Chakras are sometimes referred to as lotuses, for they open and close like a flower, and in the Tantric system they are shown with a varying number of petals.  The petals express their vibratory rate.

Negative experiences cause the relevant chakras to close.  This is a defence mechanism.  That's how we cope with situations in our lives.  But it does not work in the long run.   Chakras can be damaged or blocked through an emotional upset such as conflict, loss or accident.  Fear, anxiety and stress are common causes of chakra malfunction.  It is the disruption of the chakra and aura that create disease and disturb the energy balance of the chakras. When a chakra is closed, the life force energy cannot travel through that part of the body, and one might say that the programming in that chakra is locked in a restrictive pattern.  If this is the case, we feel a lack in our lives in its related area (such as the ability to communicate, Throat Chakra), and our physical health in the chakra's related functions may also be affected (soar throat, stiff neck).

To compensate for the closed chakras, some other chakra needs to get overblown or over-active.  An over-active chakra uses so much of the body's energy and the mind's attention that other areas become deficient.  An overblown Solar Plexus chakra causes an attachment to holding power over others, hindering the ability to find the love and balance associated with the heart chakra directly above it.

Once the closed chakras have been opened, the over-active chakras do not need to compensate for them and start functioning normally again.  Techniques may include physical exercises, processing of old traumas through therapy, visualization and meditation, chanting of mantras, working with their elements, herbs, gemstones and crystals, personal ritual, as well as the general lessons and experiences that are brought to us through our daily lives.

Thus it is of utmost importance that all our chakras are open, balanced and alligned for free flow of energy into our system which in turn promotes our mental, emotional and physical well-being.