The Body Knows: How anxiety hides in the Chakras
For a long time — decades, really — I didn’t know I was living in a constant state of nervous system activation.
It wasn’t until I began to slow down and turn inward that I realized just how deeply exhausted I was. That exhaustion revealed the truth: I had been living with anxiety. I was, in many ways, a functional addict — addicted to the rush of a chronically aroused nervous system.
I was getting things done. I looked “normal” to others. My aches, pains, digestion issues and hormonal struggles were explained away by my medical doctor, as was the anxiety and PTSD.
But what I continued to lack was inner peace. Joy. The ability to truly trust.
Looking back at the dis-ease I have felt in my body over the years has been all the proof I need - anxiety has a location. It doesn’t just live in the mind — it lives in the body, often in very specific places.
And when we slow down enough to listen, the body begins to reveal itself.
These places are not random. They tend to mirror the areas where we hold trauma, emotion, and unmet needs. They’re messengers — sometimes subtle, sometimes loud — trying to guide us toward healing and wholeness.
It is when the mind perceives these areas being activated — triggered — that it begins to send a signal to prepare for danger: an activation of the sympathetic nervous system toward fight or flight. But if we can calm our body’s response by releasing this stored energy, we just might avoid entering anxiety or fear.
This is prevention.
Anxiety in the Body: A Chakra-Based Guide
Root Chakra – “Do I feel safe, rooted, supported?”
Location: Base of spine, legs, feet
Anxiety Feels Like: Shaky legs, frozen limbs, lower back pain
Associated Dis-ease: Issues with bones, teeth, intestines, legs, immunity
Triggers: Financial stress, insecurity, disconnection
Emotional Overtone: Fear
God-given right: To be here
Sacral Chakra – “Am I allowed to feel and express my emotions?”
Location: Pelvis, hips, reproductive organs
Anxiety Feels Like: Pelvic tension, tight hips
Associated Dis-ease: Hormonal imbalances, menstrual issues, urinary discomfort
Triggers: Suppressed emotion, intimacy wounds, blocked creativity
Emotional Overtone: Guilt
God-given right: To feel
Solar Plexus Chakra – “Am I enough? Do I have the power to choose?”
Location: Upper abdomen, diaphragm
Anxiety Feels Like: Tight belly, digestive issues, shallow breathing
Associated Dis-ease: Blood sugar imbalances, stomach pain, liver/gall bladder issues
Triggers: Perfectionism, fear of failure, control
Emotional Overtone: Shame
God-given right: To act
Heart Chakra – “Can I let love in? Can I forgive myself?”
Location: Chest, shoulders, upper back
Anxiety Feels Like: Chest heaviness, shoulder tension, shallow breath
Associated Dis-ease: Heart/lung disorders, immune dysfunction, grief tension
Triggers: Heartbreak, rejection, self-judgment
Emotional Overtone: Grief
God-given right: To love
Throat Chakra – “Is it safe to express myself?”
Location: Neck, jaw, throat
Anxiety Feels Like: Jaw clenching, throat tightness, neck pain
Associated Dis-ease: Thyroid, jaw, ear, and throat conditions
Triggers: Silencing, people-pleasing, unmet boundaries
Emotional Overtone: Lies
God-given right: To speak
Third Eye Chakra – “Can I trust my inner knowing?”
Location: Forehead, eyes, temples
Anxiety Feels Like: Racing thoughts, mental fog, pressure in the head
Associated Dis-ease: Headaches, eye strain, confusion
Triggers: Overthinking, doubt, ignoring intuition
Emotional Overtone: Illusion
God-given right: To SEE
Crown Chakra – “Am I connected to something greater?”
Location: Top of the head
Anxiety Feels Like: Dizziness, disconnection, numbness
Associated Dis-ease: Migraines, cognitive fog, spiritual despair
Triggers: Existential fear, disconnection from meaning
Emotional Overtone: Attachment to conditioned beliefs
God-given right: To know
Reflection Practice
Next time anxiety arises, try asking yourself:
Where do I feel this in my body?
What chakra corresponds with that area?
What might this part of me be trying to express?
What does this area need in order to feel safe, seen, and soothed?
ARE YOU Ready to Begin Listening Within?
If you're curious about how to map these sensations in your own body — and receive support based on what you discover — I’ve created a simple, powerful resource to guide you.
Listening Within: Learn where you hold anxiety
This offering includes:
• A calming **guided meditation** to help you tune into your body
• A beautifully designed **journal form** to help track where you carry tension or emotion
• A **customized Yoga Nidra** + movement plan from me based on your reflections
• In the moment coping tools
You’ll uncover where your anxiety lives — and begin supporting the *you* who lives underneath it.
You don’t have to figure it all out in your head.
Your body already knows.
