First you have to get a crystal pendulum and sit down with it, focusing your energy. Hold the pendulum between your thumb and pointer finger. You may want to put your elbow on a surface, so that your arm doesn't move. Ask the crystal to show you what way means yes or open. The pendulum will begin swinging in a circle, either clockwise or counterclockwise. Whichever way it spins, that is the way that means yes/open. Then ask it to show you which way means no or closed. The pendulum should go in the opposite direction. You may need to do this a few times to be sure you’ve gotten the right information and that the pendulum consistently swings in one direction for yes/open and the opposite direction for no/closed.

Once you know which way means yes/open and which means no/closed, you’ll then want to test the accuracy. Start by asking a simple question that you know has a yes answer. For example, I might ask, “Is my name Kim?” The pendulum should circle in the yes/open rotation. Think of a few yes questions and a few no questions, to be sure that the pendulum is working correctly.

Ideas for questions with yes or no answers:

-Is my name _________?

-Do I live in __________?

-Do I have a sister named __________?

-Is my mom’s name __________?

-Do I have a dog?

-Do I work at _________?

You get the idea!

For this example of a reading, let’s say that the pendulum spinning clockwise means yes/open and spinning counterclockwise means no/closed.

Once you’ve gotten an accurate reading with your pendulum, you’re ready to try it out on the chakras. You’ll need another person to practice with. Have the person lie down on his/her back. When you start the reading, you’ll go from the root chakra up to the crown chakra. Hold the pendulum about 6 inches above the person’s chakra. Do not move your hand in any way to guide the pendulum. Once the pendulum senses the energy of the chakra, it will begin moving in a circular motion. If the pendulum is moving in a clockwise motion, it means the person’s chakra is open. The pendulum may swing in small, tight circles or large, swooping circles. You can tell how open the chakra is based on the width of the circle.

If the chakra is closed, you can guide the person through visualizations in order to open the chakra. Following are some of the visuals and sounds you will want to ask the person to focus on.

First, always have them concentrate on the particular area of the body where the chakra lies. Then ask them to create the following mental images and sounds for the appropriate chakra:

Root- Imagine the color red. The element is earth. Imagine yourself standing barefoot on a dewy patch of grass or a dirt path. Feel your feet connected to the earth, rooted into the ground. Think of the sound LAM.

Sacral- Imagine the color orange. The element is water. Think of running tap water, a bath, or the ocean. Any body of water will do. Imagine water flowing down a stream or waves rolling in and out on the shore. Think of the sound VAM.

Solar Plexuss- Imagine the color yellow. The element is fire. Imagine watching the flames of a fire or hearing the cracking sounds. Picture the bright yellow flames. Think of the sound RAM.

Heart- Imagine the color green (pink is also associated with the heart chakra). The element is air. Feel a breeze brushing your cheek. Or imagine the sound of your breath moving in and out of your body. Think of the sound YAM.

Throat- Imagine the color blue. The element is sound, any sound that is pleasing to your ears. It could be crashing waves, birds chirping, or children laughing. Think of the sound HAM.

Third Eye- Imagine the color violet. The element is light. It could be the sun rising or setting. The faint glow of candle light or the bright light that eminates from a bulb. Think of the sound OM.

Crown- Imagine the color white. The element is thought. Imagine all of the thoughts swimming around in your mind. Imagine releasing your thoughts into the world, through the top of your head. Let go of your thoughts. The sound is silence, the space in the pause after the OM.

You may notice that the pendulum quickly begins swinging from a closed chakra to an open one. Sometimes it just takes focused mental energy on the chakra in order to open it. Other times, it may take a long time for the person to create images in the mind that open the chakra. And there are times when the chakra remains closed despite efforts to bring focused energy into opening it. There is nothing wrong with a closed chakra and in fact, it provides a starting point for exploration into the stagnant energy that is being held in that chakra and in our bodies. Sometimes it takes a deeper look for us to know how to heal a chakra and bring it back into balance.

If you are interested in learning more about the chakras, including what excesses and deficiencies (which lead to dis-ease in the body) are associated with each chakra, I have two recommendations. There is a great book by Caroline Myss called The Anatomy of the Spirit, in which she discusses the different imbalances that can be held in each chakra. She uses real situations and anecdotes from her many years of experience as a healer. I would recommend this as a good starting place if one, or more, of your chakras are out of balance and you’d like to learn more. Anodea Judith also writes a clear, easy to read book about the chakras, Wheels of Life. In addition to giving basic information about each chakra, she also discusses imbalances and gives yoga poses that are good for each chakra.