What are chakras? The seven main chakras and Reiki

One of the first things every Reiki student asks is: why do I put my hands exactly here? The answer is the chakras. Look at the fourteen self-treatment positions and you will see the hands go to the forehead, the throat, the middle of the chest, the upper belly, below the navel and the hips — directly over the chakras.

In this article I introduce the seven main chakras. Let me begin with a caution: chakras are a model from the Indian tradition. You will not find them in an anatomy book and no device measures them. I see them as a map people have used for centuries to understand the body and the emotions. A map is not the land itself, but it helps you find your way.

What does chakra mean?

It is Sanskrit for “wheel”. In the tradition, chakras are described as centres lined up along the spine where energy enters and leaves. There are seven main chakras, and smaller ones are described in the palms and the soles of the feet. That is why Reiki flowing from the hands is explained through the palm chakras.

When a chakra is balanced, energy flows freely; when it is blocked, you may feel an imbalance in the area linked with it. Treat this not as a diagnostic tool but as a way of paying attention to yourself.

The seven main chakras

• Root chakra — at the base of the spine. Feeling safe, being grounded, the body itself.
• Sacral chakra — a little below the navel. Creativity, pleasure, sexuality and the flow of feelings.
• Solar plexus — above the stomach, below where the ribs meet. Personal power, confidence and decisions.
• Heart chakra — in the middle of the chest. Love, compassion and forgiveness; towards ourselves and others.
• Throat chakra — at the throat. Communication, self-expression, speaking the truth.
• Third eye — between the eyebrows. Intuition, awareness, seeing clearly.
• Crown chakra — at the top of the head. Our connection with something larger than ourselves.

Chakras open at the back, too

Most people think of chakras only from the front. In the tradition, each chakra also has an opening at the back, along the spine: at the nape of the neck, the middle of the back, the lower back and the base of the spine. This is why the back positions should not be skipped when you treat yourself.

I explain it to my students like this: the front openings relate more to our feelings and our relationship with the world, the back openings to our will and our strength to carry ourselves. When both receive Reiki, the chakra is balanced as a whole. Tiredness and tension often build up at the back without being noticed.

How does chakra work happen in Reiki?

In Reiki you do not try to “open” the chakras one by one. You place your hands, state your intention and let the energy flow. Reiki goes where it is needed. Knowing the chakras helps you know what is under your hands and makes your intention clearer.

During a session you may feel warmth, tingling or heaviness in one area — or nothing at all. Staying a little longer where you feel nothing is a good habit. If you note what you feel in a journal, after a few weeks you will see which areas “speak” to you most.

Common misunderstandings

• “My chakra is closed, so I am ill.” No energy model explains the cause of an illness. If you have an ongoing symptom, see your doctor first; Reiki can sit alongside your treatment, never instead of it.
• “The upper chakras matter more.” The root chakra is as important as the crown. Spirituality without its feet on the ground is easily blown about.
• “Chakras are balanced for good in a few sessions.” Balance is not built once and finished; it is a state you return to every day. That is why daily self-Reiki matters.

Where to begin?

In the Reiki I course, alongside the handbook, I give an interactive chakra lesson with audio: you touch points on a body map and see where each chakra is and which hand position reaches it. But you can begin today without a course: in the evening, rest one hand on the middle of your chest and the other on your belly for a few minutes, and watch your breath. It is the simplest way to meet your chakras.