Yoga and colour - the chakras in detail

Colour is very important in yoga as it represents both different parts of the body, and also different subtle energy flows that are occurring in your body.

There are 7 traditional chakras (note spelling can be different). These chakras not only have certain positions in the body, but they relate to different senses, different emotions, and different organs of the body. They are (from top of body to bottom of body)

• sahasrara - the crown chakra [white] [universal conciousness, 'enlightenment', samadhi]
  
• ajna - the eyebrow chakra [purple] [intuition, perception, visualisation]
  
• vishuddi - the throat chakra [blue] [self expression, communication, resonance, sound]
  
• anahata - the heart chakra [green with pink core][healing, love, compassion, balance opposites]
• manipura - the solar plexus chakra [yellow][ego, willpower, self esteem, goals and actions]
• swadisthana - the sacral/sacred chakra [orange][emotions, desire, relationships, fulfilment, movement and flow]
• muladhara - the root/base chakra [red][community, survival, security, grounding, foundation, earth]

For now, let's just explore the aspects of colour on people.

We know that red can mean danger, caution, be wary, but it also is used in food to create a sense of energy, zest and desire for food. It is also the colour of blood and life. Natural green can calm, heal and be harmonious eg nature in it's various forms especially flowers that combine green and red. blue is tranquil and is used for contemplating eg ocean/sea, black absorbs energy and is often classed as 'depressing' eg a grey bleak winter's day or a black hole. Yellow is vibrant, energising, provides heat and action, just think of the sun and fire. Orange is happy, bright, optimistic and has a quiet strength. Purple is a ancient royal colour and associate with learning and perception ie to be able to judge truthfully. White is a combination of all colours and reflects all light, so it is related to the en'light'ened state for a person, one where they reach a level of all-encompassing knowledge and understanding that embraces and respects all aspects of life. Energetically white is a combination of all wavelengths, and vibrates at a higher frequency.

So as you can see colour can be used to lift your mood, or change your perceptions. Imagine if you consciously picked colours to wear based on what you needed help with. Maybe you do this now but not know it ?

Anyway - consider the essence of colour in your life, whether you actively use it to promote wellbeing, or you use it and have not connected the colour with you mood. Either way, we will discuss the colours and chakras in more detail in the next few posts.