Chakras & energy work: what the traditions teach and how they connect to body and mind

An exhibition on yoga art, organised by the Smithsonian and shown at San Francisco’s Asian Art Museum, featured paintings from India that map the chakras and channels of the subtle body.

In these traditions, the chakras are places where meditation focuses attention. They are part of a spiritual path, not a description of organs.

Kundalini is described in Tantric yoga as an energy that rises through a central channel along the spine, passing through the chakras. The idea first appears in Tantric Śaiva scriptures from around the 6th to 8th century.

For practitioners, kundalini is a sacred, complex idea tied to spiritual growth. Later in this guide, “When experiences feel intense” covers what to do if strong sensations arise.

Yoga, often the doorway to chakras for Westerners, has grown fast. In the U.S., 15.8% of adults practised yoga in 2022.

Today, chakras appear in yoga classes, meditation apps, art, jewellery and energy-healing services. How they are taught varies a lot.

Muladhara is placed at the base of the spine, just above the perineum.

A reflection prompt

• What helps me feel safe and steady?
• Where do I feel supported in my life?

Svadhisthana is placed at the level of the genital organs.

A reflection prompt

• What brings me joy or creativity?
• How am I with my feelings today?

Manipura is placed at the navel.

A reflection prompt

• Where do I feel confident?
• What is one step I can take toward a goal?

Anahata is placed at the midpoint of the chest.

A reflection prompt

• Who or what do I love?
• How can I be kinder to myself today?

Vishuddha is placed at the throat.

A reflection prompt

• Is there something I need to say?
• Do I feel heard by the people around me?

Ajna is placed between the eyebrows.

A reflection prompt

• What do I notice when I slow down?
• What does my wiser self know?

Sahasrara is placed at the crown of the head.

A reflection prompt

• What gives my life meaning?
• What helps me feel connected to something bigger?

The seven-chakra system is the most widely known. Some traditions use more: one tantric yoga tradition, for example, uses nine chakras.

Teachers within the same tradition can also differ on exactly where each chakra lies.

The Theosophists, a Western spiritual movement, formed a blended East–West tradition that mixed yoga with Western ideas.

One painting in the same exhibition even merges the chakras of yoga with the “interior stars” of Western astrology and alchemy, showing how ideas have long travelled and mixed.

Many popular chakra teachings today, like colour charts and personality links, vary from teacher to teacher. It’s worth asking where an idea comes from.

Ways to honour the tradition

• Avoid using sacred names or images as jokes or decorations only
• Credit the Hindu and tantric roots when you share what you learn
• Learn from teachers with deep knowledge of the tradition
• Read about the history, not just the wellness version
• Support teachers from the communities these practices come from

A review of 15 studies found that slow breathing (under 10 breaths a minute) was linked with changes in heart rhythm and brain activity, and with more comfort and relaxation and less anxiety and anger.

NCCIH notes that yoga started as a spiritual practice rooted in Indian philosophy. A review of 12 studies found it helped with perceived stress in healthy adults, and studies suggest it can help with sleep.

For anxiety, a review of 38 studies found benefits for anxiety symptoms, but little evidence for people with anxiety disorders.

Moving your attention through the body, as in many chakra meditations, is similar to a body scan. NCCIH reports that mindfulness approaches can help with anxiety and stress, though much of the research is early.

Supported by research

• Mindfulness and meditation for stress and anxiety (early research)
• Slow breathing for relaxation
• Yoga for stress and sleep

Not supported

• That chakras can be “blocked” and cause illness
• That a healer can sense or fix your chakras
• That chakras can be measured by a device or photo
• That chakra work can replace health care

Harvard Health explains that the placebo effect is more than positive thinking. It can ease symptoms the brain shapes, like pain and stress-related sleep problems. The ritual of care itself can change how people feel.

Placebo effects can help you feel better, but they don’t cure disease.

Some people picture a colour at each point, from red at the base to violet or white at the crown. Colour schemes vary between teachers, so choose whatever feels calming to you.

Yoga is generally safe for healthy people when done properly with a qualified teacher. Beginners are advised to avoid extreme poses like headstands.

Some tantric texts link a different sound with each chakra.

Humming or chanting slowly can also help you slow your breathing.

A study of Western Buddhist meditators found 59 kinds of meditation-related experiences, from very positive to very negative. Some were brief, and some caused lasting distress.

A study of 80 tantric yoga meditators found many reported rising sensations, often with joy. Earlier reports of kundalini-type experiences describe some people who needed clinical support.

NCCIH notes that about 8% of people in meditation studies reported a negative effect, most often anxiety or low mood.

If a practice feels too much

• Open your eyes and look around the room
• Eat something or drink water
• Feel your feet on the floor
• Shorten or pause your practice for a while
• Take a walk or do something ordinary
• Talk with an experienced teacher or a therapist

Spiritual experiences are meaningful and real to the person having them. It can still be wise to get support if experiences frighten you, feel out of your control, or affect your sleep, eating, work or relationships.

Reach out to a clinical provider if you…

• Can’t sleep for several nights
• Feel very confused or not like yourself
• Have strong physical symptoms like chest pain or fainting
• Hear or see things others don’t, and it’s distressing
• Feel unsafe or have thoughts of hurting yourself

Be careful if someone…

• Claims to cure illness or replace treatment
• Discourages you from seeing a doctor or therapist
• Pushes expensive packages or endless sessions
• Says your chakras are “dangerously blocked”
• Uses devices or photos that claim to measure energy

NCCIH advises choosing a complementary practitioner as carefully as you would your primary health care provider, and checking that they will work with your other providers.

You might ask

• What training do you have?
• What does it cost in total?
• What do you claim this can and can’t do?
• Will you support me seeing my clinical provider too?

Some energy sessions involve light touch. You can ask for no touch, ask questions at any time, or stop the session. A good practitioner will respect that.