An Introduction to the Chakras
Even if you are unable to remember the specific properties of each crystal, having an idea of the Chakra System and colours associated with it will give you an idea of the qualities a crystal might have, according to its colour.
Recognition of Chakras originated in Hindu and yogic teachings, and has been part of ayurvedic (Indian) medicine for thousands of years. Relatively recently the concept of Chakras was introduced to the West, mainly through the practice of yoga. At the present time Chakras are used in almost every form of healing and meditation available, with the possible exception of Chinese medicine, and even then there is sometimes a crossover.
Chakras are the energy centres of our life force (sometimes referred to as Spiritual Energy, Prana or Ch’i). The word Chakra comes from the ancient Sanskrit for ‘wheel’, and Chakras are usually perceived as spinning wheels or funnels.
There are 7 main Chakras, linked to nerve centres along the spinal chord, and pathways of the immune system (this link was a discovery of Western scientists), and 107 secondary Chakras throughout the rest of the body. In healing we usually focus on the 7 major Chakras, but in this course we will be exploring a few of the secondary ones as well as some related points.
In ancient ayurvedic practice, the intention was to raise kundalini energy from the Root Chakra through to the Crown, or from an earthly level to a heavenly level, in order to achieve spiritual enlightenment, and this practice still continues. For healing purposes, we attempt to perceive blockages within and imbalances between the Chakras. By correcting these imbalances or blockages, we can go a long way towards healing the physical and emotional body.
The major Chakras are located more or less in the centre of the body, following the spinal chord, and with the exception of the Crown and Root Chakras, form a cone- or funnel-shaped spiral at both front and back of the body. The Crown Chakra forms a single funnel pointing upward from the head, and the Root Chakra forms a single funnel pointing downward from the crotch area. Each Chakra spins in a specific direction, and sometimes blockages can be corrected simply by correcting the direction of spin.
Each Chakra is associated with a colour, linked with a specific area of the body, and governs specific organs and endocrine glands as well as emotions. In the ayurvedic system, they are also perceived as lotus blossoms with specific numbers of petals, and you may find it helpful to visualise a lotus or other flower when working with Chakras. The lotus symbolises the spirit’s rising up from the mud of ignorance, through the water of aspiration, and emerging into the air of endeavour.
There are a number of different systems, but most follow a similar colour range, based on the rainbow, starting with red for the Root Chakra. There are variations in colour from the Heart upwards, which are included in the following charts, and some systems are completely at odds with usual accepted practice, but valid in their own right. Some practitioners also speculate that Chakra colours are changing at the moment. For the sake of simplicity, we will follow one system in this course, which is marked in bold on the following chart, but this does not mean other systems are wrong – they are just different – and it is worth noting the variety. You may find as you work that one of the alternative colours feels more comfortable to you. At the end of the day, whatever you see is your own truth.
Opening and Closing
You will hear a lot of reference to opened and closed Chakras. Chakras are open all the time, but there is a difference between a little open, and wide open. When you do some types of spiritual practices, you will need to have certain Chakras wide open, especially the Crown and Third Eye. However, it’s not appropriate to remain in this state, as this will leave you vulnerable, not to mention light-headed and accident-prone. It is important to close these Chakras when you complete your work. It may help to refer to the flower visualisation.
When you are working with healing, you will find the Heart Chakra opens a great deal. Many great spiritual leaders have a huge, open Heart energy, and, generally speaking, there is no need to keep this closed.
Simple Chakra Balance
This is easiest if your client is seated, but can also be performed standing. Be sure to start by centring yourself, then channel healing energy by visualising a ray of light from a star entering the Crown and filling your body, expanding the Heart energy, and flowing down your arms into your hands.
Start with the Root Chakra, working from the right side of your client’s body, with your right hand in front of them, and your left hand behind them, at the level of the Chakra. Visualise a red glowing sphere in this energy centre, and watch it become brighter as you hold your hands in place. When it has brightened, move on to the next Chakra, the Sacral Chakra, and repeat the visualisation, this time using orange. You may also find it helps to visualise a flower of that colour opening up to the sun. Carry on until you have completed all seven major Chakras. As you become more familiar with this exercise, try to keep the size and brightness of each Chakra equal to the others.
Then, working from the Crown down, repeat the exercise, this time calming the colour of each Chakra, or allowing the flower to close for the night.
