This introductory article talks about chakras in general, starting from their definition, their link to health and continuing by their role and the way in which they affect us in the physical, emotional and soul plane. However, because only one article would have not been enough to cover, even at primary level, the essential information about each chakra, it will be followed by a series of articles dedicated to each main chakras.
What is a chakra …
In old Sanskrit, chakra means “disc” or “wheel”, and in Indian culture, closely related to sacred symbolism and geometry, the knowledge on chakras has always been used for healing and spiritual evolution. Chakras are represented as lotus flowers, each one of them having a specific number of petals, which mean the opening of potential to its maximum.
Chakras are part of our subtle energy system, playing an extremely important role in the emotional, soul and physical healing process. Chakras are the energy centres positioned along our body, starting from the base of our spine and going to the crown of our head. They accumulate and transmit universal energy. As David Pond says:
“the energy flows from the ground, through the lowest chakra, up to the highest one, but not linearly – there is a cyclical flow, in both directions. (…) Each of these vortexes of subtle energy “offer a different perspective over life or any given situation. The same problem, lived at different levels of consciousness, acquires a whole different meaning. Imagine your spine as being the axis of an elevator, and the chakras – the various floors at which we can experience life. When you go from a floor of consciousness to another, your perspective expands.”
Chakras and your health
Chakras work like batteries—they receive, store and emanate energy, interacting with universal energy. The energy emanated by these chakras flows continuously between yourself and the universe, being closely related to your health condition. In other words, any blocks or restrictions in the way in which these energies flow, determine a faulty operation of the whole body. These operational problems directly reflect in our illnesses, discomfort, fears, energy deficits or emotional imbalances. Chakras are connected to the whole spectrum of human experiences we live throughout our life, they correspond to various levels (anatomical, psychological), archetypal levels, life studies.
In other words, all that we live, all our experiences in relation to ourselves or those around us—friends, relatives, colleagues, people that we pass by, with nature, the places we go through, what we hear, what we read, our thoughts and even the objects that we interact with, all these put their “energy imprint” on us to a lesser or greater extent. The are all part of our energy system.
But the Universe has its own wisdom and it gives us helpful solutions. Chakras react to various colours, crystals, sounds, aromas or mantras, and these lead to various alternative therapies that treat them. When working with chakras, no matter the technique or method used, it would be ideal to constantly keep them in balance and harmony. But one swallow doesn’t make a summer! In order to achieve and maintain this balance, one must make a conscious, constant and permanent effort…
Chakras and their corresponding elements
Before telling you some essential facts about chakras, I would like to talk about one important aspect. You probably know that there are many correspondences between chakras and Archangels, Angels, natural elements, crystals, aromas, sounds and colors.
Knowing these correspondences could help you work on the chakras during your healing process. Also, numerous practices, techniques and therapies are working with these chakras, but I will only name some of the most famous: Reiki, Yoga, meditations, mantras, chromotherapy, aromatherapy, sound therapy etc.
There is a close and not at all random relation between chakras and the days of the week, the latter being connected to a certain type of vital energy that can be activated in your body. More precisely, each chakra corresponds to a day of the week, and this special connection allows you to activate that chakra, work better with the themes/areas/elements associated to it on its corresponding day.
The scientific proof…
Topics such as the existence of the energy system and role of the chakras immediately attracted the interest of the scientific community. Without detailing the tools or technologies used, I can tell you that there are many scientists that by their measurements have proven the existence of chakras.
The people who have meditated at least once or have worked with energetic therapies or various healing techniques have certainly felt the energy of the chakras and do not question their existence.
It is for the the skeptics I felt the need to mention the names of Dr. Hiroshi Motoyama, Prof. Valerie Hunt, Prof. Konstantin Korotkov, Dr. Pradeep B. Deshpande and Dr. Mio Watanabe whose scientific work proved the existence and functioning of the chakras..
The 7 main chakras
There are 7 main chakras and many secondary chakras. These latter ones are estimated by certain authors to vary in number from 80 up to 300; those located in your hands, soles, ovaries, liver, spleen, nipples, eyes, ears are just some of the most well-know ones. Whether main or secondary, these chakras represent the energetic areas in your body used by acupuncture, Reiki or other energy healing practitioners. That being said, the following articles will talk about the functions specific to each chakra.
