Your ultimate 7 Chakra guide

Chakras! Whether you’re a yogi or someone who hasn’t practiced a single time, you’ve probably heard about them.

So what are they? In yoga philosophy, chakras are 7 energy points in our subtle body or centers, forming a spiral of energy flow through our body.

Each chakra represents a different aspect of our body, mind, and soul. Any imbalances in chakras (also called blocks) can create an imbalance in those areas and the entire wellbeing of a person.

When all chakras are in balance, they create a healthy flow of energy through our bodies.

Through our yoga asana practice, meditation, connection to natural elements, and healthy nutrition, we can achieve that healthy energy flow and overall wellbeing.

This 7 chakra guide is designed to help you understand each chakra, what it represents, and what and we do to reach the chakra balance (and the health of each chakra separately).

The guide includes the meaning, representation, location, element, color, mantra, crystals, aromas, foods, yoga poses, and affirmations as well as symptoms of imbalance for each chakra.

Muladhara (Root Chakra)

Meaning: Mula — “root”, Adhara — “support” or “base.”

Location: base of the spine

Element: earth

Colour: red

Sound (mantra): Lam

Crystals: red jasper, garnet, bloodstone, smokey quartz, poppy jasper, jet.

Aromas: cloves, cedar, rose, sandalwood.

Foods: red apples, strawberries, eggs, beans, nuts, root vegetables (potato, sweet potato, beetroot)

Poses: Vrkhasana (Tree pose), sukhasana (simple pose), malasana (deep squat), tadasana (mountain pose), Virabadhrasana II (warrior II), balasana (child’s pose), savasana (corpse pose)

Affirmations: I am safe. I am secure. I am here.

The Root chakra represents and is associated with safety, security, stability, and grounding. It includes our basic needs and desires (food, shelter, security). These lay the foundations for our lives, represent our core beliefs, values, family relationships, “feeling at home”. The fight or flight response comes from this chakra.

Imbalanced chakra creates feelings of being lost, anxious, stressed.

Svadhisthana (Sacral Chakra)

Meaning: Swa — “one’s own”, adhisthana — “abode” or “seat.”

Location: pelvic area

Element: water

Colour: orange

Sound (mantra): Yam

Crystals: amber, orange moonstone, citrine, hematite, carnelian

Aromas: rose, jasmine, sandalwood, ylang-ylang, clary sage

Foods: oranges, carrots, mangoes, pumpkins, sweet potatoes, various seeds and nuts, fish

Poses: Virasana (hero pose), Deviasana (Goddes pose), Anjaneyasana (low lunge), Mandukasana (Frog pose), Paschimottanasana (seated forward bend).

Affirmations: I feel. I love. I am passionate. I am creative.

The sacral chakra is a center of feeling, emotion, intimacy, pleasure, connection. It is associated with or creativity as well as sexuality and fertility. It corresponds to the reproductive and sexual organs and represents fluidity, creativity, and fertility. A healthy second chakra represents a healthy, creative, passionate life.

Blocked chakra creates feelings of low self-confidence, inability to cope with changes, feeling emotionless, cold, rigid.

Manipura (Solar Plexus Chakra)

Meaning: “resplendent gem” or “lustrous gem.”

Location: between the navel and the rib cage, solar plexus

Element: fire

Colour: yellow

Sound (mantra): Ram

Crystals: Tiger’s eye, amber, citrine, yellow jasper, Lemon Quartz, Malachite

Aromas: chamomile, myrrh, rose, frankincense, sandalwood

Foods: ginger, chamomile, turmeric, cumin, bananas, flax seeds, lemons, legumes, whole grains

Poses: Dhanurasana (Bow Pose), Virabadhrasana III (Warrior III), plank pose, Parsvottanasana (side stretch), Kappalabhati pranayama, Navasana (Boat Pose)

Affirmations: I can. I am confident. I am worthy of it.

Manipura chakra represents our power, strength, self-esteem. Self-worth and acceptance stem from this chakra. If the chakra is balanced, we feel confident about our decisions in life; we take action and are productive.

A blocked chakra creates low self-esteem, self-doubt, fear, low energy, and passive behavior. It cal also creates issues and pain with digestion.

Anahata (Heart Chakra)

Meaning: “unhurt.”

Location: center of the chest, heart area

Element: air

Colour: green

Sound (mantra): Yam

Crystals: jade, rose, emerald, rose quartz, amazonite

Aromas: rose, lavender, neroli, marjoram, basil

Foods: green vegetables (spinach, green beans, zucchini), green fruit (avocado, limes, kiwi, apples), herbs (basil, parsley, mint, coriander), green teach, spirulina, chlorella

Poses: Bhujangasana (cobra pose), Ustrasana (camel pose), Camatkarasana (wild thing), Setu Bandha Sarvangasana (bridge pose), Matsyasana (fish pose)

Affirmations: I have infinite love. I love.

This chakra represents and is a channel for love, compassion, understanding, empathy. It helps us connect with the world, others, and ourselves, it helps exercise kindness and compassion. It helps overcome sadness or anger and is the energy center for love, happiness, and joy.

Blocked chakra manifests with loneliness, shyness, fear, inability to connect with others, and actual heartache.

Vishuddha (Throat Chakra)

Meaning: “pure” or “purification”

Location: throat area

Element: ether

Colour: blue

Sound (mantra): Ham

Crystals: aquamarine, azurite, turquoise, sodalite

Aromas: frankincense, jasmine, sandalwood, rose, ylang-ylang

Foods: soups, sauces, fresh juices, smoothies, blueberries, blackberries, peaches, plums, coconut water.

Poses: Singhasana (Lion Pose), Halasana (Plow Pose), Matsyasana (fish pose), seated cat-cow, mantra chanting

Affirmations: I live my truth. I am heard. I am positive.

This chakra represents the ability to communicate freely, speak the truth, express emotions, respect own, and other opinions. It helps live honestly, reach goals, and live in harmony with others.

Blocked chakra manifests in holding back on expressing needs and desires, not finding your voice or truth.

Ajna (Third-Eye Chakra)

Meaning: “perceive” or “authority.”

Location: between the eyebrows

Element: light

Colour: indigo

Sound (mantra): OM

Crystals: clear quartz, amethyst, purple fluorite, moldavite

Aromas: myrrh, sandalwood, Palo Santo, grapefruit

Foods: fish, nuts, blueberries, flax seeds, purple cabbage, cacao and dark chocolate, grapes, eggplants

Poses: Sukhanasan (Easy pose), flows, meditation, chants

Affirmations: I am that. I see clearly. I trust myself.

The third eye chakra represents intuition, spiritual awareness, ability to see clearly, and through illusions. It governs all of the other chakras. It allows us to tap into our deeper wisdom, subconscious, and spiritual insight and understand its meaning.

Blocked chakra represents itself in migraines, poor sleep or insomnia, difficulty in making decisions.

Sahasrara (Crown Chakra)

Meaning: “thousand-petalled.”

Location: the crown of the head

Element: Cosmic Energy

Colour: white

Sound (mantra): OM

Crystals: blue sapphire, amethyst, clear quartz, diamond

Aromas: rose, jasmine, frankincense, lavender, sandalwood,

Affirmations: I trust my intuition. I am connected.

This chakra is located outside the body and represents the non-physical, spiritual realm. It allows us to experience oneness with the world and complete freedom. We start living with faith, trust, and abandon fear and anxiety.

Blocked chakra manifests with feelings of isolation, lack of direction, disconnectedness.

This article was first published on “Summersalt Yoga” blog.