DESCRIPTION:
Chakra means 'wheel' in Sanskrit. A chakra is an area in the body connected with life energy. There are seven chakras in the body - each is an interface for the flow of life energy. A chakra vitalizes a physical body and is associated with interactions of a physical or mental nature. Current science is not able to detect or measure chakras.
The seven main chakras are described as being present in an ascending column from the base of the spine to the head. The chakras are usually connected with a certain colour. Each chakra is also connected with some part of consciousness.
The following seven primary chakras are commonly described:
Muladhara (Sanskrit: Mūlādhāra, Base or Root Chakra (ovaries/prostate)
Swadhisthana (Sanskrit: Svādhiṣṭhāna, Sacral Chakra (last bone in spinal cord, the coccyx)
Manipura (Sanskrit: Maṇipūra, Solar Plexus Chakra (navel area)
Anahata (Sanskrit: Anāhata, Heart Chakra (heart area)
Vishuddha (Sanskrit: Viśuddha, Throat Chakra (throat and neck area)
Ajna (Sanskrit: Ājñā, Brow or Third Eye Chakra (pineal gland or third eye)
Sahasrara (Sanskrit: Sahasrāra, Thai: Crown Chakra (top of the head; 'soft spot' of a newborn)
Each chakra is associated with a certain part of the body and a certain organ which it provides with the energy it needs to function. Additionally, just as every organ in the human body has its equivalent on the mental and spiritual level, so too every chakra corresponds to a specific aspect of human behavior and development. Our circular spirals of energy differ in size and activity from person to person. They vibrate at different levels relative to the awareness of the individual and their ability to integrate the characteristics of each into their life.
The openness and flow of energy through our chakras determines our state of health and balance. Knowledge of our more subtle energy system empowers us to maintain balance and harmony on the physical, mental and spiritual level. All meditation and yoga systems seek to balance out the energy of the chakras by purifying the lower energies and guiding them upwards. Through the use of grounding, creating “internal space,” and living consciously with an awareness of how we acquire and spend our energy we become capable of balancing our life force with our mental, physical and spiritual selves.
