What chakra causes lower back pain?

If the root chakra is blocked, it is associated with lower-back pain, immune problems, depression, and even varicose veins.

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It's my first chakra test, and I'm failing.

I'm lying on my back on a massage table, hands overhead, and Camille Pipolo, an energy healer, is tugging on my arms. No matter that I'm squeezing them as hard as I can, the backs of my hands firmly pressed together, or that my triceps are strong: When Pipolo pulls them gently, they drop like a stone. "See that?" she says. I see it, sure, but I haven't a clue what it means. Pipolo does: Apparently the energy in my root chakra is as mucked up as a clogged drain. I am in what looks like a doctor's office in Agoura Hills, CA, an upscale suburb about an hour's drive north of my home of Los Angeles. The room is drab, dimly lit. A forgettable art poster hangs on a wall. I've come here on a blistering July afternoon to do something I've never done before—a chakra balancing—with the hope that this mystical Eastern ritual might help me feel a little lighter, a little better overall.

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It's not exactly the setting I envisioned for this spiritual healing of sorts, which arose in India around the first century and involves an experienced energy healer assessing and then balancing our seven chakras, or energy centers. The room is quiet and peaceful, and Pipolo, who has long blonde hair and looks to be in her late 40s, is the kind of person you think of when you hear the word vibrant. She radiates health and calm. I, on the other hand, am suddenly anxious. Chakra work is gaining in popularity and I want to try it, but I can't stop obsessing about wanting to be a good patient, to understand what Pipolo hopes to achieve as she susses out the state of my chakras (through that mysterious hand testing) and then "balances" them (with sweeping motions above my torso). What if I fall asleep and miss something earth-shaking? Perhaps sensing my nerves, Pipolo asks, "Can you pay attention to what you're feeling?" I'm trying, but I'm a physician's daughter, and it's hard for me to grasp a form of medicine I can't see. Chakras are part of what's known as the energy body, an energy field of sorts that is believed to hold the tantalizing power to heal. Each chakra is thought to be a swirling locus of light radiating along the spine, and according to Hindu tradition, your chakras can reveal a lot about your physical and emotional well-being. If I'm worried about a job change and my stomach is in knots, it could mean my solar plexus chakra is blocked. If I'm feeling overburdened by others' needs (and what woman isn't?), maybe my second chakra, located in the pelvic area, needs help. According to tradition, a variety of problems, from headaches to depression, can result from trapped energy—which is why the chakras need to be balanced. Or, as Pipolo puts it: "It's all about bringing you back to your natural God-given ability to live life vibrantly and to evolve."

I certainly want to evolve, and that's why I've placed myself in her airy hands. As I try to calm my breathing, it occurs to me that my desire to please probably comes from growing up as a young girl who spent the most time with her distant father when she visited his wood-paneled office. (How ironic that it's Eastern medicine giving me this insight.) And is this why my root chakra—the one that Pipolo just diagnosed, which is just below my pubic bone and governs survival and early issues in life—is weak?

Each chakra supposedly reveals clues about a particular area of the body. I've never had a disease or serious illness, but for years I've had lower-back pain. Since my 20s, I've also confronted some heavy emotional stuff: the death of both my parents and my brother, the death of a close friend from breast cancer, addiction in my family, and my own stubborn depression. I've done therapy, but I feel I've reached an emotional wall. That's why I'm doing this: I want to rid myself of the toxic junk. There's something else, too: I recently found out about another diagnosis in my family—Huntington's disease, a debilitating genetic condition that has no treatment or cure. One session isn't going to erase my fear of another major loss any more than it will make my back pain go away for good, but Pipolo assures me that once my chakras are cleared, I will feel better. (See how energy medicine helped another writer cope with grief.)

That's because each chakra has a purpose, too, and is associated with certain organs, hormones, emotions, and parts of the personality. For instance, the second governs sexuality, creativity, and the capacity for pleasure and joy. The throat chakra is about speaking up, finding balance between your head and heart. One chakra I've actually heard of: the celebrated Third Eye, involving wisdom and located in the center of the forehead, between the eyes. What would my chakras reveal?

Before she tackles them, Pipolo gives me a "spinal flush," which is basically a quick lymph massage. As I lie facedown, she presses her fingers down both sides of my spine. Then she runs her hands in swirling motions down my back and legs. I love being touched, and I realize it's been a long time since someone has laid hands on me. As promised, the flush, which Pipolo says will begin to "move the energy and the spinal fluid," drains my tension. My muscles melt.

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It's time to assess my chakras.

