How The Chakras Are Connected to the 8 Phases of EMDR
You know, sometimes life just hands you experiences that lodge themselves deep in your bones. Even years later, a random smell, a sound, or even just a fleeting thought can zap you right back to that intense feeling – like your body's still holding its breath. It's not just "in your head"; that lingering tension, that fuzzy thinking, or that quiet hum of anxiety can genuinely throw off your whole rhythm.
As a therapist, I've seen countless times how EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) therapy can gently unstick those moments, helping your system finally exhale. And here's something that just feels right when we talk about healing: connecting it to your body's natural energy centers – what many ancient traditions call chakras.
Imagine your chakras as these seven vital hubs of energy, flowing right through your core. Each one is a kind of blueprint for how you experience different parts of yourself – your sense of safety, your emotions, your voice, even your deepest wisdom. When they're all open and flowing, you feel like you again, connected and clear. But when trauma hits, it can snag that flow, leaving an imprint that makes you feel disconnected, anxious, or just plain heavy.
The deliberate steps we take in EMDR aren't just about processing old memories on a mental level. EMDR helps you on a somatic and emotional level.
They actually work hand-in-hand with these energy centers, helping you shift from those sticky negative beliefs that trauma often leaves behind (like "I'm not safe" or "I'm broken") to genuinely powerful, liberating positive beliefs (like "I am safe now" or "I am whole").
As an EMDR trained therapist, Reiki Master, and Yoga Teacher, I love weaving spirituality into trauma healing so that you can heal from the inside out. If you are someone who loves a holistic approach and craving something deeper, this blog post is for you!
Your EMDR Journey, Chakra by Chakra
In EMDR, we don't just talk about what happened; we gently help your brain (and body) reprocess it so it loses its power over you. Let's look at how each step of that journey touches different parts of your energetic self:
1. Building Your Foundation: The Root Chakra & Phase 1 (History Taking)
The Root Chakra (Base of Spine): This is all about safety, security, and feeling grounded. When trauma hits, your root chakra can feel shaken, leaving you feeling unsafe or anxious in the world.
How EMDR Helps: Our very first step in EMDR is like building a strong, safe foundation. We get to know each other, understand your history, and map out where we'll go. This is about establishing a secure, trusting space between us. It helps that primal part of you start to feel safe, knowing we're approaching things carefully.
2. Finding Your Flow: The Sacral Chakra & Phase 2 (Preparation)
The Sacral Chakra (Lower Abdomen): This chakra is connected to your emotions, creativity, and adaptability. Trauma can leave you feeling emotionally numb, overwhelmed, or unable to experience joy.
How EMDR Helps: Before we dive into tough memories, we spend time making sure you have all the tools you need to feel in control of your emotions. We practice coping skills like creating a mental "safe space" you can retreat to, or using a "container" to hold intense feelings until you're ready. This phase is all about empowering you to manage your felt sense – those physical sensations and emotions – so you can flow with them instead of being swept away.
3. Stepping Into Your Power: The Solar Plexus Chakra & Phase 3 (Assessment)
The Solar Plexus Chakra (Upper Abdomen): This is your center of personal power, confidence, and self-worth. Trauma often leaves us feeling powerless, inadequate, and riddled with self-doubt.
How EMDR Helps: Here, we pinpoint those specific negative beliefs that surfaced because of the trauma – like "I am helpless" or "I'm not good enough." Then, we identify the positive belief you want to feel instead – "I am capable" or "I am worthy." This process of acknowledging the wound and actively choosing a new, empowering truth directly engages your solar plexus, helping you reclaim your sense of inner strength and move from a felt sense of dread to empowerment.
4. Opening to Compassion: The Heart Chakra & Phases 4-7 (Processing & Integration)
The Heart Chakra (Center of Chest): This chakra is all about love, compassion, forgiveness, and connection. Trauma can make us close off, build walls, or struggle to connect with ourselves and others.
How EMDR Helps: This is where the core "work" of EMDR happens. As we use bilateral stimulation (like eye movements), your brain reprocesses the memory. That intense felt sense starts to lessen, and the negative belief loosens its grip. You might feel a wave of emotions, but they dissipate. This helps release the emotional burden, opening your heart to self-compassion and allowing you to forgive yourself or others. As the memory integrates, you literally install that positive belief ("I am loved," "I am connected"), deeply integrating it into your system, healing old hurts and opening to new possibilities for connection.
5. Speaking Your Truth: The Throat Chakra & Phase 8 (Re-evaluation)
The Throat Chakra (Throat/Neck): This chakra is about authentic expression, communication, and speaking your truth. Trauma can silence us, making us afraid to speak up, or leaving us feeling unheard.
How EMDR Helps: At the start of each session, we re-evaluate what we processed last time. This is your chance to voice any lingering thoughts, feelings, or new insights. Articulating your progress and any remaining "felt sense" helps strengthen your throat chakra. As you heal, you'll find it easier to communicate your needs, set boundaries, and speak your truth in your daily life, moving from a felt sense of constriction to clear expression.
6. Seeing With Clarity: The Third Eye Chakra (Throughout the Process)
The Third Eye Chakra (Between Eyebrows): This is your center of intuition, insight, and inner wisdom. Trauma can create mental fog, confusion, or make you doubt your own instincts.
How EMDR Helps: As we clear the "stuckness" of trauma, your mind naturally becomes clearer. You'll often find yourself gaining new insights about past events, seeing things from a different perspective, or understanding why you reacted a certain way. Your intuition strengthens, allowing you to trust your gut feelings again. The EMDR process itself helps you move from a felt sense of confusion to one of clarity and inner knowing.
7. Connecting to Wholeness: The Crown Chakra (The Overall Integration)
The Crown Chakra (Top of Head): This is your gateway to spiritual connection, purpose, and a sense of unity. Trauma can leave us feeling isolated, questioning our purpose, or disconnected from any sense of meaning.
How EMDR Helps: When all the other chakras begin to flow, and you integrate your healing, you often experience a profound sense of peace and wholeness. The constant "noise" of trauma quiets, allowing you to connect more deeply with your own spirit, your values, and a larger sense of purpose. This process can help you move from a felt sense of existential dread or emptiness to one of profound peace and connection to life itself.
Healing from Trauma is Possible
Understanding how EMDR aligns with your body's energy centers can provide a powerful framework for your healing journey - especially if you value a holistic approach to therapy.
We're not just clearing old memories; we're helping you restore flow, balance, and vibrancy to your entire system. This means moving from a place of distress and negative beliefs to one where you feel safe, empowered, connected, and truly aligned with your authentic self, all the way down to that "felt sense" in your body.
If you're curious about how EMDR therapy can help you release the grip of past trauma and bring more ease to your life, book a free intro call today (FL, SC, & TN Residents)