Let's talk animal chakras

If you've ever wondered why your beloved pet seems anxious for no apparent reason, why your cat has become withdrawn, or why your horse is suddenly resistant — the answer may lie in their energy system.

Animals, just like humans, have a chakra system: a series of spinning energy centres that run through the body, each governing different aspects of physical, emotional, and spiritual wellbeing. When these chakras are open and balanced, your animal thrives. When they're blocked or depleted, it shows — in their behaviour, their mood, and sometimes in their physical health.

What makes animals particularly fascinating from an energetic perspective is that they have eight chakras — one more than humans. That eighth chakra, unique to animals, is something I find endlessly compelling in my work as an animal communicator and Reiki healer.

In this complete guide, I'm walking you through all eight of your animal's chakras: where they are, what they govern, the signs that something may be out of balance, the crystals and practices that support each one, and how I work with them during Animal Soul Connection Sessions.

What is a chakra?

Derived from Sanskrit, the word "chakra" means "wheel." Chakras are specific energy points in the body — considered spinning disks of life force energy that need to be open and aligned in order for energy to flow freely. This alignment matters deeply, because each chakra links to major organs, nerve networks, and areas of the energetic body, significantly influencing your animal's emotional and physical wellbeing.

Think of them as an internal weather system. When the energy flows well, your animal is balanced, bright, and at ease. When one centre becomes blocked — through trauma, stress, fear, grief, or environmental change — it creates a kind of energetic weather front that affects everything downstream.

The good news is that energy can be restored. Through Reiki, animal communication, and mindful support at home, every chakra can be brought back into balance.

The 8 chakras in animals

Here is a quick overview before we explore each one in depth:

1. Root chakra — base of the spine — safety and survival

2. Sacral chakra — lower belly — pleasure, play and vitality

3. Solar Plexus chakra — upper abdomen — confidence and personal power

4. Heart chakra — centre of the chest — love and emotional connection

5. Throat chakra — upper throat/larynx — communication and expression

6. Third Eye chakra — between the eyes — intuition and perception

7. Crown chakra — top of the head — spiritual connection

8. Sensing (Butterfly) chakra — the nose/muzzle — unique to animals

   
   

1. The Root chakra

Location: Base of the spine | Colour: Red | Crystals: Red Jasper, Smoky Quartz, Black Tourmaline

The Root chakra is the foundation of your animal's entire energetic system. It governs their sense of safety, security, and belonging in the physical world — their most fundamental instinct to survive and feel grounded.

A balanced Root chakra manifests as a calm, confident animal who moves through the world with ease. They take things in their stride, feel secure in their environment, and aren't easily thrown by change or unfamiliar situations.

For animals who have experienced trauma — rescue animals, those who've been neglected or rehomed, or those who've lost a companion — the Root chakra is often the first place I sense imbalance. Trauma lives in the root. It affects the animal's most basic sense that the world is safe.

Signs of Root chakra imbalance:

• Daily nervousness or fearfulness

• A strong flight response — hiding, bolting, or running from unfamiliar situations

• Sensitivity to loud noises or sudden changes

• Eating disorders or fluctuating appetite

• Fatigue and low energy

• Difficulty settling or feeling at home

How to support the Root chakra:

• Gently place your hands a few inches above the base of your animal's spine, holding the intention of grounding and safety

• Work with Red Jasper or Smoky Quartz nearby during quiet time

• Create predictable, consistent routines — the Root chakra loves stability

• Spend calm, unhurried time together outdoors, with bare feet or paws on the earth if possible

  
  

2. The Sacral chakra

Location: Lower belly, just above the sex organs | Colour: Orange | Crystals: Carnelian, Orange Calcite

The Sacral chakra is the centre of your animal's joy, pleasure, and life force energy. It governs their capacity for playfulness, their enthusiasm for life, and their ability to give and receive affection.

A beautifully balanced Sacral chakra is unmistakable: the dog who bounds to greet you with their whole body wagging, the cat who rolls onto their back for a belly rub, the horse who canters over to the gate. These animals are radiating sacral energy.

Signs of Sacral chakra imbalance:

• Loss of interest in play or affection

• Excessive sleeping or emotional withdrawal

• At the other end: restlessness, inability to settle, constant attention-seeking

• Destructive chewing or compulsive behaviours

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How to support the Sacral chakra:

• Gently rub or rest your hand on your animal's lower belly, if they're comfortable with this

• Engage in gentle, joyful and connected play

• Place Carnelian or Orange Calcite near their resting space

• Allow your animal to lead — follow their curiosity and let them set the pace

  
  

3. The Solar Plexus chakra

Location: Upper abdomen | Colour: Yellow | Crystals: Citrine, Tiger's Eye, Yellow Jasper

The Solar Plexus chakra is the seat of your animal's personal power, confidence, and sense of self. It governs their identity and their ability to assert their needs in a grounded, healthy way.

