What is the Crown Chakra?
- 7th Chakra
- Sanskrit Name: Sahasrara
- Location: Top of or just above the head
- Color: Purple/Clear/White
- Element: Not connected to a specific element – rather thought of as the element of thought and Universal Connectivity
- Spiritual Attributes: Spiritual enlightenment, transcendence, Universal connection, oneness, letting go of Earthly attachments, imagination, self-creation, self-awareness.
- Physical influences: The pineal gland, the cerebral cortex, and the central nervous system
The Crown Chakra is the 7th Chakra in the widely recognized system of 7 chakras. It is also known as “Thousand-Petaled” or Sahasrara in Sanskrit.
This chakra is located at the top of the head and is sometimes depicted as slightly above, representing the connection to Universal energies and the Higher Self.
Similar to the Third-Eye Chakra, the Crown Chakra is where we connect with the spirit world and derive self-awareness and imagination. It is the core of our consciousness, the center of spiritual enlightenment, and where we transcend our self-limiting beliefs.
Not the Easiest Chakra to Open…
Although this chakra is a tough nut to fully crack, due to having to transcend the Ego and all Earthly attachments, it is possible to open up and allow more of the Universal energies to flow into and through our beings.
What is it like to have an open, functioning Crown Chakra?
- You have strong feelings of empathy for others.
- Feelings of depression and anxiety go to the wayside as happiness and pure joy dominate your emotions.
- You are aware of your connection to the universe and all of the energies that comprise it.
- You recognize your connection to all living beings.
- Your ability to healthily daydream and tap into your childlike imagination becomes stronger.
- Acquiring wisdom and insight into the spiritual realm becomes a priority.
- Perceiving the subtleness of separate dimensions and your connection to them becomes easier.
- Meditation is less of a struggle with clearing your mind, allowing you to release your worries and thoughts and focus on nothing.
- You are less fixated on your self-limiting beliefs.
- You have an established vision for yourself and your life.
- It is easy for you to envision what you desire.
- You have a clear understanding that the energies of the universe will allow all of your desires to be met as soon as you allow yourself to align with them.
- Once your desires are clear, you have the ability to align your emotions and intentions with those desires and allow them to easily manifest.
Two Types of Disruptions
There are two types of disruptions to the adequate flow of energy to the Third Eye Chakra: Deficient and Excessive.
Deficient Energy Flow – a low flow of energy, blocked, introspective, passive.
Associated with:
- Confusion
- Chronic fatigue
- Inability to ground your energies
- Unable to connect to the subtle energies of the universe
- Feeling hopeless, not knowing what you want in life
Excessive Energy Flow – too much energy flow, agitated, irritable, overreactive, aggressive, too much focus on outside influences.
Associated with:
- Narrow-mindedness
- Arrogance
- Cynicism
- Unbeliever of the Universal Energies that comprise us
- Out of touch with intuition
- Judgmental attitude towards spirituality
Symptoms of a Closed Crown Chakra
- Very egotistical, tending to only think of yourself
- Almost impossible for you to feel empathy for others
- Feel alienated from most of society
- Unable to make strong connections with others or with the non-physical
- No faith in any belief system or spirituality
- Constant focus on the dramas in your life
- Have a consistent flow of negative dialog running through your mind
- A pessimistic outlook on life
- Feel as though nothing ever works in your favor
- Tend to suffer from depression and/or anxiety issues
- Suffer from autoimmune and neurological disorders (such as Parkinson’s, MS, etc.)
- Frequently suffer from headaches/migraines
- Light sensitivity
- Insomnia
- ADD/ ADHD
- Dyslexia
- High blood pressure
Common Reasons why the Crown Chakra Becomes Blocked
Starting as early as childhood, there can be many reasons why one’s Crown Chakra can become closed off. Discovering the root of the blockages is the first step towards healing yourself.
- Living in a very stressful situation
- Growing up in a stressful household
- If you were not allowed to express your creativity
- If you were not allowed to openly explore spirituality
- Were made to believe that we are separate from the Non-Physical
- Or if you were raised in a strict religious household with a linear idea of spiritual beliefs – being told that you could only “communicate with God” through a priest.
- You were taught to never question the values and beliefs that you were conditioned to by the adults in your life.
- Or maybe you had spiritual encounters or experiences that somewhat scared and traumatized you, rendering you closed off to those same experiences out of self-preservation
- Were, or are, medicated with mind-numbing medications.
