The seventh and last of the body’s energy centers (also called a chakra) is the Crown Chakra, or Sahasrara. It exists at the top of the head and is a gateway to higher consciousness, spiritual awakening, and direct connection to the divine. Sahasrara is the top chakra, meaning enlightenment, universal consciousness, and fully opened being.

Though the other chakras are mostly about your physical and emotional wellbeing, this crown chakra is about your mental, spiritual, and cosmic wellbeing. It gives us a link to a higher plane of life and helps us deeply feel into one with the universe and the divine. An unbalanced Sahasrara can manifest as feelings of disconnection, confusion, or a lack of any sense of purpose, whereas an open and balanced Crown Chakra allows for happily flowing divine wisdom, peace, and inner truth.

In this article, we will discuss the meaning of the Crown Chakra, its role in your spiritual journey, symptoms of imbalance, and how you can open and balance it for a higher spiritual alignment.

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What Is the Crown Chakra?

Sanskrit: Sahasrara, meaning thousand petals from the words Sahasra and Rara. Together are the thousand petalled lotus flowers, representing the infinite pup energy of this chakra. The colour violet or white is associated with Sahasrara, meaning the purity, wisdom, and transcendence gained from a balanced connection with the divine.

Our spiritual consciousness, our connection to the divine, and our feeling of unity with all life are ruled by the Crown Chakra. It goes beyond the physical, material and provides a way to connect to the non-physical world of higher wisdom, higher dimensions, and spiritual insight. Often referred to as the “seat of the soul,” the seat from which we derive our connection to the divine, the universe, and the infinite wisdom of ‘the is,’ it is where we find our perspective.

A deep sense of peace, an understanding, and a connection to something greater than ourselves are the result of Sahasrara being in balance and open. It provides us a tremendous feeling of spiritual alignment and oneness, allowing us to be clear, purposeful, and fully know that we’re all connected. This promotes us to jump out of the ego and to participate in the spiritual aspect of life.

Signs that indicate that your Crown Chakra is out of balance

When we block or unbalance our Crown Chakra, we can experience our problems, physically and emotionally, in many ways. Here are some common signs of an imbalanced Sahasrara:

1. A Sense of Disconnection

Disconnection to the universe, the divine, or anything that is above you is one of the most well-known signs that your Crown Chakra is out of balance. You can be confused, lost as to what to do with your life, and feel as if you are away from God. It can cause one to question loneliness, existentials, or lack of meaning.

2. Lack of Spiritual Awareness

If your Crown Chakra is blocked, you may feel lost and without spiritual awareness or that you are ‘stuck’ in the material world. You may struggle when trying to connect with your higher self, your intuition, or experiencing spiritual growth.

3. Overreliance on the ‘material world’.

With an out-of-balance Crown Chakra, you may become overly fixated on material possessions, position, and outer accomplishment. It’s possible that you may place the drive to succeed in physical life before the quest for spiritual growth or completely lose touch with your spiritual path.

4. Physical Symptoms

For the most part, the Crown Chakra is linked to mental and spiritual health, but it’s possible for physical symptoms to appear, too. Headaches, migraines, neurological problems, and sometimes chronic fatigue can be a part of these. The Sahasrara is located at the top of the head, so imbalances here can cause mental fog and make us feel like we’re not connected to our body.

5. Depression and Mental Health Struggles are my things.

Depression, anxiety, and hopelessness may be signs of a blocked crown chakra. Because this chakra regulates our connection to universal wisdom, when it is closed, we may feel spiritually bankrupt or not connected to our higher purpose.

How to activate and balance the Crown Chakra

Opening the Crown Chakra is a very personal and spiritual experience. So it is practices that elevate your mind, that connect you to the divine, and that encourage spiritual awakening. Here are several ways to heal and activate your Sahasrara:

1. Meditation and Mindfulness

Balancing the Crown Chakra is one of the most powerful works of meditation. Meditation is, in general, regular quieting of the mind, releasing of mental clutter, both conscious and unconscious, and connection to higher states of consciousness. To turn on the Crown Chakra, sit in meditation and picture a brilliant violet or white light coming from the top of your head. While you meditate, make it an intention to open their consciousness to divine and higher wisdom.

