Team Energy: Balancing Chakras

Imagine this scenario: You're leading a talented team at a fast-growing company. On paper, everything seems perfect—everyone is skilled, the goals are clear, and the resources are abundant. Yet, despite these favorable conditions, something feels off. Meetings are tense, creativity is stifled, and there’s a palpable disconnect among team members. You try different strategies to boost morale and productivity, but nothing seems to stick.

Then, during a particularly heated discussion, it hits you: the problem isn’t with the skills or the strategy—it’s the energy. The team’s energy feels fragmented like each person is operating on a different frequency.

Could it be that the underlying issue is more about energy alignment than project alignment?

This is where my Chakra Team Development Model comes into play—a modern adaptation I’ve developed by integrating ancient wisdom with contemporary leadership strategies. By understanding and balancing the energy centers within your team, you can address subtle yet powerful imbalances that often go unnoticed. Drawing from the chakra system, a time-honored concept rooted in Eastern traditions, this model offers a unique and holistic framework for diagnosing and enhancing team dynamics.

So what is the Chakra Team Development Model?

The Chakra Team Development Model is a holistic approach to team building and management that integrates the ancient wisdom of the chakra system with modern team dynamics. This model is designed to help leaders and teams understand and then achieve balance, harmony, and optimal performance by aligning the energy centers—or chakras—of the team.

The Seven Chakras in Team Development

Each of the seven chakras represents a specific energy center that correlates with different aspects of team dynamics:

1. Root Chakra (Muladhara): Stability and Trust
2. Sacral Chakra (Svadhisthana): Creativity and Inclusivity
3. Solar Plexus Chakra (Manipura): Confidence and Empowerment
4. Heart Chakra (Anahata): Compassion and Connection
5. Throat Chakra (Vishuddha): Communication and Expression
6. Third Eye Chakra (Ajna): Insight and Vision
7. Crown Chakra (Sahasrara): Purpose and Connection to a Higher Goal

By mapping these chakras onto the stages of team development, leaders can diagnose energy imbalances and apply specific practices to restore harmony and enhance team performance. Prior to balancing and harmonizing energy, it is crucial to understand where the imbalance lies (underactive vs overactive). Following are ways to diagnose team energy imbalances.

Diagnosing Chakra Imbalances in Your Team

Understanding which chakras are underactive or overactive within your team is the first step in applying the Chakra Team Development Model. Below is a guide to help you diagnose these imbalances and explore creative tools for balancing each energy center.

1. Root Chakra (Muladhara): Stability and Trust

• Signs of Underactivity: The team may feel ungrounded, insecure, or uncertain about their roles. There could be a lack of trust among team members, resulting in low morale or fear of taking risks.
• Signs of Overactivity: The team might be overly rigid, resistant to change, or overly focused on security, leading to stagnation and lack of innovation.
• Assessment Questions: Ask your team if members feel secure in their roles and within the team. Is there a strong foundation of trust, or do they sense underlying anxiety or mistrust?

If the answer leads to expressing sentiments of mistrust and a weak foundation, here are some techniques to incorporate:

• Grounding Walks: Organize regular "Grounding Walks" where the team steps outside for a brief walk. Use this time to reflect on what grounds each member personally and as a team.
• Trust Building Exercises: Incorporate exercises like trust falls or collaborative problem-solving games to strengthen the team’s foundation of trust.

2. Sacral Chakra (Svadhisthana): Creativity and Inclusivity

• Signs of Underactivity: The team may struggle with creativity, showing a lack of new ideas or innovation. There might be a lack of emotional connection, with team members feeling isolated or excluded.
• Signs of Overactivity: The team could be overly emotional, with frequent conflicts arising from misunderstandings. There may also be too much focus on creativity without enough follow-through or practical application.
• Assessment Questions: Ask your team, how often the team generates new ideas, and how well they collaborate creatively. Are emotions and relationships within the team balanced, or do you notice extremes?

If the answer leads to expressing sentiments of extreme emotions and lack of creativity, here are some techniques to incorporate:

• Creative Play Sessions: Set up "Creative Play" sessions where team members engage in activities like drawing, storytelling, or improvisational games. These activities foster creativity and emotional expression in a fun, low-pressure environment.
• Collaborative Art Projects: Work on a collaborative art project, such as a mural or vision board, where each team member contributes to a shared creative vision, promoting inclusivity and collective creativity.

3. Solar Plexus Chakra (Manipura): Confidence and Empowerment

• Signs of Underactivity: Team members may lack confidence or feel disempowered, leading to low engagement and a hesitancy to take initiative. There might be a pervasive sense of self-doubt or lack of personal power.
• Signs of Overactivity: The team may display excessive assertiveness or dominance, with some members overpowering others. This can create a competitive rather than collaborative atmosphere.
• Assessment Questions: Ask your team if they feel empowered and confident in their contributions. Is there a healthy balance of power, or do some members dominate the team dynamic?

