Are the Chakras Really Rainbow Coloured?

Article by Taryn Walker

I was absolutely devastated when I was first told that the chakras are not actually rainbow coloured. I love the rainbow chakra system. It’s so beautiful and lovely and it fits so nicely with the idea that we can evolve a rainbow body and become sparkly rainbow warriors! But is this just some fluffy new age idealism?

I first heard the tragic news that the original yogic teachings on the chakras speak nothing of a rainbow system in a life-changing lecture at an amazing yoga school in Thailand. Traditional knowledge of the chakras was revealed to the common man around a hundred years ago and because it is still so new to us there is often a lot of misinterpretation as we try to make sense of it. The chakras are highly complex. Accessing the deeper aspects of our chakras requires a lot of effort through daily practice. Quite a lot of us are looking for a quick and easy route, which often doesn’t work or have lasting beneficial results.

Working with the colours of the chakras is an advanced practice which requires a certain level of lucidity to be able to actually visualise and hold colours in the mind’s eye. It also requires a deep understanding of astral colours. The red of the root chakra, for example, is a very specific astral red and not just any red you imagine. We know that colours vibrate at a particular frequency. To get into perfect resonance with something requires you to attune with very specific frequencies. I think a lot of people are practicing a form of colour therapy when trying to visualise the chakras, which has its own benefits, but they’re not attuning to the chakras successfully. Many students of yoga choose not to work with the colours as there are other aspects of the chakras that are more easily accessible to most people.

The rainbow chakra system became very popular in the 70s and most people aren’t even aware that there are more traditional yogic teachings on the chakras which are very different. A man named Christopher Hills wrote a book on personality theory called “Nuclear Revolution” in which he suggests that the chakras relate to the 7 colours of the rainbow. The hippies of the 70s went wild with this concept and it continues to grow in popularity to this day. Who doesn’t love a rainbow?

When researching traditional chakra teachings and the rainbow chakra understanding, I’ve found a lot of contradictory but also complementary information in books and online. This can get very confusing and I value the guidance of a good teacher for this reason. A lot of people make the mistake of trusting information found randomly online without questioning the authenticity.

Does it matter which chakra system you use? I think the only thing you need to ask yourself is whether it’s working for you or not. If the system you’re using is not producing noticeable beneficial results then try something else. The fruits of any practice are really what matter. If the rainbow chakra system suits you and it helps you to heal and evolve as a person, then by all means, keep working with it. If you prefer a traditional approach, you’d be wise to find a teacher or guru you trust to pass on ancient wisdom accurately and to guide you on your journey through the chakras.

What I love about Reiki practice is that all ways of understanding the chakras are welcome. Reiki doesn’t mind which system you prefer. Reiki reaches all the chakras and brings balance where needed no matter what you believe. If you teach about the chakras in your Reiki courses, it’s a good idea to let students know that there are differing belief systems so that they are aware that there are different options. The system that works for you won’t necessarily work for all your students.

I wish I could see the chakras. There’s a part of me that wishes that the ancient yogis were wrong and that we are indeed beaming rainbow light to the world. Most of us are not going to do the hard-core work required to be able to see invisible colours but I do trust those yogi dudes who sat in caves meditating for 25 years. Once I’d recovered from the initial shock of having my rainbow fantasy destroyed by ancient yogic wisdom, I remembered that my own power of belief means a lot. I personally kept some of the rainbow system because I just couldn’t let go of the colours, but I integrated the deep wisdom of the ancient yogic teachings and it’s working really well for me.

Do you work with the chakras in your Reiki practice? Do you think it matters which system you use? Is there anyone out there who actually sees the chakras?

I’d love to hear what you think about this. I get more questions from clients and students about the chakras than anything else.

With love and rainbow light 😉
Taryn

Free eBook download: We’ve created an eBook with our best articles on this topic, and offer it for free to all our newsletter subscribers.

Taryn Walker is a traveling Reiki Master Teacher who wishes to inspire people to realise that they are miraculous! She believes that Reiki can reveal our natural ability to heal ourselves and this empowers us to take responsibility for our lives. She works a lot with distant Reiki and loves the way it allows people to experience the illusion of separation. Taryn is grateful for being able to connect with her Reiki clients even while traveling. She usually lives on a little island in Thailand, where she practices and teaches Reiki, but finds ‘home’ wherever she is. Taryn enjoys yoga, nature, creating art, cooking and finding magic in “ordinary” places. Follow her here: https://reiki-alchemy.com/, and  https://www.facebook.com/alchemyhealing.