The seven chakra colours, from root to crown, are red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo and violet (or white). They run like a rainbow up your body, from the base of your spine to the top of your head. Each colour carries its chakra's theme, and picturing that colour in its place is the heart of chakra visualisation:
- Red: root chakra, base of the spine. Grounding and safety.
- Orange: sacral chakra, lower belly. Creativity and pleasure.
- Yellow: solar plexus chakra, upper belly. Confidence.
- Green: heart chakra, centre of the chest. Love.
- Blue: throat chakra. Honest words.
- Indigo: third eye chakra, between the eyebrows. Intuition.
- Violet or white: crown chakra, top of the head. Spiritual connection.
On this page: chakra colour chart · what each colour means · why a rainbow · how to visualise them · the two-minute version · working with one colour · crystals by colour · choosing a piece · FAQ
What are the 7 chakra colours? The chart ✨
Here are the seven chakras in order, root to crown, with their Sanskrit names. Each chakra name links to the stones and pieces we keep for that colour.
| Colour | Chakra | Where it sits | What it is linked with |
|---|---|---|---|
| Red | Root (Muladhara) | Base of the spine | Grounding, safety, belonging |
| Orange | Sacral (Svadhisthana) | Lower belly, below the navel | Creativity, pleasure, flow |
| Yellow | Solar plexus (Manipura) | Upper belly, around the navel | Confidence, willpower |
| Green | Heart (Anahata) | Centre of the chest | Love, kindness, connection |
| Blue | Throat (Vishuddha) | The throat | Honest words, being heard |
| Indigo | Third eye (Ajna) | Between the eyebrows | Intuition, insight |
| Violet or white | Crown (Sahasrara) | Top of the head | Spiritual connection, stillness |
"Chakra" comes from the Sanskrit word for wheel, so picture each one as a small, slowly turning wheel of light. Save this card for your next meditation.
What does each chakra colour mean?
In chakra practice, each colour is a mood as much as a shade. Here is what each one is linked with, and how to picture it.
Red, the root. Red is the colour of earth, warmth and staying power. It is the one people reach for on scattered, unsettled days. Picture a deep, earthy red, like a glowing ember or red clay.
Orange, the sacral chakra. Orange is linked with creativity, pleasure and the feelings that move through you. Picture warm sunset orange, moving gently like water.
Yellow, the solar plexus. Yellow is the colour of confidence and your own inner fire. It is the one to picture before a big conversation. See a small golden sun glowing around your navel.
Green, the heart. Green sits in the middle of the rainbow, and the heart sits in the middle of the seven. It is linked with love, kindness and forgiveness. Picture fresh spring green, like new fern fronds unrolling. Many people add soft pink here as well.
Blue, the throat. Blue is linked with honest, kind words and feeling heard. Picture clear sky blue, cool and flowing.
Indigo, the third eye. Indigo is the deep blue-violet of the night sky, linked with intuition and inner vision. Picture the sky just after sunset, when the first stars appear.
Violet or white, the crown. The crown is linked with spiritual connection and stillness. Some people picture soft violet. Others see pure white light, like moonlight on the top of the head. Both belong here.
For each chakra's full story, from its element to the signs it may need care, read our guide to the 7 chakras explained.
Why are the chakras rainbow coloured? 🔮
The chakras come from Indian yoga and meditation traditions, and the old texts do give them colours. Just not a rainbow. In those older pictures, the root chakra is a four-petalled lotus with a yellow square for the earth element at its centre.
The rainbow order arrived later, in Western chakra books. According to chakra writer Kurt Leland, writers in the 1930s gave each chakra one colour in spectrum order. Some used seven colours, including indigo. Others used six colours plus white. That is why your crown might be violet in one chart and white in another. The rainbow colours and the familiar list of meanings first came together in print in 1977.
So the chakra rainbow is young as traditions go. We love it anyway. It is easy to remember, it climbs your body in a natural order, and decades of meditators have found it works beautifully for the mind's eye.
How to visualise chakra colours, step by step 🌙
This full practice takes about 12 minutes. Sit upright on a chair or cushion with your feet or hips on the floor. Sitting keeps you awake better than lying down.
- Settle. Close your eyes. Take three slow breaths, longer on the out-breath than the in-breath.
- Red at the root. Bring your attention to the base of your spine. Picture a small wheel of red light turning there. Imagine roots growing down from it into the floor. Stay for five slow breaths.
- Orange below the navel. Let the light climb and turn warm orange in your lower belly. Picture it moving gently, like water. Five breaths.
- Yellow at the solar plexus. Move up to a golden-yellow sun around your navel. Let it warm your whole middle. Five breaths.
- Green at the heart. In the centre of your chest, picture fresh green light widening a little with each breath. Five breaths.
- Blue at the throat. See clear blue light at your throat. Let your jaw and shoulders soften. Five breaths.
- Indigo between the eyebrows. Picture a deep indigo glow, like the evening sky. Five breaths.
- Violet or white at the crown. Let violet or white light open at the top of your head, like a lotus unfolding. Five breaths.
- See the whole rainbow. Picture all seven colours glowing at once, stacked from root to crown. Rest there for a minute.
- Come back down. Bring your attention back to the red at your root. Feel your feet, wriggle your fingers and open your eyes.
