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Do you suffer from chronic back pain? If so, you’re not alone.
A 2019 survey by Statista found that 39% of US residents had experienced back pain within the past three months. The most commonly assumed culprits for back pain are stress, weak muscles, lack of exercise, and physical work.
But what if the cause of your annoying backache could be the state of your energetic body? It is believed that the seven energy centers, known as chakras, govern all processes of the human body and the condition of the organs, tissues, and bones.
According to yogic teachings, several energy centers could be responsible for recurrent back and shoulder pain. How is this possible? Let’s find out.
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Overview Of The Seven Chakras
Before exploring the link between energetic centers and back pain, let’s briefly look at all the chakras and their purposes.
- Root chakra – Located at the base of the spine, the first chakra governs of sense of safety, security, and core needs. It is responsible for helping us feel safe, grounded, and able to withstand challenges.
- Sacral chakra – Located in the lower abdomen, just below the belly button, the second chakra is our center of pleasure. It is responsible for our creativity, sensuality, physical desires, and ability to feel joy. It is also closely linked to our ability to regulate our emotions.
- Solar Plexus chakra – Located in the upper abdomen, above the navel, the third chakra is our power center. It is responsible for our self-confidence, self-belief, determination, courage, inner strength, and resilience.
- Heart chakra – Located in the center of the chest, the fourth chakra is responsible for our ability to give and receive love. It is associated with compassion, empathy, joy, gratitude, and forgiveness.
- Throat chakra – Located in our throat, the firth chakra is the center of our communication. It is responsible for expressing ourselves verbally, listening to others, and staying true to ourselves.
- Third Eye chakra – Located between the eyebrows, the sixth chakra governs our intuition and imagination. This chakra helps us connect to and listen to our inner voice.
- Crown chakra – Located at the top of the head, the seventh chakra is about spiritual connection. It allows us to discover and follow our life purpose and cultivate a deeper relationship with ourselves and the universe.
The Link Between Chakras And Back Pain
Each of the seven chakras can be in balance or out of balance. When there is an imbalance, there is a lack of energy flow in the chakra’s location. This can create unpleasant physical, mental, or emotional symptoms. One of the most common physical symptoms of a chakra imbalance is pain.
Each chakra is responsible for certain organs and bodily functions and is linked to specific body parts, typically those close to the energy center’s physical location. Thus, if a chakra is unbalanced, its associated organs and body parts can suffer.
For example, as the heart chakra is located in the center of the chest, it is associated with the entire upper back region, including the shoulders and arms. Thus, a heart chakra imbalance can cause pain or physical conditions in any of these areas.
With back pain, the specific location of the tension will determine which chakra is affected. For example, lower back pain is related to a different chakra than upper back and neck pain. Thus, let’s take a deeper look at each type.
Low Back Pain – Sacral Chakra
The sacral (Swadhisthana) chakra can cause physical pain in the low back, hip, pelvic, and lower abdomen regions.
Blocked Sacral Chakra Physical Signs
Physical symptoms of a blocked second chakra include:
- Lower back, hip, or pelvis pain
- Urinary problems such as frequent UTIs
- Kidney issues
- Intimate and reproductive issues such as low romantic desire, reproductive organ dysfunction, and infertility
Which Emotions Are Linked To Low Back Pain?
Emotions linked to the Swadhisthana chakra and lower back pain are financial worries, anxiety, low self-worth, and resistance to change. In addition, shame, detachment, or difficulty expressing emotions are common signs of a blocked second chakra.
If this energy center is overactive rather than blocked, you may feel overwhelmed by your emotions, resulting in mood swings. In addition, you may struggle with jealousy or co-dependency.
How To Heal A Sacral Chakra Imbalance
If you’re suffering from lower back pain and some of the emotions mentioned above, try these Swadhisthana chakra healing practices.
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Take the free testPractice yoga
Aside from emotional causes, prolonged sitting creates stagnation around the hips and lower back, resulting in low back pain. Therefore, stretching the muscles in these regions is a great way to get the energy flowing and relieve physical tension.
For low back pain, practice yoga poses that stretch the spine and open the hips. These include standing forward fold, cat/cow pose, pigeon, and butterfly pose.
Get Creative
When the sacral chakra is blocked, we can feel like our creativity is suppressed. One of the best ways to overcome this is to do more creative activities. You don’t have to have any artistic talents; try simple things like mindful coloring, dancing, or drawing.
Rekindle old interests or find new hobbies
People with second chakra imbalances often lack a sense of passion and joy, which makes life feel like there is no purpose. If this is you, reflect on what lights you up. What do you enjoy? What activities increase your energy level and make you feel alive?
If you’re unsure, think back to your hobbies when you were younger. Why not start them again and see if they still bring you joy? Or create a new hobby, something you’ve always wanted to try.
Meditate
- Bring your awareness to the lower abdomen.
- Visualize an orange ball of energy here. Imagine this energy expanding and nourishing your lower back, hips, and pelvis, washing away any pain or tension.
- For extra healing power, combine with this second chakra activation meditation music.