A balanced Solar Plexus gives your animal a quiet, steady confidence. They're not aggressive or dominant — but they know who they are, and they can navigate social situations, including interactions with other animals, with ease.

Signs of Solar Plexus chakra imbalance:

• Excessive dominance or aggression

• Submissiveness or lack of confidence

• Digestive issues or stomach sensitivities

• Difficulty with transitions or changes in the household

• Lack of motivation or drive

  
  

How to support the Solar Plexus chakra:

• Gentle touch on the upper abdomen, focusing on warmth and confidence

• Allow your animal meaningful choices in their day — this supports their sense of agency

• Work with Citrine or Tiger's Eye

• Consistent, calm leadership from you helps animals with Solar Plexus imbalances feel safe

  
  

4. The Heart chakra

Location: Centre of the chest | Colour: Green and pink | Crystals: Rose Quartz, Green Aventurine, Malachite, Rhodonite

The Heart chakra is perhaps the most profound of all the energy centres. It's the bridge between the lower physical chakras and the upper spiritual ones — and it governs your animal's capacity for love, compassion, empathy, and deep emotional connection.

It is, quite simply, the chakra of relationship. The bond between you and your animal lives here.

An animal with a beautifully open Heart chakra is deeply bonded and emotionally attuned — these are the animals who curl up next to you when you're sad, who seem to sense before you do that you need comfort.

Signs of Heart chakra imbalance:

• Emotional withdrawal or difficulty bonding

• Grief or bereavement responses

• Separation anxiety or fear of abandonment

• In rescue animals: difficulty trusting or accepting love

• Chest, lung, or upper respiratory issues

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How to support the Heart chakra:

• Gentle, loving touch on the chest area

• Sit quietly with your animal, breathing slowly, with the intention of sending love

• Rose Quartz is a beautiful and deeply soothing crystal for this chakra

• Allow your animal to grieve if they've experienced loss — don't rush them past their feelings

  
  

5. The Throat chakra

Location: Upper throat, over the larynx | Colour: Blue | Crystals: Aquamarine, Lapis Lazuli, Blue Lace Agate

The Throat chakra governs communication, expression, and the ability to be truly heard and understood. For animals, this is a particularly poignant chakra — because they communicate so much, in so many ways, and yet so often go misunderstood.

This is the chakra I connect with most deeply in my work as an animal communicator. Part of what I do is help the Throat chakra find expression — helping animals say what they've been unable to convey, and helping their humans truly hear what's being offered.

Signs of Throat chakra imbalance:

• Unusual vocalisations — excessive barking, howling or crying, or conversely, unusual silence

• Dominance or aggression, particularly if the animal feels unheard

• Neck, shoulder, or jaw tension

• Tooth pain or hearing sensitivities

  
  

How to support the Throat chakra:

• Sound therapy — gentle, calming music or singing near your animal

• Gentle humming with the intention of opening communication

• Aquamarine and Lapis Lazuli are both supportive crystals

• Most powerfully: truly listen to your animal. Being heard heals the Throat chakra.

  
  

6. The Third Eye chakra

Location: Between the eyes | Colour: Purple/Indigo | Crystals: Amethyst, Lapis Lazuli, Labradorite, Sodalite

The Third Eye chakra is the centre of intuition, perception, and inner knowing. Located between your animal's eyes, it governs their ability to perceive both the physical world and the subtler energetic dimensions that animals are naturally attuned to.

Animals are, by nature, extraordinarily intuitive. They sense things we cannot explain — a thunderstorm hours before it arrives, a shift in their owner's mood before a word has been spoken, the presence of something unseen. This is the Third Eye chakra at work.

Signs of Third Eye chakra imbalance:

• Heightened sensitivity to unfamiliar noises, people, or environments

• Appearing to stare at "nothing" in an unsettled or anxious way

• Difficulty concentrating or focussing

• Eye or vision issues

• Disrupted sleep patterns

How to support the Third Eye chakra:

• Quiet, mindful time together in stillness

• Visualise a gentle purple light at your animal's brow, growing brighter and clearer

• Amethyst and Labradorite are wonderful crystals for this chakra

• Reduce environmental overstimulation

  
  

7. The Crown chakra

Location: Top of the head | Colour: Violet and white | Crystals: Amethyst, Clear Quartz, Selenite, Lepidolite, Howlite

The Crown chakra is your animal's direct connection to the highest sources of pure spiritual energy in the universe. It is the chakra of divine consciousness, of pure love, of the understanding that all life is one.