At the end of the balance, make sure your client is grounded, by placing your hands on top of their feet. If the energy is weak in this area, they are probably feeling a bit ungrounded. Ask them to visualise their energy flowing down through the body and pooling in their feet. You should notice a change, usually more warmth and tingling, quite soon after.
You may find one or more Chakras difficult to visualise, which can indicate a blockage or imbalance. If this happens, spend a little more time with this Chakra. If it still doesn’t shift easily, don’t focus too hard on it, but move on to the next one. Otherwise, your client might find it extremely uncomfortable. A blockage that has been there for a long time will usually need more than one session and other types of healing work before it will shift.
Chakra Colour Chart
Chakra | Location | Colour | Element And number of lotus petals | Physical | Emotion or Effect |
Sabasrara, Crown, or Seventh | Top of head | White, clear, silver, indigo, or magenta; the potential of all colours; some see it as white petals flashing a myriad of rainbow colours as they open | (Beyond time and space); 1,000 petals (a multitude) | None | Spiritual Development; clarity of mind |
Ajna, Third Eye, Brow or Sixth | Brow area, between and slightly above eyebrows | Purple or violet (white)* | No element; 2 petals | Hypothalamus, pineal and pituitary – production of hormones; also the brain | Psychic development, calm, control of sleep patterns and dreams, releasing unhealthy behaviour patterns and grief |
Vishuddha, Throat, or Fifth | Throat | Blue | Ether; 16 petals | Thyroid and parathyroid, metabolic rate | Communication, intellect, calm, and to some extent, creativity |
Anahata, Heart or Fourth | Heart area, at the centre of the breast bone | Green, Pink (gray)* | Air; 12 petals | The heart and thymus, lungs and immune system | Love, emotions, balance and harmony |
Manipura, Solar Plexus or Third | Solar Plexus, immediately below the sternum and between the bottom of the ribcage | Yellow or gold (red)* | Fire; 10 petals | Digestive system, adrenals, kidneys and liver; the most common area to be affected by stress; the upper level of Prana of Ch’i | Associated with joy and creativity (also anger) |
Svadisthana, Sacral, Navel or Second | Abdomen, an inch or two below the navel | Orange (white)* | Water; 6 petals | Intestines and female reproductive system; the lower level of Prana or Ch’i | Happiness, motivation and creativity, inner strength and self-protection |
Muladhara, Root, Base, or First | Anus or crotch area | Red, black (yellow)* | Earth; 4 petals | Male reproductive system, skeleton, bone marrow, immune system | Grounding and connection with the earth, protection and letting go of pain or addiction |
*Colours in parentheses are from the Handbook of Ayurveda by Dr Shantha Godagama, and demonstrate that not all Chakra systems follow the same colour system. For the sake of simplicity, names and colours marked as bold are the ones we will use
©Janelle Scialla, October 2007
Chakra Crystal Chart
Crystals and Colour Therapy: Crystal Colours and Their Meanings
Chakra Crystals
The chart below shows the Chakras, including some secondary Chakras, variations with different systems, colours associated with them (again with variations), and suggested crystals to use with each Chakra. There are many other crystals, and some crystals may be used with more than one Chakra. In the case of the Heart Chakra, some systems differentiate between the colour of the Upper Heart (green) and Heart (pink), while others use both for the main Heart Chakra. Notice that metals are also used in crystal healing.
The colours and crystals in bold type are the most commonly used, and the crystals strongly recommended for your own Chakra set.
