chakras

See also ''chakram'', a disc-like weapon wielded by the Hindu god Vishnu.''

Introduction - In Hinduism and its spiritual systems of yoga and in some related eastern cultures, as well as in some segments of the New Age movement -- and to some degree the distinctly different New Thought movement -- a chakra is thought to be an energy node in the human body.The word comes from the Sanskrit ''cakra'' चक्र meaning "wheel, circle", and sometimes also referring to the "wheel of life". The pronunciation of this word can be approximated in English by !''chuhkruh' ',? with ''ch'' as in ''chart'' and both instances of ''a'' as in ''yoga'' (the commonly found pronunciation !''shockrah' '? is incorrect). The seven main chakras are described as being aligned in an ascending column from the base of the spine (anatomy)spine to the top of the head. Each chakra is associated with a certain color, multiple specific functions, an aspect of consciousness, a classical element, and other distinguishing characteristics. The chakras are thought to vitalise the physical body and to be associated with interactions of both a physical and mental nature. They are considered loci of life energy, or prana, which is thought to flow among them along pathways called Nadi (yoga)nadis.Traditional Chinese medicine also relies on a similar model of the human body as an energy system.The New Age movement has led to an increased interest in the West regarding chakras. Many in this movement point to a correspondence between the position and role of the Chakras, and those of the glands in the endocrine system. Some people in New Age also claim that other chakras, besides the above, exist — for instance, ear chakras. The Danish author and musician Peter Kjaerulff in his book, ''The Ringbearers Diary'', describes the chakras in great detail, including the reasons for their appearance and their exact functions. Shortly put, the seven chakras are said to reflect how the unified consciousness of man (the immortal human being or the soul), is divided to manage different aspects of earthly life (body/instinct/vital energy/deeper emotions/communication/having an overview of life/contact to God). The chakras are placed on an intermediate layer which lies between the spirit and the earthly body.

The Seven Basic Chakras - The following table sets forth some of the concepts associated with each chakra:ChakraRootmūlādhāra, !मूला&# 2343;ार < tr>&l t;td>orangeemotion,? sexual energy, !self-acceptance< td>waterHeart/Lunganāhata, !अनाह&# 2340;Throatviśuddha, !विशु&# 2342;्ध speech,? !self-expression< td>life< ;tr>For? a discussion on chakra petals see Petal (chakra)

Origins and Development - The earliest known mention of chakras is found in the later Upanishads, including specifically the Brahma Upanishad and the Yogatattva Upanishad. These vedic models were adapted in Tibetan Buddhism as Vajrayana theory, and in the Tantric Shakta theory of chakras.It is the shakta theory of 7 main chakras that most people in the West adhere to, either knowingly or unknowingly, largely thanks to a translation of two indian texts, the ''Sat-Cakra-Nirupana'', and the ''Padaka-Pancaka'', by Sir John Woodroffe, alias Arthur Avalon, in a book entitled ''The Serpent Power''.This book is extremely detailed and complex, and later the ideas were developed into what is predominant western view of the Chakras by the theosophyTheosophists, and largely the controversial (in theosophical circles) Charles Webster LeadbeaterC. W. Leadbeater in his book ''The Chakras'', which are in large part his own meditations and insights on the matter. That said, many present-day Indian gurus that incorporate chakras within their systems of philosophy do not seem to radically disagree with the western view of chakras, at least on the key points, and both these eastern and western views have developed from the Shakta Tantra school.There are various other models of chakras in other traditions, notably in Chinese medicine, and also in Tibetan Buddhism. Even in Jewish kabbalah, the different Sephirah (Kabbalah)Sephiroth are sometimes associated with parts of the body. In IslamIslamic Sufism , Lataif-e-Sitta ( Six Subtleties ) are considered as psychospiritual "organs" or faculties of sensory and suprasensory perception , activation of which makes a man complete . Attempts are made to try and reconcile the systems with each other, and notably there are some successes, even between such diverged traditions as Shakta Tantra , Sufism and Kabbalism, where chakras , lataif and Sephiroth can seemingly represent the same archetypearchetypal spiritual concepts. In Surat Shabd YogaSurat Shabda Yoga, Initiation riteinitiation by an Outer Living Satguru (Sat - true, Guru - teacher) is required and involves reconnecting soul to the Shabda and stationing the Inner Shabda Master (the Radiant Form of the Master) at the Mind's eyethird eye chakra. Twelve Major Chakras of the human energy system, Dan teins, Kundalini energy and pranayamawingmakers.co.nz - Twelve Major Chakras

