Beginners guide to chakras: How to Balance Your Energy & Boost Your Mood Naturally.
- The Elliott Studio
- Aug 11
- 7 min read
When people first hear the word “chakras,” it can sound a bit mystical or out there—but really, chakras are just energy centres in the body that can tell us a lot about how we’re feeling physically, emotionally, and mentally.
What I love most is how intuitive chakra work can be. Our energy changes constantly—some days we feel tired or disconnected, other days we’re lacking motivation, confidence, or clarity. Chakras offer a gentle guide to help us tune in and bring ourselves back into balance.
For me, working with chakras has been such a powerful way to check in with myself. If I’m feeling low, stuck, anxious or even just a bit ‘off,’ I can use my chakra knowledge to support whatever needs attention—whether that’s grounding myself, boosting energy, building confidence, or simply softening stress.
In this blog, I’m going to break down the chakra system in a way that’s easy to understand—even if you’re totally new to it. I’ll share how each chakra influences how we feel and how you can work with them in simple, practical ways to balance your energy. No complicated rituals required—just awareness, breath, and a little time to listen to your body’s wisdom.
Let’s walk through each chakra and explore ways to tune into them chakras can help boost your mood, restore your energy, and create more balance in your everyday life.
A Beginner’s Guide to the 7 Chakras
Think of your chakras as little energy hubs running along your spine, each one influencing how you feel—physically, emotionally, and mentally. When these centres are flowing freely, life feels that bit brighter, lighter, and more balanced. But when things get stuck (as they do!), we might feel tired, disconnected, or just not quite ourselves.
Here’s a gentle, feel-good guide to tuning into each chakra and using simple daily practices—like movement, mindset, breath, and scent—to bring more harmony into your body and life.
🔴 Root Chakra – Muladhara
Sanskrit meaning: “Root support”
Location: Base of the spine
Energetic Role: The energetic role of the root chakra is Safety, stability and feeling grounded.
Signs when chakra is out of balance: You might feel anxious, alone, unsafe, or unmotivated.
A blocked root chakra can show up as physical issues like lower back pain, leg stiffness, cold feet, fatigue, or digestive problems. Emotionally, you might experience anxiety, restlessness, or feel overwhelmed by fear and insecurity. Mentally, it can lead to scattered thoughts, a lack of focus, or difficulty making decisions. When this chakra is out of balance, life can feel unpredictable or unsafe — like you're standing on shaky ground.
Ways to boost your Root chakra:
Movement: Slow, grounding yoga (like forward folds, squats, warrior or mountain pose)
Breathwork: Deep belly breathing while lying down with feet flat to feel anchored.
Mindset Mood boost: “I am safe. I am supported. I belong.”
Essential Oils: Scent your space with sandalwood, patchouli, cedarwood – earthy aroma to root you down.
🟠 Sacral Chakra – Svadhisthana
Sanskrit meaning: “One’s own dwelling”
Location: Lower belly/womb area
Energetic Role: The energetic role of the sacral chakra is Creativity, sensuality and joy
Signs when chakra is out of balance: Feeling emotionally flat, disconnected, or uninspired.
A blocked sacral chakra may lead to physical symptoms like reproductive issues, menstrual discomfort, lower back pain, hip stiffness, or urinary tract infections. Emotionally, it can manifest as mood swings, emotional numbness, or difficulty experiencing pleasure and joy. Mentally, you may feel creatively stuck or disconnected from your passions and desires. You might also struggle to maintain healthy relationships or feel guilt around sexuality and self-expression.
Ways to boost your Sacral chakra:
Movement: Hip-opening yoga (like pigeon, goddess pose, Hip circles, frog, cat-cow.)
Breathwork: Flowing, wave-like breath (inhale and exhale through the nose)
Mindset Mood boost: “I embrace pleasure and creative flow.”
Essential Oils: Scent your space with Sweet orange, ylang ylang, clary sage – for feminine energy and joy.
🟡 Solar Plexus Chakra – Manipura
Sanskrit meaning: “City of jewels”
Location: Upper belly, around the navel
Energetic Role: The energetic role of the Solar Plexus is Confidence, willpower and personal growth.
Signs when chakra is out of balance: Self-doubt, lack of motivation, or people-pleasing.
When the solar plexus chakra is blocked, it can cause physical discomfort like digestive issues, stomach cramps, nausea, or fatigue. Emotionally, it may lead to self-doubt, low self-esteem, fear of rejection, and difficulty asserting yourself. You may feel like you're always second-guessing yourself or giving your power away. Mentally, you might feel unmotivated, indecisive, or struggle to take action on goals or dreams.
Ways to boost your Solar Plexus chakra:
Movement: Core work, twists and strong standing poses.
Breathwork: Breath of fire (short sharp exhales) to ignite your inner spark.
Mindset Mantra: “I am strong, capable, and confident.”
Essential Oils: Scent your space with Lemon, peppermint, grapefruit – energising and empowering.
💚 Heart Chakra – Anahata
Sanskrit meaning: “Unstruck sound”
Location: Centre of the chest
Energetic Role: The energetic role of the heart chakra is Love, compassion and kindness.
Signs when chakra is out of balance: Closed off, lonely, bitter, or emotionally heavy.
A blocked heart chakra can result in physical issues such as tension in the chest, upper back pain, shallow breathing, or immune challenges. Emotionally, it may show up as loneliness, jealousy, bitterness, grief, or being overly guarded. Mentally, it might feel difficult to trust others, forgive, or allow yourself to be vulnerable. You might close off from love — both receiving and giving — or feel disconnected from those around you.
