The Connection Between...

Chakras & Your Voice

by Justine Lucas

We know singing to be a form of self-expression, but it is also a powerful healing tool. By exploring our voice, we can directly tap into our nervous system, our circulatory system, and our emotional body, which is the deepest most difficult-to-reach access point for systemic healing. Music transcends language, communicates what words can’t, and connects us to our own inner landscape. When we sing, we tap into the depths of our emotions, connecting with ourselves and the world around us in a profound way. The most powerful approach I’ve found in my 20+ years of professional singing to improve both the quality of your voice and nourish your spirit is by singing from your chakras. The chakra system, made up of energy centers throughout the body, plays a vital role in our physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual well-being. By aligning, balancing, or channeling the energy of each chakra through singing, you can unleash your true voice and experience a transformative journey of self-discovery. 

In this article, we’ll explore how singing from your chakras can help improve your voice, aid you in your inner work, heal other elements of your life, and nurture your spirit.

Understanding the Chakras:

Chakras are often described as spinning wheels of energy, located along the central channel of the body. The word chakra literally means “wheel” or “circle” in Sanskrit. Chakras play a significant role in influencing our physical, emotional, and spiritual well-being. They are often used for healing ailments and balancing the nervous system in Eastern Medicine. Many sects of both Hinduism and Buddhism use the chakra system to listen to and harmonize the body, mind, and soul. Each chakra is associated with specific physical, emotional, and spiritual aspects of our being. There are seven main chakras, each with its unique qualities and characteristics. These chakras are the root, sacral, solar plexus, heart, throat, third eye, and crown chakras.   

🔴 Root Chakra - Strengthening Your Foundation:

The Root Chakra, situated at the base of the spine, represents stability, grounding, and physical presence. Singing from this chakra helps strengthen your vocal foundation, providing a solid support system for your voice. By connecting with the Root Chakra, you develop a sense of security and confidence, allowing you to project your voice with strength and conviction. As your voice becomes grounded by singing from the Root Chakra, you'll notice improved vocal resonance and a deeper connection with your songs. You may also feel more grounded in your daily life, and be able to work through personal blocks such as self-doubt, scarcity, and emotional instability with more confidence and ease. When you have a strong sense of self, your priorities shift, making it easier to find time for self-care, set boundaries and protect your peace. 

• Singers: Louis Armstrong, Erykah Badu, Gillian Welch, Amadou & Marium.

• Genres: Jazz, Blues, Country, Folk, Middle Eastern music, North & West African music, Greek music. 

• When we connect to our Root Chakra, we feel grounded and steady in our voice.

🟠 Sacral Chakra - Embracing Emotions:

The Sacral Chakra, located in the lower abdomen, governs creativity, passion, and emotional expression. Singing from this chakra encourages you to embrace and express your emotions through your voice. By allowing yourself to feel the depth of your emotions while singing, you start moving energy within your body, making space for deep healing to occur. Singing is a whole-body energy release. Just the act of releasing pent-up energy from your body through the voice can initiate so much healing and spirit-level freedom. Singing from the Sacral Chakra enables you to fully express your emotions and create a lasting emotional impact with your songs. When you stay connected to your Sacral Chakra, you are able to move through emotions faster, releasing their energy from your body and finding your strength again.

• Singers: Robert Plant, Prince, David Bowie, Oumou Sangaré.

• Genres: Blues, Bluegrass, Jazz, Fado, Flamenco, Tango, Balkan music, West African music.

• When we connect to our Sacral Chakra, we feel a sense of true expression in our voice.

🟡 Solar Plexus Chakra - Finding Your Power:

The Solar Plexus Chakra, positioned in the upper abdomen, is associated with confidence, self-esteem, and personal power. When singing from this chakra, you radiate self-assurance on stage and in your own life, allowing your true essence to shine through. By embracing your inner strength, you can overcome stage fright and performance anxiety, freeing your voice and expressing yourself inhibited by fear. This incredible chakra connection can show up in your daily life as enhanced decision making, courage, confidence, and an ability to achieve dream-like goals. Singing from your Sacral Chakra harnesses your personal power and directs your creative drive towards your desired goal.

• Singers: Mick Jagger, Louis Prima, James Brown.

• Genres: Funk, Rock, Cuban Salsa, Tango, Flamenco, Jazz, Big Band and Swing music.

• When we connect to our Solar-Plexus Chakra, we feel confident and radiant in our voice.

 🟢 Heart Chakra - Connecting and Healing:

The Heart Chakra, situated at the center of the chest, governs love, compassion, and empathy. Singing from this chakra fosters a genuine connection with your audience and your own inner landscape, as you learn to express musically from a place of love and emotional depth. By tapping into the Heart Chakra, your voice becomes a conduit for compassion, touching the hearts of those who listen and offering comfort and solace in the loving vibrational power of your song. Heart Chakra connection varies from Sacral emotional connection in that heart energy correlates to one main theme: LOVE. It’s all about love. Self-love, family-love, friend-love… Tap into your deepest truest ability to love by singing from the Heart Chakra. This incredible energy center is also essential to healing from trauma related to the lack of love, grief, abandonment, loss, or heartbreak. Singing is one of the best ways to move energy out of the body and release emotions. It is also one of the few healing methods we can do on our own, at any time, in any place. 

