The 7 Chakras
From root to crown, seven wheels of energy line the spine in tantric tradition.
In short
What are the 7 chakras?
Chakras ("wheels" in Sanskrit) are seven energy centers described by tantric and yogic tradition, aligned along the spine: Muladhara (root, safety), Svadhisthana (sacral, creativity), Manipura (solar plexus, willpower), Anahata (heart, love), Vishuddha (throat, expression), Ajna (third eye, intuition) and Sahasrara (crown, consciousness). Each is associated with a color, an element, a mantra and balancing practices.
Crown Chakra · Sahasrāra
Sahasrāra, 'the thousand-petaled lotus' (sahasra: thousand, āra: spoke or petal), is the seventh and ultimate chakra in Tantric tradition. It is less an energetic center in the ordinary sense than a state of consciousness — the place of encounter between the individual ātman and the universal Brahman, between the drop and the ocean. Here, kuṇḍalinī śakti, having traversed all lower chakras, reaches its ultimate destination: union with Śiva, pure and unmanifested consciousness. Tradition describes this moment as samādhi — complete absorption in pure being, beyond time, space, and separation. The element is no longer an element in the classical sense: it is pure consciousness (cit), beyond even ether and light. The thousand-petaled lotus radiates all colors and all syllables of Sanskrit — symbol of the fullness of all potentialities. The deity is Paramaśiva in his absolute aspect, the indistinct union of all divine forms. Tradition emphasizes that Sahasrāra can be neither activated by technique alone, nor understood by the intellect — it reveals itself through grace (prasāda) and the dissolution of the practicing ego. It is the chakra of non-duality, of ineffable mystery, of fullness that needs nothing. In its resonance, all questions cease — not through ignorance, but through the disappearance of the one who questioned.
Crown of the skull, fontanelle · Pure Consciousness · Mantra OM (ou silence sacré)
Third Eye Chakra · Ājñā
Ājñā, 'command' or 'authority' (ājñā: order, command), is the sixth chakra, seat of transcendent intuition and direct vision. Here, the two polar nāḍīs — Iḍā (moon, feminine) and Piṅgalā (sun, masculine) — converge and dissolve, giving way to the sole median channel (suṣumnā). It is the convergence point of opposites, the place where the knower and the known tend toward unity. The associated element is Light (āloka or subtle tejas) — no longer the gross elements of the manifested world, but the very substance of perception. The lotus with only two great petals (sometimes interpreted as two wings, symbols of Iḍā and Piṅgalā) bears the syllables Haṃ and Kṣaṃ. The deity is Paramaśiva in his subtle aspect, with Hākinī as the six-faced śakti, symbolizing the six siddhi (powers) of awakened consciousness. Tradition teaches that Ājñā is Śiva's third eye — the eye that sees beyond time and forms, perceiving reality as it is. Its awakening is associated with the development of intuition, clairvoyance, discernment (viveka), and the wisdom that distinguishes the real from the illusory. This chakra is the center of the inner guru — the voice of deep consciousness that guides without error.
Between the two eyes, at the center of the forehead · Light · Mantra OM
Throat Chakra · Viśuddha
Viśuddha, 'the pure' or 'purification' (viśuddhi: absolute purity), is the fifth chakra, center of authentic expression and truth. It marks entry into subtle spheres — where one leaves the domain of matter and psyche to approach spirit. The Ether element (ākāśa) governs here: the fifth element, prior to all others, substance of space and sound. Tradition teaches that speech is creative — as in Vedic cosmology where the primordial sound AUM precedes all manifestation. Viśuddha is the place where thought becomes word, where the interior reveals itself to the world. The sixteen-petaled lotus of smoky blue color bears the sixteen vowels of Sanskrit, symbols of all expressible vibrations. Sadāśiva, a form of Śiva in his eternal aspect, is the associated deity, with Śākinī as śakti. The symbolic animal is the white elephant — strength purified by knowledge. Tradition distinguishes two aspects of this chakra: expression (speaking one's truth) and reception (truly listening). One without the other creates imbalance. An awakened Viśuddha confers the power of right speech — not manipulation or seduction, but words that illuminate and liberate. It is the chakra of communicative integrity.
