Chakra
by Krysta CardinaleChakra comes from Sanskrit and means “wheel” or “circle.” It is an energy that is said to reside in the body. There have been discrepancies over how many chakras are in the body, but the most used belief would be a division of seven. Each one of these seven represents a basic energy center that runs down the center of the body. The crown is at the top of the system, the heart chakra is the middle, and the root is the base. Chakras relate to many functions of the body including consciousness, developmental stages of life, sounds, and colors.
Chakra has become a new age phrase that is common within households. Its history dates back to ancient India from about 2,000-600 B.C. It was first discusses in the “Vedas.” The “Vedas” is the oldest written book in India’s history. The chakras became a part of yoga philosophy in the Tantric tradition of the 7th Century. The Tantric tradition includes practices of yoga, worships of deities (significantly Hindu), and the combining of opposing forces. The main idea of chakras was brought to western civilizations in about 1919 by an Englishman, Arthur Avalon. He translated the main text into English in his book, “The Serpent Power.”
The Seven Chakras
These seven represent the immortal soul of the human being. They are deciphered by color, location of the body, and what they signify.
• Crown- It is located right above the head, and is represented by the violet color or white. Its main function is the connection to the divine. It signifies the element of space.
• Third Eye- It is determined by the color purple. The third eye symbolizes enlightenment throughout history, and its purpose is intuition. It represents the element of time.
• Throat- This primary function is for speech and self expression. It is represented by the color blue and symbolizes the element of life.
• Heart/Lung- It is a medium green color and its main function devotion, love, and compassion. It represents the element air. It is often referred to as the heart chakra and is located in the middle of the whole system.
• Solar Plexus- This one is known as the power chakra. It rules over our personal power, will, and metabolism. It symbolizes the element of fire and is the color yellow.
• Sacrum- This is related to the element of water and is the color orange. The sacrum is located at the middle of the pelvis bone. It connects to emotions, creativity, and sexuality.
• Root- This is the foundation of the system, and is located at the base of the spine. It is representative of the element earth, and is depicted as the color red. It relates to instinct, survival, and security.
Chakra Healing
Chakra Healing is considered a holistic form of medicine. One can apparently cure their illnesses or ailments through treatment. Take for example when you feel uncomfortable and nervous, it makes you get an upset stomach. These are your emotions chakra manifesting into physical form. Most emotional and health issues are caused or effected by similar issues. Chakra healing determines which section of the system has something wrong with it or is blocked, and then focuses on it. It is said that many chakras have been troubled since childhood. They can even be affected from past issues that one was not aware of at that time. Chakra healing does not guarantee it can fix all human problems, because there are some physical ailments that are unrelated to chakras.
Chakra Balancing
The belief of Chakra balancing is to keep the flow of life energy evenly distributed throughout the body. If the flow is too open or too closed, it will produce negative effects. Chakra balancing maintains the steady flow by keeping all of its sections aligned in the system from the crown to the root. This leaves the person with a higher spiritual connection and the feeling of overall goodness. This can all be achieved through chakra meditation or yoga chakra.
Chakra meditation is done in a relaxed comfortable position, either laying down or sitting. An important rule of chakra meditation is to keep the spine straight, the head aligned to the body, and the eyes closed. It is also recommended that a person learn about energy and the methods of balancing, cleaning, and recharging before practicing meditation. Chakra meditation is just one way of performing balancing. It allows a person to reflect his/her individual values and beliefs. Through this process a person becomes aware of his or her body starting from the root, moving on up through the heart chakra, and finishing at the crown. At the end of the meditation process, all seven chakras should be cleansed and recharged. The energy within the person is balanced, and he/she should feel refreshed, calm, and peaceful.
Chakra yoga is another way of providing balance to the body. Yoga positions can open up the chakras, thus improving the circulation of energy and one’s feeling of health. Chakra yoga is a series of positions; each series affects a separate chakra. At the end, all seven chakras have been focused on separately, aligning the body and clearing the energy pathways. This form of yoga can give a person a better understanding of his/her physical, energetic, and mental functioning. Breathing and meditation techniques are also important while performing chakra yoga. There are different skill levels for the beginners and the advanced.
