I don’t know about you, but every so often I feel like there is nothing in my closet that I want to wear. I’ll have plenty of clothes that used to suit me just fine, but suddenly I’ll be repelled by outfits I used to wear religiously. At first I thought I was just being fickle, but lately I’ve come to realize that my wardrobe taste is reflecting the health of my chakras, and the type of chakra balancing I need to engage in.
If you’re not familiar with the chakras or what chakra balancing is, let me back up for a second. Chakras are energy centers that run from the top of our heads to the point just below our spines. We have seven chakras and each of them regulate a part of our physical, emotional, and spiritual beings.
Here is a brief rundown of the seven chakras.
If you want more detailed information, you may want to try the book Chakra Healing: A Beginner’s Guide to Self-Healing Techniques that Balance the Chakras by Margarita Alcantara.
The root chakra, or first chakra, located at the base of your spine, helps you to feel grounded and stable when it is balanced. With a balanced and healthy root chakra, you will have confidence in yourself and others around you. You will also be confident in your ability to take care of your basic needs for survival. When it comes to your physical life, your root chakra can be considered something of a foundation. If your root chakra is unbalanced or blocked, you can feel depressed or fatigued, fearful or even nervous. You may have money problems or struggles taking care of your basic needs.
The sacral chakra, or second chakra, located around your lower abdomen, is associated with our emotional nature. It is also related to sexuality and creativity. If this chakra is balanced you are in touch with your emotions and may have a healthy sex drive. You are not afraid to be passionate. You are also comfortable and in touch with your creative nature. If there is a problem with this chakra, you may struggle with intimate relationships. You may also feel blocked when it comes to expressing your creative side.
The navel chakra, or third chakra, located at your stomach or solar plexus, has to do with self esteem and personal boundaries. When this chakra is balanced you stand up for yourself and draw the line in the sand when you have to. You have a healthy self-esteem and can give to others without being walked all over. You have no problems making decisions and tend to have a good sense of humor. If the chakra is unbalanced, you could have trouble concentrating and making decisions. You might also let people walk all over you and find yourself giving too much of yourself for your own good.
The heart chakra, or fourth chakra, located in the middle of your chest, is about your ability to freely give and receive love. When this chakra is balanced you are likely to be compassionate and friendly and you may work well in team situations. You haven’t closed your heart because of past hurts; rather, your heart is open and willing to love and trust others. I’m not talking blind trust and being reckless with your heart. This is about making wise heart decisions. If your heart chakra is unbalanced, you could have self-acceptance challenges. You may also have a tendency to be negative about relationships. If it is unbalanced, you might also be shy and introverted and afraid to share yourself with others.
Read: Ready for a relationship? How to balance your heart chakra
The throat chakra, or fifth chakra, is located — you guessed it — around your throat area. This is the source of self-expression and communication. When this chakra is healthy you aren’t afraid to express your truth. Your real truth. However, if this chakra is unhealthy, you may be living a lie. You may be afraid to tell people how you really feel or show them who you really are.
The third eye chakra, or sixth chakra, located around your forehead, has to do with your intuition. When this chakra is balanced, you have the ability to fantasize and your intuition is strong. You may even have strong psychic abilities. When this chakra is unbalanced, you may have balance issues and insomnia. You may also rely too heavily on logic and be afraid to trust your intuition.
The crown chakra, or seventh chakra, is on the top of your head and is associated with your connection to the Universe. When this chakra is open you are at one with the world and yourself. You accept your own spirituality. If it is blocked, there could be a feeling of being disconnected from the world, or you may even experience some mental illness.
Using colors for chakra balancing
So now that we’ve had this primer on the chakras, what does that have to do with wardrobe? Well, one of the ways to balance our chakras is to use colors. Each chakra is associated with a particular color, so when we want to engage in chakra balancing, we can use this knowledge to our advantage.
The root chakra is associated with red.
The sacral chakra is associated with orange.
The navel chakra is associated with yellow.
The heart chakra is associated with pink or green.
The throat chakra is associated with (light) blue.
The third eye chakra is associated with indigo.
The crown chakra is associated with purple.
If you want to balance a particular chakra, you work with its associated color. For example, if I’m feeling closed off and afraid to love and I want to do a little bit of chakra balancing, I can rock some pink and green. So when you’re shopping pay attention to the colors you are drawn to. There have been seasons when I’ve been drawn to everything orange. (My spirit was trying to tell me that my sacral chakra needed some attention — and yes, I was having relationship woes at the time.) Some years I’m drawn to everything red. (During those times, I need a little extra grounding.)
If you are feeling like your wardrobe needs a refresher, pay attention to the colors you are drawn to. Even if shopping isn’t in your budget, take the time to go to the mall and look at the colors you’re gravitating to. You can take that knowledge and work with that particular chakra in other ways.
