Chakra Colors, Meanings, & Practices

⠀Which direction are you focused on - liberation or manifestation?

The Chakras are one of the many lenses from which we view the energetics of the world. Everything from yoga asana, meditation, colors, and how we interact - has a charge behind it. The subtle body, or energetics, are part of our experience of living just like our physical bodies. The Chakra colors are another tool to help you better feel the chakras and their individual vibration. To strengthen your connection to a particular chakra - include the color in your clothing and environment!

Here is a quick rundown of the Chakra system with a practice for each.

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1. Root Chakra: Muladhara - RED

Located at the base of the spine - this red chakra promotes a feeling of heat and a connectedness to the earth. This color and chakra is very primal and holds vibrations of survival and basic drives and like hunger and safety.

We want to experience feelings of love, manifestation, and expression but we have to start by taking care of our basic survival needs first! When looking at equity in our society we can’t simply look at results we want but rather what legs are those results standing on. A kid with basic needs met of shelter, food, and nurturing will have an easier time thriving than a kid who is missing one of these essential needs. 

Practice: Make a gratitude list of basic needs. Recognize the massive support you have here or where it’s lacking. Food, physical health, jobs, home life. These all factor in. 

2. Sacral Chakra: Svadhishthana - ORANGE

Located at the pelvis - this orange chakra promotes an energy and creativity. Those feelings of warmth and security radiates upwards allowing the freedom to explore creativity and sexuality. It's deeply related to pregnancy too! Once we have stable roots to stand on we get to have a sense of discovery and passion. For so many of us - creativity is a major part of our lives. When we feel stuck creatively take a look at your root chakra - are there some major foundations that can be worked on so you feel safe and supported enough to be creative?

Practice: Turn some music on and just DANCE. No rules  - just move for one entire song and move those hips!

3. Solar Plexus Chakra: Manipura - YELLOW

Right in the center of the body is this sense of heat and “illustrious gem” for us to act from. A stable foundation (root) leads to creative exploration (sacral) and our solar plexus chakra has the “guts” to take it into action. A sense of will, drive, strength, desire, and optimism. Yellows like the golden sun are bright social colors that wake us up and get us moving in the mornings.

Practice: Create a list of things you can 100% get done today. Not a list full of tasks you’ve been meaning to do but rather - drink water, brush your teeth, get some work done. Give yourself a day of feeling how much you achieve all of the time by marking off those daily tasks like dishes. 

4. Heart Chakra: Anahata - GREEN

“Come back to heart center.“ A cue and some good advice whether it’s in class, in love, in exploration… This part of the chakra system is where your divine self and your human self meet right at the heart. We start to examine our energy in a more subtle, less physical way as we move up the chakras. Green represents health and growth. Budding into a new season of experiences and a way to view the world through a more esoteric lens.

Practice: Hands to heart center - We do this often ending class. The hands at the heart and the right and the left represent the divine self and human self-finding union. 

5. Throat Chakra: Vishuddha - BLUE

Expression is powerful. To be able to speak your truth, to have an honest and open line of communication within yourself and with how you express yourself to the world. Blue is a color of duty, trust, logic, and intelligence.

Practice: Fill in the blank & comment AND SAY IT OUT LOUD

I need ___________________________. ⠀

I feel ________________________.⠀

How does it make you feel to SAY that? Find a time to practice this - the car or shower are usually a wonderful space. ⠀

6. Third Eye: Ajna - INDIGO

The seat of intuition. This is the command center - seated between your eye brows is something beyond wisdom. As we’ve moved up the chakras from physical safety, bridged the gap between divine self and human self, we find ourself willing, or trying, to trust the answers we already have. Indigo has a feeling of peace, wisdom, and patience to it and a significant sense of spirituality. This deep color even has a bit of magic to it. Intuition is our greatest magical power if we have the support to listen to it's vibration.

Practice: Close your eyes and look up at your third eye. Take ten slow breaths. Gently encourage your mind’s eye back to the space between your brows when your thoughts wander. Imagine the color indigo flowing from this spot.

7. Crown Chakra: Sahasrara - VIOLET

Above or on top of the head - our spirituality and connection to that which is outside of ourself. Universal consciousness and understanding and a sense of connection to a higher guidance or other vibrations. Generally associated with the colors of white and violet. These light white and violet colors have a distance from the physical world and spend more time up in the air. Where root chakra connects you to the earth - crown chakra connects you to the universe.

Practice: Acts of service or love - stepping outside of yourself in order to help another. 

Looking at these Chakras - where to you have room for expansion? Which energetics feel familiar? Start to examine the work people choose or the way they hold themselves and spend their time. Can you identify which chakras vibrate strongest within them?

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