Your Chakras: A Roadmap to Vibrant Health

by Christiane Northrup, M.D.

Chakras

When you hear the word healthcare, what do you think of? Doctors, medical testing, clinics, and hospitals, correct? Conventional Western medicine equates healthcare with disease screening or early diagnosis. This kind of healthcare exists in a culture of fear that, for most, can be summarized as follows: “We haven’t found anything wrong yet, but we will. Come back every year, and we’ll keep looking until we find something. As long as we don’t find anything, you can rest assured that you’re healthy!” The truth is that instead of actually preventing anything, modern Western medicine is ingenious and miraculous at saving lives and treating emergencies. And that’s a good thing if you’re having a heart attack.

But this mindset, which works so well at solving acute problems, is singularly ill-suited at helping us live vibrantly healthy, disease-free lives—or helping us return to health after an “enemy” has been cut, burned, or poisoned out of us. It’s also mystified when a patient’s symptoms persist after that patient is put through a battery of tests that all come back “normal.” As a patient, and as a unique person, you know when you’re healthy. You also know when your healthcare provider hasn’t gotten to the root of your problem and is simply prescribing drugs to mask your symptoms. Thankfully, you can own and operate your own state of health completely and fully by understanding the energy systems known as chakras.

Chakras are the primary organs of your body’s subtle energy system, and they correspond with and affect seven specific energy centers in your physical body. These energy centers connect your nerves, hormones, and emotions. Their locations run parallel to the body’s neuroendocrine-immune system and form a link between your vibrational anatomy and your physical anatomy. Chakras also act as transformers that take refined emotional, psychological, and spiritual information and distribute it to your cells. Each of the seven chakras of the human body are the same for women and men, and are associated with specific organ systems as well as your life’s circumstances. Here’s an overview of each of the chakras:1 2

1. Your first chakra health is related to your upbringing and early life. This includes your immediate and extended family, race, social status, education, family legacy, and family expectations. Organs: Physical body support, hip joints, spine, blood, immune system.

2. Your second chakra health is related to your beliefs around money, sex, and power, as well as how balanced your personal relationships are. Organs: Reproductive organs, large intestine, lower vertebrae, pelvis, appendix, bladder.

3. Your third chakra health is associated with self-esteem, self-confidence, self-respect, and sense of responsibility. Organs: Abdomen, upper intestines, liver, gall bladder, lower esophagus, stomach, kidney, pancreas, adrenals, spleen, middle spine.

4. Your fourth chakra health is related to your capacity to feel, express your emotions, and participate in true partnerships. Organs: heart, lungs, blood vessels, shoulders, ribs, breasts, diaphragm, upper esophagus.

5. Your fifth chakra health is related to how well you communicate, timing and will, and also whether you feel pressured to do too much—like there’s never enough time. Organs: Thyroid, trachea, neck vertebrae, throat, mouth, teeth and gums.

6. Your sixth chakra health is associated with perception, thought, and morality. It is often referred to as the third eye, because it’s located between, but slightly above, the eyes. Organs: Brain, eyes, ears, nose, pineal gland.

7. Your seventh chakra is related to seeing the larger purpose in your life. It’s also related to your attitudes, faith, values, conscience, courage, and humanitarianism. Organs: Can involve any organ system.

If you look at the chakras as the key areas in which emotions manifest in the physical body, you can begin to grasp how cultural experiences of wounding or affirmation may have psychological and emotional consequences that are a set up for either health or for health problems. Whether you perceive chakras as literal places in the body or as metaphoric ones, they can help you activate the mind-body connections your body needs to help you heal.

1 The location and naming of the chakras and their functioning varies somewhat in different texts and different traditions.

2 These descriptions are adapted with permission from Women’s Bodies, Women’s Wisdom, Bantam, revised 2010.

Last Updated: September 1, 2013

Christiane Northrup, M.D.

Christiane Northrup, M.D., is a visionary pioneer and a leading authority in the field of women’s health and wellness. Recognizing the unity of body, mind, and spirit, she empowers women to trust their inner wisdom, their connection with Source, and their ability to truly flourish.

Comments

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  1. reiki
    9 years ago

    I have never done a Reiki class before, as a first timer should I start with Reiki 1 and 2 class?

    1. Kathryn
      9 years ago

      I’m a Usui Reiki master, and yes, learning levels 1 & 2 is a GREAT place to start. I suggest that when you look for a teacher, go see them as a client first, before asking them to teach you how to do reiki. That way you can see if you like their personal style. While Usui Reiki has its own protocols, every Reiki Master naturally brings their own manner of style to their work, and you will enjoy the process more if you resonate with their style.

      Kathryn

  2. Carole
    11 years ago

    Thank you! I appreciate the info. 🙂

  3. Suzanne
    11 years ago

    Candance Pert has some great observations about Chakras and body-mind medicine. I was sorry to read of her passing.

