What are the chakras?

 

What are the chakras?

This is a question often asked and unless you have a spiritual disposition, are familiar with yoga or work in the complementary therapy field they can be somewhat of a mystery. They actually originate from India and are a complex energy system consisting of spinning wheels or energy centres which correspond to major organs, nerves and specific areas of our body that together contribute to our health and wellbeing . Therefore , if one of the major chakras is out of alignment , closed or overly open it will create unbalance and therefore disharmony in the part of the body where it is situated.

Due to the popularity now of Yoga and new age therapies there is an increased interest in natural remedies as a healthier approach to modern medicine and many people are taking better care of their health and wellbeing.

There are seven main chakras in total which are situated in the spine within an energy channel known as the Sushumna Nadi. There are many of these energy channels within the body as we have discussed previously, but there are three primary ones known as Sushumna Nadi (central channel that connects the 1st and seventh chakra) Ida Nadi which flows down the left side of the spine (feminine and cool energy) and Pingala Nadi which flows down the right side (masculine and hot energy) the point where the Nadis meet is where the main Chakras are located.

Each of the 7 main Chakras has a corresponding name, location, colour and properties for which it governs but in total there are 114 chakras of varying sizes located throughout the body.

The names of the seven main Chakras with their Sanskrit and more commonly known names are :

Muladara (Root and first chakra)

Svadhisthana (Sacral second chakra)

Manipura (Solar plexus third chakra)

Anahata (Heart and forth chakra)

Vishuddha (Throat and fifth chakra)

Ajna (Third eye and sixth chakra)

Sahasrara(Crown and seventh chakra)

Understanding the Chakras is not only fascinating but can provide you with vital information to help you understand yourself better in addition to improving wellbeing in all aspects.

What are the chakras and why are they so relevant to our health and well being?

In Sanskrit the name chakra translates to energy centre, vortex or wheel of light and within the human body there are 7 major chakras which are located in the spine and numerous smaller ones which govern our health and wellbeing. Each of the chakras has a specific position, colour, related organs or glands associated with it, stones and crystals, planet, chakra mantra, corresponding element and governing characteristics. The major chakras are positioned in the spine with the first chakra known as the root or Muladhara being located at the base and the seventh chakra known as the crown or Sahasara located just above the top of the head.

The chakras are able to channel energy to the body through feeder channels located in the feet which travel up through the legs into the root chakra. Although the chakras are too some degree interwoven and connected it is essential that if energy is too be able to flow optimally throughout the body the root chakra needs to be open, as all the corresponding chakras receive their energy from the root which then flows upwards. The chakras all spin in alternating directions either masculine meaning they project energy outwards and spin counter clockwise or feminine meaning they bring energy in and spin in a clockwise direction.

For our bodies to operate at maximum capacity the chakras should ideally all be open so the energy

flow is consistent throughout the body, however this is rarely the case as due to numerous various life experiences or situations, including illness the chakras can become blocked or closed and due to every chakra being related to a particular organ or gland that part of the body will then become affected. For example if we are finding it difficult expressing ourselves or we feel frustrated about something we may feel our throat feels sore or our neck feels tight as this is the chakra governing communication.

Everyone has at some point suffered from heart ache, maybe it was the loss of a personal relationship or a loved one who passed and you may literally feel like your heart is breaking, the heart chakra governs love and relationships which is why the pain is felt in this area. Unfortunately because the pain is often so unbearable what happens is we then have a tendency to try to block ourselves from feeling any further discomfort by making a choice to suppress the pain instead of processing it, but in doing so we actively close the heart chakra until a point is reached when we are able to start the healing process and in time the chakra is once again able to reopen.

Rather interestingly pain can be carried from a previous life time into this one, if we have a weakness in a certain area of our body that we cannot comprehend or understand the reason for it may well be an unresolved problem from a life lived previously and we can even inherit weaknesses and strengths relating to the chakras from our parents. The chakra system although incredibly complex is fascinating and through understanding how the chakras work we can learn a lot about the body and how we operate in our daily lives.

Elizabeth Lock      Holistic Therapist 
www.yourcuddletherapy.co.uk   heal@yourcuddletherapy.co.ukwww.yourinnerglow.co.uk         heal@yourinnerglow.co.ukwww.yourtantrictouch.co.uk      heal@yourtantrictouch.co.uk