Chakras explained: much of what we take for granted in terms of metaphysics today has deep origins in the philosophies and practices of ancient peoples.
The connections of chakras, archaeology, mythology and history, and the roots of the ancient languages keep this unique wisdom of the body and the universe alive. When you trace them back to their source, incredible doors of awareness open, so in addition to paying tribute to your family’s history, you’ll also be doing your descendants a favor by living in the present with a healthy dose of reverence for the past.
But why have chakras been emphasized in spiritual teachings from ancient times onward? This is apparent: Chakras, also known as energy centers, are focal points where the vital life force is concentrated and channeled. Therefore, studying the centers of energy in your body can tell you a lot about the direction and function of the energy coursing through your physical and astral selves (that is, the first layer of the aura or human energy field).
The free movement of energy is critical. It determines how well you function, how happy you are, and whether or not you are in tune with nature. That’s why learning about your chakras is important and working on increasing the flow of energy within them for optimal health, happiness, harmony, prosperity, love, protection, and comfort. As portals to a world of spiritual possibility, your seven main energy centers, chakras, have fascinated people for thousands of years.
And each of your chakras holds an ancient key that can be used to solve contemporary problems. It means you’re about to bring ancient practices and knowledge into the modern world. The Vedas are the oldest and most sacred texts in ancient Indian culture and are where the modern chakra system can be traced back. The Sanskrit Vedas are a collection of texts that serve as the basis for Ayurvedic medicine and Hindu philosophy in the modern era.
For Hindus, the Vedas are sacred texts full of channeled messages meant to aid humanity in its quest for spiritual enlightenment and development. Each of the four Vedas can be broken down into one of four distinct categories of text. The Upanishads are the most prominent and widely-recognized part of the Vedas. The word “Upanishad” originates from the Sanskrit phrase “sitting down close to,” which alludes to how students gather close to their teacher to receive spiritual information and wisdom.
All of the Vedic knowledge that has been preserved about spirituality and meditation can be found in the Upanishads, also known as Vedanta, one of the Vedic classifications. They detail not only the chakras but also the central Hindu concepts of God (Brahman) and the Soul (Atman), the foundations of modern Hindu practice, and the echoes of these ideas in Buddhism and Sikhism.
So, the chakras are fundamental to religions and philosophies all over the globe (including yoga). There are seven main chakras in your body, plus two anchor chakras that serve as a connection to the physical world and the spiritual realm. However, some traditions suggest that there are anywhere from 50 to 108 energy centers in the body and aura and that these centers respond best to reciting Sanskrit mantras or prayers. Contemporary mantra recitation practices are based on this phenomenon of multiple energy centers aligned with the ancient Sanskrit language. The 108 acupoints in your body are said to be stimulated by repeating this mantra 108 times.
Chakras Explained and Simplified
Chakras, or the body’s energy centers, have recently become a hot topic in the metaphysical world. The question is, what is a chakra in the first place? Chakra is derived from the Sanskrit word for “wheel” or “disk,” and yogis have been working with the chakra system for thousands of years as part of ancient Vedic healing practices and techniques (many of which are still used today).
That’s because, according to Ayurvedic medicine, illness is always the result of some chakra energy blockage. Likewise, acupuncture and other healing modalities recognize that disruptions in the body’s natural energy flow are often at the root of health problems and suffering.
However, Western allopathic medicine is one of the few medical modalities that does not seek out and remove energetic blockages to alleviate physical, mental, and spiritual pain and suffering.
You may be wondering why energy is said to flow through disks (or chakras). To elaborate: Prana, or life force energy, is understood to be an inexhaustible wellspring of awareness of the Divine in the yogic tradition. It is undeniable that energy is constantly moving: Using zero-point theory, quantum mechanics has shown that particles can never be said to be motionless; even in a dormant state, their kinetic energy is not zero. You move subatomically, even at rest, because all matter is energy. Your etheric, or “subtle,” body exists alongside your physical one, but it operates at a higher vibrational state and is invisible to the naked eye. There are nine significant concentrations of energy, or chakras, running vertically through your body from the crown to the base.
The concept of energy centers that are open and functioning well, freely, and comfortably as opposed to energy centers that are closed, constricted, and uncomfortable, is not hard to understand and appreciate, especially since most people are aware that their physical well-being is much more than a physical issue. It is easy to see how pain originates energetically in one of the chakras. It then starts to manifest in the physical body, often close to the chakra origin of the energy wound or trauma, given that pain is nothing more than information being processed over the wires of your central nervous system, information designed to tell you that a system is offline or awry. Energy problems are a common problem, and fortunately, Western medicine can treat their symptoms: If we didn’t have the tools to deal with our discomfort, many of us would surely perish.
