You already possess all the tools you need to heal yourself. The first step is developing an awareness of the subtle energies that enliven your physical body. This vital force runs through meridians in your body and the seven major energy centers, or chakras, that align from the base of the spine to the crown of the head.

Chakra literally means wheel, disk, or vortex. Imagine a swirling disk of colored light, and you'll have a pretty good idea of what a chakra looks like. When your energy is balanced, you enjoy good health. When your energy centers become unbalanced or blocked, you get sick. Each energy center has a particular function and governs certain organs and physical systems within its domain. When a chakra isn't functioning properly, the organs and systems it governs suffer, and disease occurs.

Donna Eden claims that each energy center has seven distinct layers. The deeper she intuitively penetrates into an individual chakra, the more information she accesses. Barbara Brennan, a renowned healer and author of Hands of Light, also sees layers, but not in the same way. She connects the chakras with several distinct functions. The front of the throat chakra, she says, “is associated with taking responsibility for one's personal needs.” But the back of the throat chakra “is associated with the person's sense of self within the society, his profession, and with his peers.”

The Seven Major Chakras

The first energy center, at the base of the spine, is what Caroline Myss calls “tribal power.” It relates to your family, your framework in life, and how your basic needs were met as a child. It reveals your ability to trust and to help yourself. When this center isn't working the way it should, you may experience chronic lower back pain, sciatica, rectal problems, depression, and immune-related disorders.

Myss calls the second center “power and relationships.” The issues governed by this chakra have to do with individuating yourself from your tribe or family. It's your locus of autonomy, money and sex, blame and guilt, and creativity. When this chakra doesn't function correctly, troubles arise with the reproductive organs, bladder, urinary tract, hips, and pelvis.

The third energy center represents, in Myss's terminology, “personal power.” It is dominant during puberty when young people are attempting to establish themselves. Issues involving confidence, identity, responsibility for making decisions, and self-esteem correspond to this chakra. Dr. Mona Lisa Schulz, author of Awakening Intuition, describes this energy center as “me against the world.” When the center is off-balance, problems such as ulcers, Crohn's disease, anorexia or bulimia, addictions, liver trouble, obesity, and adrenal dysfunction may result.

The fourth center, or heart chakra, governs the emotions: how you feel or block them, how and to whom you express them. Once you can identify what you feel, you can change what needs to be changed in order to remedy health problems. When this chakra isn't functioning correctly, asthma and allergies, lung cancer, heart attack, bronchial pneumonia, and breast cancer can result.

The fifth or throat chakra is the center of personal will and expression. Issues such as speaking your own truth, living your dreams, and asking for what you want, as well as your capacity for making decisions, reside in this center. When this chakra isn't functioning the way it should, you may experience problems with your throat, gums, or mouth, such as swollen glands, tonsillitis, or thyroid imbalances.

The sixth energy center corresponds to thought and perception. Its issues involve your intellectual abilities, openness to new ideas, and your ability to learn from experience. When this chakra doesn't function correctly, brain tumors, stroke, neurological problems such as Parkinson's, seizures, spinal difficulties, and problems with the ears, eyes, and nose can result.

The seventh energy center involves your spirituality and your ability to integrate it into your daily life. As Schulz notes, this chakra is concerned with the fundamental question: “Why am I here?” Disorders connected with this chakra include the muscular system, connective tissues, and genetic problems.

Testing Your Chakras

Intuitive and healer Barbara Brennan recommends using a pendulum to diagnose the chakras. You'll need a partner and a pendulum on a chain about six inches long for this exercise.

Lie flat on your back on the floor. Ask your partner to hold the pendulum as close to your body as possible without touching it. The pendulum must be allowed to swing of its own accord, without your friend's moving it. If the chakra is healthy, the pendulum will circle in a clockwise direction. The larger the circle, the more open the chakra is. If the pendulum doesn't move when it's held over a particular chakra, that chakra is blocked, unbalanced, or so overused that it has shut down.

If the pendulum swings more toward one side of the body, that side is stronger. The right side symbolizes the male, yang, and active side; the left represents the female, yin, or receptive side. If the pendulum's swing toward the right is stronger, you may be too active or aggressive in situations where receptivity would be the better response. A strong swing to the left indicates you might be too passive in situations where assertiveness or decisive action would be more appropriate.

Check all seven chakras this way, and then switch places. Now it's your turn to hold the pendulum and examine your partner's chakras.