Since our energy is aligned with our bodies, emotions, and behaviors, we can easily assess what chakra we need to work with by observing emotional states, behavioral patterns, health issues, and physical symptoms. In our article, "How Opening Your 7 Chakras Can Transform Your Mind, Body & Spirit", we explained what the chakras were all about and how aligning and opening your chakras is the key to finding inner peace, ultimate happiness, and eventual enlightenment.
When we suffer illnesses that affect our physical bodies, we likely experience symptoms that go along with that sickness. This cause and effect experience works no different when it comes to our 7 chakras. The guide below will help you discover which of your chakras may be blocked or imbalanced.
THE IMBALANCED ROOT CHAKRA
Root Chakra GIFGiphyEmotional Symptoms of the Blocked Root Chakra
If fear in anyway is holding you back to the point where you are stagnant or unable to progress in any area of life, than you may have a blockage in your root chakra. If fear surrounding money, lack, debt, or financial security overwhelms your spirit, it is definitely time to ground your root chakra.
If you are feeling uptight, insecure, or out of place in your surroundings, this is also a symptom. If you are uncertain about the things you want for your life, the actions you must take, and are anxious about making concrete moves to elevate your experience, then working with your root chakra will lift you out of this blockage.
Behavioral Symptoms of the Blocked Root Chakra
If you are feeling antsy, unable to sit still, or focus on a task at hand, your root chakra is not engaged. If you go from one goal or desire to the next, without fully accomplishing said goal or achievement, your root chakra may not be balanced.
Having issues with non commitment in relationships and platonic friendships are an indication that you might have issues sticking to your word or feeling unsettled.
Feeling lazy, unmotivated, and refusing to follow up, is definitely a symptom of a blockage in your root chakra.
Physical or Health Symptoms of the Blocked Root Chakra
Certain eating disorders are a direct manifestation of a wounded root chakra. If you are unable to keep food down, or lacking a consistent appetite altogether, this could be helped by working with the root chakra. Constipation, flatulence, large intestine, enzyme deficiencies, issues with your reproductive sex organs, and digestive upsets are most definitely a manifestation of a blockage in your root chakra.
If you are experiencing discomfort or recurring pain associated with your feet, knees, legs, bones, joints, lower back, and any issues from the base of your spine and down, working with your chakra can aid in healing your symptoms.
THE IMBALANCED SACRAL CHAKRA
Holistic Healing Affirmation GIFGiphyEmotional Symptoms of the Blocked Sacral Chakra
If you are feeling that you are not important, or that nobody loves you, or truly cares about you, this indicates an imbalance in your sacral chakra. If you have a hard time intellectualizing how you are feeling, or are consistently on an emotional roller coaster, there is definitely a blockage in your sacral chakra. Negative self-talk, guilt, and repressed emotions are other red flags.
If you struggle with being creative, free, and happy, opening and balancing your sacral chakra will remedy many of these issues. Lastly, if emotional issues surrounding sex, sexuality, and intimacy stunt your ability to express yourself fully in these ways, you have a sacral chakra issue on your hands.
Behavioral Symptoms of the Blocked Sacral Chakra
If you have a propensity towards toxic or dysfunctional relationships with other people, either platonic, or romantic, this is a big red flag! If you find yourself doing a lot of emotional labor without reciprocation, there is most definitely a wound in your sacral chakra.
If you continue to revisit the same negative or unpleasant situations, relationships, and experiences, you will need to get your sacral chakra in order.
Sexually, if you consistently have a negative relationship with intimacy, and/or unfulfilling, painful, or dull intercourse, your sacral chakra is begging you to adjust.
Physical or Health Symptoms of the Blocked Sacral Chakra
Low sex drive/libido, erectile dysfunction, the inability to get naturally lubricated within your vagina, gynecological cysts, or fibroids, irregular menstrual cycles, infertility, impotence, constipation, urinary issues, any problems with your kidneys are all physical symptoms of a blocked or wounded sacral chakra.
