The Chakras   The Chakras (wheels) have been worked with for well over 2,000 years. Some believe knowledge of the chakras was brought into India by the Aryans, an invading Indo-European tribe.  It is theorized that much of western culture, especially that of Europe was also influenced by invading Indo-Europeans. So, while Chakras may seem foreign or exotic to practitioners in the West, they are distantly a part of much of the West's root culture, some of which evolved as this Indo-European culture spread west. Some do not believe invading Aryans brought this knowledge and instead believe that it was a part of the native Indian culture.  Some believe knowledge of the chakras was borrowed from ancient African knowledge.  Whatever the roots of chakra wisdom, their knowledge has found their way across the globe and is practised by many diverse peoples.  No matter where our understanding of them began to form, chakras are a part of all of our bodies, regardless of race or religion. The spiritual traditions of many cultures work with ideas of energy/chi or life-force.  It is breathed into us by The Gods themselves to enliven and give us strength and wisdom. This breath of life/ond/prana doesn't just lay stagnant in ourselves. It moves along currents and spins, pulling and pushing energy in and out of us.  When they are in balance, we are in wholeness and health. When they are out of balance, we begin to feel tired, depressed, apathetic. Eventually this imbalance and weakness can lead to ill-health as our life force is blocked and drained. This imbalance can be caused by both excessive and deficient energy patterns in specific chakras.  For instance, we can have too little energy in our throat chakra if we consistently silence ourselves.  We can also have an excess of energy in our 5th chakra if we talk constantly, not listening to others around us.  The chakras are not static and so are constantly in states of flux.  However, through repeated patterns over extended periods of time we can affect the balance of our chakras, throwing them into states of weakness or obsession/overdrive.  Since we affect our energy and our energy affects us, we are it and it is us. It is sometimes hard to see what's going on. Luckily, as we can cause imbalance in ourselves we can also bring balance back into our lives.  Anyone can balance their chakras and their life.   The Chakras consist of 7 main energy centers as well as many other minor ones throughout the body.  They spin at different speeds and have different levels of vibrations.  Their resonance to certain vibrations leads to our ability to balance them in many different ways.  As they vibrate, so do the means by which we can heal them; through color waves, light, sound, aroma, stones/gems, herbs and flowers and even through the food we eat. By focusing on the things that vibrate or are energized on relatively the same level as the chakras, we can harmonize them.    During a stand-alone chakra balance, I work with color, muscle testing and Reiki energy to clear blockages and harmonize the 7 major chakras as well as 16 other minor energy centers focused around the joints.   In an integrated healing session, I run Reiki into each of your major chakras to help fully clear, balance and facilitate the healing process.   You can also maintain balance or achieve harmony of the chakras through many mediums on your own. I recommend the books "Wheels of Light" by Rosalyn L. Bruyere and   "Wheels of Life" by Anodea Judith if you're interested in reading more about the chakras and how they affect us all. For a quick reference sheet to the 7 main chakras' properties, click here  If you have any further questions, please feel free to e-mail me at coastalenergyhealing@gmail.com