Chakras and the endocrine system - Parallels have often been drawn, by supporters of the existence of chakras, between the positions and functions of the chakras, and of the various organs of the endocrine system. The highest crown chakra is said to be the chakra of consciousness, the master chakra that controls all the others. Its role would be very similar to that of the pituitary gland, which secretes hormones to control the rest of the endocrine system, and also connects to the central nervous system via the hypothalamus. The thalamus is thought to have a key role in the physical basis of consciousness.The Ajna Chakra, or third eye, is linked to the pineal gland. Ajna is the chakra of time and awareness and of light. The pineal gland is a light sensitive gland, that produces the hormone melatonin, which regulates the instincts of going to sleep and awakening. It also produces trace amounts of the psychedelic chemical dimethyltryptamine.(Note: some argue that the pineal and pituitary glands should be exchanged in their relationship to the Crown and Brow chakras, based on the description in Arthur Avalon's book on kundalini called ''Serpent Power'')The throat chakra, Vishuddha, is said to be related to communication and growth, growth being a form of expression. This chakra is paralleled to the thyroid, a gland that is also in the throat, and which produces thyroid hormone, responsible for growth and maturation. The heart chakra, Anahata, is related to love, equilibrium, and well-being. It is related to the thymus, located in the chest. This organ is part of the immune system, as well as being part of the endocrine system. It produces T cells responsible for fighting off disease, and is adversely affected by stress.The solar plexus chakra, Manipura, is related to energy, assimilation and digestion, and is said to correspond to the roles played by the pancreas and the outer adrenal glands, the adrenal cortex. These play a valuable role in digestion, the conversion of food matter into energy for the body.The sacral chakra, Swadhisthanna, is located in the groin, and is related to sexuality and emotion. This chakra is said to correspond to the testes or the ovaries, that produce the various sex hormones involved in the reproductive cycle, which can cause dramatic mood swings.The base chakra, Muludhara, is related to survival, excretion, and also to basic human potentiality. It is said the kundalini lies coiled here, ready to uncoil and bring man to his highest spiritual potential in the crown chakra. This centre is located in the region between the genitals and the anus. Although no endocrine organ is placed here, it is said to relate to the inner adrenal glands, the adrenal medulla, responsible for the fight and flight response when survival is under threat. In this region is located a muscle that controls ejaculation in the sexual act. A parallel is drawn between the sperm cell and the ovum, where the genetic code lies coiled, and the legendary kundalini, ready to express itself as a fully developed human being..

Various models - Chakrology is a neologism sometimes employed by Alternative Medicine practitioners or Esotericismesoteric philosophers for the study of chakras. There are many different chakrologies, some of them based on ancient Indian Hindu TantraTantric esoteric traditions, New Age interpretations, or Western Occultismoccult analyses, as well as ancient Greek and ChristianityChristian references. Croatian esoteric philosopher and physicist Arvan Harvat notes that it would be very difficult to develop a unified coherent chakra science that would integrate all the elements of the various present chakrologies.

The Tantric Chakras - Tantric chakras Tantra (Shakta or Shaktism) describes eight primary inner chakras:# Sahasrara (Sanskrit: !सहस्&# 2352;ार)#? Ajna (Sanskrit: !आज्ञ&# 2366;)#? Vishuddha (Sanskrit: !विशु&# 2342;्ध)#? Anahata (Sanskrit: !अनाह&# 2340;)#? Manipura (Sanskrit: !मणिप&# 2370;र)#? Swadhisthana (Sanskrit: !स्वा&# 2343;िष् 36;ान)#? Muladhara (Sanskrit: !मूला&# 2343;ार)#? Bindu (Sanskrit: !बिन्&# 2342;ु)

Hesychastic centres of prayer - Hesychasm specifies four centres:# Cerebrofrontal centre: Positioned between the eyebrows (compare with Ajna).# Buccolaryngeal centre.# Pectoral centre: Positioned in the upper and median region of the chest.# Cardiac centre: Positioned near the upper part of the heart (compare with Anahata).This compares notably with Tibetan Buddhism, in which the sequence of centres is very similar, beginning with the eyebrows and going down to the heart, which symbolizes the highest consciousness. Varying Tibetan systems, however, use different numbers of centres, typically between 3 and 7, as appropriate for the practice in question.It is alleged by modern mystics that in Hesychasm, the centres of prayer were points of concentration or meditation on the body to be used during the hesychastic prayer. This terminology, however, is not used in Eastern OrthodoxyOrthodox Christianity and is not and has not been part of hesychastic prayer as practiced within the Orthodox Churches.