If the answer leads to expressing a sentiment of power imbalance and low empowerment, here are some techniques to incorporate:

• Empowerment Journals: Encourage team members to keep "Empowerment Journals," where they regularly write about their strengths, accomplishments, and areas for growth. Share entries (voluntarily) in team meetings to build mutual respect and confidence.
• Role-Reversal Exercises: Use role-reversal exercises in meetings, where team members switch roles or responsibilities temporarily. This builds empathy and highlights each person’s unique contributions, fostering mutual empowerment.

4. Heart Chakra (Anahata): Compassion and Connection

• Signs of Underactivity: The team might lack empathy or emotional connection, leading to a cold or distant atmosphere. There may be little emotional support among team members, resulting in isolation.
• Signs of Overactivity: Overattachment within the team could lead to favoritism or excessive emotional dependency, hindering objectivity and professional boundaries.
• Assessment Questions: Ask your team how connected team members feel to one another on an emotional level. Is there a balance of compassion and professionalism, or do emotional dynamics disrupt work?

If the answer leads to sentiments of disconnected or lack of compassion, here are some techniques to incorporate:

• Compassionate Leadership Circles: Hold regular "Compassionate Leadership Circles" where team members share challenges and support each other in a non-judgmental space. Incorporate activities like guided meditations focused on heart energy.
• Gratitude Walls: Create a "Gratitude Wall" in a common area or online platform where team members can post notes of appreciation for one another, fostering an ongoing atmosphere of compassion and connection.

5. Throat Chakra (Vishuddha): Communication and Expression

• Signs of Underactivity: There may be poor communication within the team, with members reluctant to speak up or share ideas. This can lead to misunderstandings, unaddressed issues, and a lack of collaboration.
• Signs of Overactivity: The team might experience excessive or chaotic communication, with too many voices competing to be heard. This can result in confusion and a lack of clear direction.
• Assessment Questions: Ask your team how comfortable are they expressing their ideas and concerns. Is communication clear and effective, or do you notice either silence or overload?

If the answer leads to sentiments of discomfort with self-expression, here are some techniques to incorporate:

• Voice Empowerment Workshops: Conduct workshops focused on voice empowerment and public speaking, helping team members articulate their ideas confidently and clearly.
• Storytelling Circles: Create "Storytelling Circles" where team members can share personal stories related to their work experiences. This fosters authentic expression and deeper understanding among the team.

6. Third Eye Chakra (Ajna): Insight and Vision

• Signs of Underactivity: The team may struggle with vision and long-term planning, lacking insight into potential challenges or opportunities. There might be a focus on short-term tasks at the expense of strategic thinking.
• Signs of Overactivity: The team could be overly focused on vision or ideas without practical execution, leading to a disconnect between strategy and action.
• Assessment Questions: Ask your team if they have a clear vision and the ability to think strategically. Are insights and intuitions effectively integrated into planning and decision-making?

If the answer leads to sentiments of not having a clear vision, here are some techniques to incorporate:

• Vision Board Sessions: Organize "Vision Board" sessions where team members collectively create visual representations of their goals and aspirations. This helps align the team’s long-term vision with actionable steps.
• Guided Visualization Exercises: Implement guided visualization exercises during meetings to help the team envision successful outcomes and align their strategies with their goals.

7. Crown Chakra (Sahasrara): Purpose and Connection to a Higher Goal

• Signs of Underactivity: The team may lack a sense of purpose or connection to the organization’s larger mission, resulting in disengagement and a lack of motivation.
• Signs of Overactivity: There may be an excessive focus on idealism or abstract goals without grounding them in day-to-day work, leading to a loss of practical focus.
• Assessment Questions: Ask your team if they feel connected to a larger purpose or mission. Is there a balance between the team’s purpose and their daily tasks?

If the answer leads to sentiments of lacking purpose, here are some techniques to incorporate:

• Purpose Workshops: Facilitate workshops where the team reflects on the organization’s mission and how their work contributes to it. Encourage personal reflections on how their roles align with this purpose.
• Mindfulness Retreats: Organize mindfulness retreats or dedicated time for deep reflection, where the team can connect with their inner sense of purpose and how it relates to their work.

The Chakra Team Development Model provides a transformative framework for understanding and harmonizing the energy dynamics within your team. By identifying energy imbalances and implementing targeted, creative practices, leaders can cultivate an environment where their teams not only perform at their best but also thrive on a deeper, more holistic level.

So, what’s the next step?

Begin by exploring the Chakra Team Development Model within your team. Assess the energy flow, identify areas of imbalance, and experiment with the tools and practices discussed here. To truly embed this model into your leadership approach, consider offering workshops or creating resources that guide your team through this journey. By doing so, you’ll foster a more balanced, energized, and ultimately more successful team.

Dr. Zohra (Zo/Z) Damani is a seasoned Talent Development Leader with over 15 years of experience. She is a Certified Coach and is currently undergoing Shamanic Practitioner Training in Scotland. In addition to her coaching credentials, she is a trained Yoga Teacher and an acclaimed author. Zohra brings a unique blend of expertise and a holistic approach to talent transformation and organizational development, integrating mindfulness, spiritual practices, and personal growth into her professional practice. Her diverse skill set allows her to address the needs of individuals and organizations from multiple dimensions, fostering growth and transformation on both personal and professional levels.