The word chakra literally means “wheel” or “disk” and refers to a spinning sphere of bioenergetic activity emanating from the major nerve ganglia branching forward from the spinal column. There are seven of these wheels stacked in a column of energy that spans from the base of the spine to the top of the head. These seven chakras correlate with basic states of consciousness. Chakras are not physical entities in and of themselves. Just as with feelings or ideas, they cannot be held like a physical object, yet they have a strong effect upon the body as they express the embodiment of spiritual energy on the physical plane. The value of the chakra system is that as the inner and outer worlds connect, we become aligned – spiritually, mentally, emotionally, and physically.
By connecting with each of these energy centers during our yoga
practice, we begin to heal and connect with these parts of
ourselves. Our behavior becomes more empowered and understood. We
become more aligned with our true selves and are no longer ruled by
past experience and the affects that they had on our physical
bodies. Just as our minds have memory, so do our bodies. Our bodies are
our greatest tools to heal, but we have to tap into them and be willing to do the work necessary to create what it is we want.
A brief summary of the chakras and their functions are below:
Chakra One - Muladahara (Root Support)
Situated at the base of the spine,
Muladhara is the foundation for the entire Chakra system. Without a strong rooted foundation, little
else can be healed. This Chakra’s main concerns are regarding the physical
identity and self preservation. Elements needed for survival come from the
earth in various forms: The food we eat,
the things we touch and see, the water we drink, the air we breathe and the
sounds we hear. It is important that we
pay attention to the environments we live in and the ground we create around us
as our physical bodies are the solid form of our existence. This Chakra conducts energy into the hips,
legs and feet and moves up to energize the blood and tissues in the body. It also controls the adrenal cortex (on the
upper end of each kidney) which is where the fight or flight impulse lies.
To be solid in our 1st
Chakra is to face what is in front of us without flinching, to remain anchored
in truth in the face of opposition and to remain calm and secure.
Chakra Two - Svadhisthana (Sweetness)
The 2nd Chakra is the center of sensation and feeling, emotion and pleasure, intimacy and connection, as well as movement and change. It is the prime mover of energy in the Chakra system and with physical movement, we grow and change. This Chakra’s main concerns are regarding the emotional self and self gratification. By paying attention to the way we move, we can uncover previously buried issues and feelings. Pleasure is especially important in healing this Chakra. When we allow pleasure into our lives and enjoy the experience of life, we become more receptive to new ideas and more enthusiastic about new tasks or demands. We experience this life through feeling so when pleasure is denied, we are prone to find pleasure in secondary ways, such as drinking, drugs, avoiding responsibility, sexually acting out or overeating. This opens the flood gates to the feeling of guilt. Guilt takes the pleasure out of things and polarizes the personality. The first step in reclaiming our right to feel is to remove guilt and allow ourselves healthy ways of being that invite pleasure into our lives.
Chakra Three - Manipura (Lusterous Gem)
With the 3rd Chakra, we
are working on restructuring the way we think of power and to channel and
contain that power within our own being in a way that redefines and reclaims
our lives. This center of the body is about will power, self-esteem and taking action. We are meant to use our power
to inspire and strengthen ourselves without diminishing others. This lifts us up out of struggle and into
transformation. Transformation is the
true purpose of power and without challenges, we do not have the means for
growth to occur. As Gandhi said “You
must be the change you wish to see in the world”. This means we must take action. Power is like
a muscle – it will not increase by doing nothing. We must be willing to venture into the
unknown and to take risks and be willing to make mistakes without feeling shame.
Shame blocks energy from forming into
effective action. As Joseph Campbell said:
The privilege of a lifetime is being who you are”. Before we can become one with everything –
which is where we are ultimately headed, we need to firmly grasp ourselves as a
separate, unique and perfect individual and embrace our egos as the organizer
of instinctual energy, the CEO of the Self, if you will. A strong ego is able to integrate diverse and
difficult experiences and maintain consistency in the Self. Passion and desire from the 2nd Chakra give the ego strength and
direction.
Chakra four - Anahata (Unstruck)
The basic right of the fourth Chakra is to
love and be loved. How very simple
profound and direct! BUT… so easily
damaged, so easily wounded. In the
physical body, Anahata governs the physical heart and lungs. Interestingly, the chakra is only partially
open in childhood and closes down as we age and become products of our
culture. On a glandular level, it has
the same situation going on. At birth
and early childhood, the Thymus is the size of a small child’s fist but shrinks
as we age. The job of this gland is to
preserve immunity and is directly linked to emotional well being. It also secretes
hormones that tone the heart and keep the lungs active. When the heart is open, the gland functions
well and when we are closed and unhappy, it starts to shut down. If painful wounds have closed down the heart,
it is most important to revive it as love, joy, delight, openness, and sharing
freely in intimate and open relationships.
Chakra Five - Visshuda (Purification)
We are affected by every sound we hear, including words that are spoken and words that we speak. The voice is the living expression of one’s basic vibration and the throat is the gateway between the body and the mind. A person with a healthy 5th Chakra speaks clearly, concise, and truthfully. Their voice is resonant and pleasant and they have a natural rhythm with tone and volume. They live creatively. Conversation with others is balanced and they have a true ability to listen and respond. It is when we are still that we can truly listen to our inner wisdom and connect with our truth. True adulthood is learning to mean what we say. When we say what we mean, and then stand by our word, people pay attention to us and recognize who we are. Sound has the power to heal.
Charka Six - Ajna (To perceive and command)
Healing the Sixth Chakra is more
about developing it. We must overcome
disbelief of psychic awareness, stop using delusions and hallucinations as our
truths, and apply focus, practice and discipline to what we see. Our sight gives us guidance and while we take images in through our physical eyes, it is the 3rd eye center which truly holds those images in memory and distorts or creates what we want to see, believe and move forward from. Our physical eyes form our outer perception but the 3rd eye forms our inner perception. It witness the internal screen of memory, fantasy, images, intuition, archetypes and imagination. It recognizes patterns, which is the ability to see simultaneously into the past, present, and the future. The beginning of wisdom is when re recognize a pattern and guide our actions accordingly.
If the seventh chakra is closed, the tranformative energies that rise through the body can't come into consciousness. Patterns will repeat themselves over and over again until we connect with our higher self. Transcendence is the goal and essence of this Chakra as it is expanding our awareness so that we can recognize our Universal Identity. The main activity of this Chakra is learning. It is said that we either get success or lessons. If we learn our lessons successfully, we get both.
