Chakras
The seven chakras
The seven-chakra system is the picture of energy centres most people know today. Explore the centres, their traditional places, colours and themes, and where the system comes from.
Seven chakra explorer
Select a point on the figure to read that centre’s traditional associations. Traditional belief
Conceptual illustration
Explore the seven centres
Select a chakra
Choose any of the seven glowing points on the figure — from the Root at the base of the spine to the Crown at the top of the head — to see its traditional name, place, colour, element and associations.
- 1. Root
- 2. Sacral
- 3. Solar Plexus
- 4. Heart
- 5. Throat
- 6. Third Eye
- 7. Crown
Everything here is a traditional interpretation, offered for reflection — not a reading of you.
The seven centres
- Chakra 1Root chakraMuladhara · the base of the spine
- Chakra 2Sacral chakraSvadhisthana · the lower abdomen, below the navel
- Chakra 3Solar plexus chakraManipura · the upper abdomen
- Chakra 4Heart chakraAnahata · the centre of the chest
- Chakra 5Throat chakraVishuddha · the throat
- Chakra 6Third-eye chakraAjna · between the eyebrows
- Chakra 7Crown chakraSahasrara · the top of the head
Where the system comes from
Chakras appear in Indian tantric and yogic texts, which describe differing numbers of centres and different symbols. The familiar set of seven, each with one rainbow colour, became popular through 20th-century teaching in India and the West. We use it because it is the language most people recognise, and we say so openly.
Chakras are a spiritual and traditional model. They do not correspond to organs or anatomical structures.