Some of the mental health symptoms that come along with a blocked sacral chakra are: depression, low self-esteem, fear, insecurities, mixing reality with fantasy, unhealthy isolation, and addictions to things such as, sex, drugs, alcohol, food, and anything that involves an unhealthy overindulgence of pleasure.
THE IMBALANCED SOLAR PLEXUS CHAKRA
Emotional Symptoms of the Blocked Solar Plexus Chakra
Where you have been immature in any area of life, is a reflection of a blocked solar plexus chakra. Emotionally, if you are too stubborn, or have an "it's all about me attitude," you might be suffering from an imbalanced solar plexus chakra.
If you feel that you are not good enough, capable, or worthy of having all that you wish to obtain in your life, or if you lack faith in yourself, this is definitely a red flag. If you have a problem figuring out who you are at the core of your being, or if you have allowed someone or something to stop you from being your truest self, working with your solar plexus chakra will help you immensely.
Behavioral Symptoms of the Blocked Solar Plexus Chakra
If you are more of a bystander in your life, instead of an active participant, or nothing inspires you to do/create/contribute, then you have a solar plexus problem on your hands. If you purposely under-accentuate your physical beauty, appearance, skills, and traits, or forego self-care and keeping up with your surroundings, your solar plexus is definitely imbalanced.
Having a nonchalant attitude about how you present yourself to the world, or coexisting in clutter or an unclean home is also a red flag. Not caring at all about your well-being, hygiene, physical health, and exercise is a manifestation of an out of whack solar plexus.
Physical or Health Symptoms of the Blocked Solar Plexus Chakra
The solar plexus is connected to many bodily functions, and organs, including the large intestine, stomach, pancreas, liver, lungs, adrenal glands and the digestive system. If you suffer from irritable bowel symptoms, consistent fluctuation of being overweight or underweight, stomach aches, gas, and ulcers, pancreatic issues, gallbladders and stones, diabetes, and acid reflux, working with your solar plexus chakra can help you remedy many of these issues.
Overeating, and a lack of self-control when it comes to food, is another health issue controlled by the solar plexus. The overwhelming desire to munch on junk food all day, stems from this chakra when it is blocked or turned off.
THE IMBALANCED HEART CHAKRA
Affirmations Chakras GIFGiphyEmotional Symptoms of the Blocked Heart Chakra
Because this is the heart chakra, these symptoms are jam-packed! When you are emotionally unintelligent, or unable to commit to someone in a relationship, if you hold grudges from past grievances, if you are a people-pleaser, if you feel obligated to emotional labor for the sole benefit of the other person, if you have a hard time with resentments, letting go, and codependency or attachments, these are all emotional symptoms of a blocked heart chakra.
If you have trouble revealing your feelings, being open and honest, or if you find being compassionate and empathetic towards other people to be a problem, then these are huge red flags!
Lastly, if you are uncomfortable with practicing self-love and self-care, or you are unable to unpack past pain and dig deep into your heart to find answers to your problems, then you should most definitely be working with opening and clearing your heart chakra.
Behavioral Symptoms of the Blocked Heart Chakra
If you find yourself being mean-spirited, hateful, petty, cold, and without empathy for other people, or if your ego controls your actions and self-identity in a negative way, you definitely have a heart chakra problem on your hands.
If you are distrustful of everyone around you, and have a hard time achieving closeness with those who are trying to get to know you, or if you find yourself constantly nagging, nitpicking, or projecting any of your own fears and problems on others, you must open your heart chakra.
If you have not learned how to balance your masculine and feminine energies, or cannot accept yourself as you are, please work with your heart center.
Physical or Health Symptoms of the Blocked Heart Chakra
Having a heart attack or any heart condition is a direct manifestation of a wounded heart chakra. Heart palpitations and irregular pulse and heart rhythms are a red flag. Other diseases and physical manifestations of heart chakra imbalance include: cardiovascular disease, coronary artery disease, arrhythmias and congenital heart disease, lung and respiratory issues including asthma, pulmonary disease, emphysema, chronic bronchitis and pneumonia can also manifest.
Anxiety that leads to panic attacks and hyperventilation also is an aspect of a blocked heart chakra. Even bad seasonal allergies are affected by a heart chakra that is out of whack.