I flip onto my back and raise my arms overhead for energy testing. First up: my root chakra. "It's out of balance," Pipolo says. This tells her I could have issues in my lower body (and no, I didn't tell her I have chronic lower-back pain). I'm intrigued. She moves to my second chakra. I'm a writer, so surely my creativity chakra is thriving, right? On the other hand, this is also the sexuality chakra, and my sex life isn't exactly electrifying. My husband and I are close, but we've been married a long time. "It's not as weak, but it's weak," says Pipolo. Then she does my third chakra. Located between the belly button and rib cage, the solar plexus chakra is said to be the center of self-worth, will, and identity—in other words, it's the chakra you really hope has juice. "You really want to be strong," Pipolo says. Translation: My energy here is OK but not great. This is definitely not going the way I'd hoped. Some clients talk a lot during chakra sessions, Pipolo tells me, while others fall asleep. I do neither. I'm distracted by the idea that I'm not getting it, whatever "it" is. Also, I'm hungry. I'm relieved to learn that my next four chakras—my heart, throat, Third Eye, and crown—are strong. When Pipolo tries to pull apart my arms, they won't budge. This means my abilities to love, communicate, focus on the big picture, and be spiritually connected are all in good shape. That feels true to me. I've worked hard in the past few years to enhance my relationships, to be compassionate even when I feel angry at someone, and to be more positive. But this begs the question: What's up with my lower chakras? "They're all about early conditioning and your tribe," Pipolo explains. "If you were part of a family that always believed you shouldn't tell anybody your business, secrets were a big deal. If you go against that, you get kicked out of the tribe. So you have conflict in your chakras." I think about my mother's brain injury, how literally unspeakable it was when I was a child. I broke that silence when, as a journalist, I started writing about her. That definitely created conflict. But I'm grappling with new secrets, too. No one wants to talk about the Huntington's diagnosis, which has filled us with fear and plunged us into denial. Pipolo is ready to tackle my trouble spots. With sweeping motions half a foot above my torso, she starts her cleansing. I close my eyes and find myself visualizing my chakras as tiny twinkling lights up and down the midline of my body. I imagine their energy flowing in and out of me. Even if I don't quite believe in them, I want my chakras to be healthy. Pipolo slowly moves her hands counterclockwise over my root chakra. "I'm feeling a lot of heat in my hand," she says. "I'm also feeling grief. It's not horrible. Does that resonate at all for you?" Two days away is my brother's birthday. Almost 3 years ago, he died of cancer. I've cried my heart out and today, I have no tears left. "Sometimes I'll work on people, and the emotion will come to me, and I'll feel like crying," she says, as her hands circle above me. "What do you feel?"

"I feel tingly. I feel relaxed."

Just then I open my eyes. When I look up, Pipolo's eyes are wet. She moves to my womb chakra, her hands fluttering over my lower belly. "This one feels more dense. It feels hot; it feels prickly. What I'm getting is that you're someone who nurtures a lot of people. Maybe you do that through cooking. I don't know. But you're oriented toward making that other person feel supported and loved." I mull this over. I'm not particularly domestic. I'd much rather dive into a steaming bowl of pho at our local Vietnamese restaurant than turn on the stove. But the other part resonates. I'm a mother and a big nurturer of the people I love—which can lead to not nurturing myself. "I don't feel this one as being as congested as the first one," says Pipolo, as she clears my womb chakra, "but you're definitely being called to do something more. Like there's another level of your being more empowered and more grounded and also being able to use that out in the world." Pipolo moves on to my stomach chakra. "I feel fear here more." I almost bolt upright. She seems to intuit the illness haunting my family. "Get into how you're feeling for a minute," she says gently. Several minutes later she says, "This feels like it's clear now." I hope she's right.

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When we're finished, I feel lightheaded, a little dizzy. I ask Pipolo what she learned about me. "You have a strong sense of guidance," she says. "Your lower chakras need more fortification. You're someone for whom being grounded is very important. We got a clue into the nature of who you are under stress. You're going through some process right now where you have some fear. If we knew each other and this process was more familiar, you might be sharing more of your thoughts and feelings than you are right now." She asks me to monitor my energy levels in the next few days, and then she hands me two sheets with instructions for energy exercises that I'm to perform daily to help me feel grounded and increase my energy levels. "I'd love it if you'd do it for a week," she says. We hug, and then I walk outside into the baking sun. I get back on the 101 and head south. The traffic is light, flowing, and I seem to be, too.

DIY Diagnosis

Here's what you need to know about each of the seven chakra, and which symptoms signal it may need to be cleared:

Chakra One

The root chakra is located at the base of the spine. It represents your foundation and feeling of being grounded. It is connected to the beliefs you were taught as a child, your identity, and your values and is also related to emotional issues such as money and survival. If the root chakra is blocked, it is associated with lower-back pain, immune problems, depression, and even varicose veins.

Chakra Two

The sacral chakra, also known as the womb chakra, is centered in the pelvis, lower abdomen, and lower back. It symbolizes creativity and sexuality and is also the chakra of feeling and of your early childhood. If this chakra is damaged, it's believed, it can result in hip pain, fertility problems, arthritis, and illnesses in the prostate or ovaries.

Chakra Three

The solar plexus chakra represents confidence, self-esteem, and a feeling of being in control of your life. Found between the belly button and rib cage, the third chakra regulates the liver, gallbladder, stomach, and adrenal glands. A weak third chakra is linked to ulcers, stomach issues, eating disorders, and liver problems.

Chakra Four

This is the heart chakra, and its essence is love. A healthy fourth chakra allows you to be compassionate and to forgive. As the middle chakra of seven, it also navigates a balance between the body, mind, and spirit. This chakra affects the heart, circulatory system, thymus gland, and lungs. If it's blocked, it's believed to cause heart problems, asthma, allergies, and lung illnesses.

Chakra Five

The fifth chakra, which is located in the throat, determines the ability to communicate, to say what you need to say. It symbolizes self-expression and truth. The throat chakra takes care of toxins in the lymph nodes, thyroid, esophagus, and mouth.

Chakra Six

This is the famous Third Eye, also called the brow chakra. The Third Eye represents intelligence, intuition, and the ability to see the big picture, and it governs the brain, nervous system, eyes, ears, and nose. If this chakra is weak, it's believed to be linked to neurological illness, headaches, and eye problems.

Chakra Seven

The crown chakra symbolizes your spiritual side. As the highest chakra, it allows you to connect spiritually, to be open to meditation and prayer. It takes care of the muscles, bones, and skin. If the seventh chakra isn't healthy, it can cause a sort of spiritual discomfort.