How to make a chakra bracelet that will balance your look (and possibly, your energy)

Sure, a solid-gold ring stack or a chunky chain necklace can bring balance to your outfit—making, say, your slouchiest sweatpants feel brunch-appropriate. But can they also harmonize your chakras?

Doubt it, which is where crystal jewelry comes in. It’s thought that crystals’ molecules vibrate at restorative frequencies that our bodies can pick up on, which is why many people use them for energy healing purposes. “Much like tuning forks, crystals work with the principle of sympathetic resonance,” explains Mariah K. Lyons, the crystal healer, herbalist, and reiki master behind high-vibe gemstone footwear line Astara. “As they hold and radiate a specific harmonic frequency, the body responds and aligns itself to that healing frequency. When we wear or place crystals on our body, our energetic field is able to respond accordingly and realign with balance and harmony.”

And since chakras are believed to be vortexes of concentrated energy within us—each one connected to certain aspects of our bodies and lives—crystals are considered a powerful tool in correcting imbalances within these chakras. Not sure if your chakras are out of whack? Hate to break it to you, but if you’re a human living in the world today, they almost definitely are. “Chakras can fall out of balance from stress, fear, neglect, stagnation, [past or present] trauma, accidents, emotional wounds, and environmental triggers,” says Lyons.

One way to bring your chakras back into alignment, metaphysical experts claim, is to keep a crystal (or several) on you at all times—in the form of jewelry, perhaps. Here, Lyons shares more on chakra imbalances and how to make a bracelet that’s specifically attuned to your individual needs. Because nothing completes an outfit quite like energetic BDE.

Here’s your step-by-step DIY guide for how to make a chakra bracelet—customized especially for you.

So how do I know what my chakra imbalances are?

Before you get your woo-woo Martha Stewart on, you need to know which chakras are in need of a tune-up—and, like, what chakras even are. “The chakra system originated in India, thousands of years ago… linking the physical, psychological, emotional, and spiritual realms,” explains Lyons. “The word chakra in Sanskrit translates to ‘wheel’ or ‘disk,’ in that it is a spinning wheel of energy within the body.” She goes on to say that there are seven main (invisible) chakras in the body, all running along the spine and the head, and that each has its own color, sound frequency, element, organ, and life phase attached to it.

The key to knowing which of your chakras is blocked or imbalanced is knowing which areas of your life feel like they’re not flowing. (Here’s a guide to get you started.) “When a chakra is out of balance, it is relaying information on a specific area that requires more focus, attention and care,” says Lyons. “For example, if the sacral chakra is out of balance—the second energetic center within the lower abdomen or pelvis area—the individual may experience a lack of creativity, sexual desire, pleasure, and feelings of lacking emotional support.”

As mentioned before, certain crystals are correlated with certain chakras. Once you know which of your energy centers needs the most love, check out Lyons’ guide to choosing crystals for your chakra bracelet.

1. Root chakra (Muladhara): black onyx, black tourmaline, snowflake obsidian, ruby, garnet, smoky quartz, hematite

2. Sacral chakra (Svadhisthana): carnelian, ruby, tangerine quartz, sunstone, orange calcite

3. Solar plexus (Manipura): pyrite, citrine, tiger’s eye, copper, ametrine, calcite

4. Heart chakra (Anahata): rose quartz, rhodonite, malachite, ruby fuschite, aventurine, watermelon tourmaline, jade, emerald, ruby

5. Throat chakra (Vishuddha): blue lace agate, sodalite, blue kyanite, blue calcite, celestite, angelite

6. Third eye (Ajna): lapis lazuli, amethyst, azurite, sapphire

7. Crown chakra (Sahasrara): clear quartz, diamond, Herkimer diamond, amethyst, K2, selenite

How to make a chakra bracelet

Okay, time to get crafty. Making your chakra bracelet is a lot easier than it may seem, and it only involves two materials—clear elastic string and crystal beads. Lyons recommends buying your crystals from a credible supplier like Fire Mountain Gems, to ensure they’re high quality and ethically sourced. You can either use one crystal from each chakra category to balance all of your energy centers at once, or focus in on one specific chakra by using seven of the same stone. Oh, and you’ll notice that the colored crystals are bookended with clear quartz. That’s because this stone is known to amplify the energy of all the others, making your chakra bracelet extra powerful.

Once your DIY party’s complete—and you’ve cleansed and charged the bracelet with an intention, à la Lyons’ instructions—you can wear it whenever you need an energetic boost or, you know, all the time. Your go-to hoop earrings were getting kinda lonely anyway, right?

Supplies needed:

• Scissors
• Clear elastic string (make sure the width is smaller than the beads opening)
• 7 crystal gemstone beads / 1 for each chakra or 7 associated with the same chakra
• 20-40 clear quartz beads, depending upon size of bead (more for smaller, less for larger)

To make the chakra bracelet:

1. Wrap the elastic band around your wrist twice and tie a knot at one end.

2. Begin by stringing roughly half of your clear quartz beads on your elastic.

3. Then, begin placing your gemstones one on top of another, starting with the root chakra bead, then sacral chakra bead, solar plexus bead, heart chakra bead, throat chakra bead, third eye bead, and finishing with crown chakra bead—seven total gemstones that resemble a long rainbow. (Or a long string of a single color, if you’re working with only one chakra.)

4. Continue stringing the rest of the clear quartz beads.

5. Measure your wrist again and knot off the elastic when the beads wrap all around your wrist. The colored beads should sit in the middle of your wrist.

6. Tie the two ends together and knot off.

7. Cut the remaining elastic band.

8. Cleanse and charge your bracelet, setting a clear intention for balance and harmony.

To cleanse and charge your bracelet:

1. Place the bracelet under running water and set the intention for the gemstones to be cleansed and cleared of any and all heavy or unwanted energy.

2. Dry the bracelet off and place it in your hands. Close your eyes.

3. Set the intention that this chakra balancing bracelet cleanses, aligns, and revitalizes all of your chakras, allowing for greater ease, flow, and joy in life.

Another bonus of wearing crystals and gemstones: They can also help to balance your Ayurvedic doshas. Not exactly the do-it-yourself type? Here’s where you can buy high-vibe jewelry instead.