Have you ever noticed the effect certain colors have on your mood? There’s a reason bright red is a popular décor choice for bars and restaurants while a spa is more likely to decorate with pale shades of blue. One makes us feel lively and upbeat, while the other is peaceful and calming.
Every color of the rainbows makes us feel something different. That’s because each color has its own unique wavelength on the light spectrum. Color is made up of energy and so are we. Colors have a particularly strong effect on our chakras—the seven major energy centers within us (check out our beginner’s guide for more chakra details).
Each chakra is associated with a particular color. If a certain chakra is over- or underactive, working with its color can help restore balance. Here’s a quick look at the seven chakras, what feelings they’re connected with and what color can help heal them:
Root Chakra (RED)
- Located at base of your spine, stretching to just below your navel
- When it’s healthy, you may feel: safe, stable, comfortable, healthy, peaceful, trusting
- When it’s unhealthy, you may feel: fearful, anxious, suspicious, materialistic, unfocused
- What RED represents: love, passion, courage, vitality, earth
Sacral Chakra (ORANGE)
- Located in your lower abdomen, about three inches below the belly button
- When it’s healthy, you may feel: passionate, creative, joyful, approachable, open
- When it’s unhealthy, you may feel: ashamed, guilty, depressed, insecure, reckless, rigid
- What ORANGE represents: balance, warmth, creativity, sociability, sensuality
Solar Plexus Chakra (YELLOW)
- Located below the rib cage, just behind your navel
- When it’s healthy, you may feel: confidence, wise, courageous, empowered, disciplined
- When it’s unhealthy, you may feel: worthless, frustrated, unfulfilled, powerless, angry
- What YELLOW represents: growth, empowerment, movement, positivity
Heart Chakra (GREEN)
- Located just above your hearth, from your breastbone to your throat
- When it’s healthy, you may feel: loving, kind, compassionate, joyful
- When it’s unhealthy, you may feel: jealous, angry, fearful, guarded,
- What GREEN represents: relaxation, life, focus, balance
Throat Chakra (BLUE)
- Located between your collar bone, from your eyes to your heart
- When it’s healthy, you may feel: creative, expressive, sociable, talkative, generous
- When it’s unhealthy, you may feel: anxious, shy, distrusting, frustrated, closed off
- What BLUE represents: calm, healing, mindfulness, peace
Third Eye Chakra (INDIGO)
- Located between your eyebrows
- When it’s healthy, you may feel: intuitive, thoughtful, imaginative, perceptive
- When it’s unhealthy, you may feel: lazy, arrogant, aggressive, judgemental, cynical
- What INDIGO represents: spirituality, higher consciousness, sedation (be aware, too much can be depressing)
Crown Chakra (Violet)
- Located at the top of your head or just above it, like a crown
- When it’s healthy, you may feel: spiritual, thoughtful, wise, peaceful
- When it’s unhealthy, you may feel: depressed, lonely, unmotivated, greedy
- What VIOLET represents: higher connection, calm, relaxation
Now that you know which chakra needs healing and what color will help, it’s time to put it to use. When it comes to color therapy for the chakras, your main goal is to surround yourself with that color and include it in your daily life.
If you’re struggling with feelings of jealousy, you may need to heal your Heart Chakra by immersing yourself in green with a walk through a lush forest or field of grass. If you’re nervous about an upcoming speech, you’ll want to nurture your Throat Chakra by wearing blue that day. When your self-esteem feels low, feed your Solar Plexus Chakra yellow foods to help gain the confidence you seek.
Colors can be used to decorate a space or worn as clothing or accessories. They can be represented in the food we eat—like red fruits and vegetable to balance the Root Chakra—or the candles we light—choose indigo to support your Third Eye Chakra. Use color in any way that suits your lifestyle and speaks to your energy.
A powerful method of using color to heal the chakras is meditation. Find a quiet space where you can sit undisturbed. Close your eyes and begin at the Root Chakra. Bring your awareness to its place at the base of your spine. Now visualize this space filling with a warm, red healing light. As you breathe in, allow your Root Chakra to make more room for the healing light. As you exhale, let any feelings of fearfulness, anxiety or instability go.
Repeat this as you move upwards through each of your chakras or simply focus on the ones that need healing. Picture the healing light of the chakra’s color filling its space and release any negative feelings associated with the chakra you’re focused on.
Color therapy can heal the chakras and much more. We all interpret color differently so listen to your body and mind when choosing the best colors to support your physical, emotional and spiritual well-being.
