The Chakras

Generally, it is agreed that there are at least seven chakras in the human body.  Chakras are energy centers along the body and are associated with different colours and basic characteristics as follows:

• Seventh Chakra - Crown - head - white - higher self
• Sixth Chakra - Third Eye - purple - clairvoyance
• Fifth Chakra - Throat - blue - truth
• Fourth Chakra - Heart - green - love, healing energy, integration of body and spirit
• Third Chakra - Solar Plexus - stomach area - yellow - intelligence, joy
• Second Chakra - Sacral Chakra - below the belly button - orange - creativity, emotions
• First Chakra - Base Chakra - pelvic area - red - survival, instincts, grounding

It is important to meditate on your chakras regularly to assess their colour (dark/light), spin (speed; is it blocked?), and how they look (size, angle...) to determine if they need to be cleared or balanced in any way.

Unhealthy chakras can be caused by, and cause, mental or physical illness.  Likewise, healing chakras to improve the flow of energy can also improve or cure mental or physical aliments.

If you are interested in learning more about chakras, there are several books available which have more detailed explanations about the nature of chakras and the impact if any of them are out of balance or blocked energetically.

I found the following site to be very informative:
http://www.healing-journeys-energy.com/Chakra.html#axzz1jGxwwhZb