How To Open Your Crown Chakra

Though you might have been encouraged to open and align your chakras in past yoga or meditation classes, it's likely that you have never known exactly what that means. In Hindu and yogic traditions, chakras represent spiritual energy centers along the body. Though there are 114 pools of energy throughout the body, according to Conscious Items, and the optimal chakra system points to seven specific areas of the body which represent different spiritual, physical, mental, and emotional significance. Ultimately, the goal is to be able to assess your spiritual, physical, mental, and emotional health to determine which chakras are blocked. Those who have fully balanced and open chakras are said to have found prana, or the "ultimate pure healing energy," as reiki healer Fern Olivia told Well + Good.

There are a total of seven chakras in the human body: the root chakra, located at the base of the spine; the sacral chakra, located "slightly below the navel"; the solar plexus chakra, located "slightly above the navel"; the heart chakra, located in the "heart region"; the throat chakra, located near the throat and neck; the third-eye chakra, located in the middle of the forehead; and the crown chakra, located at the top of the head, according to Holistic Harmony. While the root, sacral, and solar plexus chakras are connected to the physical body and primal needs, the heart, throat, third eye, and crown chakras are more associated with the spiritual needs of the body and aid in the connection one experiences with the universe, per Conscious Items.

The crown chakra, located at the top of the head, is the chakra most associated with thought. According to Yoga Journal, this particular chakra controls your connection to spirit, universal consciousness, wisdom, and self-knowledge. Essentially, the crown chakra is responsible for your own particular brand of spirituality and enlightenment. An underactive or blocked crown chakra can be marked by a listless feeling that leads many to feel disconnected from the universe and their greater purpose in the world. Additionally, greed, a desire for more material items, and arrogance can be the direct result of an overactive crown chakra, per Well + Good.

Opening or regulating your crown chakra is most successfully accomplished by learning how to trust the universe and your greater purpose. As Conscious Items explained, this can be achieved by spending time in silence, meditating, engaging in your form of spiritual practice, and setting daily and weekly intentions that will help you rebuild that trust in your larger purpose. While meditating, Conscious Items suggested chanting the OM mantra and placing clear quartz, charoite, or Herkimer diamond crystal on your forehead. Then, according to Well + Good, adding a headstand, tree pose, or savasana to your yoga routine could also help open your crown chakra.