Scientific basis - The idea of chakras as understood in Eastern philosophy does not exist in Western medical science. In Eastern thought, the chakras are thought to be levels of consciousness, and states of the soul, and 'proving' the existence of chakras is akin to 'proving' the existence of a soul. A mystic deals with these metaphysical concepts on the metaphysical plane, as a model for their own internal experience, and when talking about 'energy centres', they are generally talking about subtle, spiritual forces, which work on the psyche and spirit, not about physical electrical or magnetic fields.The primary importance and level of existence of chakras is therefore posited to be in the psyche and in the spirit. However, there are those who believe that chakras have a physical manifestation as well. Although there is no evidence that Indian mystics made this association themselves, it is noted by many that there is a marked similarity between the positions and roles described for chakras, and the positions and roles of the glands in the endocrine system, and also by the positions of the neuronnerve ganglionganglia (also known as "plexuses") along the spinal column, opening the possibility that two vastly different systems of conceptualization have been brought to bear to systemize insights about the same phenomenon. By some, chakras are thought of as having their physical manifestation in the body as these glands, and their subjective manifestation as the associated psychological and spiritual experiences.Indeed, the various hormones secreted by these glands do have a dramatic effect on human psychology, and an imbalance in one can cause a psychological or physical imbalance in a person. Whether these changes in body state have a bearing on spiritual matters is a subject of dissent even among the Indian theorists, and the different systems of conceptualization, Indian and Western, make only a partial convergence in this case. Perhaps the most psychologically dramatic and potent secretion of these glands is the psychedelic drug dimethyltryptamineDMT (which is synthesized by the pineal gland, corresponding to the brow chakra). At least in the West, some individuals have sought spiritual breakthroughs through the use of such chemical aids, occasionally referred to as entheogens in this context. (See for example: Aldous Huxley, ''The Doors of Perception'', a classic of new-age spirituality.)

References in Fiction - Monks in the videogames Final Fantasy Tactics and Final Fantasy XI can use chakra for healing and restoring HP or MP.In the manga/anime ''Naruto (manga)Naruto'', chakra is the mystical internal energy used to perform ninja techniques.

Reference Material and Books -

Book reference Author = Morgen, Robert Authorlink = Robert Morgen Year = 2005 Title = Personal Mastery: Develop Your True Inner Power by Awakening Your Kundalini Edition = 1st Publisher = Windhaven Press ID = 1411635884 URL = http://www.robertmorgen.com

See also -

Acupuncture

Aura

Chi

Kirlian photography

Kundalini

Qi

Qigong

Tree of life (Kabbalah)

Wheel

Yoga

External links -

starstuffs.com - Human Energy System for Spiritual Awareness

healing.about.com - Aligning Your Chakras Chakra resources at About Holistic Healing

chakracises.com - Chakracises Actions you can take to help get your chakras functioning optimally

? starstuffs.com - Earth Chakra Correspondences: Rays, Colors, Planets, Locations

robertmorgen.com - Kundalini Awakening with Robert Morgen

kheper.net - Introduction to Chakras

? starstuffs.com - Aromatherapy for The Chakras

healer.ch - The Brofman Foundation for the Advancement of Healing - Uses the chakras as a map for consciousness and physical illnesses

kheper.net - The difficulty of a unified chakra science

kheper.net - Early chakrologies

quranichealing.com - Boost your Chakras

kheper.net - The Hesychastic centres of prayer

adishakti.org - Human Subtle System

cihs.edu - Update on research on Apparatus for Meridian Identification at California Institute for Human Science

sacredcenters.com

reikiflow.com - Simple method to open, clear and heal the chakras

sanatansociety.org - Tantric Chakras

chartpsychology.org - Newly emerging chakras

religiousbook.net - Cleansing and development of chakras and meridians

!amanecerespiritual.tripod.com< /a> - Spiritual Dawn - Morality and Philosophy Essay - ChakrasCategory:YogaCategory:Co ncepts? in HinduismCategory:New AgeCategory:Sanskrit termsyoga Hinduism Spirituality !ca:Chakrada:Chakrade:Chakraes: Chakrafi:Chakrafr:Chakrait:Cha kranl:Chakrapl:Czakrapt:Chakra sl:ÄŒakrasv:Chakrauk:ЧакрР° DEBUG REDIRECT (chakra)

Color	Primary Functions	Associated classical elementElement!
red	instinct,? !survival	e arth
Sacrum? (Hara) svādhiṣṭ hāna,? !स्वा&# 2343;िष् 36;ान	Solar? plexus maṇipūra, !मणिप&# 2370;र	mental? functioning, power, control, freedom to be oneself, !career	fir e
emer ald? green or !pink	devot ion,? love, compassion, !healing	ai r
blue	Third? eye ājñā, !आज्ञ&# 2366;	indi go	intuiti on,? Extra-sensory !perception
Crown(just above the head) sahasrāra, !सहस्&# 2352;ार	violet;? may assume color of dominant !chakra	con nection? to the !divine	spa ce