Methods for Opening and Unlocking the Power of the Crown Chakra
1. Get to the Root of it.
Really take the time to look at the list of common causes above. Moreover, think of any other situations in life that may have caused your Third Eye Chakra to become blocked. To move past blockages, you must first uncover the original cause.
2. Visualization Exercise
Get comfortable and raise your vibrations
Find yourself a comfortable place to sit or lie down. Take a few long, deep breaths and try to clear your mind of the day’s worries. Feel yourself rising to a higher vibration, connecting you to the Universe and your Higher Self.
Close your eyes and imagine with your mind’s eye white, healing light pouring over your from the Universe like sunlight beaming down on the forest floor through the treetops. Starting from the top of your head, allow this light to permeate every cell of your body.
Be conscious of any sensations
Feel the warmth. Feel the vibrations buzzing through you to the core. (It’s ok if you don’t feel anything at all at first)
Clear blockages with pure healing white light
Turn your attention to the crown region. Imagine that the pure, cleansing white light is permeating the entirety of your head, intensely focusing on the crown region.
What do you feel? Can you feel any blockages? Do you feel any tension? Are you able to relax and clear your mind?
Release physical tensions
Imagine your rib cage separating from your center, your sides expanding with every breath. Feel your abdomen release and drop to the floor. Notice the separation between your upper abdomen and lower abdomen. Imagine your stomach elongating, creating space in the vertebrae of your spine.
Once you feel a release in these areas, focus your attention on your crown once again. Unfurrow your brow muscles and release the scalp. Imagine the muscles in your neck are releasing one by one, giving you a sense of your throat sinking towards your spine. Relax your tongue. Release the tension in your jaw. Allow the jaw to drop and your mouth to relax open.
Breathwork
Fill the newly opened spaces with air from each long inhale. Start sending the air first towards the back of the throat and neck, imagine the breath traveling to the top of the head and then down, filling your entire belly while you imagine the breath filling you up like a balloon. When the stomach and ribs can expand no more, hold that breath there for a few seconds.
Slowly release the breath. Feel the stomach return to the earth as you slowly exhale until your lungs are completely empty.
Continue to repeat this breathing technique while you imagine that the healing white light is blasting each blockage in your mind’s eye into a million tiny pieces. See these pieces swirl around your Crown Chakra, then dissolve into the white light. Feel your throat, neck, and face become lighter as you release your burdens into the light.
Send it back to the universe
Now, send the healing light back up into the universe like a beam of light shooting out of your Crown into the sky. Surrender it. Be free of all that was holding you back.
To conclude your practice, fill your entire body with the white, cleansing light again, and sit with any new sensations that you may feel.
It is absolutely ok if this exercise doesn’t fully heal your Crown Chakra the first few times. Remember, it took a lifetime to build-up your blockages, so you can’t expect them to disappear instantaneously. Keep practicing.
3. Crown Chakra Affirmations
Repeating affirmations daily can help you to overcome blockages in the Sahasrara by rewiring the way your brain thinks. Just by repeating these affirmations, you can open yourself to the flow of creative, intuitive, and transcendent energy. Try picking a few that resonate with you and repeat them to yourself throughout the day.
- Universal energy is within me and surrounding me at all times.
- I honor and protect my Divine Spirit
- All is well within me
- I trust that I am constantly being guided by my Higher Self
- The Universe will always guide me to exactly where I need to be in life
- I have patience in the processes of the Universe
- There is peace within me and all around me
- I love my life
- Being connected to the energies that surround me fills me with joy
- Joy and happiness permeate my entire being
- I am so grateful for everything in my life
- There is beauty in everything around me
- I am constantly connected to my Higher, Non-physical Self and the Universe
- We are all connected. We are one.
- I choose happiness and joy
- I trust that my higher purpose is being fulfilled.
4. Meditation and Chanting
Practicing meditation has amazing health benefits, including:
- calming the nerves
- lowering blood pressure
- strengthening the immune system
- reducing pain and inflammation
- reducing stress and anxiety
- improving sleep
- and so much more.
Find a meditation practice that you feel you can stick to and see how you can benefit in a short period of time.
While meditating, if you find it hard to fully clear your mind it is helpful to chant (either out loud or in your mind). Chanting some of the affirmations listed above in #3 will work wonders.