Tip: Next time you find yourself feeling frustrated after a stressful conversation or an anxious day at work, try singing something out loud! It could be as simple as one line from your favorite song, or a mantra that you put to melody. I find singing at the beach to be a huge energy release, because the loud waves act as a sound barrier, giving you space to express without feeling self-conscious.

We can also channel heart chakra energy in our singing to share love with others ~ via soft and comforting music genres and lullabies.

• Singers: Ray Charles, Etta James, Billie Holiday, Gilberto Gill.

• Genres: Love songs, Torch songs, Jazz, Soul, Bossa Nova, Celtic music.

• When we connect to our Heart Chakra, we learn to express love with our voice.

🔵 Throat Chakra - Authentic Communication:

The Throat Chakra, located in the throat area, represents communication, self-expression, and creativity. In working with this chakra, your voice becomes a clear and authentic expression of your Self. This chakra also helps you gain stronger vocal awareness, which can be used to develop your ear, refine your tone, and expand your melodic range. Singing from an open Throat Chakra also allows us to fully express our emotions and spirit energy in a way that feels and sounds good to others in the world, and with our own inner-body resonance. You may be able to tap into emotions and senses with your lower chakras, but once those discoveries reach the Throat Chakra and are finally released, you will feel a huge sense of relief. This is where significant healing takes place.

• Singers: Aretha Franklin, Freddie Mercury, Nina Simone, Frank Sinatra.

• Genres: Folk, Rock, Blues, Jazz, and all musics from around the world.

• When we connect to our Throat Chakra, we express our truths with our voice.

🟣Third Eye Chakra - Connecting with Intuition:

The Third Eye Chakra, positioned between the eyebrows, governs intuition, insight, and imagination. Singing from this chakra allows you to tap into your creative instincts and interpret music in a unique and soulful way. By connecting with your Third Eye Chakra, you gain a deeper understanding of the essence of the music, creating performances that are insightful and spiritually uplifting. In opening this chakra, you make yourself available to visions or other points of view. This ability lends itself well to creating meaningful songs that have an impact on its listeners, inviting positive social change.

• Singers: Bob Dylan, Joni Mitchel, Leonard Cohen, Luke Kelly.

• Genres: Folk, Rock, Celtic music, Indian Classical music, Turkish music, Romanian music.

• When we connect to our Third-Eye Chakra, we lean into intuition with our voice.

👑 Crown Chakra - Transcending Your Voice:

The Crown Chakra, located at the top of the head, represents mental clarity, spiritual connection and transcendence. Singing from this chakra enables you to channel a higher energy while singing and combine that channel with your own intellectual prowess. By aligning with your Crown Chakra, you experience a sense of oneness with the music and the universe, creating an ethereal and transformative experience for yourself and your audience. In connecting with this chakra, you are able to find out what you're truly capable of intellectually and challenge your own mind in creative ways.

• Singers: Van Morrison, Stevie Wonder, George Gershwin, Ella Fitzgerald.

• Genres: Indian Classical music, Western Classical music, Orchestral music, Jam bands, 

• When we connect to our Crown Chakra, we experience enlightenment with our voice.

✨ Soul Star Chakra - Finding Your Purpose:

The Soul Star chakra, located about a foot above the head, is associated with pure spirit energy. People connected to the soul star chakra have an extraordinary capacity for experimentation and have an audacious sense of adventure ~ both physically and intellectually. They are not afraid of confronting their own emotions and are even able to do so with an outsider’s perspective, leaving their own body and their own life, and looking at their situation from above. Their creative work and spiritual path often make their life story that of legend. They often have a calm, joyous, or Zen demeanor ~ fully in control of their emotional response. They almost transcend reality with their vocal abilities, and often with their songwriting and composition. 

Singing from this chakra can give you an out-of-body experience, allowing your own personal life problems to completely melt away. When you sing from your soul star chakra, you are, in essence, pure flowing energy. Connecting to this chakra can also create more opportunity, abundance, and manifestation in your life, as it provides clarity and helps you direct your energy towards your own true values.

• Singers: John Lenon, Jeff Buckley, Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan.

• Genres: Any and all musics from around the world.

• When we connect to our Soul Star Chakra, we experience total freedom with our voice.

Singing from your chakras is a powerful and transformative practice that enhances both your voice and spirit. By aligning and channeling the energy of each chakra, you create a harmonious connection between your physical and spiritual self, unlocking the true potential of your voice and embracing your authentic expression. As you embark on this journey of self-discovery through singing, you'll find your voice becoming more resonant, expressive, and soulful. This practice also leads to a deeper sense of inner peace, fulfillment, and spiritual growth.