The Chakras
THE SUBTLE OR METAPHYSICAL BODY IS VIEWED AS ENERGY AND IS MADE UP OF CHAKRAS, AURAS NADIS, PRANA, AND YOUR SOUL. YOGA WHICH IS BASED ON HINDU TANTRIC PHILOSOPHY HAS SEVEN MAIN CHAKRAS (SANSKRIT FOR "WHEEL") THAT RUN FROM THE TAILBONE TO THE CROWN OF THE HEAD. THE MEETING POINTS OF THE ENERGY CHANNELS ARE CALLED NADIS. NADIS ARE CHANNELS THROUGH WHICH PRANA (LIFE FORCE) MOVES. IN THE PHYSICAL BODY CHAKRAS ARE IN ALIGNMENT WITH THE ENDOCRINE SYSTEM. EVERY CHAKRA IS CONNECTED TO A COLOR,SENSE, AROMATHERAPY, PSYCHOLOGY, MANTRA AND DEITY. EACH CHAKRA IS REPRESENTED BY A CERTAIN NUMBER OF LOTUS PETALS WHICH REFLECT IT'S STATE OF CONSCIOUS, STARTING AT THE TAILBONE, FROM LOW THE HIGHEST NUMBER OF PETALS. WHEN THE CHAKRAS ARE OUT OF BALANCE THE RESULT CAN BE TRAPPED ENERGY MANIFESTING AS PHYSICAL PAIN OR WEAKNESS . YOU MAY EVEN FEEL THAT TRAPPED ENERGY. THE THROAT CHAKRA, WHERE PEOPLE TRULY COMMUNICATE, IS A BIG ISSUE FOR PEOPLE. THEY OFTEN DON'T GET TO SPEAK WHAT THEY TRULY FEEL AND CAN BE LEFT WITH A LUMP IN THE THROAT OR A FEELING OF CHOKING. METHODS OF BALANCING THE CHAKRAS ARE YOGA POSTURES, KRIYAS (CLEANING PRACTICES) CHANTING, PRANAYMA (CONTROLLED BREATHING), AROMATHERAPY OIL. CHAKRAS ALSO PLAY AN IMPORTANT ROLE IN TIBETAN BUDDHISM. THEY PLAY A PIVOTAL ROLE IN COMPLETION STAGE PRACTICES, WHERE AN ATTEMPT IS MADE TO BRING THE SUBTLE WINDS OF THE BODY INTO THE CENTRAL CHANNEL, TO REALIZE THE CLEAR LIGHT OF BLISS AND EMPTINESS, AND TO ATTAIN THE PERFECT STATE OF ENLIGHTENMENT. ACCORDING TO ANOTHER TIBETAN RELIGION, BON, THERE ARE SIX MAJOR CHAKRAS, EACH INFLUENCE THE QUALITY OF EXPERIENCE, BECAUSE MOVEMENT OF PRANA CANNOT BE SEPARATED FROM EXPERIENCE. EACH CHAKRA IS LINKED TO EXPERIENTIAL QUALITIES OF ONE OF THE SIX REALMS OF EXISTENCE. THE SEVEN MAIN CHAKRAS ARE: MULADARA-(TAILBONE) ELEMENT IS EARTH, COLOR RED, CONNECTED TO SURVIVAL(FIGHT OR FLIGHT), ESSENTIAL OIL PATCHOULI, DEITY IS GANESHA. SVADISTANA-(SACRUM)ELEMENT IS WATER, CONNECTED TO BASIC EMOTIONAL NEEDS AND PLEASURE, CREATIVE ENERGY, REPRODUCTION. MANIPURA-(NAVEL) ELEMENT IS FIRE, EGO AND SENSE OF SELF ANAHATA-(HEART) ELEMENT IS AIR, UNCONDITIONAL LOVE VISHUDDHA-(THROAT) COMMUNICATION AJNA-(THIRD EYE) MEDITATION, WISDOM SASRAHARAH- (CROWN) ENLIGHTENMENT THE SEVEN CHAKRAS BELOW THE ROOT CHAKRA ARE SAID TO BE CONNECTED TO ANIMAL INSTINCT AND THE HINDU UNDERWORLD.ATALA — LOCATED IN THE HIPS, IT GOVERNS FEAR AND LUST. VITALA — LOCATED IN THE THIGHS, GOVERNS ANGER AND RESENTMENT. SUTALA — LOCATED IN THE KNEES, IT GOVERNS JEALOUSY. TALATALA — TRANSLATED AS "UNDER THE BOTTOM LEVEL", IT IS LOCATED IN THE CALVES AND REPRESENTS A STATE OF PROLONGED CONFUSION AND INSTINCTIVE WILLFULNESS. RASATALA — LOCATED IN THE ANKLES, IT IS THE CENTRE OF SELFISHNESS AND PURE ANIMAL NATURE. MAHATALA — LOCATED IN THE FEET, THIS IS THE DARK REALM 'WITHOUT CONSCIENCE', AND INNER BLINDNESS. PATALA — LOCATED IN THE SOLES OF THE FEET, THIS IS THE REALM OF MALICE, MURDER, TORTURE AND HATRED, AND IN HINDU MYTHOLOGY IT BORDERS ON THE REALM OF HELL. “IT IS NOT NECESSARY TO ASK WHETHER SOUL AND BODY ARE ONE, JUST AS IT IS NOT NECESSARY TO ASK WHETHER THE WAX AND ITS SHAPE ARE ONE, NOR GENERALLY WHETHER THE MATTER OF EACH THING AND THAT OF WHICH IT IS THE MATTER ARE ONE." -ARISTOTLE
