What are Chakras Used For? A Journey Through the Chakras With Christ and the Healing Power of God

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In this post, we will briefly address the controversy around Christianity, energy, and the chakras. Next, we will learn the basics about the chakras found in the seven chakra system. Finally, we will explore how we might invite the healing energy and presence of God to balance these chakras, as we journey through the chakras with Christ.

If you are interested in learning more, join one of our Christ-centered yoga studies on Energy and Chakras: A Biblical Perspective or check out my card deck, Journeying through the chakras with Christ.

Christianity and chakras: moving beyond the woo-woo

Ever wonder why there is all sorts of talk about energy in the world but not much discussion about energy in the Church? The truth of the matter is that many modern, Western Christians believe that these topics are what I like to call “woo-woo”. They view the chakras and energy models of medicine as new age, controversial, and off limits. If you were to do a quick google search on Christianity and chakras, you might find articles and YouTube videos by devout, well-meaning Christians who claim that energy is from the new age and that chakras are evil.

When looking at the science, there is growing evidence pointing to the physical benefits of energy work in the body. Despite these findings, the question of spiritual safety of energy still lingers for many Christians. In the article entitled, What is a chakra? Christian website GotQuestions.org admits that there may be health benefits to utilizing energy and chakras. However the website urges readers to abstain from utilizing these energy models of medicine due to any negative spiritual overtones that may be connected to them. The article suggests that chakras might be a tool that Satan uses to lead people away from God.

“The chakra, or chakras, play a role in certain types of medicine. Acupuncture, for example, and other types of Chinese medicine claim to use body energies and meridians to promote healing. Whether or not chakras exist, many people have found acupuncture to provide relief from pain. So, there may be a physical benefit to acupuncture independent of the spiritual philosophy behind it. The real danger of belief in the chakras is in the spiritual overtones connected to it.” (GotQuestions.org, What is a Chakra?)

Are Christians Missing Out on Using Chakras for Healing?

Are Christians abstaining from viable and effective healing modalities because of their fear of energy? Are followers of Christ preventing themselves from experiencing their God-given capacity for optimal health because of their disbelief or distrust of the chakras?

In response to questions like these, natural health practitioner Beth Hovis writes “Is chakra a dirty word then? Are the wheels of energy that God created suddenly evil? Or have others taken what God has created, twisted it and made it something else? While chakras aren’t mentioned specifically in the Bible, we can see that it is possible that just as God created our bodies with pathways for energy to flow (nerves, blood, lymph, meridians). He also created these energy centers throughout the body to receive and transmit energy messages.” (Beth Hovis, It’s not new, It’s true: Chakras and Christianity)

Author, yoga instructor, and Paulist priest, Father Thomas Ryan brings up an important consideration about energy and chakras in his writings when he reminds us that all of God’s creation can be used for good or for evil according to our will. Father Ryan writes,

“Whether this (energy awakening) is for good or evil is another question altogether… awakening may or may not bring about a deeper union with God, for union with God is effected through love and surrender and not simply through increased consciousness or awareness. The awakening experience can help one to bring greater energies into the service of love, but free will continues, and with it the possibility of misusing the considerable powers released for selfish motives.”

Using Chakras From a Christian Perspective

It is true that Christians should be discerning when approaching concepts that were first discovered, studied, and taught through other cultures and world-views. However, we should not be too quick to dismiss the wisdom found in these teachings. In essence, we should take care not to “throw the baby out with the bathwater” as the saying goes. (For more read my previous blog, Christianity & Chakras: Separating the Baby from the Bathwater.)

If we, as Christians, believe that ALL things were made by God for God’s purposes, then we must ask: How can energy be used for God’s purposes according to divine design? How might the healing power of Jesus be found in the chakras?

Energy, chakras, and the healing power of God

Chakra (pronounced with a hard “ch” like chia) is a Sanskrit word most often translated as “spinning wheel”. It does not refer to an actual physical structure in the body but to a swirl of energy created by energetic intersections within the subtle body. Many traditions have taught about these energy centers thus making for many different chakra systems. The system most popular in the West is the seven chakra system. According to this system, there are seven main chakras that run along the spine from the tailbone to the crown of the head. If the vital energy that flows through the chakras becomes unbalanced, it can manifest as disease. (For more about energy and chakras, read my previous blog Energy, Chakras and Christianity: What Does the Bible Say?)

According to traditional yogic practices, the chakras were originally utilized as focal points for meditation in order to invite Divine energies into the body. For Christians, this would entail inviting the healing presence, the healing energy, of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit into our bodies through meditation.

As we explore energy and chakras from a Christian perspective, we might just find a system of health that offers potential for healing on the physical, mental, AND spiritual levels. We may experience healing in new and powerful ways as we consider what it means to journey through the chakras with Christ.

Let us take a journey through the chakras with Christ…

Muladhara Chakra

Muladhara chakra sits near the base of the spine. Muladhara is a Sanskrit word that is often translated as “rooted” or “supported”.

Muladhara, often referred to as the root chakra, holds physio-psycho-spiritual meanings. The name “root” chakra points to our ability to be “rooted”, or to feel supported in our lives. This rootedness, includes our connection to our own body and as well as our connection to the Earth. It also includes our ability to feel safe, stable, steady, and secure. Energy in the muladhara chakra is associated with our own survival instinct, our fight or flight response, and our feelings toward provision.

According to traditional yogic philosophy, the chakras were originally utilized as focal points for meditation. When exploring the chakras from a Christian perspective, we can invite the healing presence of Jesus to balance the energy in our chakras.

