The crown chakra is the seventh and final primary chakra. This chakra is a little different to the six other chakras though; it is your direct line to the universal consciousness. Therefore it is the chakra that connects you to the creator; it pertains to spiritual matters, inner wisdom, and interconnectedness.

There’s no need for an intellectual understanding with the crown chakra; it facilitates a deeper level of awareness that requires no words. Through this chakra, you can perceive the deeper levels of existence and the order that lies within them. Your consistent awareness of the greater power brings feelings of peace, serenity, and bliss.

Oneness is the keyword; through an open crown chakra you can transcend personal material fixations and focus on the bigger picture for one and all. The power of the ego wanes; it moves out of the way so that you can operate from the soul. You are motivated by unity and connection to the source energy.

 

Where is the crown chakra?

The crown chakra is situated at the crown of the head. This is the perfect location for access to the spiritual realms. Where the root chakra grounds us to the earth and the material world, the crown chakra connects us to the heavens. It is the connection point for the mortal self and the infinite consciousness.

Tantric philosophy tells us that the crown chakra both gives and receives energy and consciousness. When in reception mode, it is nourished by the universe. When in giving mode, it is overflowing with personal wisdom that benefits all.

It feels like our minds are situated in our heads, so it makes sense that this energy center is the one to govern your conscious and subconscious. Your spiritual activity, acquisition, and sharing of wisdom are regulated by the crown chakra; it helps you to understand your inner workings, as well as those of others.

 

Key characteristics of the crown chakra

The Sanskrit name for the crown chakra is Sahasrara, which can be translated as ‘a thousand petals’. The symbol for this chakra shows Lotus petals around a central circle containing the Om (Aum) symbol. They seem to be opening outwards in an infinite manner.

The color of Sahasrara is violet and white. Violet is the color associated with spirituality and intuition, and white represents purity, renewal, and forgiveness. The lotus flower has been attributed with various qualities, not least of which is a spontaneous generation, spiritual development, divine birth, and creation.

Om is perhaps the most significant Vedic mantra; Om is the ultimate sacred sound or the sound of the universe. It relates to the ineffable mystery. All factors considered, it is easy to see why the crown chakra is associated with these colors and symbols.

Sahasrara is also associated with purity, renewal, and beauty. It encourages acceptance, selflessness, oneness, and connection with nature. As it is your link to the creator, it is the gateway to ecstatic blissful states, gratitude, understanding and intuitive knowing. It influences your overall emotions and your route to enlightenment.

On a physical level, the crown chakra governs the brain and nervous system, the pituitary gland and the cerebral cortex.

 

What happens when the crown chakra is imbalanced?

If your crown chakra is in balance, you’re likely to feel unshakable gratitude for your life. You’ll have a sense of connectedness to the absolute, leading to total faith; you’ll trust that all will be well, always. This doesn’t mean there will be no challenges, but you’ll know that you can handle situations as they arise.

You experience liberation and a strong feeling that you’re being guided by the divine for your greatest good. You will live life mindfully, with confidence and a steady flow of insight. At the same time, you’re grounded, emotionally balanced and intuitive.

When this chakra is out of balance, you’re more likely to operate from a place of fear and anxiety. Life seems more challenging; there is a sense of being on a bumpy and directionless road. Naturally, this leads to frustration and despondency.

 

An over-active crown chakra

When the crown chakra has too much energy input, the way you relate to your environment will be unstable; you’ll struggle to relate effectively to it. As empathy deteriorates, you could feel that you’re superior to others, with a tendency toward unnecessary aggression, criticism, and judgment. You might feel lost, with a propensity for distrust. A sense of crisis is common.

As your problems will be largely psychological in nature, it’s possible to experience insomnia, and in severe cases, schizophrenia or delusions.

 

An under-active crown chakra

With an under-active crown chakra, you could be more prone to depression. Depression and apathy are closely related, so you’ll be unmotivated, uncaring and emotionally flat. You might find yourself being sarcastic toward other people and skeptical about outcomes and motivations.

As mental fog is common, you may be unable to meditate or think clearly. You’ll lose the sense of divine order, resulting in the feeling that everything is in chaos. Rather than believing in synchronicity, things will appear to happen by accident; you won’t feel in control of your life, and there will be no sense of divine guidance. You may forget about your interconnected nature and descend into ego. Melancholy may take over.

 

Physical symptoms of a blocked crown chakra

Physical symptoms may include neurological disorders, nerve pain, headaches or migraines. It’s also possible to experience dizziness, confusion, seizures, and light sensitivity.

 

How to balance the crown chakra

If your crown chakra is out of balance, it’s very important to remove the blocks and bring it back to balance. You can do this in many ways. Try reconnecting to your spirituality through yoga, meditation, and regular contemplation. Set an intention to be open to connecting with the universal consciousness.

 

Those activities are great for all of your chakras, but here are some other useful tools for rebalancing Sahasrara:

 

Go into silence

It is no secret that connection to the divine happens most easily when in silence. When there are no external distractions and the endless stream of thoughts is quiet, you can receive messages from the universe. These may be in the form of visions, spontaneous insights, ideas, or subtle, calming words.
In order to be open to this, it’s important to prepare yourself through meditative states. Switch off the music, television, and laptop. It can help to focus on the sounds of nature, which are very grounding and encourage presence.

 

Get in touch with your imagination

It’s time to explore your inner self again. What are your deepest wishes? Your most cherished dreams? If you’ve forgotten about them, simply allow your mind to wander… picture what life would be like if these dreams were realized. This is a good way to trigger your imagination, and it will also spark a pleasant mood, lifting you out of any depression you may be experiencing.

Once imagination starts to flow, it will be easier to get in touch with your path in life, visualizing the possible routes to your goals. This reestablishes direction and motivation.

 

Meditate or Pray

Meditation and praying are powerful tools. It doesn’t have to be a religious endeavor to have power. When you pray, you’re simply communicating with the divine. Praying doesn’t have to mean pleading for fulfillment, either. That’s focusing on what you don’t have, so it leads to a stronger feeling of lack.

You can pray by giving thanks. It’s a great idea to offer gratitude for all the things you love about life… if you can’t think of much, just be grateful that you’re alive, for life is the biggest gift imaginable. Picture the faces of everyone you love; remember the happy times in your life. You’ll soon have something to be grateful for.

Gratitude is creative, and this way you’ll be attracting even more reasons to be grateful. All you have to do is make room in your life for all the magic!

 

Be more altruistic

When you set an intention to help others, something beautiful happens. It’s our nature to want to help each other. This doesn’t have to mean giving money to charity, it just means going out of your way to do good deeds and support others in a personal way. Whether you help an old lady across the road, talk to a friend about their problems or give a warm sweater to a homeless person, it doesn’t really matter.

Such acts create connections with others and feelings of gratitude and caring. As the crown chakra is the gateway to oneness, such acts can’t fail to benefit this energy center. Anything you can do that helps you relate to others and share your energy in a positive way is food for this chakra.

 

Now that you have the tools to ensure all your chakras are spinning just as they should be, we trust you’ll soon feel like an unstoppable force of nature. After all, that’s what you are… sometimes we just need a reminder!