What Are Chakras?
You’ve probably heard people talking about chakras, but if your first thought was “Okay... but what actually are they?”, you’re definitely not alone.
Chakras are traditionally understood as energy centres within the body. There are seven main chakras, starting at the base of your spine and travelling all the way up to the top of your head. Each one is connected with different parts of ourselves, from feeling safe and grounded, to confidence, love, communication, intuition and our spiritual connection.
The word chakra comes from Sanskrit and means “wheel”, which I actually think is a lovely way to picture them. The idea is that our energy moves through these different centres, and sometimes we can feel more connected and balanced in one area than another.
There are lots of ways people choose to work with their chakras too. Meditation, breathwork, yoga, visualisation, affirmations, sound and crystals can all be used as part of chakra practice.
You absolutely do not need to know everything about chakras before you start exploring them. I certainly didn’t! This isn't about getting it perfect or memorising seven Sanskrit names by teatime.
It's simply another way of slowing down, checking in with yourself and becoming a little more curious about what you might need.
So, let’s meet the seven chakras.
Meet the Seven Chakras
Each of the seven chakras represents a different part of our energetic and emotional world. They begin at the base of the spine with the Root Chakra and move upwards through the body, eventually reaching the Crown Chakra at the top of the head.
Although they each have their own colour, element and meaning, they’re not really seven separate little systems doing their own thing. They’re traditionally viewed as connected, with energy flowing through the whole system.
We’re going to take them one at a time, starting right at the bottom.
The Root Chakra
Muladhara
☾ Location: Base of the spine
☼ Colour: Red
☾ Element: Earth
☼ Connected with: Safety, security and feeling grounded
The Root Chakra is the first of the seven chakras and is all about our foundations. It’s connected to how safe, secure and grounded we feel, both within ourselves and in the world around us.
For me, being grounded doesn’t mean having everything figured out or having a perfectly calm life. Let’s face it, life rarely works like that. It’s more about having that feeling of solid ground underneath you, even when everything around you feels a little wobbly.
Because the Root Chakra is connected to the earth element, practices that bring us back into our bodies and the present moment can be a lovely way to connect with it. This might be spending time outside, walking barefoot on the earth, slowing down your breathing or simply taking a moment to notice what’s around you.
You can also try closing your eyes and imagining roots growing from the soles of your feet deep into the earth beneath you. As you breathe, picture yourself becoming steadier, calmer and more supported.
Root Chakra Affirmation
“I am safe, supported and grounded.
I trust the ground beneath me.”
You don’t need to force yourself to feel grounded. Sometimes simply stopping for a moment and reminding yourself “I am here” is enough to begin. ☾
The Sacral Chakra
Svadhisthana
☾ Location: Lower abdomen
☼ Colour: Orange
☾ Element: Water
☼ Connected with: Creativity, pleasure, joy and emotional expression
The Sacral Chakra is connected to the parts of us that feel, create and enjoy. It’s about allowing ourselves to experience pleasure, follow our creativity and actually enjoy being alive rather than constantly being focused on what needs doing next.
And pleasure doesn’t have to mean anything huge. It can be music that makes you want to move, creating something simply because you enjoy it, laughing until your stomach hurts, eating something you love, dancing around the kitchen or doing something purely because it makes you happy.
Because the Sacral Chakra is connected with the element of water, I like the idea of thinking about our emotions in the same way. They’re supposed to move. We don't have to cling onto every feeling or push uncomfortable ones away. Sometimes we can simply notice what we're feeling and allow it to pass through.
To connect with your Sacral Chakra, sit somewhere comfortable and place your hands gently over your lower abdomen. Take a few slow breaths and imagine a warm orange light beginning to glow beneath your hands. With each breath, picture that light becoming warmer and brighter, creating space for creativity, emotion and joy.
Sacral Chakra Affirmation
“I give myself permission to feel, create and enjoy my life.
I welcome joy.”
You don't have to earn joy by finishing everything else first. You're allowed to experience it simply because you're here. ☼
The Solar Plexus Chakra
Manipura
☾ Location: Upper abdomen
☼ Colour: Yellow
☾ Element: Fire
☼ Connected with: Confidence, strength, self-worth and personal power
The Solar Plexus Chakra is connected to our sense of self. It’s that inner part of us that says, “I know who I am, I trust myself and I’m capable of doing this.”
And confidence doesn’t always mean walking into every room feeling completely fearless. Sometimes confidence is being nervous and doing the thing anyway. It’s making your own choices, trusting yourself a little more and learning that your worth doesn’t depend on somebody else recognising it.
With its connection to the element of fire, I think of the Solar Plexus as that little flame inside us. It can become quieter when we doubt ourselves or constantly look outside ourselves for reassurance, but that doesn't mean it's disappeared.
To connect with your Solar Plexus Chakra, sit comfortably and take a few slow breaths. Bring your attention to your upper abdomen and imagine a warm golden-yellow light beginning to glow there. As you breathe in, picture that light becoming brighter and stronger. As you breathe out, imagine letting go of some of the doubt that's been taking up space.
Solar Plexus Chakra Affirmation
“I trust myself and believe in what I am capable of.
I am worthy exactly as I am.”
You don't need to become somebody else before you're allowed to believe in yourself. The fire is already yours. ☼
The Heart Chakra
Anahata
☾ Location: Centre of the chest
☼ Colour: Green
☾ Element: Air
☼ Connected with: Love, compassion, connection and emotional healing
The Heart Chakra sits at the centre of the chakra system and is connected with how we give and receive love, not just romantically, but in our relationships with other people and with ourselves.
