Yesterday’s post covered what the chakra system actually is in its tantric context. Today’s is the practical follow-up: a step-by-step meditation that works through all seven centers, using breath, color visualization, and the bija (seed) mantras traditionally associated with each one.
You don’t need to take a metaphysical position on chakras to find this useful. Even approached as a structured body-scan with intention and imagery added, this practice tends to produce a noticeable quality of settled, grounded awareness by the end.
Before You Begin
Set aside 15–20 minutes. Sit comfortably with your spine upright — on the floor with a cushion, or in a chair with your feet flat on the ground. Close your eyes and take three slow breaths to arrive. Set a gentle timer if you’re worried about losing track of time.
The structure is simple: for each chakra, you’ll rest your attention on the associated body location, breathe into it, visualize a color, and silently repeat its bija mantra three times. Move upward from root to crown.
Step 1: Muladhara — Root Chakra
Location: Base of the spine / pelvic floor Color: Deep red Bija mantra: Lam
Bring your attention to the very base of your spine. Feel the weight of your body pressing into your seat. On your inhale, imagine a deep red light gathering at this point; on your exhale, let it settle and expand slightly. Silently repeat lam (rhymes with “calm”) three times. Spend 2–3 breaths here before moving up.
Step 2: Svadhisthana — Sacral Chakra
Location: Just below the navel, lower abdomen Color: Orange Bija mantra: Vam
Move your attention upward to the area just below your navel. Breathe into the lower belly, letting it soften and expand. Visualize a warm orange light here — fluid, moving slightly, like a slow flame. Repeat vam (rhymes with “calm”) three times. Rest here for 2–3 breaths.
Step 3: Manipura — Solar Plexus Chakra
Location: Navel center / upper abdomen Color: Bright yellow Bija mantra: Ram
Shift your attention to the navel center and the upper abdomen. On your inhale, imagine a bright, sunlike yellow light expanding here — warm, strong, steady. Repeat ram (rhymes with “calm”) three times. Notice any sense of warmth or activation in this region before moving on.
Step 4: Anahata — Heart Chakra
Location: Center of the chest Color: Emerald green (sometimes depicted as pink) Bija mantra: Yam
Bring your attention to the center of your chest. Let your next inhale expand the chest gently, as if making space. Visualize a soft, luminous green light radiating from this center. Repeat yam (rhymes with “calm”) three times. If emotions arise here, let them without trying to shift or suppress them — this center is associated with feeling, and some tenderness is normal.
Step 5: Vishuddha — Throat Chakra
Location: Throat and neck Color: Sky blue Bija mantra: Ham
Move your attention to your throat. On your inhale, imagine a clear sky-blue light filling the throat and neck. Notice whether the throat feels open or slightly constricted — there’s no need to change it, just observe. Repeat ham (rhymes with “calm”) three times. Swallowing naturally as you do this is fine.
Step 6: Ajna — Third Eye Chakra
Location: Between and slightly above the eyebrows Color: Indigo / deep violet Bija mantra: Om
Bring your attention to the space between your eyebrows. Breathe gently and imagine a deep indigo or violet light here — steady and focused, like a single point of clarity. Repeat Om three times, letting the resonance of the sound settle inward. Stay with any quality of stillness or inner seeing that arises.
Step 7: Sahasrara — Crown Chakra
Location: Crown of the head Color: Violet or white light Bija mantra: Silence, or Om
Finally, raise your attention to the very crown of your head. Rather than a contained light, imagine this center as an opening — a soft white or violet light that extends upward and outward, connecting you to something larger than the individual self. Rest here in silence for at least 4–5 breaths. This is the least “doing” part of the practice — just open, receptive awareness.
Closing
After resting at the crown, slowly draw your attention back downward through each center in reverse order — crown, third eye, throat, heart, solar plexus, sacral, root — spending just one breath at each. This grounds you back into the body before you open your eyes.
Take a final slow breath, open your eyes gently, and give yourself a moment before moving into the next thing.
What to Expect
The first few times through, some centers will feel more vivid or resonant than others — this is normal and worth noticing without over-interpreting. With repetition, the practice becomes faster to settle into, and the differences between centers often become more distinct and informative.
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