Journey through the root chakra with Christ

Some thoughts for prayer, contemplation, and meditation to balance the energy of the root chakra might include:

Where am I seeking my roots and foundation outside of God?
Where am I seeking my safety and security outside of the Lord?
Do I know that God is my provider and my provision?

Svadhisthana Chakra

Svadhisthana chakra, or the sacral chakra, is the energy center which is situated below the navel in the center of the abdomen. Svadhisthana is a Sanskrit word that is often translated as “one’s own place” or “one’s own home”.

The sacral chakra is the energy center associated with intimacy, connection, and relationships. It governs our ability for relationships, and our ability to feel at home with ourselves and with others. It is the center for feelings, emotions, and sensuality. This chakra is known to be the source of our creativity, physically and otherwise! The sacral chakra holds our capacity for pleasure and our ability to enjoy life. The energy in this center helps us to be flexible and to accept change.

According to yogic philosophy the chakras were originally utilized as focal points for meditation. When exploring the chakras from a Christian perspective, we can invite the healing presence of Jesus to balance the energy moving through our chakras.

Journey through the sacral chakra with Christ

Some thoughts for prayer, contemplation, and meditation to balance the energy of the sacral chakra might include:

Do I feel at home with God? With myself? With others?
Do I experience a relationship with the Holy Spirit?
Am I able to enjoy the good gifts that God created according to God’s will and design?

Manipura Chakra

Manipura chakra, or the solar plexus chakra, is the energy center which is situated between the navel and the lower sternum. Manipura is a Sanskrit word that is often translated as “lustrous gem” or “city of jewels”.

This energy center is associated with confidence and personal power. Energy in this chakra helps us to be assertive and take action in our lives. It governs our vitality, will-power, strength, and self-esteem. When energy is balanced in this chakra, we will have a secure sense of self and work confidently according to our purpose.

Journey through the solar plexus chakra with Christ

Some thoughts for prayer, contemplation, and meditation to balance the energy of the solar plexus chakra might include:

Where have I found my confidence or my identity outside of God?
Where am I trusting in my own ability and relying on my own strength?
How can I lean into the strength of God to work in me and through me?

Anahata Chakra

Anahata chakra, or the heart chakra, is the energy center which is located in the middle of the chest. Anahata is a Sanskrit word that is often translated as “unhurt” or “unstruck”.

The heart chakra is known as the bridge between the lower and the higher chakras. It is the energy center associated with free-flowing love, harmony, and compassion. It helps us to nurture, accept, and offer unconditional love to ourselves and to others.

Journey through the heart chakra with Christ

Some thoughts for prayer, contemplation, and meditation to balance the energy of the heart chakra might include:

Am I holding on to hurt, consciously or subconsciously?
Have I fully received the love of God offered to me through Jesus Christ?
Am I willing to let Jesus heal me with his love?
Am I loving others as I love myself?

Visuddha Chakra

Visuddha chakra, or the throat chakra, is the energy center which is located between the collarbone and the larynx. Vishuddha is a Sanskrit word that is often translated as “especially pure” and refers to our ability to hear and to speak what is true.

The throat chakra is the energy center associated with clear, balanced, communication and creative expression. It enables us to hear and to speak what is true with clarity and confidence.

Journey through the throat chakra with Christ

Some thoughts for prayer, contemplation, and meditation to balance the energy of the throat chakra might include:

Do I rely on God to show me what is true?
Where am I holding on to my own ideas of truth? Am I willing to be wrong?
Am I able to speak the truth in love?
Where have I caused harm by what I have said, or what I have left unsaid?

Ajna Chakra

Ajna chakra, or the brow chakra, is the energy center which is located above the eyebrows, in the center of the forehead. Ajna is a Sanskrit word that is often translated as “to perceive” and refers to our ability to know beyond what we learn through our senses.

The brow chakra is known as the seat of wisdom, insight, intuition, and perception. It is associated with our God given capacity for imagination which allows us to “see” that which cannot be seen.

Journey through the brow chakra with Christ

Some thoughts for prayer, contemplation, and meditation to balance the energy of the brow chakra might include:

Do I lean on my own intuition and perceptions apart from God?
Where am I trusting in my own understanding?
Do I realize that without the Light of Christ, I cannot see clearly?
Do I ask God to give me a heavenly perspective?

Sahasrara Chakra

Sahasrara chakra, or the crown chakra, is the energy center which is located, as it suggests, at the crown of the head. Sahasrara is a Sanskrit word that is translated as “thousand-fold” or “infinite unfolding petals of the lotus”.

The crown chakra is associated with our connection to God and to the heavenly realms. The energy flowing in and through this chakra opens us to connection with the Divine. It gives us a sense of unity and oneness that helps with consciousness and with understanding.

Journey through the crown chakra with Christ

Some thoughts for prayer, contemplation, and meditation to balance the energy of the crown chakra might include:

Do I know that I am intimately connected to God?
Do I realize that I am a part of the story that God is telling in this world?
Where do I have unhealthy attachments to the temporal things of this world?

Learn more about what chakras are used for from a Christian perspective

Ready to learn more about Christianity & chakras? Grab your spot in my online course: Energy & chakras: a Biblical perspective, get your FREE Jesus & chakras tool-kit, or check out my card deck, Journeying through the chakras with Christ and get started learning today!

What are Chakras Used For? A Journey Through the Chakras with Christ