Heart. This energy center is not as well known, but still plays a critical role in allowing energy to rise beyond the Heart Center. Can be considered an 8th Chakra.
About the pink center mentioned in the comments: that explains the color discrepancies, how folks sometimes use both green and pink for the heart. Do you know if this 8th chakra has its own sound?
I love your emails and work and I thank you very much for what you share and how you are helping to bring these ancient traditions forward. In that spirit, I would ask in that given you are interested in the ancient ways and not the westernized, bastardization of things, please research the chakras, such as the colors associated (by the western world). The colors of the rainbow were given to them in the 1930’s and are NOT correct. The colors are actually as follows from the bottom up: 1st-yellow, 2nd-light blue, 3rd-red, 4th-smokey gray/green, 5th-smokey purple, 6th-transparent (luminous), and the seventh is colorless. It has been this way for thousands of years for a reason 🙂
How or what can we use as a representation for the 6th chakra color – luminous and for the 7th chakra color – transparent ? Please advise. Thank you.
I enjoyed reading your information, I must do this more often,I have practiced yoga for a very long time, will digest this.
Nick, your site is the very BEST!
The most interesting thing about the sounds of the chakra cleansing words is that I could feel them go to the proper location as if I Gardine this before. Maybe I did in another life or something. Strange….
typo correction: had done…..not Gardine, whatever that means, lol
Thank you. 🙂
This was very good info. I have share this with a couple of my friends. Thanks! 🙂
Hi Nick, Thank you for your email on the Human Chakras. A vast and complex subject. I have merely touched on this subject, but it is a fascinating one. Our ancient ancestors knew of these mysterious energy centers. And also knew how to activate them. They are mentioned in the Ancient Vedas [The
Hindu Holy Bible] and in the Buddhist and Egyptian mystery schools. And in the very earliest Christian and Jewish teachings. They were also mentioned in the Essene community [ whom Jesus was a member] The Human Aura which is connected to the chakras can be seen by a special aura camera. As we are first and foremost energy beings [ the body being slowed down energy ] these chakras are centers of consciousness. The chakra at the base of the spine being one of the lowest
corresponds with our consciousness level ie : survival and phyisical wants and needs. At the head end of the body the crown chakra corresponds to high spiritual attainment or super consciousness. Which is normally reserved for Saints, Ascended masters and Avatars and Shamans of different creeds religions and races. Psychic abilities were an offshoot of High spiritual practices. The Egyptian
Pyramids were used for spiritual practices as well as tombs for the Egyptian Kings and Queens. The stones in western Europe were also used for spiritual practices. As was Ayres Rock in Australia and the Native American Lands of the Grand Canyon were all holy places with a special energy emanating from these places and objects. I have only mentioned a few sacred places around the World . There are many more. Our early ancestors were in tune with this energy coming out of Mother Earth and often built the earliest churches on these power points. If you get some dowsing rods or a pendulum you can pick this electromagnetic energy up on these sacred sites. Mother Nature is a living being and also has energy centers or chakras which correspond to different consciousness levels positive and negative. Kind Regards
I felt floating I did not want to open my eyes
Its amazing, informative thanks for sharing it
Thank you. Your posts and blogs are very enlightening and remind me of truths I have forgotten…
I LOOOOOOOOVE this. Teach Chakra workshops, and still feel I cannot read enough info on them. Thank you so much for sharing this & all your wisdom. Blessings!
Hugs & Love!
Thank you I enjoyed this article very much. I don’t know much about chakra but I want to learn more thank you once again for this information.
Hi
Iam Nahid from Iran thank you so much for all your writings specially chakras yours are the message from god in this dark world so useful for me the best long live and so respect thank you again i am with you on line dears Nahid
Away from the glamour…Yoga philosophy also teaches that you only need to keep regulating your thoughts and feelings throughout the day, it’s simple and natural but because it’s so mundane the ego isn’t smitten by the idea!
Thank you, thank you, thank you for this profound wisdom.
I feel stuck in each of the chakras.
Thank you for your post. I have discovered chakra spinning, and this is a fantastic addition to my invocations every day. This has helped me feel these areas spilling over and awakening me to their loving existence within. 33 times spin , 3 times a day. Start with one and add on, if you can. I highly recommend it.
Hold you arms straight out, palms together, thumbs together pointing upwards. Each time you reach the starting point is one turn. Focus upon your thumbs through the entire exercise. It seems slow and a bit clumsy in the very beginning, but it gets easier and easier. Keep your stance widened, so you don’t get tipsy and dizzy. Do this once every day until it becomes easy, then increase the amount so at the end of the day you will be spinning 99 times. Faster the better! Then sit, or lay down.
This is a serious exercise undertaking …. if you choose to do this, let me know your results, perhaps someday in the future.
LoveLight
Linda
Dear Nick,
As a serious student of metaphysics
I have always recognized the wisdom and sincerity of your work.