For me, compassion is a huge part of this one. It’s being able to recognise that people are human, including ourselves. We can make mistakes, have difficult days, carry things nobody else can see and still deserve kindness.
And loving other people doesn't mean endlessly giving pieces of yourself away. There needs to be room for you in that love too. Self-love, boundaries, forgiveness and allowing yourself to receive care can be just as important as what you give to everybody else.
To connect with your Heart Chakra, find somewhere comfortable and place your hands gently over the centre of your chest. Take a few slow breaths and imagine a soft emerald-green light beginning beneath your hands. With each breath, picture it expanding around your chest, creating space for love, compassion and peace.
You don't need to force forgiveness, happiness or any particular emotion. Simply notice what comes up and give yourself permission to be there with it.
Heart Chakra Affirmation
“I am worthy of the love I give so freely to others.
My heart is open to giving and receiving love.”
Love isn't only something you pour outward. You're allowed to keep some of it for yourself. ☾
The Throat Chakra
Vishuddha
☾ Location: Throat
☼ Colour: Blue
☾ Element: Sound
☼ Connected with: Communication, self-expression and authenticity
The Throat Chakra is connected to our voice and how we express ourselves. That doesn't just mean being good at talking. It's about feeling able to say what we think, communicate what we need and express who we are without constantly worrying about how it will be received.
Sometimes we can make ourselves smaller without even realising we're doing it. We stay quiet to keep the peace, say yes when we really want to say no, or change how we express ourselves depending on who we're around.
Finding your voice doesn't mean becoming the loudest person in the room. You can be quiet and still have a strong voice. It's more about getting comfortable with being honest about what you think, feel and need.
To connect with your Throat Chakra, find somewhere comfortable and take a few slow breaths. Bring your attention to your throat and imagine a clear blue light beginning to glow there. As you breathe out, picture that light becoming brighter and creating more space for your voice.
Sound can be lovely here too. You could hum, sing, use a singing bowl, repeat an affirmation aloud or simply put on music that makes you feel completely yourself.
Throat Chakra Affirmation
“My voice matters.
I express myself honestly and confidently.”
You don't need everybody to agree with what you have to say for your voice to still deserve to be heard. ☾
The Crown Chakra
Sahasrara
☾ Location: Top of the head
☼ Colour: Violet
☾ Element: Thought
☼ Connected with: Spiritual connection, enlightenment, higher consciousness and inner peace
The Crown Chakra sits at the very top of the chakra system and is connected with our spiritual side and our sense of connection to something beyond ourselves.
And that doesn't have to look the same for everybody. For some people that connection might be with the universe, spirit, nature, a deity or their own spiritual practice. For somebody else, it might simply be those moments when they feel completely connected to themselves and the world around them.
It's less about having all the answers and more about being open to exploring the bigger questions. Who am I? What matters to me? What do I believe? What makes me feel connected to something greater than the everyday noise?
To connect with your Crown Chakra, find somewhere peaceful and sit comfortably. Close your eyes, slow your breathing and imagine a soft violet-white light glowing at the top of your head. With each breath, picture that light gently expanding around you.
Meditation, quiet reflection and simply allowing yourself some stillness can all be beautiful ways of exploring this chakra. There doesn't need to be a huge spiritual revelation every time. Sometimes the connection itself is enough.
Crown Chakra Affirmation
“I am open to the wisdom and guidance around me.
I trust my connection to something greater than myself.”
You don't need to understand every part of the journey to trust that you're still becoming, learning and finding your way. ☾
How can I work with my chakras?
You don't need an elaborate spiritual routine or hours of spare time to begin exploring your chakras. Sometimes it's simply about slowing down enough to notice what feels a little out of balance and giving that part of yourself some attention.
There are lots of different ways you can do this, including meditation, breathwork, yoga, visualisation, affirmations, sound, crystals or spending time grounding yourself in nature.
You might naturally connect with some practices more than others. That's completely fine. This is about finding what feels right for you, not ticking off a spiritual checklist.
A simple chakra visualisation
This would be lovely because it uses what you've literally just learned.
Find somewhere comfortable and take a few slow breaths.
Starting at the base of your spine, picture a soft red light. Slowly work your way upwards through orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo and finally violet at the top of your head.
There's no need to force yourself to see anything perfectly. Simply bring your attention to each area, breathe and imagine the colour becoming a little brighter before moving onto the next.
Other ways to explore chakra balancing
This could be a gorgeous visual section rather than loads of paragraphs. Something like:
☾ Meditation & visualisation
☼ Breathwork
☾ Yoga & movement
☼ Sound and singing bowls
☾ Affirmations
☼ Crystals
☾ Grounding and nature
Your energy doesn't have to be perfect
Working with your chakras isn't about trying to keep yourself perfectly balanced every second of every day. We're human. Life happens, emotions change and sometimes things feel a little wonky.
For me, it's much more about learning to notice yourself.
What do I need today? Where am I holding tension? Have I been ignoring my own voice? Do I need grounding, confidence, connection, creativity or simply five minutes to breathe?
You don't have to understand everything straight away. Stay curious, explore what resonates with you and leave behind what doesn't.
Your wellbeing doesn't need to look like anybody else's. It just needs to work for you. ☾