A colour may look faint, change shade or refuse to appear. That is normal. In chakra practice, a colour that is hard to hold is often taken as a sign that the chakra wants extra time. Stay a few more breaths there next time.
Can't see colours when you close your eyes? Lots of people can't, and the practice still works. Keep a real colour in front of you instead. Lay a chakra stone set out in a line from red to clear. Look at each stone for a few breaths, then close your eyes and simply think its colour's name. You can also feel for warmth at each spot instead of seeing light.
The two-minute version ☀️
Short on time? Take one slow breath for each chakra, root to crown. As you breathe in, picture its colour. As you breathe out, say its name in your head: red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, violet. Finish with one breath for the whole rainbow. It is a lovely way to start the day while the kettle boils.
How to work with just one chakra colour
Some days you don't need the whole rainbow. You need one colour. Pick the feeling you want more of, then use the chart to find its colour. Want steadiness? Choose red. Need courage for a hard conversation? Try yellow, or blue for the words themselves.
Not sure which one is calling you? Our chakra balancing calculator asks seven quick questions and names the chakra to start with.
Then try this five-minute single-colour practice:
- Hold a stone in that colour, or set it where you can see it.
- Look at it for a minute. Notice its exact shade, its markings and how it catches the light.
- Close your eyes and picture that colour glowing at its chakra.
- Breathe the colour in slowly. With each breath out, let it spread a little wider.
- Finish by opening your eyes and looking at the stone again.
Carry the colour into your day, too. Wear a scarf in it, light a candle in it, or keep the stone in your pocket. Each time you notice it, take one breath and picture its light. If you work with essential oils, our guide to essential oils for chakras pairs a scent with every colour.
If the feeling you are working with is heavy, such as grief or worry, our chakra visualisation for emotional healing matches each feeling to its chakra and gives a gentler ten-minute practice.
Chakra crystals by colour 💎
The simplest way to choose a chakra crystal is by colour. Match the stone to the chakra's shade, and it becomes a little anchor for your visualisation. These are in stock now:
- Red: a red jasper worry stone heart, smooth enough to rub with your thumb.
- Orange: a carnelian bead bracelet, glowing like a sunset.
- Yellow: a citrine bead bracelet in soft gold.
- Green: a green aventurine tumble for your pocket.
- Blue: a lapis lazuli chip bracelet in deep night blue.
- Indigo: a dark amethyst tumble.
- Violet or white: a clear quartz chip bracelet for crown light.
A small care note: amethyst colour can fade in strong light over time, so keep it off a sunny windowsill.
Want the whole rainbow in one piece? A chakra bracelet carries all seven colours, so you can touch each bead as you climb root to crown. For which stone suits each chakra and where to place it, see best crystals for each chakra. To lay the colours on your body while you rest, try one of our crystal layouts for chakra balancing.
Choosing a piece 🧿
Prices as at October 2026:
- A chakra chip bracelet is about NZ$7, an easy first rainbow for your wrist.
- The Chakra Stones set of seven tumbled stones is under NZ$12.
- The chakra lava stone bracelet is under NZ$20.
- The selenite crescent moon with 7 chakras is NZ$35, a pretty altar piece for your practice corner.
- Single colour stones start at about NZ$5.
Shipping is free on New Zealand orders over NZ$99. You are also welcome to choose your colours in person at Shop 62, Westfield Manukau, where you can hold each stone first. Browse our chakra healing collection to find the colour that suits your practice.
Frequently asked questions
What are the 7 chakra colours in order?
From the base of the spine up, the chakra colours are red (root), orange (sacral), yellow (solar plexus), green (heart), blue (throat), indigo (third eye) and violet or white (crown). It is the order of the rainbow. Picture them climbing your body, and the order is easy to remember.
Is the crown chakra violet or white?
Both are used. Some chakra books use seven rainbow colours, so the crown is violet. Others use six colours plus white, so the crown becomes pure white light. Choose whichever feels brighter and calmer for you. Many people start with violet and let it soften to white.
What is the difference between indigo and violet?
Indigo is a deep, night-sky blue with a hint of purple. It belongs to the third eye, between your eyebrows. Violet is lighter and more purple, and it belongs to the crown. If they blur together when you picture them, darken the third eye and brighten the crown.
How long should chakra colour meditation take?
The full practice takes about 12 minutes: five slow breaths per chakra, plus a minute with the whole rainbow. On busy days, the two-minute version works well: one breath and one colour per chakra. Little and often helps the colours come more easily.
What if I see a different colour from the chart?
That happens to many people, so let it be. Meditators often take a surprise colour as a message about what that chakra needs today. Note it in a journal. Then gently bring the chart colour back for a few breaths before you move up.
Which chakra colour should I start with?
Start with red, at the root. Chakra practice usually builds from the ground up, and red helps you feel settled before the higher colours. If one feeling is calling louder, such as needing confidence, start with that chakra's colour instead.
Sources
Chakra history and the origin of the rainbow colours: Kurt Leland, "The Rainbow Body", Quest magazine (2017). Sanskrit names, traditional lotus symbols and the modern colour table: Wikipedia, Chakra. Meaning of the word: American Heritage Dictionary. Amethyst care: GIA. Prices and stock checked on 22 October 2026.