What to Expect From a Chakra Reading Session

chakra reading

If you’re reading this, you’re likely interested in (or at least intrigued by) the prospect of a chakra reading. That means you are probably open to the idea that your chakras – the energy systems in your body that correlate to various mental and physical strengths and ailments – are worth paying attention to.

This MindBodyGreen article offers a snapshot of each of the seven main chakras, where they’re located, and what it means for them to be in and out of balance. Essentially, when one or more of your chakras are out of balance or blocked, it’s said it can lead to physical illness and/or emotional stress.

If I’ve already lost you, take a pause before you keep reading. This doesn’t even scratch the surface of the depths of energy healing.

But if you are nodding your head, and you do feel like there’s a deeper mind-body connection worth exploring to increase your overall health and wellbeing, a chakra reading might be a useful tool for you.

During my first chakra reading session, all I had was a basic history of chakra healing and an open mind about what I might find out from my reading. Because of those two factors, I took a great deal away from the experience, both in things to think about and actions to take to feel more at ease and more in flow. If you’re interested in checking out a shop, studio, or booking an appointment with an individual, here’s what you can expect from your first chakra reading session.

Prepare for a ritual set-up for your chakra reading

Julianne Farrell, yoga instructor and life coach at Bare Feet Power Yoga in Chicago, led my chakra reading. She explained to me that the vessel she would be using to read each chakra was a clear crystal.

“I use a clear quartz crystal pendulum to conduct chakra readings because it is known as a ‘master healer’ crystal that can absorb, store, release and regulate energy,” Julianne said. “Its six prisms of light reflect the whole color spectrum and are suited with any of the seven chakras.”

She cleansed the crystal with an essential oil so that it didn’t hold energy from a previous session or from her, so she could get as clear a reading as possible on each chakra.

Julianne also saged the area around both of us to rid the space from outside energy we may have brought in.

I selected a ginger lemon tea to kickstart my Zen, set up a stack of bolsters on a blanket in the studio, took off my shoes as instructed, and positioned myself to start the reading.

Get ready to learn the ropes

As I got situated, Julianne explained that she would hold the crystal over each chakra, one at a time, and would ask me to close my eyes and relax while she let the crystal work its magic (literally, maybe).

As she described, the crystal will begin to move in different ways depending on what’s going on with that specific energy center of your body. If that specific chakra is open, the pendulum will move clockwise. If it’s imbalanced (meaning you’re currently processing something or something is moving through you), it will move counter-clockwise.

If your chakra is blocked, the pendulum won’t move at all.

“That’s when we haven’t come to grips with something,” Julianne said. It can a state of turmoil, something unsettled or a situation we’re not ready to face.

You’ll get a mini lesson on chakras, too

Understanding more about the chakras in our body is key to understanding the flow of the session.

Julianne explained to me that she would begin the reading at the root chakra and work up from there. She does this because each chakra builds off of and is influenced by the one below it. However, that’s not to say that if your root chakra is imbalanced or blocked, all others will be as well. It’s simply a tool to inform why some imbalances might come up.

Get comfortable.

Depending on how blocked or imbalanced your chakras are, the session might take a while – and that’s a good thing! Don’t shy away from a 75-minute or 90-minute session, they provide a ton of information and I found that I didn’t want to leave when the session wrapped up. I felt like we only scratched the surface.

Take advantage of any props at your disposal: blankets, blocks, bolsters, or anything else the space has to offer to increase your level of comfort. Also, the more relaxed you are, the more present you’ll stay, and the more accurate your energy level readings will be.

You may end up talking with your guide as much as listening.

After allowing time for the crystal to spin or steady itself, Julianne explained whether each chakra was open, blocked or imbalanced. From there, she’d ask a few questions about why that might be. Be ready to ask yourself – and answer if you feel inclined – what the underlying reasons behind what each chakra energy is telling you.

I wanted to take notes about everything we talked about, but Julianne encouraged me to just take it in as we talked, and whatever stuck with me afterwards was what I was meant to remember and focus on.

And, she asked me to keep in mind that a chakra reading is generally very based in the present.

“If you meditated earlier, [you may] have more openness in a reading, versus if you’ve had a tough day and then come in [for one],” Julianne said.

After the session was over, I felt much more clear-headed and relaxed. When discussing some of the reasons why I might be having some energetic imbalances in one area or another, articulating what’s been on my mind helped me see it from a third person perspective. I walked away with less stress about it and more curiosity and interest in how to move past those specific blockages and into more clarity.

My post-chakra reading, post-reiki bliss lasted all of 10 minutes – until I crossed the street from the studio and a driver cut me off, when I made an exaggerated gasp out of exasperation and proceeded to call my dad about why I ran up our cell phone data bill … again. (Old habits die hard, but don’t worry, I’m booking my second chakra reading soon!)

Mental Health Mindfulness Think & Feel

About Maggie Umberger

Maggie moved to Chicago from North Carolina in 2014 with a degree in Journalism and Spanish, a 200-hour yoga certification, a group fitness cert and a passion to teach and to sweat. It wasn't until she found aSweatLife that she really started to feel at home. Here, she's incorporated her passion for health and wellness into her career as she helps to build the network of Ambassadors, trainers and fitness enthusiasts that exist within the aSweatLife ecosystem. You can also find her coaching at CrossTown Fitness and teaching yoga classes at Bare Feet Power Yoga, Yoga Six and exhale.