Chakra Crystal Basics

Our primary chakras are the seven pinwheel-shaped energy centers that are located along our spines, connected by energy channels called nadis.

We get the concept from Eastern cosmologies—everything from Hinduism to Jainism to Buddhism to Silat has a tradition of the movement of energy throughout the body.

What is a Chakra?

To get a better idea of what chakras are, you really should imagine a pinwheel. Picture one spinning in the breeze. If the breeze is just right and the pinwheel is in good condition, it spins seamlessly.

But if there’s something wrong, if just one petal in the pinwheel is off or if the air is stagnant, it may spin for a moment, but the spinning cannot be sustained. That is what a poorly aligned chakra is like.

When the chakras are aligned, there is a sense of balance achieved. You won’t only feel it spiritually, but physically and emotionally as well.

How Do I Balance My Chakras?

Balancing your chakras is a complex and nuanced task, a whole field of practices unto itself. It’s a delicate combination of the right diet, the right environments, the right physical movements, and the right spiritual practice.

One important facet to chakra balancing is crystal work. There are many different ways to work with crystals to help balance our chakras—be it just holding them, creating gem elixirs or crystal grids—but today we’ll be discussing the basics: which crystals to use for which chakras.

Use the handy guide below to get you started on balancing your chakras with crystals.

Root Chakra: Grounding, stability, security, self-mastery

Crystals: Hematite, black tourmaline, red jasper, bloodstone, garnet, ruby.

Sacral Chakra: Sexuality, creativity, self-gratification

Crystals: Carnelian, rutilated quartz, amber, citrine

Solar Plexus Chakra: Self-definition, self-esteem, intuition, personal power, the ability to relax

Crystals: Citrine, golden calcite, golden topaz

Heart Chakra: Emotions, our ability to love, self-acceptance, empathy, compassion

Crystals: Tourmaline, rose quartz, rhodonite, rhodochrosite, aventurine

Throat Chakra: Articulation, communication, self-expression, communication with the divine

Crystals: Sodalite, lapis lazuli, blue lace agate, kunzite

Third Eye Chakra: Telepathy, self-knowledge, psychic power

Crystals: Amethyst, fluorite, sugilite, charoite

Crown Chakra: Self-knowledge, the higher self, direct communication with the divine

Crystals: Clear quartz, selenite, amethyst, scolecite