Many of your known energy patterns are inherited from your family and ancestors, so it is wise to look deeper and sometimes further back than ever before to find the cause of your physical dis-ease, in your maternal and paternal lines.
Root Chakra discords related to feelings of insecurity are one manifestation of ancestry that includes war. Although you might not be able to pass on your actual war experience, you can certainly take on some of its energetic imprints. There may not be a single physical symptom, but if you’ve always felt uneasy and restless, it may be a sign that something isn’t quite right. Significant health improvement can be achieved by addressing these emotions, which often arise before the onset of physical pain or illness.
The chakras are the starting point for this transformation. Once you’ve pinpointed the offending chakra, you can devise a strategy to redirect the energy flow and restore the chakra’s healthy functioning and harmonious relationship with the other energy centers in your body. Then the inner alchemy can begin to work its miracle, and the body can begin to heal itself. Everything in your life may shift. The first step is to educate yourself and make the conscious decision to embrace a fresh perspective on your happiness, health, and life.
How Does Energy Flow Through Us?
We understand that energy is in constant motion as a collection of oscillating quantum particles, but how exactly does this occur? The Sushumna (which translates to “gracious” or “kind”) is a central channel or column of light through which prana (or chi) flows. The Sushumna houses all seven of the corporal chakras or those that are physically attached to the human body; the secondary chakras, such as the Earth Star and Soul Star chakras discussed here, are located above and below the Sushumna.
Each node is a place where masculine and feminine energies meet and combine. (It’s interesting to note that the energy nodes where the lines don’t meet are symbolic of natural nodes of masculine and feminine integration. This is true for the Sacral Chakra (the seat of creativity), the Heart Chakra (the seat of love), and the Third Eye Chakra (the seat of wisdom). Your chakra system controls the flow of information in your etheric body, like your CNS controls information in your physical body.
How to Balance Chakras for the First Time?
If the illness is caused by energy becoming stuck, then the chakras and the free flow of energy within and between them are crucial to wellness. However, how do you determine if your chakras are in harmony? And if they become unbalanced or blocked, how can you restore order and movement? This entire book is dedicated to that topic. You’ll find detailed instructions for balancing each chakra in the subsequent chapters. Here are three techniques for evaluating, balancing, and stimulating energy flow throughout the chakras. Whenever you feel lethargic, sad, or unable to sleep through the night, you may be experiencing a chakra imbalance. This imbalance can be easily remedied and sustained by following the steps outlined here.
Never put anyone else’s advice before your own, not even this. Have faith in your intuition and instincts. They’ll point you toward what’s best for you at any given time. Take what works for you and leave the rest.
If you’ve noticed a change in your mood, agitation level, or energy level, or if you’ve been experiencing more pain or discomfort in your body than usual, it may be time to take stock of how your energy is flowing (PEF). Whether you’re having a good or bad day depends on your positive affective framework (PEF), which is influenced by internal and external factors. By taking the first step of reading this book and becoming self-aware of your PEF, you’ve already accomplished much of the assessment’s initial work. If you can train your body to recognize the sensation of being in flow, it will be able to recall that feeling and restore equilibrium whenever energy levels fluctuate.
Keep in mind that your body is an amazingly sophisticated system. You can have faith in your body’s innate capacity to heal at any given time; your body’s highest and most constant goal is to achieve homeostasis or complete equilibrium. Your energy centers work together intelligently to create a harmonious balance within your system, just as every organ in your body strives to reach and maintain homeostasis because balance is the comfort zone of the universe.
Yes, equilibrium is your natural state.
You knowingly deviate from equilibrium by engaging in extreme diet, exercise, and primary energy fieldwork. Since food is energy, eating too much or too little of it can throw the physical system out of whack, for example. Inadequate or excessive movement can also disrupt the body’s energy flow. Furthermore, emotional and energetic disorientation can occur when you’re exposed to too much sadness, stress, tension, chatter, or noise. However, this does not occur instantly; instead, it results from decades of inattention to maintaining equilibrium.
Your chakras can benefit from regular evaluation just as much as your physical health. This exercise is a simple way to assess the state of your energy centers (chakras) and gain insight quickly and effectively into the areas that require immediate attention.
Say your name softly, out loud, and often to bring your energy into the present moment, or visualize your name written in the sand on a picturesque beach. Be open to the presence of your guides. Invoke the protectors of space and time and have them hold down the four directions and the four cardinal points as you begin to examine your spiritual chakras.
