There's a lot more to chakras than these quizzes tell us.
(Sarah Brown / Unsplash)
Because we all love to learn about ourselves via online quizzes, a new chakra quiz has been recently circulating on social media
In three minutes, the quiz tells the takers which of their chakras are open, weak or closed. But, like always, the internet’s had some thoughts.
While some have said they feel attacked by the quiz concluding their chakras are closed (not good), others have voiced their thoughts on how the quiz may be oversimplified and generic, and how it even might be cultural appropriation.
Wait, what are chakras really?
The chakras derive from early Hinduism and are defined in Sanskrit as wheels or disks. Each chakra aligns with an organ in the body and affects the body, mind, and spirit.
The first chakra is the root chakra and is at the bottom of the spine; The second is the sacral chakra and is near the pubic bone; The third is the naval chakra and is above the navel; The fourth is the heart chakra and is in the middle of the chest; The fifth is the throat chakra and is in the center of the throat; The sixth chakra is known as the third eye chakra and is in the middle of the forehead, and this chakra allows a person to view the mystical realm; and finally, the seventh chakra is the crown chakra. In addition to the major chakras, there are other minor centers.
According to Shafica Karagulla in the book “The Chakras and the Human Energy Fields,” their center cores act as a hub of energy and petal-like structures revolve around them (33-34). Through the cores, the chakras intertwine with the spine and nervous system, and energy flows through them from one to another. The brightness in color, speed of motion, size, and texture demonstrate the person’s “quality of consciousness and degree of personal development” (36). A talented singer, for example, may have larger and luminous throat cores. A person who is spiritually aware may also have a clear crown chakra (38). When a person is healthy, Karagulla said that their forms are “beautifully balanced, symmetrical, and organic” (35).
Conversely, when the chakras are closed, the harmonic movement of energy through them is obstructed, which prevents inner clarity. If someone is distraught, Karagulla said, this energy travels through the etheric field and emotional field and as a result, affects the body.
So what’s up with this quiz?
Carol Tuttle, a teacher and healer who’s trained in Reiki therapy, created the quiz. She recognized the roots of the chakras in Sanskrit records within the quiz but didn’t discuss their origins in depth.
Chakra quizzes like this one can help you gain a simple understanding of your development and where you can grow; but, trusting your intuition is most important.
How does the quiz compare to the real thing?
Last summer, I received Reiki therapy — an alternative form of medicine that aims to prevent constrictions of energy flow within the chakras, which are focal points of spiritual energy located along the spine. While I approached the session with a quiet apprehension, I drifted into a trance and experienced mystifying sensations.
Before we started, the therapist instructed me to narrate my mental and physical reactions. When she held a blue light, corresponding with the throat chakra, over my throat, an invisible hand clenched it. When I tried to voice my thoughts, the suffocating sensation ebbed away.
As I laid enveloped in a cocoon of blankets and the soothing scent of lavender, the bed seemed to shake; and where her hands hovered, my skin tingled — It was as though they were electrically charged. The therapist explained to me that the undulating movement I felt in my body was caused by her manipulation of the energy fields.
After the session, I felt certain about the validity of chakras because I had felt them stir inside me. And I knew that summer, my throat chakra was closed.
How do we open our chakras?
Even though I have researched the chakras and discussed them with Reiki therapists, I am in no means an expert.
However, often the mainstream answer to open your chakras is to meditate and do yoga. Both practices grant me a greater awareness of my thoughts and surroundings each time.
Every morning, I meditate for at least ten minutes. While I meditate, I try to view myself and every sensation without judgment or labels. I do not dismiss my thoughts, but I observe them dissipate, like passing clouds. While I stretch, I also listen to music for meditation aimed to stimulate the chakras. Occasionally, as I stretch and glance at the trees and grass, I’ll glimpse flashes of colors on the foliage. From the glaring shine of a bulb to the glittering rays of the sun, being surrounded by nature is like exiting an artificial world and entering a portal to a living one. There, I can sense the connection and sweet affection within all species.
Each chakra opens differently but can open by accessing a source of divinity and purity. According to Reiki therapist Nora Wade, the chakras open when you connect to the universal energy that surrounds us and directs it into each of the chakras, beginning with the crown chakra. She said that by visualizing the chakra point opening to the energy, they will open. One can do this by visualizing a beam of light entering the top of the head. However, the person does not have to be in a meditative state to do so.
An article by NewsBank provides more detail about how to open each.
Katie Delk is an Online Writer at Rowdy Magazine. Her simple pleasures include meditating, sitting beneath trees, writing poetry and blasting '70s music. She cares immensely about the earth, powerful women and social justice. You can reach her at kdelk@ufl.edufor more info.