THE IMBALANCED THROAT CHAKRA
Throat Chakra Affirmations GIFGiphyEmotional Symptoms of the Blocked Throat Chakra
If you are afraid to speak up for yourself, or express your truth, creativity, and opinions you most definitely have issues with the throat chakra. If you feel that what you have to say is not valid, or will not be received well or even taken seriously by others, so much so that you just don't say anything, you need to balance your throat chakra.
If you feel unable to articulate yourself, or if you let people overtalk you and drown out your expression, these are definitely red flags. If you are intimidated by people who are outgoing, or envious of someone who has the gift of gab, you might be internally avoiding or repressing this trait within your own self. You have a voice, don't be afraid to use it.
Behavioral Symptoms of the Blocked Throat Chakra
If you become very nervous when you have to communicate something to others, if you have a hard time finding the right words to express yourself, or if you are terrified of public speaking, your throat chakra might be out of whack.
If you have a problem with telling lies or fibs, no matter if they are big or small, that is a direct manifestation of a wounded throat chakra. If you find it difficult to be sincere and honest, or if you fall prey to being deceitful or manipulative by way of communication, these things ultimately comes from fear.
Physical or Health Symptoms of the Blocked Throat Chakra
An imbalanced throat chakra can manifest into many physical illnesses including: laryngitis, dizziness, sore throats, strep throat, losing your voice altogether, nodules on your larynx and vocal cords, asthma, and fatigue.
The feeling of throat congestion, phlegm, a scratchy or itchy throat, a lump in your throat, and constantly having to clear your throat, is a physical indication that your throat chakra needs some work.
THE IMBALANCED THIRD EYE CHAKRA
Emotional Symptoms of the Blocked Third Eye Chakra
If you are feeling disconnected from your intuition, or your gut feelings, this is an indication of an imbalanced third eye chakra. If you feel unexcited or disengaged with your life and the world around you, or if you feel like your inner child and imagination has disappeared, this is a direct manifestation of a blockage in your third eye.
Emotionally, you might have scattered feelings, mixed emotions, a lack of clarity, and a skewed sense of self or understanding of others. You might feel like the glass is half empty, instead of half full.
You may either feel too in-tune with your current reality, which therefore depresses you, or so disengaged from the world that you get lost in your own fantasies and visions in order to escape.
Behavioral Symptoms of the Blocked Third Eye Chakra
Someone with a third eye that is blocked will always be stuck in a small mindset, unable to look at the bigger picture, and transcend their own restrictions. This person might also be stuck in a very regimented way of life, going day by day without any spontaneity, and rarely thinking outside of the box. This rigidity does not stop with how you go about living your life, but also might disallow you to accept, or consider any other alternative spiritual belief systems outside of what you might have been brought up believing.
Someone with a disengaged third eye chakra will likely be pessimistic or skeptical when it comes to believing in psychic abilities, energy, metaphysics, or anything out of their awareness or realm of reality. This type of person will ultimately call anyone who doesn't believe what they believe, a conspiracy theorist, pagan, or something comparable.
A blocked third eye chakra can negatively affect your motivation, self-vision, and zeal for life, which will stunt and lower the vibration of all your other chakras.
Physical or Health Symptoms of the Blocked Third Eye Chakra
Some of the physical ailments that can manifest due to a closed third eye chakra are: migraines, vertigo, tension headaches, ear aches, sinus issues, sciatica, seizures, poor vision, eye twitches, weak immune systems, insomnia, and high blood pressure.
Mental health related indications include: depression, delusion, schizophrenia, obsessive compulsive disorder, anxiety, paranoia, nightmares, night terrors, sleep paralysis, and any dissociative mental disorders.
THE IMBALANCED CROWN CHAKRA
Crown Chakra Affirmation GIFGiphyEmotional Symptoms of the Blocked Crown Chakra
If you are suffering from a blocked crown chakra, emotionally, you may be feeling alone in the world and disconnected from something larger or higher than yourself. You may feel that the only thing that validates your existence are your external circumstances and achievements.
