The 7 Chakras: Their Locations, Colors, & Functions

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Symbolism and occultism expert Alexander Labbé explains each chakra's purpose and how to align them

Co-authored by Alexander Labbé and Dev Murphy, MA

Last Updated: August 26, 2026 Fact Checked

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• Chakras Explained
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• The Seven Chakras
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• Unblocking Your Chakras
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• Chakras vs. Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs
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• Video

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The seven chakras are important energy centers located at different points of the human body. Each chakra serves a specific function, and if even one of your chakras is out of balance, it can affect your mental, physical, and spiritual wellbeing. Ready to learn more? For this article, we partnered with a symbologist and a spiritual adviser to teach you about chakras, including how to balance them, each chakra's associated colors and body parts, and even how the concept of chakras connects to Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs in Western psychology. Keep reading for everything you need to know.

Chakra System Chart

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Symbolism and occultism expert Alexander Labbé says that in Eastern philosophy, chakras are vertices of energy located in different parts of the body. Each of the seven chakras is associated with a different color and purpose. Opening your chakras can positively affect your mental, spiritual, and physical health.

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Section 1 of 4:

What are chakras?

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1. 
   Chakras are the body's energy centers in Eastern philosophy. According to Labbé, the chakras are vertices of energy located in the body. There are seven different chakras located in different parts of the astral body along the spine, beginning at the base and moving upwards towards the top of the head. Keeping your chakras balanced and open can positively affect your mental, emotional, and spiritual well-being.

   • Each chakra is symbolized by a lotus with a different number of petals, and is associated with a different function, color, mantra, yoga pose, and energy.
   • You can keep your chakras open and balanced via deep breathing, positive thinking, meditation, yoga, a healthy diet, and exercise.
   • On the other hand, negative thinking and poor lifestyle habits can leave your chakras blocked or out of alignment.
   • Though chakras stem from Eastern philosophy, many people have noted that the principles espoused in this belief system are reflected in different Western philosophies and psychological concepts, such as Abraham Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs. We'll explain how the concept of chakras aligns with Maslow's Hierarchy later in this article.

   Meet the wikiHow Experts

   Alexander Labbé is a symbologist based in Alberta, Canada. He is known as The Mindseed Show on social media.

   Emily Christensen is an award-winning holistic medicine practitioner, shamanic spiritual advisor, reiki master, and the founder of Rainbow Raaja and the internationally acclaimed "Rainbows Rising" podcast.
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Section 2 of 4:

The Seven Chakras

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1. 
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   Muladhara – Root Chakra The root chakra is located at the bottom of the spine, and as Labbé notes, it "represents everything to do with your earthly existence, like your work, career, your nutrition, everything to do with the physical." It's represented by a four-petaled lotus with a square and inverted triangle inside. Each petal represents one of the four aspects of the human psyche: the intellect (buddhi), the mind (manas), consciousness (chitta), and the ego (ahamkara). The four sides of the square represent the four directions and seasons, and the triangle points down to the root chakra at the spine's base.

   • Symbol: Four-petaled lotus with a square and upside-down triangle inside
   • Color: Red
   • Element: Earth
   • Location in the body: The base of the spine
   • Mantra: "Lam"
   • Yoga pose: Tadasana (mountain pose)
   • Symptoms of a blocked root chakra: Fear, insecurity, anxiety, instability
   • Signs of a balanced root chakra: Security, rest, calm, connection to the earth
2. 
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   Svadhisthana – Sacral Chakra Labbé says the sacral chakra is "related to creativity [and to] sensuality in general." The six petals on the lotus that symbolize the sacral chakra represent the qualities everyone must overcome to balance this chakra: hatred, jealousy, anger, desire, cruelty, and pride. The double circles and the moon inside the lotus stand for the life cycle and eternity.

   • Symbol: Six-petaled lotus with two concentric circles creating a crescent moon
   • Color: Orange
   • Element: Water
   • Location in the body: Lower abdomen, just below the navel
   • Mantra: "Vam"
   • Yoga pose: Virabhadrasana (warrior pose)
   • Symptoms of a blocked sacral chakra: Guilt, shame, lack of inspiration
   • Signs of a balanced sacral chakra: Creativity, emotional stability, passion for life
3. 
   3
   Manipura – Solar Plexus Chakra After the sacral chakra comes the solar plexus chakra. "This is your confidence, your willpower," Labbé says. This chakra is represented by a ten-petaled lotus with an inverted triangle. The ten petals represent the qualities you must overcome in order to balance this chakra: foolishness, sadness, disgust, delusion, treachery, shame, ambition, jealousy, and ignorance. The triangle stands for the energy flowing from the universe to you.

   • Symbol: Ten-petaled lotus with an upside-down triangle inside
   • Color: Yellow
   • Element: Fire
   • Location in the body: Upper abdomen, under the chest
   • Mantra: "Ram"
   • Yoga pose: Setu bandhasana (bridge pose)
   • Symptoms of a blocked solar plexus chakra: Insecurity, low self-esteem, lack of willpower or motivation
   • Signs of a balanced solar plexus chakra: Confidence, courage, motivation
4. 
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   Anahata – Heart Chakra Labbé describes the heart chakra as "your heart space, compassion, love for the people around you, understanding, the ability to empathize." The heart chakra is represented by a 12-petaled lotus with a hexagram inside. The 12 petals represent the heart's qualities: peace, bliss, love, harmony, empathy, understanding, clarity, purity, compassion, forgiveness, and kindness. The hexagram represents the chakra's position in the center of the spine.