Ways to boost your Heart chakra:
Movement: Heart openers – think camel, cobra, bridge, or supported fish pose.
Breathwork: Heart breath – inhale into the chest, exhale slowly with gratitude.
Mindset Mood Boost: “I give and receive love with ease.”
Essential Oils: Scent your space with Rose, geranium, bergamot – uplifting, soft and heart-warming.
🔵 Throat Chakra – Vishuddha
Sanskrit meaning: “Purification”
Location: Throat and neck
Energetic Role: The energetic role of the throat chakra is Communication, truth and self-expression.
Signs when chakra is out of balance: Fear of speaking up, sore throats, holding back opinions.
With a blocked throat chakra, you may notice physical symptoms like a sore throat, tight jaw, neck stiffness, thyroid issues, or frequent colds. Emotionally, it can cause frustration, fear of judgment, or a tendency to stay quiet even when you want to speak up. Mentally, you might struggle to express your ideas clearly, feel unheard, or suppress your thoughts and feelings. Over-talking or dominating conversations can also be signs of imbalance in this area.
Ways to boost your Throat chakra:
Movement: Neck rolls, lion’s breath, fish pose and singing!
Breathwork: Humming or Bhramari breath (bee breath) to stimulate the vagus nerve.
Mindset Mood Boost: “I speak my truth with clarity and kindness.”
Essential Oils: Scent your space with Peppermint, eucalyptus, sage – cooling and cleansing.
🟣 Third Eye Chakra – Ajna
Sanskrit meaning: “Perceive” or “command”
Location: Between the eyebrows
Energetic Role: The energetic role of the third eye chakra is Intuition, insight and clarity.
Signs when chakra is out of balance: Foggy mind, difficulty trusting yourself, overthinking.
A blocked third eye chakra can result in physical symptoms such as headaches, eye strain, vision problems, or disturbed sleep patterns. Emotionally, it can feel like you're stuck in overthinking or disconnected from your inner voice. Mentally, this blockage might show up as brain fog, difficulty concentrating, or a strong reliance on logic while ignoring intuition. You may feel disconnected from your sense of purpose or have trouble trusting your own judgement.
Ways to boost your Third eye chakra:
Movement: Gentle child’s pose or supported forward folds with eyes closed.
Breathwork: Alternate nostril breathing (Nadi Shodhana) for mental clarity.
Mindset Mood Boost: “I trust my inner wisdom.”
Essential Oils: Scent your space with Frankincense, lavender, rosemary – calming and vision-enhancing.
⚪️ Crown Chakra – Sahasrara
Sanskrit meaning: “Thousand-petaled lotus”
Location: Top of the head
Energetic Role: The energetic role of the crown chakra is Connection to higher self, spirituality and oneness.
Signs when chakra is out of balance: Feeling disconnected, hopeless, or isolated.
A blocked crown chakra can manifest in physical symptoms like headaches, migraines, dizziness, oversensitivity to light or sound, and disrupted sleep. Emotionally, you might feel a sense of isolation, apathy, depression, or disconnection from yourself and the world. Mentally, it may present as a lack of direction, confusion about life’s purpose, or an inability to find deeper meaning. When this chakra is imbalanced, it can feel like the spark has gone out or like you're spiritually adrift.
Ways to boost your Crown chakra:
Movement: Headstands, Stillness, meditative postures, or walking in nature.
Breathwork: Silent meditation or extended exhales to invite spaciousness.
Mindset Mood Boost: “I am connected to something greater.”
Essential Oils: Scent your space with Lavender, frankincense, sandalwood – spiritually soothing.
Aligning Your Chakras Through Meditation
Now that you’ve explored the unique energy of each chakra — and how imbalances might show up physically, emotionally, or mentally — you may be wondering: how do I begin to bring it all into harmony?
The answer is simpler than you might think: Meditation.
Meditation is one of the most powerful tools for restoring vibrational energy across your entire chakra system. Why? Because it invites you to pause, breathe, and reconnect with your inner world — something many of us rarely do in our busy lives.
When we meditate with the chakras in mind, we begin to feel into where energy is stuck or depleted. This subtle awareness can lead to profound transformation over time. With consistent practice, meditation can:
Calm an overactive mind and soothe anxiety (especially helpful for the crown and third eye chakras)
Restore emotional flow and lift mood by softening emotional blocks in the heart and sacral chakras
Boost inner confidence and clarity by strengthening the solar plexus and throat chakras
Ground you into the body and create a sense of rooted presence through the root chakra
By focusing your breath, intention, and attention during meditation, you begin to balance your energy gently and naturally — without needing to force anything. It’s an intuitive process, one that meets you where you are each day.
That’s exactly why we created the Happy Chakra Meditation — a guided journey through each of the seven chakras designed to help you reconnect with your energy centres, feel more aligned, and uplift your entire mood in just 10 minutes a day.
Whether you're new to chakras or simply looking for a simple, joyful way to check in with yourself, this meditation is a beautiful starting point.
🧘♀️ Ready to bring more harmony into your energy and emotions? Click below to listen to the Happy Chakra Meditation and give your energy the reset it deserves.
Join me at the studio every Monday at 7.30pm for our Chakra Yoga Flow class
Hope you have enjoyed this blog and please feel free to reach out to ask any questions or leave a comment. We would love to hear from you.
Angela & Nicholas Elliott
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