Additionally, consider repeating the sound “AH” as it can help to open the Crown Chakra. Check out the chanting meditation video with binaural beats included below.
5. Binaural Beats
Binaural beats are claimed to induce the same mental state associated with a meditation practice, but much more quickly. They are said to:
- reduce anxiety
- increase focus and concentration
- lower stress
- increase relaxation
- foster positive moods
- promote creativity
- help manage pain
For the best results, it is best to listen to binaural beats with headphones on. So, find yourself a nice comfy place to relax, pop in those headphones, and check out the video below:
6. Practice Yoga for Opening the Crown Chakra
Yoga is an amazing way to center the mind and bring focus to the areas that need opening for a better flow of energy. I have enjoyed practicing videos by Brett Larkin on YouTube. Check out her sequence below that specifically targets the Crown Chakra:
7. Aromatherapy
Crown Chakra essential oils can balance and open the seventh chakra for clarity of thought, Universal connectivity, and spiritual insight.
While you are doing the above visualization, meditation, and physical exercises, you can switch on your essential oil diffuser and add one or a blend of the following essential oils to target the Sahasrara:
- Bergamot
- Cedarwood
- Clary sage
- Cypress
- Elemi
- Frankincense
- Galbanum
- Gurjum
- Helichrysum
- Jasmine
- Juniper
- Lavender
- Myrrh
- Neroli
- Palo Santo
- Patchouli
- Rose
- Rosewood
- Sage
- Sandalwood
- Spikenard
- Vetiver
- Ylang-ylang
Before using any essential oils, it is always best to check for any contraindications with any existing conditions that you may have, pregnancy, allergies, or interactions with medications.
8. Herbal Teas | Supplements
The best way to consume medicinal herbs is usually by making herbal teas.
Follow the link above to learn the best way to brew your tea using one or a blend of the following herbs that benefit the Crown Chakra:
- Bacopa
- Calendula
- Ginko Biloba
- Gotu Kola
- Holy Basil
- Lavender
- Lemon Balm
- Mugwort
- Peppermint
- Periwinkle
- Rosemary
- Tulsi
- Sage
If you have a hard time coming around to herbal teas, you can always try these herbs in capsule form.
Before consuming any herbs, it is always best to check for any contraindications with any existing conditions that you may have, pregnancy, allergies, or interactions with medications.
9. Healing Foods
As the colors associated with the Crown Chakra are dark purple and white, foods of these colors can be very helpful. Try adding more grapes, eggplant, purple kale, blueberries, purple sweet potatoes, purple carrots, turnips, purple cabbage, figs, and blackberries, cauliflower, potatoes, and garlic to your daily diet. Also, consider adding more food that are rich in omega 3 such as salmon, walnuts, and avocados, as they give the brain a much-needed boost.
Also, intermittent fasting is also very beneficial for the Crown Chakra.
10. Crystal Healing
As the Crown Chakra is associated with clear, white, and purple, using healing crystals in these colors will help to balance the misaligned energies. Try meditating with or carrying the following crystals to receive their beneficial energy to heal your Sahasrara:
- Diamonds
- Herkimer Diamonds
- Charoite
- Clear Quartz
- Howlite
- Rutilated Quartz
- Amethyst
- Sugilite
- Selenite
- Lepidolite
- White Calcite
Don’t be daunted by complex crystal placements. Just using one crystal at a time will help you achieve amazing benefits.
11. Surround Yourself with Purple, Gold, and White
Adding more hues of purple, gold, and white to your surroundings can help you to focus on opening your Crown Chakra. Lie in a field of lavender or purple aster. Buy yourself some lovely purple and white flowers and spread them in vases throughout the house. Add some splashes of purple and gold to your home decor and wardrobe. Anything you can do to add more of these colors to your surroundings will be beneficial.
12. Allow Yourself to Daydream
While too much daydreaming can be unhealthy, it is very important to set aside time to allow yourself to delve into your imagination. This is where you create your world and bring your manifestations alive. Through daydreaming, you can envision exactly how you want your life to be.
Imagine the world that you want to live in. See yourself already there, enjoying everything your heart desires. Feel the joyousness that this creates and allow yourself to be immersed in the feeling of satisfaction. Imagine physical strings of connection to everything around you.
It is through this daydreaming that we manifest our desires. We toss aside our worries from focus and only allow ourselves to think of all of the wonderments that our minds can create.