Chakra Mandalas

Chakras are the energy centres of the human body, although actually they are just outside of it, in the ethereal body. The 7 main chakras are in the pelvis, just below the umbilicus, in the solar plexus, the heart and the throat, between the eyebrows (the third eye) and on the crown. Currently 13 chakras are known but old Buddhist scriptures mention 88,000 chakras, which means that every location on the body has an energy canal through which energy is absorbed, converted and passed on.

In the Buddhist tradition chakras look like lotus flowers with varying amounts of petals. They rotate, which is why they are called chakras, which means “wheel” in Sanskrit. Chakras turn either to the right or to the left. A chakra which turns to the left in women turns to the right in men and vice- versa. This forms an explanation of the differences in male and female energy.

In each chakra all colour vibrations are present, but each chakra does have one prevailing colour – the colour which corresponds with the basic principle of the chakra.

• Root chakra: red, 4 lotus petals, physical will to exist, basis, foundation.
• Sacrum chakra: orange, 6 lotus petals, creative reproduction of life, togetherness, zest for life, sexual energy.
• Solar plexus chakra: yellow, 10 lotus petals, design of existence, ego, power.
• Heart chakra: green, 12 lotus petals, surrender to existence, love, attachment.
• hroat chakra: blue, 16 lotus petals, resonance of existence, thinking and feeling, communication.
• Third eye chakra: indigo, 2 lotus petals, understanding of existence, intuition, perception.
• Crown chakra: purple, a thousand lotus petals, purity, wisdom, spiritual understanding.

If you want to know more about chakras I recommend the books of Anodea Judith