Moving up from the third eye, we come to the seventh and highest of the seven major energy centers, the crown chakra.
The Sanskrit word for this chakra, Sahasrāra, is translated as “thousand-petal lotus.“ Located at the top of the head, this chakra is associated with connecting to our higher Self and to God/Goddess/Spirit/the Universe or any other infinite presence you identify with.
Animated by the element of Spirit and being the most subtle energy center, this chakra is the body’s link to an intimate relationship with divine consciousness and the universe, bridging the material and ethereal. It supports us with connection to spiritually-sourced wisdom, enlightenment and transcendence. On a physical level, it’s associated with our pituitary gland and central nervous system.
The crown chakra is responsible for:
- Blissful states
- Claircognizance
- Divine consciousness
- Oneness
- Spiritual connections
- The higher Self
- the spiritual Self
- Unity and inter-connectivity of all things
This energy center can be represented by the color violet or gold, and as its Sanskrit name reveals, is symbolized by a lotus with 1,000 petals, each meant to represent a different aspect of our consciousness.
Signs your crown chakra is balanced
When the crown energy center is balanced and in open flow, we can experience:
- Alignment in body, mind, and spirit
- Bliss
- Greater sense of unity
- Heightened intuitive skills
- Higher consciousness
- Self-realization
- Spiritual growth
- Strengthened connection to the divine
A balanced crown stores and emanates energies amassed through kind thoughts and actions, faith, meditation, and prayer. Here we can transcend the material world and commune with the divine.
Signs your crown chakra is imbalanced
When the seventh chakra is imbalanced, symptoms can be subtle or overt and can feel like:
- Apathy
- Confusion
- Cynicism
- Disconnection
- Emptiness
- Exhaustion
- Feeling spiritually abandoned
- Lack of inspiration
- Pessimism
- Withdrawal
The crown chakra—as well as the systems of the body governed by this energy center—can become blocked or not function optimally, and therefore, prevent access to a personal relationship with the spiritual Self and feeling connected. For these reasons, it’s important to understand how to support this chakra into harmony.
How to activate the crown chakra
There are many ways for you to engage and balance the energy of sahasrāra. Direct your intention towards connecting with your divine essence and aligning body, mind, and spirit. There is no one-size-fits-all or a single action that works for everyone consistently. You will be drawn toward specific approaches at different times so trust your intuition.
Energetic support for the crown chakra
Meditating is a powerful practice when focused on specific chakras, especially the crown because it is the access-point for inspired thought and self-realization. Meditations open the crown because this energy center is primarily activated by transcendent experiences vs. mundane activities (like eating, physical movement, etc.) and enhances one’s spiritual path as it dissolves the boundaries between the physical and spiritual realms.
While meditating, visualizing the color violet or gold, focused at the top of the head can spark the crown chakra into balancing itself. Give yourself permission to explore a sacred meditation practice that works for you.
The use of crown chakra-related gemstones during meditation (like amethyst, charoite, howlite, lepidolite, moonstone, selenite, sugilite and white calcite) is a powerful, yet simple tool to incorporate into your practice and enhance its benefits. Hold the gemstone(s) in your hand(s) or place them on or around the area of the crown while meditating.
Incorporate crystals and gems into your altar, sacred space, wear them as jewelry, or place them in a pocket.
Holding the Mudra of a Thousand Petals opens the gateway to universal consciousness, divinity, and transcendence.
Thinking, speaking, writing or creating art with the following affirmations can also powerfully assist you to bring your crown chakra into alignment and full expression:
- I Am
- I am my highest, most authentic self
- I am at peace
- I am worthy of bliss
- I am connected to Spirit
- I release doubt and welcome faith
- I listen to the wisdom of the universe
- I am a spiritual being in a physical body
- I am pure, beautiful, radiant light
- I am worthy of unconditional love from the Divine
- I live in the present moment
Physical tools for the crown chakra
Activities
Yoga asanas, or postures, can be used to support crown energies, such as:
- Ardha Ustrasana, Half Camel
- Gomukhasana, Cow Face
- Makarasana, Crocodile
- Padmasana, Lotus
- Sasangasana, Rabbit
- Savasana, Corpse
- Shirshasana, Headstand
- Vrksasana, Tree
Practice Abhyanga. Abhyanga is a self-massage practice using a warm oil to stimulate lymphatic drainage which removes toxins. Any activity that supports the flow of toxins from the body strengthens the flow of the crown chakra.
Rise before the sun. It is an Ayurvedic and Yogic practice to welcome the day instead of letting it welcome you. Rise early, give gratitude, pray, meditate, and move into the rest of your morning in preparation for the day ahead.
Simplify your surroundings. Aim to reduce the clutter in your life. An excess of belongings and messiness creates distress. By cleaning and simplifying your surroundings, you’re also supporting the same kind of purification within. It has a mirroring effect. This process of cleaning your external environment energetically frees up space within your mind and greatly contributes to healing this energy center.
Get enough sleep. This simple, yet healing practice, restores the energy you expend throughout the day. Include napping as well, if that supports you.
Stop believing your thoughts. While this practice might seem strange and confusing, it invites exploration. Sit quietly and turn your attention inwards. Start to notice all the thoughts that arise. Did you deliberately create these thoughts? Where are they sourced from and how do they make you feel?
Upon observation, you realize that you don’t, in fact, create any of your thoughts. Instead, they arise spontaneously from the vast abyss of your mind and the quality is determined by your emotional and mental state. This exercise helps us understand and remember that we are not our thoughts.
Wear violet or gold (or incorporate this color into your environment) to boost this chakra’s energy. This color reminds us to be intentional about creating and maintaining a strong connection to Spirit, the Source, the Divine, and all-that-is.
Foods
The crown chakra is enhanced by fasting, which acts as a form of spiritual nourishment rather than bodily nourishment. A period of refraining from food provides a break from the physical demands of digestion so your entire focus can be devoted to spirituality and higher consciousness.
Herbs and essential oils
Helichrysum has a high spiritual vibration and when used specifically to support the crown chakra, it helps us work through limiting beliefs and access higher spiritual wisdom.
Palo santo is known as a sacred wood with a very high spiritual vibration. It is used to cleanse and establish sacred space, during shamanic ceremonies, and for healing.
Basil, benzoin, cedarwood, frankincense, sandalwood, and vetiver activate the universal energy flow of your Crown Chakra.
Explore your other Chakras:
Chakras: A beginner’s guide
Root Chakra
Sacral Chakra
Solar Plexus Chakra
Heart Chakra
Throat Chakra
Third Eye Chakra
The information provided on the site is for educational purposes only, and does not substitute for professional medical advice. Consult a medical professional if seeking medical advice, diagnoses, or treatment.