You might have mixed emotions or feelings surrounding your purpose here as a soul, and possibly frustrated with the idea of the meaning of life.
When it comes to your belief in God or Source, you will likely be conflicted between believing that there is actually a God, or feeling that humanity as a whole is on their own. It is possible that you might not even believe in chakras to begin with.
Behavioral Symptoms of the Blocked Crown Chakra
Someone with a blocked crown chakra might consistently be in a state of flux mentally and spiritually. They may have scattered thoughts that don't make sense and an inability to compartmentalize confusion, feeling disoriented, and anxiety. This person might always be looking for reasons to disprove something or someone, and might have a hard time going with the flow of their lives.
If your crown chakra is not balanced, it might be hard for you to accept that everything is energy, and everything is connected by universal oneness. Spiritual awakening will be hard to experience, if your crown chakra is unable to receive infinite wisdom, messages, or ethereal "downloads."
Physical or Health Symptoms of the Blocked Crown Chakra
Some physical illnesses that can manifest due to a blocked crown chakra are: recurring headaches or migraines, nerve pain, thyroid and pineal gland disorders, neurological disorders such as Alzheimer's and dementia, schizophrenia and other similar mental disorders, and depression.
Some other physical symptoms include feeling uneasy, anxious, or intimidated by the strong spiritual energy of someone who considers themselves mystics, witches, shamans, lightworkers, empaths, psychics, multi-dimensional, or pagan.
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Anyway, I personally think that the less shallow folks out here may contemplate calling things “quits” or they at least distance themselves a bit from their partner (and what I’m referring to is serious relationships) due to all of the stress and strain that oftentimes comes with the holidays whether it be financial, familial, due to their tight schedules or something else.
Listen, I would hate for you and your man to miss the fun and happiness of experiencing this time of year, all because you are so overwhelmed or irritated that you can’t really enjoy it. That’s why I have a few practical tips for how to avoid allowing the typical holiday season stress from INFECTING your relationship.
Manage Your Expectations
GiphyUnmanaged expectations. If there is a main reason why the holiday season tends to be so stress-filled for so many people, I’d bet good money that this is the cause. And when you’re in a long-term relationship, expectations can manifest themselves in all sorts of cryptic and/or unexpected ways. You might have relatives who assume that you are going to be with them for Thanksgiving or Christmas when you have other plans in mind. You might be thinking that you are going to spend one amount for presents while your man is thinking something totally different. When it comes to scheduling, your signals may be crossed.
And you know what? To all of these scenarios, this is where clear and consistent communication come in. Don’t assume anything. Don’t dictate anything either. From now until New Year’s, mutually decide to check in once a week, just to make sure that you are both on the same page as it relates to the holidays and what you both are thinking will come along with it. The less blindsided you both feel, the less stressed out you will be. Trust me on this.
Set (and Keep) a Budget
GiphyOkay, so I read that last year, 36 percent of Americans incurred some type of holiday-related debt. Hmph. Last year, there was still some sense of normalcy in this country, chile, so I can only imagine what finances are gonna look like over the next several weeks. That said, since I don’t know a lot of people who don’t find being broke stressful, make sure that you and your bae set a budget and then stick to it this year — no ifs, ands or buts.
Because really, y’all — it doesn’t make sense to deplete savings and/or max out credit cards for a few days of giggles only to be damn near losing your mind because you don’t know how to make ends meet come Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day.
And by the way, this tip doesn’t just speak to things like food and gifts; I also mean travel. If it doesn’t make a ton of sense (or cents) to be all over the place this year — DON’T BE.
Keep Matthew 5:37 at the Forefront
GiphyIf off the top of your head, you don’t know what Matthew 5:37 says, no worries, here ya go: “But let your ‘Yes’ be ‘Yes,’ and your ‘No,’ ‘No.’ For whatever is more than these is from the evil one.” That verse right there? Oh, it’s a boundaries lifesaver! I say that because do you see “maybe” or “I’ll think about it” in there? Nope. LOL. It says that you should tell people “yes” or “no” and leave it at that — and that complements Anne Lamott’s quote, “’No’ is a complete sentence” impeccably well. Yeah, you’ve got to remember that anything beyond a yes or no to a request is privileged information; you don’t owe anyone details or an explanation.
