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1. Root chakra

Color: Red

Location: Base of your spine near your tailbone

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Meaning: “This chakra represents your security and your power base,” Poon says. “It determines your ability to feel calm, safe, grounded, and secure. It’s also where you’re able to pull in energy and money and manifest your desires.”

Susy Schieffelin, sound healer and reiki master points out that the grounding, safety-enhancing vibes of the root chakra connect to real-life examples of the color red representing security. Take, for instance, a stop sign or red light. “These are symbols put into place to help bring our attention toward safety,” she says. “They tell us to slow down, to stop, be present, and help us to remain safe.”

So whenever you need an extra dose of some grounding in your life, Schieffelin recommends focusing your attention on the root chakra and visualizing red light in that area as you take a few deep breaths and say the affirmation “I am safe.”

 

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2. Sacral chakra

Color: Orange

Location: Two inches below your belly button

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Meaning: “This chakra governs your emotions, your creativity, sensitivity, sexuality, intimacy, emotional well-being, and self-expression,” Poon says. “Often, the sacral chakra needs to be cleared of stuck energy from traumas and pent-up emotions to heighten your creativity and ability to express your true self.”

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Given that it exudes a feeling of warmth and excitement, it makes perfect sense that the sacral chakra is connected to the color orange. Similar to the root chakra, if you want to call in more of the sacral chakra energy, Schieffelin suggests envisioning orange light in that area of your body while meditating on the affirmation “I am creative.”

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3. Solar plexus chakra

Color: Yellow

Location: Between naval and sternum

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Meaning: The solar plexus chakra is all about personal power, self-esteem, and confidence. “The color yellow represents the ability to tap into the light of a thousand suns that exists within you,” Schieffelin says. “Focusing on the color yellow in the upper part of your abdomen can help you to feel strong, confident, motivated, and powerful.” Poon adds that you can also eat yellow-colored foods to help you tap into the energy of this chakra.

 

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4. Heart chakra

Color: Green

Location: Center of chest

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Meaning: Although pink or red might logically be the first colors that come to mind when you think of the heart chakra, this energetic area is actually associated with green. “This chakra represents the ability to give and receive love, compassion, expansion, empathy, service to others, kindness, health, and healing,” Poon says. “We experience loss, regret, pain, low self-love, and low self-worth when this chakra is imbalanced.”

So how do you strengthen your heart chakra and open yourself up to love? Schieffelin recommends focusing on your heart and imagining an emerald green light around it. Or, drinking a heart chakra smoothie, which may also do the trick.

 

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5. Throat chakra

Color: Blue

Location: Base of the throat to the center of the eyes

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Meaning: “This chakra is all about self-expression and clear communication,” Schieffelin says. “People often hold back from speaking their truth for fear that they may face judgment or rejection.” And it doesn’t just have to be your verbal communication. Writing is also governed by the throat chakra as well.

If your throat chakra is feeling a little stagnant, or maybe you just want a little confidence boost to ask someone out on a date or send that email to your boss about a raise, grab a few throat-chakra stones, like blue-lace agate or aquamarine, and place them over your throat while you meditate. You can also nosh on blueberries and visualize a blue light surrounding your throat area.

Into blueberries? Try making this blueberry pie for gut-health and throat-chakra gains. 

 

 

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6. Third-eye chakra

Color: Indigo/purple

Location: Center of forehead between eyebrows

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Meaning: “Purple is a very mystical and magical color that represents wisdom,” Schieffelin says. “The third eye is all about connecting to your intuition, inner vision, and higher consciousness. Having a clear and open third-eye chakra can help you to see the world in a whole new way.” Some things you can do to unleash your inner psychic powers include wearing the color of the chakra, practicing Kundalini yoga, using sound healing, or sniffing some frankincense essential oil.

 

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7. Crown chakra

Color: Purple/violet

Location: Two inches above the top of the head

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Meaning: Unlike the other chakras, the crown chakra isn’t actually on your body. It’s located just above your head and “radiates infinitely upward and outward, connecting you to your soul, higher self, purpose, the universe, source and the divine,” Poon says. It’s all about purity, enlightenment, and higher states of consciousness, Schieffelin adds.

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