What Do Chakra Bracelets Mean?

• Chakra bracelets help keep your seven chakras, or the spiritual energy centers from the crown of your head to the base of your spine, in alignment.
• They’re usually made with 7 different gemstones or beads (one for each chakra), that relate to your physical, emotional, and spiritual wellbeing.
• Select a bracelet with gems that correlate to your chakra needs: for instance, wear red chakra beads to promote stability and calmness, or green for love and peace.

What is a chakra bracelet?

A chakra bracelet is a bracelet that helps balance your chakras. Wearing a chakra bracelet is believed to keep your chakras—the 7 energy centers in your body—in alignment. Each chakra is believed to be linked to a different gland and associated with a different area of your life, including love, intuition, and creativity. They’re typically made with 7 different gemstones and crystals, each carrying certain healing properties. You can find chakra bracelets in many different colors and styles, each with a particular meaning, or you can make your own.

How do chakra bracelets work?

Chakra bracelets clear energy blockages and restore balance. The gemstones on a chakra bracelet are believed to promote positive energy flow, which may improve your overall spiritual, emotional, and physical well-being. Different chakra bracelets may be worn to balance your chakras, reduce stress or anxiety, regulate emotions, promote physical health, or help you achieve your goals, among other things.

Chakra Bead Colors and Their Properties

Red: the root chakra (Muladhara) Located at the base of the spine, the red chakra deals with the primal urges: food, sleep, sex, and self-preservation. Red chakra beads may help you stay grounded and stable. Associated gems and crystals: red jasper, carnelian, tiger eye, red or black onyx, black tourmaline, bloodstone, pyrite, hematite, and garnet.

Orange: the sacral chakra (Svadhisthana) The orange chakra is located in the pelvis and deals with fluidity, adaptability, creativity, emotions, sexuality, and the unconscious. Orange chakra beads may help regulate emotions and desires. Associated gems and crystals: orange calcite, sunstone, tiger eye, citrine, and carnelian.

Yellow: the solar plexus chakra (Manipura) The yellow chakra is located in the navel and deals with food and digestion, but Shamanic Spiritual Advisor and Reiki Master Emily Christensen notes that the "solar plexus is really tied to our...confidence in ourselves, our confidence in our identity." Yellow chakra beads can therefore "help you feel a lot of drive in your life." Associated gems and crystals: yellow jasper, citrine, amber, topaz, tiger eye

Green: the heart chakra (Anahata) The green chakra is located in the heart and deals with your higher or core self. Green chakra beads promote peace, love, and openness. Associated gems and crystals: rose quartz, emerald, jade, green aventurine, green tourmaline, malachite, peridot, chrysoprase As Christensen notes, rose quartz in particular is great for "healing from past relationships, or [drawing] love to [you] or...[having] more self-love."

Blue: the throat chakra (Vishuddha) The blue chakra is located in the throat and deals with how you communicate and express yourself. Blue chakra beads may help you be more creative and authentic, as well as speak your truth with confidence. Associated gems and crystals: lapis lazuli, sodalite, turquoise, aquamarine, and blue lace agate

Indigo: the third eye chakra (Ajna) The indigo chakra is between the eyebrows and deals with awareness, intuition, vision, inner knowing, imagination, and prophecy. Indigo chakra beads may help to open your third eye, so that you can know yourself better on an emotional, mental, and spiritual level. Associated gems and crystals: lapis lazuli, azurite, amethyst

Violet: the crown chakra (Sahasrara) The violet chakra is located just above the crown of the head and is believed to be the entryway into pure consciousness. As Christensen says, the crown chakra helps you find "signs in the world around you...[and] connect with your spirit guides." Violet chakra beads may promote spiritual enlightenment, self-control, and connection with the universe. Associated gems and crystals: amethyst, labradorite, selenite, clear quartz

How to Choose a Chakra Bracelet

Choose a chakra bracelet with beads that meet your needs. If you’re dealing with a particular issue or just want to maintain chakra alignment, select a bracelet with beads that correlate to your needs. Shamanic Spiritual Advisor and Reiki Master Emily Christensen advises putting a lot of intention into the gems you choose for your bracelet: "Is [the intention] just to balance your chakras? Is it to amplify your energy, is it to give you protection? ...Whatever your intention is is going to affect the stones that you choose for your chakra bracelet." For example, if you’re dealing with a stressful work environment, you might select a bracelet with orange beads to promote adaptability, yellow for determination, and/or blue for self-knowledge and the courage to ask for what you need. If you’d like to become more motivated to achieve your goals, you might pick a bracelet with violet beads, for self-control and enlightenment, indigo, for vision and inner knowledge, and/or yellow, for motivation and energy.

How to Wear a Chakra Bracelet

Wear a chakra bracelet on your left wrist to promote inner healing. If you wish to overcome internal struggles such as stress, mental health concerns, or negative thought patterns, wear your bracelet on your left hand. For example, you might wear your bracelet on your left hand if you struggle with low self-esteem or are working to overcome depression after a breakup.

Wear the bracelet on your right wrist to promote external healing. If you’re dealing with stress due to your external environment, wear your chakra bracelet on your right hand to help you manage your stress and emotions. For instance, you might wear your bracelet on your right hand to alleviate anxiety during a big exam or a job interview.

How to Care for Your Chakra Bracelet

Cleanse your bracelet regularly to promote positive energy. The more you wear your bracelet, the more likely its gemstones are to gather negative energy, which can keep them from working as effectively. As a good rule of thumb, cleanse your bracelet every month or so, using any of the following methods: Smudging: Light palo santo or white sage, and guide the burning palo santo or sage over your bracelet while praying to the universe to restore the gems’ healing energies. Moonlight charging: Place your bracelet outside all night to let the moonlight charge them. (You can do this any night, but it’s most effective under a full moon.) Brown rice: Place your bracelet in a bowl of uncooked rice. Cover it. Leave it for about 24 hours to let it recharge. Sound cleansing: Place your bracelet in a singing bowl and strike the bowl with the mallet to wash the stones in sound. You can also use a tuning fork or bell to create sound if you don't have a singing bowl. Christensen advises cleansing your bracelet as soon as you get it, as the gems' energy may be compromised by "whoever is selling it, [who]ever packaged it...not to mention if there was any kind of trauma involved in how the stone is mined, you know, any kind of environmental things that might have happened."