The Chakras can be considered as portals through all layers of your Self; your physical body, your spirit, your essence. Through working on your chakras and bringing them to a healthy state of balance, you can realize your True Self and operate at your highest function.

The Chakras can be worked on from the outside in, and from the inside out. Yoga works on them from the outside in: through the physical body to the chakras. Various situations in life help develop, or potentially block, our chakras. Meditation develops the chakras from the inside out: by working with meditation to develop your chakras.

Each Chakra is in a state of Sattva, Tamas, or Rajas. These are the 3 Gunas, explained as modes of existence which govern everything in the universe including the state of each chakra. These are not the same as the concept of “strong/powerful” or “weak” in regards to the chakras.

Sattva is the ideal balance, harmony, healthy expression, wisdom, intelligence, tranquility, desire for enlightenment. This is also the state of spiritual liberation, as you are not hindered by obstacles, your true Self can function and express without obstacles, hangups, or dross.

Tamas is deficiency, passivity, inertia, under-functioning, ignorance, dullness, confusion, avoidance, rest, recovery, stability.

Rajas is excess, activity, over-functioning, overcompensating, agitation, greed, over-activity, stress, chaos, motivation, drive, enthusiasm, engaging productively, progress.

This is only a brief description of each. Understanding the above will help you understand each of your chakras more. The way each of your chakra functions explains how and why every aspect of your Self (identity, personality, habits, the very way you function) is expressed or inhibited. Knowing this will help you know yourself, and working on each area through your chakras will help you become a more complete and fulfilled person in the best way for you as an individual.

Excessive energy, Rajas, is not to be seen as a good thing. It doesn’t mean the chakra is well developed and “powerful”. Think of it like a traffic jam on a major highway, the area is large, there is plenty of activity, but it is all jammed and nothing is moving correctly. Accidents happen, it becomes chaotic.

When a chakra is in a state of Tamas, energy will be blocked or like a tight bottleneck and will be unable to properly rise up to your higher chakras; and when a chakra is in a state of Rajas energy still gets blocked there and is unable to properly rise up to the higher chakras. Having chakras in a state of deficiency or excess will cause obstacles in your path to Enlightenment and Spiritual Liberation, and the Serpent will remain trapped. Sattva is the correct healthy balance of the energy and shows purity and harmony.

For each chakra that is Rajasic (in a state of Rajas), the individual will likely put too much emphasis on the area of life ruled by that chakra and may neglect to rise to the realms of the higher chakras above it; for the Crown chakra being in a state of Rajas, they may neglect the realms of the lower chakras. If a chakra is Tamasic, there is not the sufficient energy for the individual to rise to the higher chakras, to the higher level of consciousness.

Working on improving your chakras will give you a level up in this life and in your next incarnation, in all aspects of your Self: your mind, emotions, psyche, intellect, capabilities, talents, personality. Treat your chakras, all your chakras, as Divine Gemstones. The cleaner and healthier they are, the closer to Divinity you will be.

Understanding the above information, and reading the below information, will help you understand more about yourself and other people. Not everything is about conditioning; many problems are about the relating chakra. Many things that you might think are purely “negative personality traits”, are in fact a problem with a chakra over-functioning or under-functioning (Rajasic or Tamasic).

Interestingly, this knowledge shows that the mind and psyche are not just in the head/brain, as we are generally taught. The mind and psyche are in the soul, and the chakras are part of the structure of the soul.

Our chakras are interconnected; what affects one chakra, will also affect another (or more). Yoga asana in general helps all chakras, in addition to what is written in the section for each chakra below. Simply understanding this information and being aware of the state of your chakras will help you regulate yourself; self-knowledge is imperative for true growth and advancement.

Combine the following information for each chakra with what is already in the ToZ. After meditating on a chakra, you can affirm “my [name of chakra] is healthy and balanced, and functioning optimally.”

Muladhara (Base)
Governs: Material security
Expression: To be here; to have

Rajas: In the malefic, such a person can be a bully, taking things that are not theirs, dominating others. In an otherwise good person, having an over-functioning Base can still cause one to impose on others, may act or appear like they own the space around them. Can be too attached to the material realm. Difficulty understanding boundaries, including other people’s.

Tamas: Can have a victim mindset, other people can be imposing. Has a difficult time asserting oneself even into their own space. May find it difficult to establish a routine. Difficulty feeling like you truly belong wherever you are. Having difficulty saying “no”.