This is always the first chakra I connect with at the beginning of every distance healing session. It is the opening through which Reiki energy flows most naturally and freely.

An animal with a beautifully open Crown chakra has a quality that's difficult to describe but instantly recognisable — a profound peacefulness, a sense of being deeply at home in themselves and in the world.

Signs of Crown chakra imbalance:

• Lethargy and low energy

• Depression or sadness

• Spiritual disconnection or feeling lost

• Disconnection from their owner or familiar environment

• Loss of enthusiasm or zest for life

  
  

How to support the Crown chakra:

• Meditate with your animal, offering quiet, quality time and reassurance

• Speak affirmations aloud near your animal: "You are pure love," "You are connected to the Universe"

• Provide a quiet, undisturbed space for deep relaxation

• Clear Quartz is the crystal most associated with the Crown chakra — it amplifies and clarifies

  
  

8. The Sensing chakra

Location: The nose and muzzle | Colour: Silver/iridescent | Crystals: Moonstone, Selenite, Clear Quartz

This is the chakra that makes animals truly unique. Humans don't have it. Animals do.

The Sensing chakra is located at both sides of the animal's body, just in front of and beneath the shoulder blades. It governs your animal's extraordinary sensory awareness — their ability to detect information from their environment that goes far beyond what the physical senses alone can explain.

Signs of Sensing chakra imbalance:

• Confusion or disorientation in familiar environments

• Over-sensitivity to smells, sounds, or energetic input

• Anxiety in new environments or around unfamiliar energies

• A dulling of their usual alertness and perceptiveness

  
  

How to support the Sensing chakra:

• Allow your animal plenty of unhurried time to smell and explore — this is not dawdling, it's important energetic work

• Avoid overwhelming their senses with harsh chemicals or strong perfumes

• Moonstone and Selenite are beautiful crystals for this chakra

• Trust what your animal is telling you about their environment — their Sensing chakra often knows things we, as humans, don't

  
  

How I work with all eight chakras in Animal Soul Connection Sessions

In every Animal Soul Connection Session, I work through all eight chakras as part of my soul-centred approach to animal wellbeing. Using my LOVE Methodology™ (Listen, Observe, Validate, Enrich) and Trinity Technique (Animal Communication, Reiki, and Astrology), I connect with your animal energetically via their photograph, sense which chakras are blocked or depleted, channel Reiki to restore balance across the whole system, and share what your animal wants you to know.

Every session is completely unique, because every animal is completely unique.

Frequently asked questions about animal chakras

Do all animals have chakras?

Yes — all living beings have an energetic body, and all animals share the same eight-chakra system described in this guide. Whether you have a dog, cat, horse, rabbit, or bird, these energy centres are present and active.

Can chakra imbalances cause physical illness?

Chakra healing is a complementary approach and is never a replacement for veterinary care. That said, many practitioners and clients observe a relationship between energetic imbalances and physical symptoms. I always encourage clients to ensure their animal is receiving appropriate veterinary support alongside energy work.

How do I know which chakra is imbalanced?

The signs listed in this guide are a starting point. The clearest way to understand what's happening in your animal's energetic body is through a professional session, where I can tell you specifically what I sense and what your animal is communicating.

Can I work on my animal's chakras at home?

Absolutely. The crystal suggestions, touch practices, and supportive activities in this guide are all things you can incorporate into daily life. Your intention, your presence, and your love are enormously powerful.

What makes the Sensing chakra unique to animals?

The Sensing or Butterfly chakra is located at the nose and muzzle and governs your animal's extraordinary intuitive and sensory awareness. Humans evolved differently and don't have this chakra — it's one of the things that makes our animal companions so truly remarkable.

Ready to support your animal's wellbeing at a deeper level?

If something in this guide resonated — if you recognised your animal in the signs of imbalance, or feel there's something your pet is trying to tell you — I'd love to help.

My Animal Soul Connection Sessions are available worldwide, working remotely with just a photograph of your animal. Each session combines animal communication, Reiki healing across all eight chakras, and astrological insights.

Book your Animal Soul Connection Session → vickysarah.com/animal-soul-connection

Vicky Sarah is an animal communicator, Reiki healer, and animal astrologer based in Yorkshire, UK. She works remotely with animals worldwide, pioneering the LOVE Methodology™. 5% of every booking is donated to animal charities.