  4. Jude
    11 years ago

    Carole, All I know is that my sister-in-law had a large fibroid and went on the Candida diet (completely yeast free) at the recommendation of a Dr. of Traditional Chinese Medicine. The fibroid dissolved within four months on being on the diet. Every person is unique, however. Good luck.
    Thank you Dr. Northrup. Bring on second chakra healing!

  5. Carole
    11 years ago

    Dr Northrup,

    I saw a video clip on YouTube where you mentioned the second chakra and how fibroids and suppressed creativity are connected. This hit a nerve because I’m an artist and need a hysterectomy due to a giant fibroid. Is there any material that you can point me to regarding this? I’d really rather not gave surgery if I can avoid it, but at this stage, I can’t go on without it.

  6. Sharon
    11 years ago

    Dear Christiane, do you produce a Chakra meditation and if not do know of one?

  7. Natasha
    11 years ago

    Dear Christiane, thank you so much I’ll check Mass Gen Hospital for more resource. The first & most important approach would be Divine Love healing. I’ll also search to find correct ways of clearing the 6th chakra, as you kindly suggested would relate to OCD. Loved your show with your daughter Kate so precious you both are. XOXO

  8. Christiane Northrup
    11 years ago

    Dear Kathryn Tristan– I LOVE the way you have used the colors of each chakra to identify a differnt type of worry. Brilliant!!! Linda– what a great exercise. I’m trying this myself!Natasha– OCD is related to the 6th chakra. They are doing amazing work helping OCD sufferers down in Boston at Mass GEn Hospital. Fascinating really. Thank you all for weighing in here. Love your comments.

  9. Charlene
    11 years ago

    I first read Women’s Bodies, Women’s Wisdom after I had my second child who is now 15. You, Ms. Northrup are a wealth of information. Thank you!! By the way, I also loved your book on mother and daughter wisdom and now have your book on menopause. Looking forward to gaining more wisdom from your words.

  10. Linda
    11 years ago

    Thank you, Dr. Northrup. Years ago I used to lie on my back, close my eyes and spin the colored discs, starting with the RED. Once, after losing a loved one, I reached the 3rd (YELLOW, stomach area), and me who rarely cries, sobbed like a baby. I must have released a ton of pent-up emotion. I need to get back to this healthy exercise.

  11. Terry
    11 years ago

    I love Love LOVE your clear and concise way of explaining things. Thank you! XXOO

  12. Natasha
    11 years ago

    As always loved your blog. I was introduced to chakras years ago. I believe during deep mediation the chakra points automatically opens to connect to spirit. I haven’t personally used it for emotional health issues but understand the relationship. Do you know which chakra point relates to OCD? There is not much information out there. If you are familiar with it, please let me know or better do a radio show on the subject. Many thanks for all that you do so sincerely. XOXO

  13. Maureen
    11 years ago

    Great synopsis! I teach chakra yoga and love sharing info on our beautiful energy fields. I know all the texts report that the kidneys belong to the solar plexus chakra, but I see them as ‘riding the border’ btw sacral & solar plexus. Sacral being water element, and kidneys being where we hold fear (TCM), they effect the ‘flow’ of creativity and will to create – and then of course, blend into the courage of the solar plexus. Like a ‘rainbow’ of light, one field merging into the next.

  14. naomi
    11 years ago

    Good information but how do we balance all these?? According to this my chakras need some serious help or I need serious help or which ever…lol…seriously!

  15. Kathryn Tristan
    11 years ago

    I liken worry to the chakra system. RED worriers feel less grounded and have a lot of general anxiety. ORANGE worriers are more disconnected and focus less creatively. YELLOW worriers feel powerless to change. GREENs feel a great deal of heartache. BLUEs have a difficult time expressing their feelings. INDIGOs challenge the negative thoughts and find more intuitive ways to deal with problems. VIOLETs see challenges from a higher spiritual perspective. That’s my Worry Spectrum. What think?

  16. Elizabeth
    11 years ago

    Thank you!

  17. Marcia Greason
    11 years ago

    I have no word to convey how this article hit me between the eyes. Cannot wait for the next installment.

  18. fran
    11 years ago

    The 7 keys of chakra, were informative, and useful.

    thank you
    fran

  19. Rosa
    11 years ago

    Very interesting!!! Thank you, Dr. Northrup, for the info!!!

  20. Victoria Burke
    11 years ago

    I love you Dr. Northrup, Thank you for all the great advice and information that you have shared with us throughout the years and that have helped me enormously! With an immense gratitude, Thank you.

  21. Suzanne Balcom
    11 years ago

    Thank you Dr. Northrup for continuing to be my true north (rup) 🙂 as I care for my body and soul!!!
    Xoxoxo

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