Chakra meditation focuses on healing or balancing chakras — aka your body’s energy centers — and may help you relieve stress and get better sleep like meditation in general.

So, you heard someone mention chakra meditation, and now you’re wondering: What fresh woo-woo heck is this?

Chakras are the body’s energy hotspots. If you think of your energy as a highway down your spine, chakras mark the major exits — essential organs or nerve bundles — along the way.

It’s not a new concept. Chakras are a centuries-old concept used in yoga, reiki, and other alternative wellness practices. And meditation? It goes waaay back too.

Folks who follow the practice believe blocked chakras spell bad news for your mind and spirit. And a meditation sesh focused on chakra healing — restoring balance so energy can flow freely — may bring inner calm, heightened awareness, and a general sense of alignment.

Wanna know more? Here’s the deep dive on chakra meditation.

The 7 chakras chartShare on Pinterest
Illustration by Wenzdai Figueroa

Fun fact: Some folks say the human body has 100+ chakras. But most practitioners only focus on the 7 along your spine.

Here’s the need-to-know on the 7 primary chakras.

Crown chakra

Location: the tippy-top of your head

Associated color: violet or white

This swirling crown of energy is linked to your brain, so it’s all about awareness, intelligence, and spiritual connection.

Feeling forgetful, moody, or just disconnected from your body? A crown chakra meditation might help.

Third eye chakra

Location: smack-dab between your eyes

Associated color: deep blue or indigo

This “third eye” connects to how you see the world. The energy swirling in this part of your body influences imagination, intuition, and instinct.

A slow third eye chakra flow might mess with your head physically and emotionally. Think chronic headaches, trouble focusing, and feeling creatively blocked.

Throat chakra

Location: your throat

Associated color: blue or turquoise

This chakra swirls with all things creativity and communication.

Of course, sometimes we find ourselves struggling to balance communication skills. Maybe you’re clamming up around folks you love. Maybe you’re word-vomiting to strangers on the metro. Some good ol’ meditation can bring throat chakra healing.

Heart chakra

Location: center of your chest, just over your heart

Associated color: green

As you’d expect, the heart chakra = all things love and compassion.

But a blocked heart chakra doesn’t always manifest as hatred or bitterness. Sometimes troubles in the heart-land look more like throwing yourself down like a doormat for others.

Solar plexus chakra

Location: center of your stomach

Associated color: yellow

Y’know how performance anxiety feels like butterflies in your stomach? You can thank your solar plexus chakra.

When this energy center thrums, it gives off major self-confidence vibes. When it’s blocked, you prolly feel super down, insecure, or anxious.

Sacral chakra

Location: a couple of inches below your belly button

Associated color: orange

This lower-abdominal energy center is connected to your sexuality and creativity. Some folks find that it’s super influential over self-worth and self-image.

As with other chakras, sacral chakra probs can manifest physically. That means urinary tract infections (UTIs), libido probs, and lower back pain.

Root chakra

Location: tailbone or perineum

Associated color: red

The literal foundation of your spine, your root chakra represents confidence and stability. It’s often associated with feeling grounded and secure.

Feeling knocked around by swirling insecurities? Time for a root chakra meditation.

Chakra meditation means mindfully tapping into a chakra’s powerful energy or healing a blocked chakra.

TBH, meditation of all types can help you find your inner peace and there’s much research on chakra meditation itself. And since chakra meditation is rooted in a specific belief system, you kinda need to dig Eastern ideologies — or at least energy-based practices — to benefit from it.

Clearing your chakras wide open via a meditation sesh may help you feel:

  • balanced
  • relaxed
  • a deep sense of inner calm

And like meditation in general, the resulting stress relief *might* lead to better sleep and reduced muscle tension.

You can do chakra meditation anytime, anywhere. Get into a groove of daily sessions, or simply reach for this meditation lens when you’re feeling stuck in life.

If you’re unsure how to begin, seek out an online guided chakra meditation. Most sessions include:

  • rooting yourself in the present moment
  • closing your eyes
  • breathing deeply
  • actively noticing your thoughts, feelings, and physical sensations

Pinpointing any imbalance beforehand can help guide your chakra meditation. Stomach flip-flopping with anxiety? Focus on releasing a blocked solar plexus chakra. Struggling to communicate effectively at work? Try a throat chakra meditation.

For sure!

To begin, get comfy in a seated position. Take deep, cleansing breaths before mentally scanning your body for discomfort or blocked energy.

Once you’ve pinpointed a direction for your session (balancing all chakras? unblocking one or two?), the real meditation begins. TBH, there’s no set protocol here. Most folks use visualization of the chakra’s color and several other mental exercises.

Craving a little guidance into the mystical magic of chakra meditation? Check out these sessions:

A more extended chakra meditation session gives you time to dig deep. Your 30-minute chakra meditation might also be the perfect amount of time to work on fine-tuning *all* the chakras instead of unblocking just one.

The specifics of your practice will stay the same, regardless of how long you meditate. You’ll sit comfortably, breathe deeply, close your eyes, and visualize.

Here are some 30-minute chakra meditations to try:

  • Chakra meditation is a type of meditation focused on healing blocked chakras or balancing the chakras in general.
  • This practice stems from ancient energy-based beliefs that originated in India.
  • Though you don’t need to practice Hinduism to benefit from chakra meditation, it makes sense to have a general grasp of what each chakra represents.
  • Potential chakra meditation perks include inner peace, heightened mental awareness, stress relief, and even better sleep.
  • If you’re curious about chakra meditation, try a guided online session or talk with a trained practitioner about how to get started.