Truth is: it doesn’t matter how well you eat and how much you exercise, if your chakras are not aligned, you are not going to feel balanced. Are you struggling with a stiff back? Sore shoulders and neck? I think we’ve all experienced these body aches at some point but don’t know what to do to make ourselves feel better. Using your chakras and the four cardinal directions, of East, North, South, and West, as well as above and below, I have found a way that works for me and will help you too. In this post you will learn how to regain symmetry in your body so that you can feel better, whether it’s straightening your back, lengthening your neck, or adjusting your shoulders. And, more than that, I’ll talk about which direction you should face when meditating, the best time of day to meditate, and how to align your chakras with the four directions so achieving your personal wellness goal of having a balanced body is easy.

THE HEART CHAKRA - DIRECTION EAST

As much as I’d like to say I meditate every day, the reality is that I meditate when I feel like it. In reality, the days that I skip meditating are the ones that I need it the most! Can you relate? And those are the days when I end up feeling off balance. My shoulders and back ache from sitting at the computer. Do you avoid doing things that you know are good for you just because you don’t feel like it? One way I’ve found to keep myself on track is to meditate in the morning, facing east at sunrise. Are you wondering why you should face east when meditating? I find that when I align my heart chakra energy point with the direction of the east, the rising sun, and new beginnings, I’m able to align with my intentions, get a sense if they feel right to me, and set myself up for a successful day. All you have to do is find a quiet space and sit facing east. Close your eyes. On each inhale, imagine you are drawing in the energy of the rising sun. Let it fill your chest, release blockages, and open you up to new possibilities.

THE SACRAL CHAKRA - DIRECTION NORTH

As humans, we often feel stuck. We don’t clearly know what we want, and even if we do, we often don’t know what to do or where to make ourselves feel better. Does this sound like you? Stuck? Not sure what you really want or what to do to get it? If so, heal your sacral chakra by aligning it with the direction of the north. After facing east and aligning your heart chakra, shift your focus to your left hip bone and shoulder bone. Imagine they are both being drawn in the northerly direction. As you slowly do this, set your intention to unblock your sacral chakra, allow your abdominal area to open up, expand and make room for fluidity, movement, and vitality.

THE SOLAR PLEXUS CHAKRA - DIRECTION SOUTH

So, this is where you will start feeling subtle shifts in your body symmetry. You might notice your shoulders pulling back into place, pressure releasing in your neck or your back straightening out. Whatever it is, just notice the subtleties but don’t get distracted by it. After the heart chakra is aligned to the east and the sacral chakra to the north, you’re going to focus on the solar plexus chakra. To align your solar plexus chakra, shift your focus to your right hip bone and right shoulder bone. Imagine they are both being drawn in the direction of the south. As you do this, also set your intention to keep your left shoulder bone and left hip bone facing directly north.

Think of a compass: the right side of your body should be lined up with the south direction and the left side of your body lined up to the north direction. The solar plexus chakra is associated with heat and mid-day sunshine. When it is open, it invokes transformational energy into your body, including self-confidence, self-awareness, and empowerment.

THE BACK CHAKRAS - DIRECTION WEST

The toughest part about aligning your chakras with the cardinal directions is that even though you’re focusing on one chakra and one direction at a time, ALL of your chakras are involved. It’s a good idea to maintain awareness of all of them while doing this meditation. When I’m doing this meditation, I think of my body as a compass. Each time I move from one chakra-direction to another, I do a quick check in with all my chakras to make sure they are still aligned. Yes, it can be difficult to do this but, focus on one chakra at a time and trust that the chakras you’ve already cleansed will stay that way as you move through the meditation.

After you’ve aligned your solar plexus chakra to the south, focus your awareness in the direction of the west. The setting sun represents grounding and the completion of the day. As you focus to the west, let yourself feel a sinking, grounding sensation. Line up your spine with this direction and imagine your back chakras being pulled toward it. They should be directly opposite the east heart chakra and perpendicular to the north and south directions.

THE ROOT CHAKRA - DIRECTION ‘BELOW’

When your back chakras facing west feel like they are directly opposite your front chakras facing east, let the energy towards the west move down your back, below, to your tailbone, and into your legs. Allow the energy to settle directly below your body, activating the power of your root chakras. Feel the energy being drawn down into the earth. Aligning the root chakra will decrease anxiety, and give you a sense of solidity.

THE THROAT, THIRD EYE, AND CROWN CHAKRAS - DIRECTION ‘ABOVE’

I get it. Above is technically not a direction as it is not a compass point. But, the term ‘above’ designates a place in respect to something else...so, for the purposes of this meditation and aligning your chakras, I’ll refer to it as a direction.

After aligning your back chakras to the west and the root chakra below, bring the focus of your awareness to a point above your head. This is where you’ll find the connection to spirit. Set your intention to open your throat chakra, third eye chakra, and crown chakra to this source energy.

Start with the throat chakra. Feel the front aspect of your throat chakra open towards the east and the back aspect open towards the west. At the same time, allow the throat chakra to be drawn up into the higher lighter vibration above your head to enhance all aspects of communication.

The third eye chakra is associated with intuition and planning. To align the third eye chakra, imagine the front aspect opening and being drawn towards the east while the back aspect is drawn towards the west. When the brow chakra is lined up front to back, let it synchronize with the higher crisper vibration above to open intuitive abilities.

The crown chakra has only one large vortex. Imagine your crown chakra being drawn directly upwards from the top of your head, clearing and filling with the light, crisp, high vibrational energy. Ensure you line your crown chakra up directly opposite your root chakra below and perpendicular to the front and back aspects of your third eye chakra, throat chakra, heart chakra, solar plexus chakra, and sacral chakra. The crown chakra is associated with inspiration and connection to unity.

IN SUMMARY

By aligning all of your chakras with the directions during meditation you will regain symmetry in your body. Opening your heart chakra to the east will give you more space in your chest, sacral chakra to the north will add fluidity to your life, and aligning your solar plexus chakra to the south will ignite the transformational energy in your life. As your focus shifts to the back chakras and direction of the west, you’ll start feeling the difference in your physical body as the chakras align with the four cardinal directions. When the root chakra lines up below a sense of solidity will set in, and when the throat, third eye and crown chakras align with the higher lighter energy above, the energy balances with the root chakra energy below completing the balance of body symmetry for the meditation.