CHAKRA | COLOUR | KEY WORDS | CRYSTALS |
Upper Crown | Clear (bright) | Aids connection with Spirit, the Angelic Realm and the Divine | Clear apophyllite, phenakite, selenite, herkimer diamond, |
| Rainbow | In addition to the above, balances and clears the Chakras | Rainbow quartz, peacock ore, rainbow moonstone |
CROWN | Clear | Clarity and clear thinking | Clear Quartz, herkimer diamond, diamond, moonstone, selenite, apophyllite, petalite, aragonite |
| White | Purification, wisdom | Howlite, magnesite |
| Silver | Reflection | Silver, Muscovite Mica |
| Violet | Aids connection with Spirit, psychic development and calm outlook | Iolite, violet fluorite, violet scapolite |
| Indigo | Aids connection with Spirit, psychic development | Iolite, lapis lazuli (in some systems) |
| Magenta | Heaven/earth connection, | Ruby, lepidolite |
THIRD EYE | Purple | Calms, sooths, aids psychic development, and ‘letting go’ of bereavement and unhealthy behaviour patterns | Amethyst, sugilite, charoite, violet fluorite, lepidolite, purple aragonite |
| Indigo | Aids connection with Spirit, psychic development | Iolite, lapis lazuli (in some systems) |
THROAT | Blue | Aids communication, balances thyroid function, enhances intellect | Blue lace agate, lapis lazuli, blue calcite, larimar, sodalite, angelite, indicolite (blue tourmaline), blue chalcedony, blue scapolite, |
Upper Heart, HEART | Green | Balances and harmonises, supports the immune system | Aventurine, malachite, green jade, new jade, prehnite, verdelite (green tourmaline), green calcite, chrysoprase, moss agate, green fluorite, epidote |
HEART | Pink | Nurtures, and supports both the physical and emotional heart; enhances love on all levels | Rose quartz, ruby, rubellite (pink tourmaline), kunzite (pink spodumene), rhodonite, morganite (pink beryl), pink petalite, manganocalcite, pink chalcedony |
SOLAR PLEXUS | Yellow | Promotes joy and creativity, | Citrine, yellow jasper, yellow calcite, amber, yellow apatite, imperial topaz, gold tiger’s eye, sulphur, yellow scapolite, orpiment, gold fluorite, wulfenite |
| Gold | Promotes joy and creativity; a warming mineral | Gold, pyrite |
SACRAL | Orange | Happiness, inner strength and stillness, creativity, vital energy | Carnelian, orange quartz, orange calcite, red jasper (some systems), vanadinite, crocoite, amber |
| Copper | In addition to the above, promotes heat exchange | Copper, chalcopyrite |
ROOT | Red | Grounds, protects, strengthens, dissolves fear; improves libido | Garnet (almandine or pyrope) |
| Black | Grounds, protects, strengthens, dissolves fear; aids ‘letting go’ of bereavement and unhealthy behaviour patterns | Smoky quartz, obsidian, black onyx, black tourmaline (schorl), aegerine |
| Grey (metallic) | Grounds, protects, strengthens, dissolves fear | Hematite, goethite, galena, stibnite, wolframite |
| Brown | Calms and protects, strengthens connection with the earth | Chiastolite |
Earth | Grey | Calms and protects, bestows inner strength | Grey agate |
| Brown | Calms and protects, strengthens connection with the earth | Chiastolite, dravite (brown tourmaline) |
Other Colours and Qualities
The chart below shows colours not associated with the Chakras, and also other physical qualities, such as iridescence or multiple colours, which makes the crystal difficult to classify by Chakra, and can effect how a crystal works. There is also a list of suggested crystals for each one. This list is by no means comprehensive, and you can add to it as you learn more about crystals.
Colour or Quality | General Meaning | Crystals |
Turquoise colour | Powerfully healing; bestows protection and strength | Turquoise, chrysocolla, blue Hemimorphite, amazonite |
Blue-grey colour | Connects with the Bindu Visarga, a “point” or “drop” (mainly in Kundalini Tantra)at the top back of the head; communication, especially with one’s guides | Blue kyanite, celestite, anhydrite, angelite (massive formed anhydrite) |
Reflective, mirror-like surface | Self-reflection; brings hidden issues to the surface, so they may be dealt with; also can repel negative energy | Hematite, goethite, mica, sheen obsidian, polished silver |
Iridescent | Inner vision; helps to develop psychic gifts and spiritual awareness, as well as creativity and playfulness | Opal, labradorite, moonstone, sunstone |
Multi-coloured (rainbow) | Balancing, especially for the Chakras, aura, and mental body | Rainbow fluorite, rainbow quartz, elbaite (multi-coloured tourmaline), peacock ore, rainbow obsidian |
Pink and green combination | Balancing on every level, especially emotions, hormones, and immune system; can be used to treat ME and immune system disorders | Watermelon tourmaline, ruby Zoisite, ruby fuchsite, unakite, atlantisite (serpentine with stichtite) |
Lustre and brilliance – external reflection of light from the surface | A strong alignment with the Upper Crown Chakra, spiritual development and connection to one’s higher self, guides, angels, and Spirit | Clear apophyllite, herkimer diamond, silver quartz, phenakite, diamond, pink and clear danburite, morganite (pink beryl), kunzite (pink spodumene), hiddenite (green spodumene) |
©Janelle Scialla
November 2007, June 2008