Besides, if you are really honest with yourself, when someone asks you something and you give a “Umm, let me think about it” kind of reply, more times than not, you already know what your answer is going to be — so why not let you both off of the hook? Give your response. Commit to that. And let everyone (including yourself) get on with their lives and schedules.
I promise you that when it comes to those holiday parties, you are pissing more folks off by not RSVP’ing or doing so and not showing up than just saying, “Thank you but not this year” off the rip.
Remember That Your Personal Space Is Privilege Not a Right
GiphyA friend of mine recently bought a new house and invited me over to come see it. He’s a single man with no children, so as I was taking in all of the space that he had, especially as I walked through his finished basement, I joked about relatives coming to live with him. “Hell no” and “absolutely not” were pretty much his immediate responses as he went on to say that some folks even had the nerve to be offended when he told them that he had no intentions on taking DNA in.
Ain’t it wild how people think that your stuff is their right? And yes, that brings me to my next point. Your home is your sanctuary space. If you want to host folks this year — cool. If not, ALSO COOL. Please don’t let folks (family included) guilt you into how they want you to act or even into what they would do if the shoe was on the other foot. You are not them — and as one of my favorite quotes states, “If two people were exactly alike, one of them would be unnecessary.” (A man by the name Larry Dixon said that.)
Hell, my friends? They know that I am good for sending them random things that they need or even want all throughout the year. Coming over to hang out at my pace, though. Uh-uh. Chalk it up to being a card-carrying member of the ambivert club yet I like keeping my living space personal — and I sleep like a baby, each and every night, for feeling that way.
Always remember that your space, your time, your resources, your energy and shoot, yourself period (including your relationship), are all things that are your own. You get to choose how, when and why you want to share them. The holiday season is certainly no exception.
Cultivate Some “You Two Only” Traditions
GiphyIt’s not uncommon for some couples to hit me up after the holiday season to “detox.” Sometimes it’s due to the financial drama (and sometimes trauma) that they experienced. Sometimes it’s because they allowed their relatives (especially in-laws) to get more into their personal business than they should’ve. More than anything, though, it tends to be because they didn’t get enough quality time together and so ended up feeling “disconnected.”
Please don’t let that happen. Listen, I’m not even a holidays kind of woman and yet, I will absolutely sit myself down with some hot chocolate and chocolate chip cookies to enjoy a Hallmark holiday film or two. Aside from the fact that most of them are lighthearted and sweet, I also like that they usually focus on couples loving on each other amidst all of the holiday beauty and ambiance — which is something that all couples should set aside some time to do.
Maybe it’s a vacation. Maybe it’s a staycation. Or maybe it’s my personal favorite, A SEXCATION. Whether it’s for a few days, the weekend or even overnight — don’t you let the holidays go by without setting aside time for you and your man to celebrate one another. Don’t you dare (check out “Are You Ready To Have Some Very Merry 'Christmas Sex'?”).
GET. SOME. REST.
GiphyI once read that 8 out of 10 people get stressed out over the holidays and 3 out of 10 lose sleep during to it — and when you’re stress-filled and sleep-deprived, that can absolutely lead to hypersensitivity, making mountains out of molehills and even not being in the mood for sex.
Your relationship can’t afford to go through any of this, so definitely make sure to prioritize rest. I don’t care how unrealistic it might seem during this time, sleep should never be seen as a luxury; it will always and forever be a great necessity.
That said, try to get no less than six hours of shut-eye in (check out “6 Fascinating Ways Sex And Sleep Definitely Go Hand In Hand”) and even ask your bae to take a nap with you sometimes (check out “Wanna Have Some Next-Level Sex? Take A Nap, Sis.”). Not only will sleep help to restore your mind, body and spirit but, when it’s with your partner, it’s an act of intimacy that can make you both feel super connected, even in the midst of what might feel like chaos.
___
Holiday season stress is real. Still, never give it the permission or power to throw your relationship off. Put you and your man first and let the holidays be what they are gonna be, chile.
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