The Seven Main Chakras: Spectrum of a Rainbow
“Nam Myoho Renge Kyo.” You might know or remember this Buddhist Mantra from “What’s Love Got to Do with It,” the biopic, based on the life of Tina Turner. I’m not sure why this topic made me think of this Budhhist mantra / om (and by default, this movie), but here we are…Chants, oms, prayers or simply setting an intention are great ways to start a meditation; and, meditation - along with other activities, including writing, walking, working out, prayer, practicing yoga, spending time in nature, spiritual cleansing baths, dance, playing music, and many other practices and rituals all help to align and promote our chakras. So what are the seven main chakras? Where exactly are they located? And, what can we do to align, open, promote and support them?
The chakras are considered to be a channel for energy; life force, or qi or pranna as it’s sometimes called. There are many chakras throughout the body, and even animals contain chakras and chakra systems (much like the cannabinoid system in the body, which is responsible for our receptivity and response to cannabis or cannabinoid-extract products). Humans have seven main chakras that can be visualized as circles or dots in a single straight line, that stretch from your seat or bottom all the way up to the top of your head, otherwise known as the crown. I like to view or envision these seven main chakras as a beautiful spectrum of colors, reflecting a rainbow: red, orange, yellow, green, blue, violet and purple.
Base/Root
The base or root chakra is the chakra closest to the ground when seated in a traditional lotus-flower position (though you can also meditate or visualize while sitting in a chair, standing, walking or lying down). The root chakra is represented by the color red, so it can be promoted and supported by eating red-colored foods, such as some berries and apples, working with red-colored stones, like red jasper or a ruby, or a grounding stone like hematite, onyx or tourmaline. You can also try wearing the color red though your clothes, hair, make-up or nails. Our root chakra is responsible for our grounding. I imagine it as our tether to the physical Earth plane while we are in this human body, having both a human and spiritual experience. Walking or spending time outdoors in nature, sitting in the grass, or by a tree or body of water, are all activities that help to open and promote this chakra. This chakra also governs our ability to trust - both ourselves and others. I have a stole that was gifted to me by my mom, and I’m going to include the affirmations from it for each corresponding chakra. For the root chakra, affirm: “I am connected with the energy of Mother Earth. My body, mind and spirit are grounded, centered and purified.”
Sacral
Moving on up, the next chakra, located at or around our belly button is the sacral chakra. Represented by the color orange, this chakra is responsible for how we relate both to others and to our environment, and is often especially linked to our sexuality. Similarly, it can be promoted or supported by eating orange foods (carrots, mangoes, oranges, peaches), wearing or working with the color orange, or stones like carnelian or sun stone. I liken this chakra, and the solar plexus chakra, the next chakra up on the list, to our seat and sources of passion, pleasure, imagination and creativity. For the sacral chakra, affirm: “I love all dimensions of Myself. I delight in weaving the creative tapestry that is my life.”
Solar Plexus
The Solar Plexus reminds me of the Sun. Not just because it’s reflected by the color yellow, but also because, like the Sun, the Solar Plexus reminds me of an energy-emitting, life-giving energy and force. Imagine your creativity and ability to manifest whatever you desire to dream and envision into being, as a burst of shining yellow light, emanating from this chakra. Citrine or yellow tiger’s eyes are both great stones to open and enhance this chakra and to get your creative, intuitive juices flowing. And, again, wearing the color yellow or consuming yellow foods - like bananas - helps too. Affirm: “My Will and Divine Will are One. I am connected to the abundant flow of the Universe and easily manifest my dreams.”
Heart
Ah, the heart chakra. I view this as the inflection point along the path of the seven main chakras. It’s the connector - the chakra that connects our higher chakra centers (coming up below) and our lower chakra centers (covered in the paragraphs above). The color green represents the heart chakra, and this is fitting as it’s also a color associated with health. While all chakras are important, it’s particularly important to have an open and aligned heart chakra as doing so means not only being in touch with oneself and our innermost desires, feelings, thoughts and wishes, but also for our connectedness with others, as this center also governs forgiveness, love and healing. Green stones like emerald or jade are also great for heart chakra energy. Affirm: “My heart is open to receive the energy of Love. I Radiate this essence. I walk my path with Ease and Grace.”
Throat
The throat chakra rules communication and is represented by the color blue. Communication is both an internal and external process. How we speak to ourselves, and also how we communicate our boundaries and intentions to others. A powerful throat-chakra clearing exercise is to free-write journal, not caring or worrying about grammatical or spelling errors or mistakes. This chakra often makes me think of the first agreement from the Four Agreements by Don Miguel Ruiz, to always “be impeccable with your word.” Use blue stones such as lapis lazuli, sodalite or turquoise when working with the throat chakra. Affirm: “I am aligned with my highest truth and communicate this with love and honour. My words echo softly within the Universe.”
Third Eye
The third eye chakra is in the middle of your forehead. It’s your (physically) unseeing eye so to speak. It's the place from which you can view or imagine spiritual messages, signs or synchronicities as well as one of the points most deeply connected to your intuition and inner awareness. I’m on the fence as to whether this chakra is moreso reflected by a deep shade of purple or a more blue hue, so please go with whichever color speaks to you. Amethyst is a great stone to use for the third eye chakra. Affirm: “My mind is open to new vision. I expand my awareness through my higher self.”
Crown
Finally, the crown chakra, the name of which I love because it always reminds me to hold my head up high! Sitting literally atop of the head, the crown is the top most chakra, and therefore the closest to the 5D or spiritual realm. It is the first and primary chakra through which we receive spiritual downloads and messages, similarly the third eye. It is considered the connection to our spiritual source, and to the spiritual realm. Clear crystals such as clear quartz or selenite are great for connecting to the crown chakra. Affirm: “I am connected to the Divine Source of the Universe. I am Light. I trust.”
I’d been ideating around this blog post for a little while now, and I found it especially pertinent and important to share it at this time given the elevated levels of anxious, stressful or worrisome energies. Remember that the only thing that we can control, is ourselves, and if we focus on improving and maintaining ourselves - chakras and all - then, we really can’t go wrong. That said, there are signs of imbalance across all seven chakras, many of which may present as health problems or physical ailments. Take this chakra test to see which chakras you may want to focus and work on. Remember the colors, crystals and affirmations listed and recommended above, and if you’d like more specialized guidance, book a spiritual consulting session.