Sattva: Feeling like you belong. Having your basic needs met and organized. Feeling safe in your environment and in life. Competence in the material realm. Being able to take care of yourself. Having healthy boundaries.

What harms this chakra: Fear. Instability in your life. Not feeling safe during the formative years. Healthy fear is normal, it’s how humanity survived; but excessive fear constricts this chakra and causes blockages.

How to improve this chakra: Actively working to overcome your fears; this does not mean mind-washing yourself to never be afraid, but recognizing what you are afraid of and make plans for how to deal with it. For example if you are afraid of poverty, increase your employment potential and budget your money wisely. Asserting healthy boundaries. Actively working to secure your basic needs, and then affirming to yourself in meditation that you have accomplished this. Many people remain stuck in the mindset of not feeling secure with their basic needs. Basic needs also includes touch, hugging your parents as a child or your intimate partner as an adult.

Svadhisthana (Sacral)
Governs: Creativity, sexuality
Expression: To feel; pleasure

Rajas: Tends to overreact. Over-emotional, can’t control one’s emotions such as having uncontrolled tantrums in public. Excessive sexual appetite. Obsession with food and drink. Over-indulging in pleasure and self-gratification. Places too much emphasis on your emotions and how you feel.

Tamas: Frigidity. Closed off to your wants and desires. Denying sensuality. Not in touch with your own feelings. Refusing to allow yourself to cry. Restricting and limiting oneself with food and pleasure. Having artistic talent but not doing anything with it. Inability to adapt to changes or flow in life.

Sattva: Ability to adapt to changes in your day and in life. Having a creative outlet. Having a healthy and enjoyable sex life. Being in touch with your feelings and expressing them appropriately, in the correct time and place. Knowing what truly brings you pleasure, what you desire.

What harms this chakra: Denying your sexuality. Denying yourself from healthy pleasure will result in developing tastes for unhealthy pleasure (binge-eating junk food, depravity, etc). Repressing your desires. Not making time to engage in your creativity.

How to improve this chakra: Finding out what is pleasurable to you and having a healthy outlet for it, such as your personal taste in music, art, or a hobby. Having a healthy sexual outlet (a suitable romantic partner, for example). Making time to have fun. Dancing.

Manipura (Solar Plexus)
Governs: Power & Weakness
Expression: To act; to achieve

Rajas: Too much emphasis on “the Self” and gratifying your ego. Poor impulse control. Tries to control and/or dominate others. Overly strongly willed. Holds on to everything too tightly. Strives towards too many goals at a time. Too much energy leading to burnout.

Tamas: Inability to develop your own ego. Low self-esteem. Allows oneself to be controlled and/or dominated. Does not have the will to hold on to anything. Weak willed. Difficulty striving towards goals. Too little energy, lethargy or chronic fatigue. Follows the path of least resistance.

Sattva: Knowing when to stand up for yourself and when to listen to others. A healthy balance of holding on to what should be held on to, and letting go of what is not needed or necessary. Having a sense of self-mastery. Healthy self-esteem and sense of identity, healthy ego. Using your Will to improve yourself and your life. Having a balance of activity and rest, willpower and ease.

What harms this chakra: Shame. Giving up on goals that are achievable. Not standing up for yourself. Inner defiance and outer compliance. Denying or repressing your authenticity.

How to improve this chakra: Using your Will in healthy ways. Understand what you want, and strive towards it. Make your goals a reality. Develop self-discipline. Physical exercise (develop muscle tone), dancing. Change your mindset from “I have to” into “I choose to”. If you feel shame in regards to anything, work it out; either allow yourself to let go of it, or resolve the situation. Live authentically.

Anahata (Heart/Center)
Governs: Connection to others, bonding, love, balance
Expression: To love; to be/feel integrated

Rajas: Overly compassionate. Too accepting, no boundaries. Believes in unconditional love even to those who do not deserve it. Tries to kiss and hug every child or pet they see. Might lose your sense of self in a relationship, placing too much attention and focus on the other person. Can deplete yourself from giving too much to others. Has a need for “love” in the form of attention from others.

Tamas: Difficulty feeling love towards one’s own close family, spouse, friends, or pets. Difficulty bonding with anyone. Difficulty feeling compassion to those who deserve it. Shuts other people out. Dislikes hugging or displays of affection. Lacking the ability or energy to give to others. Difficulty accepting a gift or compliment from others. Afraid of being vulnerable.

Sattva: Strong boundaries, yet loves those who are worthy of your love. Compassionate and helpful in a healthy sense. Having a balance in your relationships between yourself and others. Having a healthy integration between base emotions and higher consciousness (lower chakras and higher chakras). Having a healthy balance between giving and receiving, reaching out and taking in.