Meditation is one of the most popular forms of energy healing. To work on a Swadhisthana chakra during your meditation practice:
Upper Back Pain – Heart Chakra
The heart (Anahata) chakra can cause pain and tightness in the upper back, shoulder blades, arms, and hands.
Blocked Heart Chakra Physical Signs
If your heart chakra is blocked, you may experience the following:
- Upper back pain
- Tightness in the chest, shoulders, and arms
- High blood pressure
- Poor circulation
- Asthma
- Other heart or lung ailments
- Low immune system
Which Emotions Are Linked To Upper Back Pain?
Upper back pain can indicate that you feel unloved, lonely, or lacking enough emotional support. Spiritually, the front of the heart is associated with giving energy, while the back is associated with receiving it. Thus, upper back pain can indicate that we are not receiving the care we need from others or ourselves.
The back of the heart can also be associated with the past. Thus tension here can be due to grief, rejection, or a painful past experience.
Emotional symptoms of a blocked heart chakra include inability or difficulty to trust others, anger, jealousy, resentment, and holding onto past hurts. In addition, you may have trouble loving and accepting yourself while struggling to connect with others. This can cause frequent feelings of loneliness and a tendency to isolate oneself.
How To Heal A Heart Chakra Imbalance
If you’re dealing with pain or tightness in the upper back, try these Anahata chakra healing practices.
Be mindful
Mindful activities like yoga and meditation help to reduce stress and negative emotions like anxiety and sadness related to a blocked Anahata chakra. Aside from following mindfulness meditations on Youtube, a great way to practice mindfulness is by using Mindfulness Cards.
These innovative cards feature 40 mindfulness therapy games that will help you cultivate the positive qualities of the Anahata chakra, such as calm, joy, and gratitude. Make it part of your morning or evening routine by picking a card each day and doing the suggested short activity.
Practice self-care
We all know the famous saying that no one can love us until we learn to love ourselves. Thus, be kind to yourself by nourishing your body, mind, and soul through self-care activities. Self-care is not just bubble baths and massages; it is anything that makes you feel nurtured.
Set aside time every day to do something for yourself. This could be starting that book you’ve been meaning to read for ages, going to your favorite fitness class, or taking a walk in nature. Regular self-care activities will help you improve your relationship with yourself, which will have the same effect on your relationships with others.
Visualization meditation
To meditate on the heart chakra:
- Envision green energy pulsating in the center of your chest.
- See this green healing energy expand, filling the entire upper back, extending to the shoulder blades, and moving down the arms.
- As the energy moves, see it clear any blockages, releasing tension in these areas. Feel your body lighter, looser, and free from pain.
Neck And Shoulder Pain – Throat Chakra
The throat chakra can cause pain, tightness, and aches in the neck and shoulders. Thus, if you are experiencing pain at the top of the spine and along the shoulder blades rather than between them, you could have a throat chakra imbalance.
Blocked Throat Chakra Physical Signs
Physical signs of a throat chakra blockage include:
- Neck and shoulder aches/tightness
- Chronic sore throat
- Thyroid issues
- Hearing problems
- Jaw pain
- Frequent mouth ulcers
- Dental issues or gum disease
Which Emotions Are Linked To Neck And Shoulder Back Pain?
Neck pain can sometimes indicate a conflict between what your mind thinks, and your heart feels. This could be if you say or do things that don’t align with your true purpose, if you don’t speak your true feelings, or if you don’t express your creative desires. Insecurity, shyness, and social anxiety are also closely linked to a throat chakra imbalance.
How To Heal A Throat Chakra Imbalance
Do neck stretches
Movement, in general, is beneficial for neck and shoulder pain. Still, there are some targeted stretches you should do every day. One simple neck stretch is to drop one ear to the shoulder and place your hand over the opposite ear without pressing down. After doing both sides, drop your chin to the chest to stretch the back of the neck, and then tilt your head back to stretch the front of your neck. In addition to these neck stretches, do neck rolls and shoulder rolls.
Speak positive affirmations
One way to strengthen the throat chakra is to use your voice. Try speaking throat chakra affirmations to yourself in the mirror every day. Choose a claim that works for you; here are some examples:
- I always speak my truth.
- I am a clear and effective communicator.
- I express myself with confidence, self-assurance, and courage.
- My words are powerful.
- My opinion matters.
Aromatherapy
Essential oils chamomile, peppermint, and eucalyptus are particularly beneficial for treating a blocked throat chakra. The best way to use them is to apply them directly to your neck area. The Aura Cacia Expressive Throat Chakra Roll-On is a blend of essential oils and is excellent to keep in your handbag and use on the go.
Meditate
Like with the other chakras, you can use visualization meditation to assist in treating physical ailments relating to the throat chakra. Visualize the color blue in the center of your throat. See this blue energy clear all blockages, pain, and tightness in your throat and neck before moving down to the shoulders, releasing pain and tension.
Final Thoughts On Chakra Upper Back Pain Healing
The spiritual meaning of back pain has not been proven by science. Even so, it’s worth giving these chakra upper back pain healing techniques a try if you’ve struggled with physical pain for a while. However, remember that energy healing should not replace western medicine but rather serve as a complementary practice.