INSIDE: We commonly refer to 7 chakra points that correspond to nodes along our spine, but that just scratches the surface! Read on to learn about all the chakras (the main ones anyway), including the spiritual chakras.

 

We have good reason to focus on our 7 main chakras since these energetic regions connect us to the physical, earthly realm. Extending along the spinal column from our pelvic base to the tip of our head, these 7 chakras work to keep us in balance on Earth.

Through them, we grow in our relationships to others as well as to the spiritual universe, but the universe has much more in store for us. We can begin to understand our place in a more etheric context by accessing all the main chakras in the body, not just the 7 that most people speak of.

Other chakras?! That’s right, we rarely hear the fact that many traditions, such as Hindu Vedic healing and Chinese Qigong, recognize 114 chakras or energetic regions in the body.

For now, we’ll stick to learning about the main 12 chakras, adding 6 spiritual auras to our 7 main physical chakras. These spiritual realms don't have physical “locations” on the body but rather envelop our physical form with a field of spiritual energy.

NOTE: If you just did the math, that adds to 13 chakras. It’s not a typo. The number of the chakras begins at 0, the Earth Star Chakra, which is symbolic of our earthly origin from nothingness.

First, let’s dive into a more detailed understanding of the role of each charka in facilitating an energetic system through our bodies and into the universe. Then, we will touch on how chakras work, or how the energy flows through the chakra system. 

The 12 Chakra System

Chakras are often explained as energetic portals that connect our physical body to a more spiritual space. In some traditions, chakras are visualized as triangular nodes that align the body, but the word chakra in Sanskrit actually means wheel.

It can be helpful to think of each chakra as a slowly spinning wheel, even if it is triangular, that generates power and energy. We’ll come back to this image later.

In what follows, all the chakras are explained with their Sanskrit name (if they have one), their correspondent colors, and the energetic work that they do.

0. Earth Star Chakra 

• Color - Deep Green
• Location - Several feet into the earth
• Energetic Work - Our tether to the earth

Starting at 0, the Earth Star Chakra can be imagined as a point buried several feet in the earth to which we are tethered at all times. Earth Star Chakra energy may seem more stagnant than the others, but it actually has a life nurturing force that connects us to Earth’s core.

Think of it like an umbilical cord – as “infant” spiritual beings figuring out our own energies, we are fed by the earth’s energy through this cord. Like a baby in a womb, unconsciously growing and becoming a human form, our Earth Star Chakra is the space that gives us form to Mother Earth. 

That’s why the Earth Star Chakra is represented with a deep green, evoking lush vegetation.

1. Root Chakra

• Color - Red
• Location - Base of the spine
• Sanskrit Name - Mooladhara
• Energetic Work - Grounds us to the earth

Moving into the physically embodied chakras, Mooladhara, the Root Chakra, encompasses the base of the spine and pelvic region. Represented by the color red, it serves as the conduit from the spiritual Earth Star Chakra into the physical body.

The Root Chakra emanates energy that grounds us and secures us to the earth so that we are not overwhelmed by the spiritual insights we reach with all the chakras.

It helps transform powerful spiritual forces into frequencies that can safely infuse our bodies. Crystals like Red Tiger’s Eye, Red Jasper or Garnet can aid in this energetic transformation.

2. Sacral Chakra

• Color - Orange
• Location - About 2-3 inches below the naval
• Sanskrit Name - Swadhisthana
• Energetic Work - Creativity & Sexuality

The next step up the spine lands us at the Sacral Chakra, known in Sanskrit as Swadhisthana. Located in the lower abdominal region including the womb, its orange color represents creativity and sexuality.

Stones like Carnelian and Orange Calcite work to balance the Sacral Chakra, revving our sexual drive while curbing our passions to a healthy level. 

Its physical realm of the womb and reproductive system means that the Sacral Chakra supports the creation of abundance. It also allows us to understand the pleasure of our physical form and connect to the physical form of others. 

3. Solar Plexus Chakra 

• Color - Yellow
• Location - Naval
• Sanskrit Name - Manipura
• Energetic Work - Personal Power & Will

The yellow Solar Plexus Chakra known as Manipura resides in the body center, just below the ribs around the diaphragm and upper abdomen. As a center point for the physical chakras, it is seen as an energy storehouse that fixes us in the present moment.

It absorbs energetic frequencies to power through the chakra system. The Solar Plexus Chakra can take in positive and negative energy, and from this, it radiates our individual power and personality. 

With energy stored from the past and for the future, the Solar Plexus Chakra brings our awareness to the now. Stones like Citrine, Pyrite, and Yellow Quartz are great for this work.

4. Heart Chakra

• Color - Green
• Location - Heart
• Sanskrit Name - Anahata
• Energetic Work - Love & Relationships

Another central node of the physical chakras, the Heart Chakra, or Anahata, clearly resonates from our chest and heart. Through green and pink crystals like Aventurine, Emerald and Rose Quartz, we can access the Heart Chakra to better understand our emotions and lovingly foster relationships with others.

Of all the chakras, the Heart Chakra sits at a unique crossroads between the physical and spiritual. It is an access point at which the earthing energies and ethereal energies come together in the human body. 

5. Throat Chakra

• Color - Blue
• Location - Throat
• Sanskrit Name - Vishuddha
• Energetic Work - Communication & Expression

The Throat Chakra is called Vishuddha. In the area of the throat and jaw, the Throat Chakra channels energy for communication and expression. This light blue node helps us clearly articulate our individual truths and values.

