What do the chakra colours mean?
Regardless of whether you fancy yourself a total spiritual phenomenon or you don’t feel like you have a single hippie leaning cell in your body, you’ve likely at least heard about chakras. But, are you clear on the ins and outs of chakra colors and meanings? Just in case, here’s a little recap:
Chakras are imaginary energy points in the body that link our energetic and physical bodies with universal life-force energy.
“Each chakra vibrates or spins at a particular frequency that impacts specific biological processes and organ systems in our body,” she says. “The circulation of energy in each of our chakras then influences our physical as well as our mental well-being by way of stimulation or inhibition.”
In other words, if one of your seven chakras is out of whack or blocked, you may feel effects of that in other areas of your life, as well.
“The circulation of energy in each of our chakras then influences our physical as well as our mental well-being by way of stimulation or inhibition.” —reiki master Serena Poon
There are seven total chakras that run from the base of the spine to the crown of the head, and each has a specific meaning and is associated with a specific color. The colors, you’ll notice, follow the same pattern as a rainbow. Below, is a break down of the different chakra colours and meanings, so you can understand and enjoy the whole energetic rainbow.
1. Root chakra - Red/Brown/Black
Location: Base of your spine near your tailbone
Meaning: “This chakra represents your security and your power base,” Poon says. “It determines your ability to feel calm, safe, grounded, and secure. It’s also where you’re able to pull in energy and money and manifest your desires.”
We already naturally associate the colour red to ideas of safety, security, grounding and rescue, as you can see from real-life examples all around us. Take, for instance, a stop sign or red light; life guards and first aid emergency workers using red clothing or symbols. This colour is used to trigger our natural instincts into place and to help bring our attention toward safety. They tell us to slow down, to stop, be present, and help us to remain safe.
So whenever you need an extra dose of some grounding in your life, try focusing your attention on the root chakra and visualizing red light in that area as you take a few deep breaths and say the affirmation “I am safe.”
2. Sacral chakra - Orange
Location: Two inches below your belly button
Meaning: This chakra governs your emotions, your creativity, sensitivity, sexuality, intimacy, emotional well-being, and self-expression. Often, the sacral chakra needs to be cleared of stuck energy from traumas and pent-up emotions to heighten your creativity and ability to express your true self.
Given that it exudes a feeling of warmth and excitement, it makes perfect sense that the sacral chakra is connected to the color orange. Similar to the root chakra, if you want to call in more of the sacral chakra energy, try envisioning orange light in that area of your body while meditating on the affirmation “I am creative.” or "I am sexual."
3. Solar plexus chakra - Yellow
Location: Between naval and sternum
Meaning: The solar plexus chakra is all about personal power, self-esteem, and confidence. The color yellow represents the ability to tap into the light of a thousand suns that exists within you. Focusing on the color yellow in the upper part of your abdomen and repeating affirmations can help you to feel strong, confident, motivated, and powerful.
You can also eat yellow-colored foods to help you tap into the energy of this chakra.
4. Heart chakra - Green/Pink
Location: Center of chest
Meaning: Maybe the obvious colour of romance and desire is normally red but the true colours of unconditional love and compassion are pink and green.
“This chakra represents the ability to give and receive love, compassion, expansion, empathy, service to others, kindness, health, and healing. We experience loss, regret, pain, low self-love, and low self-worth when this chakra is imbalanced."
So how do you strengthen your heart chakra and really open yourself up to love? Try focusing on your heart area and imagining a green or pink light around it. Or, try drinking a heart chakra coloured smoothie, which may also do the trick!
5. Throat chakra - Light blue/ Turquoise
Location: Base of the throat to the center of the eyes
Meaning: This chakra is all about self-expression and clear communication. People often hold back from speaking their truth for fear that they may face judgment or rejection. It doesn’t just have to be your verbal communication, writing is also governed by the throat chakra as well.
If your throat chakra is feeling a little stagnant, or maybe you just want a little confidence boost to ask someone out on a date or send that email to your boss about a raise, grab a few throat chakra stones like blue-lace agate or aquamarine, and place them over your throat while you meditate or wear some throat chakra jewellery or blue coloured clothes.
6. Third-eye chakra - Dark/royal blue and indigo
Location: Center of forehead between eyebrows
Meaning: The third eye is all about connecting to your intuition, inner vision, and higher consciousness. Having a clear and open third-eye chakra can help you to see the world in a whole new way. Some things you can do to unleash your inner psychic powers include wearing the color of the chakra, practicing Kundalini yoga, using sound healing, or by using some frankincense essential oil in an infuser or putting drops on porous bead jewellery. (Lava /clay beads)
Like food? then you can also nibble on a few blueberries and visualise a strong blue light surrounding your forehead area whilst doing your body good as well, (not sure if a blueberry muffin would also do the trick but worth a try!)
7. Crown chakra - Purple/violet
Location: Two inches above the top of the head
Meaning: “Purple is a very mystical and magical color that represents wisdom,” Unlike the other chakras, the crown chakra isn’t actually on your body. It’s located just above your head and “radiates infinitely upward and outward, connecting you to your soul, higher self, purpose, the universe, source and the divine,”.
It’s all about purity, enlightenment, and higher states of consciousness.