Chakras in Yoga: A Clear Guide to the Seven Centres

Yoga basics 3 illustrations Updated 2 Nov 2026

Chakras in yoga are a traditional map of seven centres placed along the spine, from its base up to the top of the skull. Chakra means wheel, and each centre is pictured as a spinning wheel or a lotus with a set number of petals. The scheme grew out of medieval tantra and hatha manuals, which used it as a guide for meditation, breath work and concentration.

This page lists the seven chakras with their position, element and theme, suggests poses and practices linked with each in modern chakra yoga classes, and explains clearly what chakras are and are not. They are a symbolic, experiential map for focusing attention, not organs that show up on a scan.

Meaning: Chakra: wheel
Number: Seven main centres along the spine
From: Tantric and hatha yoga texts
First: Muladhara, root, base of spine
Last: Sahasrara, crown of the head
Best seen as: A map for focus and meditation

The seven chakras in yoga at a glance

Chakra	Position	Element	Theme
Muladhara	Tailbone area	Earth	Stability, safety
Svadhisthana	Lower belly	Water	Creativity, feeling
Manipura	Navel	Fire	Will, digestion of experience
Anahata	Centre of the chest	Air	Love, compassion
Vishuddha	Throat	Space	Expression, truth
Ajna	Between the eyebrows	Mind	Insight, focus
Sahasrara	Crown of the head	Beyond elements	Unity, awareness

Chakras in yoga in pictures

Seated meditating figure with seven soft coloured glows placed along the spine from base to crown — Level
All levels
Hold
10 minutes
Works on
Body awareness
The seven centres are usually drawn from the tailbone up to the top of the head, each with its own colour in modern charts.
**Teacher's cue:** Move attention slowly upward, pausing at each point.

Mountain pose with feet rooted firmly into the floor, linked with the root chakra — Level
Beginner
Hold
1 minute
Works on
Grounding
Standing poses like mountain pose are commonly linked with muladhara, the root centre, and a feeling of stability.
**Teacher's cue:** Feel all four corners of each foot pressing down.

Camel pose with the chest lifted, linked with anahata, the heart chakra — Level
Intermediate
Hold
3 to 5 breaths
Works on
Chest opening
Chest opening back bends such as camel pose are linked with anahata, the heart centre.
**Teacher's cue:** Lift the chest first, then reach back.

Where chakras come from

The idea of subtle centres appears in several tantric texts and was developed in hatha yoga works, which describe the nadis, channels of prana, meeting at points along a central channel. Different texts list different numbers of centres; the seven chakra model became standard mainly through a sixteenth century text and later modern writers. The rainbow colours used in many charts are a modern addition. Knowing this history helps you treat chakras as a tradition with variety rather than fixed facts.

Chakra yoga: poses linked with each centre

Muladhara: mountain pose, garland squat, standing balances.
Svadhisthana: hip openers such as butterfly.
Manipura: core work like boat pose and twists.
Anahata: chest openers like camel and cobra.
Vishuddha: fish pose and shoulder stand, gently.
Ajna: eyebrow centre focus and humming breath.
Sahasrara: quiet seated meditation.

These links are traditional associations used in modern classes, not anatomical effects.

A simple chakra meditation

Sit comfortably with eyes closed. Rest attention near the tailbone for three slow breaths. Move up to the lower belly, the navel, the chest, the throat, the brow and the crown, three breaths at each. Then rest attention on the whole spine as one line for a minute. This is a calm body scan along the spine, and many people find it focusing whether or not they hold any belief about energy.

What chakras are not

Chakras do not correspond to physical organs, and no study has shown that they can be blocked, measured or balanced in a way that affects health. Some websites link each chakra with glands or diseases; treat those claims with caution. If you have a health problem, see a doctor and use chakra practices only as meditation. Paid chakra readings or devices that claim to detect imbalance are not based on evidence.

Chakras and kundalini

In kundalini traditions, a dormant energy is imagined resting in muladhara and said to rise through the chakras toward sahasrara. These practices can be intense and are best learned slowly from an experienced teacher. Read more on kundalini yoga and yoga meditation.

Practise on an empty stomach, move slowly into each position and stop at any sharp pain. If you have an injury, a health condition or are pregnant, check with a doctor or an experienced teacher first.