What are Chakra Mantras?

Chakra mantras are meditation tools believed to help open the seven major chakras of the body. The chakras are believed to be the body's centers of spiritual and physical energy, and each chakra is said to correspond to a certain type of energy in the body. Psychological, emotional, and physical traumas are said to create blockages or energy imbalances in the seven chakras. Chanting chakra mantras during meditation is believed to help clear the chakras of negative energy and stabilize the flow of spiritual energy between all the chakras. Chanting chakra mantras regularly is said to lead to increased energy, greater health, deeper emotional stability, and clearer thinking.

The body's seven major chakras are said to align vertically from the base of the spine to the crown of the head. The root chakra, located at the perineum, is believed to house energies of self-preservation and feelings of being grounded. The sacral chakra, in the lower belly, is believed to correspond to sexual and creative energy, while the third, or solar plexus, chakra is said to correspond to will power and self-control. The heart chakra, located over the breast bone, is said to correspond to expressions of love, especially deep spiritual feelings of love. The throat chakra is said to control one's powers of communication and awareness of one's own spiritual and other needs. The third-eye chakra, in the forehead, is said to be responsible for intuitive energy, while the crown chakra of the head is said to be the seat of spiritual enlightenment, or awareness of a higher spiritual power.

The mantra for the root chakra is believed to be the single syllable, "lam." The sacral chakra generally carries the mantra "vam," while the solar plexus chakra usually carries the mantra "ram." The heart chakra is generally associated with the mantra "yam," while the throat chakra is most often connected to the mantra "ham." The third-eye chakra is typically associated with the mantra "om," while the crown chakra is most associated with the similarly pronounced mantra "aum."

Chanting these chakra mantras in succession, from lam to aum, is said to help balance the chakra energies and clear negative energy from the body's spiritual centers. Some practitioners of chakra balancing meditation recommend visualizing each chakra illuminated in its corresponding color, or even placing a hand over each chakra's physical location, while chanting the chakra mantras in succession.