Throat, at the level of the larynx and thyroid · Ether · Mantra HAM
Heart Chakra · Anāhata
Anāhata, 'the unstruck sound' or 'the indestructible' (ana-āhata: not-struck, designating the primordial sound of the cosmos not produced by a collision), is the fourth chakra, the pivot point of the entire system. It is the great crossroads — where matter meets spirit, where the personal rejoins the universal, where fear dissolves into love. The Air element (vāyu), invisible and omnipresent, governs here. Like breath, the love associated with Anāhata is neither possessive nor conditional: it is the quality of consciousness that recognizes unity beneath diversity. The twelve-petaled lotus of luminous green, sometimes tinged with rose, bears the syllables Kaṃ, Khaṃ, Gaṃ, Ghaṃ, Ṅaṃ, Caṃ, Chaṃ, Jaṃ, Jhaṃ, Ñaṃ, Ṭaṃ, and Ṭhaṃ. Īśa (Śiva in his aspect of grace) is the associated deity, with Kākinī as śakti. Within the lotus is a yantra of two interlaced triangles — symbol of the union of polarities. Tradition teaches that Anāhata is the seat of the ātman — the individual divine spark — and that its resonance is compassion, gratitude, and forgiveness. Here the practitioner discovers that love is not a feeling but a state of being.
Center of the chest, at the level of the heart · Air · Mantra YAM
Solar Plexus Chakra · Maṇipūra
Maṇipūra, 'city of jewels' (maṇi: jewel, pūra: city or fullness), is the third chakra, seat of the inner fire (agni) in Tantric and Āyurvedic tradition. It is the center of personal will, the power to act, and self-confidence understood not as ego, but as a force of action aligned with dharma. The Fire element (tejas) governs here: heat, transformation, digestion — in the literal and symbolic sense. Maṇipūra transforms the raw energies of survival (Mūlādhāra) and desire (Svādhiṣṭhāna) into oriented and mastered action. The ten-petaled lotus of luminous yellow bears the syllables Ḍaṃ, Ḍhaṃ, Ṇaṃ, Taṃ, Thaṃ, Daṃ, Dhaṃ, Naṃ, Paṃ, and Phaṃ. Rudra (an aspect of Śiva linked to fire and purifying destruction) is the associated deity, with Lākinī as śakti. The symbolic animal is the ram, emblem of direct and ardent will. Tradition teaches that this chakra is the birthplace of psychological autonomy — the capacity to say yes and no from one's center, to make courageous decisions, and to assume one's own inner authority. Its flame, properly channeled, illuminates without consuming.
Solar plexus, between the navel and the sternum · Fire · Mantra RAM
Sacral Chakra · Svādhiṣṭhāna
Svādhiṣṭhāna, meaning 'its own abode' or 'dwelling of the self' (sva: self, adhiṣṭhāna: dwelling), is the second chakra in Tantric tradition. It is the center of movement, flow, and sacred pleasure. Associated with the Water element (āpas), its energy is fluid, changing, creative — like the moon and tides. Here resides the creative life force (śakti) in its most immediate form: desire, sensuality, imagination, aesthetic pleasure. Tantric tradition venerates this chakra as the seat of pure emotion, prior to mental constructs. The six-petaled lotus of vermilion color bears the syllables Baṃ, Bhaṃ, Maṃ, Yaṃ, Raṃ, and Laṃ. Varuṇa, god of waters and cosmic truth, is the associated deity, with Rākinī as śakti. The symbolic animal is the crocodile (makara), master of unconscious depths. Tradition teaches that imbalance in this center often arises from guilt around pleasure or repression of creative desire. Its awakening releases organic joy and the capacity to flow with change rather than resist it. This is the chakra of intimacy — with oneself, with another, with the mystery of the living.
Lower abdomen, approximately two fingers below the navel · Water · Mantra VAM
Root Chakra · Mūlādhāra
Mūlādhāra, whose Sanskrit name means 'root support' (mūla: root, ādhāra: foundation), is the first energetic center according to Tantric tradition. It constitutes the seat of earthly consciousness, the place where kuṇḍalinī śakti lies dormant, coiled three and a half times around the Svayambhu liṅgam, awaiting awakening. This chakra governs our most archaic relationship to existence: the right to be alive, fundamental security, the survival instinct. In yogic cosmology, it is associated with the Earth element (pṛthivī), dense and stable, and with the yellow square tattva. The energy of Mūlādhāra is that of groundedness, tribe, and ancestral memory. The tradition associates primal fear as its dominant emotion — not as pathology, but as a primitive alarm signal preserving life. Its yantra is a yellow square inscribed within a four-petaled crimson lotus, each petal bearing the syllables Vaṃ, Śaṃ, Ṣaṃ, and Saṃ. The resident deity is Gaṇeśa — lord of beginnings and obstacles — accompanied by Ḍākinī. Working with this chakra means establishing the foundations of a solid spiritual life: no ascension is possible without groundedness.
Base of the spine, perineum · Earth · Mantra LAM