Learn how to be mindful of the present moment and just observe your thoughts, detached. Quiet the mind and bring yourself more in tune with the universe.

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2. Chanting and Mantras

Certain mantras are chanted to activate this chakra and to stimulate spiritual growth. OM is a particularly powerful sound—the sound created at the vibration of the universe, and so it is the universal sound of creation. Chanting ‘OM’ or ‘I am one with the universe’ or any other affirmation related to the Crown Chakra will align your energy and open your portal to the higher consciousness of the universe.

3. Spend Time in Silence

Opening the Crown Chakra is dependent on silence. In today’s busy age, there is never-ending noise, distractions, and outside stimulus noise going on around us. In order to reconnect with your higher self, set aside just a few minutes a day to sit in silence. This practice helps you tap into your inner wisdom and create a greater feeling of spiritual connection.

4. Connect with Nature

Being in nature, especially in peaceful, expansive environments, can help open the Crown Chakra. Surrounded with the beauty of nature, you are able to connect to the infinite wisdom and energy of the earth and beyond. Some ways to practice being one with all living things are trying to walk barefoot on the earth, stargazing, or simply sitting in nature.

5. Gratitude and Surrender in practice

The energy of surrender and trust in the universe is very deep with the Crown Chakra. Practicing gratitude for all the blessings in your life and surrendering your control opens your heart and your mind to divine wisdom. Believe that the universe has something planned out for you and that everything is coming to be a greater reason or purpose for your life.

6. Use Healing Crystals

Crystals can help to balance the Crown Chakra and open it to divine energy. Some great crystals for the Sahasrara are amethyst, clear quartz, and selenite. These stones can be placed upon the crown of your head while meditating or kept near you, as they will help to clear blockages and push forward spiritual growth.

7. Yoga for Spiritual Awakening

People who would like to balance their crown chakra should practice yoga poses that help them become more mindful and focus on the crown of the head. Downward-facing dog, tree pose, and headstand are poses to open the top of the head and foster spiritual awareness. A regular yoga practice will bring about more spiritual connection and synchronise your energy.

Benefits of a balanced Crown Chakra

Opening and balancing the Crown Chakra grants you a range of profound benefits for your spiritual, mental, and emotional well-being. Some of the key benefits of a healthy Sahasrara include:

a) Spiritual Enlightenment: Having a balanced Crown Chakra brings you into oneness with the universe and helps you to connect to something larger than yourself, opening your mind to spirituality and a greater connection to enlightenment.

b) Inner Peace and Clarity: An open Sahasrara brings you inner peace, mental clarity, and understanding of your purpose in life.

c) Connection to Higher Wisdom: You connect with higher consciousness so you can receive divine wisdom, insight, and guidance.

d) A Sense of Oneness: You know the feeling when you feel so connected to everything and nothing of all life and the universe, beyond the ego and into your divine essence.

e) Heightened Intuition: An open Crown Chakra will expand your intuitive abilities and help you trust your inner guidance and make decisions from a place of your highest good.

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Conclusion

As a doorway of spiritual enlightenment, it leads the individual to higher wisdom and a real sense of oneness with the universe. Balancing or opening this chakra enables you to transcend the limitations of the physical world, to align yourself to your true spiritual path, and to let go of your attachment to what you cannot change, to experience peace and clarity knowing you are part of the big cosmic picture.

There are hundreds of ways to connect with the energy of Sahasrara—whether through meditation or mindfulness practices, being out in nature, or using healing crystals. On your journey into the world of spirituality, the Crown Chakra reminds you about the potential of your soul being limitless, connection with the divine, and wisdom that flows endlessly when you are open to it.

Connect to the universe, and it will take you through your spiritual awakening in the direction of a life of purpose, peace, and infinite possibility.