   • Symbol: 12-petaled lotus with a hexagram formed from two intersecting triangles
   • Color: Green
   • Element: Air
   • Location in the body: Center of the chest
   • Mantra: "Yam"
   • Yoga pose: Ustrasana (camel pose)
   • Symptoms of a blocked heart chakra: Negativity, jealousy, rage, resentment, frustration
   • Signs of a balanced heart chakra: Forgiveness, thankfulness, grace, joy
5. 
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   Vishuddha – Throat Chakra Above the heart chakra lies the throat chakra. "That's your ability to communicate," Labbé notes. This chakra is represented by a 16-petaled lotus with an inverted triangle containing a circle. The 16 petals stand for the 16 kalas—that is, the development stages you experience between birth and death. The triangle stands for the flow of consciousness from the crown to the throat, enabling you to speak your truth. The circle represents the full moon, symbolizing a pure mind.

   • Symbol: 16-petaled lotus with an upside-down triangle containing a circle inside
   • Color: Blue
   • Element: Space
   • Location in the body: The throat
   • Mantra: "Ham"
   • Yoga pose: Matsyasana (fish pose)
   • Symptoms of a blocked throat chakra: Difficulty expressing yourself, trouble speaking, physical symptoms including thyroid issues or a sore throat
   • Signs of a balanced throat chakra: Ability to communicate clearly and listen with empathy
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   Ajna – Third Eye Chakra Labbé says that the third eye chakra is related to "your intuitive insight [and] your ability to contact the spirit world." This chakra is represented by a two-petaled lotus with the "Om" symbol in an inverted triangle. The two petals represent the Self and God, while the triangle represents the flow of consciousness from the divine to you. The mantra "Om" is believed to be the source of all of creation in Hinduism.

   • Symbol: Two-petaled lotus with the "Om" symbol inside of an upside-down triangle
   • Color: Indigo
   • Element: Light
   • Location in the body: The forehead between the eyebrows
   • Mantra: "Om"
   • Symptoms of a blocked third eye chakra: Indecisiveness, confusion, trouble focusing
   • Signs of a balanced third eye chakra: Creativity, strong intuition, connection to your higher self
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   Sahasrara – Crown Chakra Spiritual advisor and founder of Rainbow Raaja Emily Christensen says that the crown chakra is associated with intuition and spiritual awareness. Or, as Labbé puts it, the crown chakra is "ultimately your connection to the divine." This chakra is represented by a lotus with a thousand petals, representing the blossom of enlightenment and connection to the divine universe.

   • Symbol: Thousand-petaled lotus
   • Color: Purple
   • Element: Consciousness
   • Location in the body: The top of the head
   • Mantra: "Ah"
   • Symptoms of a blocked crown chakra: Disconnection, confusion, lack of purpose
   • Signs of a balanced crown chakra: Inner harmony, clear purpose, connection to the divine
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Section 3 of 4:

How to Balance Your Chakras

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1. 
   Labbé says that you can align your chakras via meditation, yoga, and breathwork. Each chakra is associated with a different mantra, color, and yoga pose. By focusing on the mantra, color, or pose associated with a specific chakra, you can help to open that chakra, Labbé says.

   • For instance, to open your root chakra, you might perform the yoga pose tadasana (or mountain pose), meditate on the color red, or recite the mantra "Lam."
   • Christensen notes that it's important to focus on balancing all your chakras equally—even if just one seems to be out of alignment. If you just work on one chakra, "you can overly stimulate that chakra."
   • Instead, Christensen says, "Work through the chakras from the base chakra, the root chakra, all the way to the crown chakra."
   • For a more in-depth guide to unblocking your chakras, check out "How to Open Your Spiritual Chakras."

Section 4 of 4:

Chakras vs. Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs

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1. 
   The chakras are similar to Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs in Western psychology. Though the concept of chakras has roots in Hinduism and Buddhism, it may be more universal than you think. Some people have noted that American psychologist Abraham Maslow's 1943 Hierarchy of Needs reflects similar principles to the philosophy of chakras.

   • Maslow posited that every person must meet a five-level pyramid of needs in order to achieve self-fulfillment—similar to the seven-level chakra system. At the base of the pyramids are your physiological needs (similar to your lower chakras), and at the top of the pyramid are self-actualization needs, including ethics, values, creativity, and problem-solving abilities (like your upper chakras).
   • According to Maslow's theory, you can't satisfy your upper-level needs until you've met your bottom-level needs.
   • In the same way, Christensen points out that if one of your lower chakras is out of alignment, it'll affect your higher chakras: "You get manic. You get a lot of anxiety if you don't have a balanced root chakra, so it's always really important to make sure that you are opening your lower chakras if you want to develop your higher chakras."
   • She adds that the structure of the chakras resembles a pyramid—just like Maslow's hierarchy of needs. "Our bodies and our energy is like a pyramid: you need a strong foundation to be able to receive information through the crown."
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