If your dog seems stressed or out of sorts, perhaps his chakras are out of balance. Learn what this means and what you can do to help him.

Many of us have heard about chakras, either through participating in yoga classes or studying and receiving various holistic healing modalities. Often, we think of them only in terms of humans, but our canine companions have chakras as well, and can benefit greatly from chakra healing. I’ve found that balancing and working with a dog’s chakras can be beneficial not only as an adjunct to veterinary care for physical ailments, but also in dealing with emotional and behavioral issues.

The word “chakra” is a Sanskrit word meaning “wheel”. Chakras are often referred to as “wheels of light” or “wheels of life” because they appear as wheels, and are vital to the health and well-being of all living beings, including dogs.

Simply put, chakras are energy vortices or portals located throughout the body. They are vehicles for receiving, assimilating and expressing life force energy. The chakra system is like a “map of consciousnesses” for each animal. All life force energy is filtered into a dog’s energy body through these portals, and is then funneled, via meridians, into the endocrine system (consisting of various organs and glands), eventually reaching him on the physical level. The degree to which your dog’s chakras are healthy and balanced plays an integral role in how this life force energy filters through them, so the goal is to strive for both a healthy energy field and chakra system.

Dogs have both major and minor chakras, but for the purposes of this article we are going to concentrate solely on the eight major chakras (see accompanying table).

Ways to heal chakras

When healing your canine companion through the chakra system, imbalances at his physical, emotional, mental and spiritual levels can be impacted and improved. Chakra healing can be done in many ways, including hands-on healing, distance healing, visualization, dowsing, kinesiology (muscle testing), color therapy and crystal therapy. In fact, most healing modalities account for the chakras in some way.

• Hands-on healing

This method involves locating the chakra, sensing or feeling what is going on energetically within it, then working with the energy there to eliminate blockages and imbalances and bring it back to a state of perfect harmony.

• Distance healing

Done exactly as above except the practitioner is physically absent and is tuning into and working with the energy remotely. A skilled practitioner can provide a distance treatment that’s just as effective as an in-person session.

• Visualization

Done by visualizing each chakra and its corresponding color, then using your intention to infuse the chakra with the appropriate color and visualize it perfectly balanced and spinning in perfect harmony.

• Color light therapy

This method uses colored light that corresponds to the chakra colors.

• Crystal therapy

Done by placing crystals that match the chakra colors near or on your dog.

Keeping your dog’s chakras balanced will help with almost any health, emotional or behavioral issue, and will also create a general sense of well-being. Although it can’t replace veterinary care, it is a fabulous addition to such care. When the chakras are balanced, your dog’s physical body and entire energy field strive toward optimal health, stability and vitality!