The idea of the work of the Throat Chakra is to speak in affirmations of that which you desire, and by affirming such, you begin the manifestation of spiritual fulfillment.

Stones like Aquamarine, Blue Apatite, and Sodalite can help to align this chakra as well.

6. Third Eye Chakra 

• Color - Indigo
• Location - Between the brows
• Sanskrit Name - Ajna
• Energetic Work - Intuition & Wisdom

Ajna, the Third Eye Chakra, glows its indigo aura from the space between our eyes and includes the nose, eyes and ears. Amethyst and Fluorite are great crystals to energize the Third Eye energy.

The Third Eye Chakra fuels our intuition, knowledge, and psychic ability. It is a place for us to process the sensations carried through all the chakras and our thoughts on spirituality.

Through the Third Eye Chakra, we fully realize how to carry our spiritual beliefs into the world. 

7. Crown Chakra

• Color - Violet
• Location - Top of the head
• Sanskrit Name - Sahasrara
• Energetic Work - Connection to higher realms

At the top of our spinal column at the brain, the Crown Chakra, called Sahasrara, acts similarly to the Root Chakra in that it is a conduit into higher spiritual realms. It is the gateway that allows our physical presence to be receptive to divine messages.

This violet region cradles our dreams and hopes so that we can visualize how our desires bring us more inline with the greater universe. The Crown Chakra prepares your body to safely accept and process cosmic energy.

8. Soul Star Chakra

• Color - Light Green
• Location - About a foot above the head
• Energetic Work - Akashic Records

The Soul Star Chakra is one thing you do want hanging over your head. If you raise your hands above your head as if holding an orb, this could be the epicenter of your Soul Star Chakra, which is a sea foam green aura.

The Soul Star Chakra may store the most data or information of all the chakras. It contains the Akashic records, which is the treasury of everything that has happened, is happening, and will happen in the universe of things. 

If the Crown Chakra is our physical gateway to the divine, the Soul Star Chakra is the portal through which our body and spirit energies meet and pass in an infinite loop.

9. Spirit Chakra

• Color - Blueish-Green
• Location - Above the Soul Star Chakra
• Energetic Work - Opens us up to the spirit realm

As we move higher into the spiritual chakras, imagine each successive realm expanding to encompass those before it and more. The blueish green Spirit Chakra opens the soul to the divine world.

It allows us to recognize and enter the spirit realms where spirits, guides, angels, or other universal forms live and commune. 

10. Universal Chakra 

• Color - Pearl White
• Location - Above the Spirit Chakra
• Energetic Work - Full integration of the physical and spiritual worlds

In the Universal Chakra, we enter an aura of pearl white. Here we understand more fully how the physical and spiritual worlds interact.

We begin to envision and capture our roles within the universe. Our spiritual calling becomes clearer and we understand how to share it in the physical world. 

11. Galactic Chakra

• Color - Pinkish-Orange
• Location - Above the Universal Chakra
• Energetic Work - Advanced spiritual skills

The Galactic Chakra can take us to another world. Its pink-orange color emotes new horizons.

Tuning into the Galactic Chakra can activate advanced spiritual skills like teleportation or spontaneous manifestation. All the chakras give us tools and insights to reach divine thinking, but coming to the Galactic Chakra opens even more supernatural, divine powers. 

Through the Galactic Chakra, we can directly communicate with the Divine. We come to play a greater role in aligning the physical realm with the creative energy of the spiritual galaxy. 

12. Divine Gateway Chakra

• Color - Multi-colored
• Location - Above the Galactic Chakra
• Energetic Work - Gateway to the cosmos

Reaching the final realm of these 12 chakras, though by no means the “last” chakra, we enter the shimmering gold Divine Gateway Chakra, otherwise known as the Stellar Gateway Chakra. 

Its name truly represents this energetic plane. Accessing the Divine Gateway Chakra opens the door into the divine world. Our arrival here gives us the spiritual knowledge to guide others along the Chakra journey outside of the physical 7 chakras.

Energy Flow Through Chakras

Energy flows through a certain fluid path through all the chakras in the body and spirit world.

Visualize the chakra system as a vertical axis running from the earth through the atmosphere into the solar system, galaxies, and universe. Spiritual energy flows from the cosmos to reach the Crown Chakra. 

Here, the energy is filtered into a form that can enter the body. Passing through the 7 physical chakras, the energy charges with our individual energies until reaching the Root Chakra. 

From there, energy enters and feeds the Earth, which in turn offers its own energetic form back to the body. The Root Chakra filters the Earth energy into the body as it traverses the system again all the way to the Divine Gateway Chakra.

There is a constant loop of charged spiritual energy running in both directions, which makes a lot of sense physiologically, too. Energized, oxygenated blood flows through our body from the aorta through channels that open up towards our head and down towards the earth.

Blood pumps in both directions with each beat. Our divine spiritual energy follows a very similar path up and down all the chakras. 

Final Thoughts 

When we come to understand more about our physical and ethereal chakras, we can access a greater peace in our existence on Earth. 

It is vital to keep all the chakras in balance and activated. Learning more about the chakra system will empower you to continually nurture your spiritual energy through meditative rituals, crystal cleansing, and other chakra work.