What harms this chakra: Betrayal. Neglect. Having a broken heart. Lacking generosity (stingy to a fault). Refusing to feel compassion to those who deserve it (to a child who makes an innocent mistake, for example). Grief, bereavement.

How to improve this chakra: Pranayama. Giving and showing love to those who are worthy of it in your life (to your family, not to random strangers, for example). Being close with people who give you attention in a healthy way (supportive friends, a pet, a relationship). Being generous in the healthy sense. Healing from grief or bereavement. Being willing to receive as well as to give. Healing and balancing all other chakras.

Vissuddha (Throat)
Governs: Communication (including communication of emotions)
Expression: To communicate

Rajas: Speaks louder than necessary. Speaks far more than necessary. Interrupts others who try to talk. Expresses their opinion even if not wanted. Speaks rather than listens. Vocally expresses thoughts and emotions too readily, such as in situations where it is not appropriate or at the wrong time.

Tamas: Difficulty speaking, tends to whisper. Fear of public speaking. Difficulty expressing your own opinion. Difficulty putting your thoughts into words. Speech impediments. Ignoring or denying your intuition and emotions.

Sattva: Having a healthy balance between speaking and listening. Having clear communication. Being able to clearly speak your thoughts. Speaks when it is appropriate to speak (neither too much nor too little). Understanding when to speak up and when to stay silent. Listening to your intuition and emotions. Having a healthy expression of your emotions.

What harms this chakra: Restraining yourself from speaking. Feeling a desire to sing but refusing to allow yourself to. Having limited communication. Other people not letting you speak. Frustration over unresolved conversations or conflict. Telling lies (except in circumstances to protect your safety). Having toxic people in your life. Overly dwelling in negative thoughts, negative self-talk.

How to improve this chakra: Singing, or playing a musical instrument with intention (expressing yourself or your emotions through music). Vibrating mantras. Journaling. Learning healthy communication. Speaking the truth. Forming an opinion and speaking it. Expressing your thoughts, either to others or in a journal. Having positive self-talk.

Ajna (6th Chakra; not to be confused with the 3rd Eye which is an extension of the Ajna chakra)
Governs: Self-realization
Expression: To perceive

Rajas: Thinking too much without a healthy connection to reality. Believes imagination or illusion is real. Difficulty concentrating or focusing on one thing. Difficulty containing imagination, excessive daydreaming. Can’t discriminate between real astral insight and false astral interference. Places too much emphasis on the emotional state. Distorted worldview.

Tamas: Nightmares, headaches. Lack of imagination. Inability to perceive wisdom. Mental fog or confusion. Lacking the ability to focus or concentrate for long. Difficulty having insightful dreams while sleeping. Denial of truth or reality. Denying or blocking your emotions.

Sattva: Feeling connected to intuition. Using your visualization to manifest your magick into reality. Insightful dreams and psychic communication. Seeing things as they are, not influenced by illusion or false beliefs. Having a healthy understanding of your emotional state.

What harms this chakra: Believing in delusions. Excessive intake of useless information (doom-scrolling). Lack of meditation. Focusing on negative input. Refusing to see or find the Truth.

How to improve this chakra: Meditation, specifically awareness, mindfulness, void meditations. Strengthening your ability to focus. Get off the computer/phone/social media and into nature. Read a textbook instead of watching quick “information dump” videos. Journaling.

Sahasrara (Crown)
Governs: Enlightenment, connection to the Divine
Expression: To know; bliss

Rajas: Ignoring the material realm, thinking spirituality is all that matters. Being too spacey, ungrounded. Trying to meditate or be spiritual all the time yet not able to truly connect with the Divine or your Higher Self.

Tamas: Disconnection from the Divine. Inability to use insights to upgrade belief systems. Inability to grow from new spiritual information. Disconnected from your Higher Self.

Sattva: Expressing your spirituality in your daily life. Having a healthy sense of inner awareness. Knowing that the Divine exists within you, and within others. Connection with your Higher Self (your full consciousness). Feeling bliss and Divine Harmony.

What harms this chakra: Excessive attachment to materialism. Refusing to believe in a Higher Power or spirituality in general. Lack of meditation. Living in fear. Stubbornly limiting your mindset, not remaining open to serendipity.

How to improve this chakra: Meditation, contemplation on the Divine. Trance. Trusting in your spiritual beliefs. Healing and empowering all of the other chakras.