This Chakra bathing technique, along with your inspired simplicity of conveying complex systems in easy to assimilate manner is just what is needed right now! I will be sharing your email with 20-some people (mostly mature and senior citizens who have “been there” for others but for the most part did not realize that self-nurturing was not self-indulgence!).
We do not exchange money for
priceless things but I certainly realize that it takes some worldly
exchange to fund the work that you do. Is there a way that I can make a modest contribution to your work?
Thank you for so graciously sharing information. I am a lifetime learner and want to know everything yesterday! I can’t wait to do this. I am going on a solo retreat soon to Sedona. This will be perfect.
Thank you so much for this information Nick… just right on time!
Love it! I have Intuitively been doing something similar to this for years! It really helps relieve my Fibromyalgia pain! Thank you so much for the specific details! I can’t wait until my Well is fixed and I have water again, I will definitely explore this in depth!
C’est une grande découverte pour moi ces exercices du visage j’ai 53 ans mon visage va changé je suis émerveillé
Merci du font du coeur
France
Thanks for sharing. I’ve pinched my sciatic nerve 3xs. Last year it went the piriformous muscle. The pain was paralyzing. Been nearly 2yrs now I had months of therapy I then tried acupuncture cupping had massages every week. They wanted me to have nerve surgery but I have chosen to try shiatsu (pressure points) and I’ve been better. Thank you Julie for helping me to slowly heal. So I’m going to participate in chakra bathing . Peace be with you all.
I would like to receive your newsletters/posts, but no rush.
I found the article to be very informative.
I also found it to be a wonderful foundation
To understanding chakras.
I have had my chakras bathed by my energy healer. No I can do it!
Thank you for writing the article
Sounds wonderful but I do not have a bathtub only a shower. How can this be fine using a shower?
Thank u do much Nick, i agree with many of your readers that your posts are always brrn sent to me at the right time in my life. I cannot thank you enough and keep spreading love and light to the world x
Thank u so much.
Blessings to all
Would like your charka guide and news letter
Charka guide. And news letter
Thank you, Nick, for a very clear and precise explanation of the chakras and their connections. I have taken photos of each section so that I can learn these when I don’t have internet access. I am totally fascinated by energy practices and the information you have given on chakras will enhance my understanding and connectedness with my practice. I intend to incorporate the affirmations too.
I feel like I need to investigate the associated sounds further. As for beneficial bathing – LOVE IT! I do it as often as I can as water is a great conductor and provider of energy. I love the thought that every particle of water carries hydrogen – the same explosive energy as our fireball sun…
Also when the hydrogen is mixed with the oxygen we breath it’s composition is water!
So FIRE + AIR = WATER…
Add our biological mass bodies and bathing we have a balanced combination of
EARTH + AIR + FIRE+ WATER = HAPPY SPIRIT
Happy days! Thanks again,
Annie
I thoroughly enjoyed this post. Thankyou so very much for teaching me about bathing my chakras.
This is exactly what I needed.I am truly Grateful and Thankful for this information.
Thanks so much,
Maisha H.
so clear, so astonishing, so do-able…thank you!
Thank you very much for your knowledge that you are shearing. You inspire me as well as others. Even though I have knowledge of chakras and full awere of them I love to know everything about chakras. When I did this ritual I felt them really opening them up more so very inspiring thank you again for sharing your knowledge. God bless you and all my love Carol x
Thank you I really enjoyed reading all about the chakras and the meaning and sound that helpes to clear them. Could you please give me the instructions how to down load the meditation as I don’t know how. Many thanks Maggie
Thankyou. I’ve been doing a simple version of this but obviously needed your timely guidance. I appreciate the accompanying sounds.
Simply beautiful. I did not know how to put into words what I’ve been going through. Thank you ever so much!
Glad this resonates with you, Nancy!
Here to help, so let us know if you need anything else. We appreciate you being a part of the community!
Many Blessings,
Jason
The Sacred Science Team
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I am trying to absorb all of this info that you are teaching&sharing. I truly wanto incorporate all of these amazing practices into my life on a regular basis. I really enjoy learning &practicing healthy new habits that are good for my wellbeing. I am really looking forward to reading as much of your research as i can find. Thankyou so much. Sending U Soo Much Love~Peace~Light 💙✌🌠😇♾🙏💎🧚♀️🌈✝️🕯🐾💫🌝🦋
I like this but can you explain more please
I am trying to do this as much as possible and I don’t know if it is working but I’m doing my best and I feel a little different after trying all of these chakra and dizzy a little
I just made the sounds associated with each chakra out of curiosity. I literally felt vibration specifically IN THAT CHAKRA! Wow.. Anyone else experience this?
Thank you, I’ll come back.
Thank you Nick for your research and open hearted inspirations . It is certainly very reliable information offered with delight. Have you researched either experientially or theoretically the phenomenon of Universal Heart ? I find this to be of immeasurable information helping us to release the burdens of others and not to burn out as therapists and / or caregivers. Because of its neutrality of emotion , it does not get in the way of preference but treats all as worthy of honour and love. Thank you Nick and abundance of Blessings for your precious life.