A chakra is a spinning vortex of energy created within ourselves by the minterpenetration of consciousness and the physical body. Through this combination, chakras become centers of activity for the reception, assimilation and transmission of life energies. Uniting the chakras is what we experience as the "self." It is through our chakras that our self grows and changes and interacts with the world.
The word "chakra" comes from the Sanskrit word for "wheel" or "disk" and originated within the philosophy of the ancient yoga system of India, most specifically from the Tantric texts. In this system, there are seven major chakras arranged vertically along the spine, starting at the base of the spine and ending at the top of the head. In the physical body, these seven chakras correspond to major nerve ganglia, glands of the endocrine system, and various bodily processes, such as breathing, digesting, or procreating.
While the chakras do exist within the physical body, exhibiting strong influence for such things as body shape or health, they are not made of physical components themselves. A physician could not operate on a chakra anymore than an emotion, yet can and do affect us physically.
In the psychological realm (mental, emotional, and spiritual), the chakras correspond to major areas of our lives, such as survival, sex, power, love, communication, perception, and understanding. Taking the original meaning of the word chakra one step further, the chakras within us can be seen as our internal "floppy disks" that store our programming about how to function in life. The base chakra contains our survival program, such as what we like to eat and when we need to exercise; the second chakra - our sexuality program, such as ethics and preferences; the upper chakras - our modes of perception and information storage. Ideally, one's work on the chakras is to examine the programming we have been given on each of these levels, eliminating destructive programming and consciously recreating something more beneficial. Philosophically, the chakras correspond to major archetypal concepts, such as the elements of earth, water, fire, air, sound, light, and thought. The elements describe the essential nature of that chakra's function, such as earth that contains, water that flows, or fire that transforms. Numerous other correspondences, such as colors, sounds, herbs, and gemstones, have also been correlates to the chakras and can be used as tools for accessing and developing them.
As a composite system, the seven chakras describe a set of patterns that are evident through many aspects of life. In terms of cultural evolution, they describe the stages our race has been through and where we are going, from the first chakra survival consciousness of the Paleolithic era to the power dominated (third chakra) consciousness of present era. In terms of individual development, the chakras describe the progression from infancy to early adulthood that repeats itself again from adulthood to old age as we establish our survival strategies, form sexual relationships, develop our personal power, communicate, vision, and learn. As we understand the significance of these levels, we can better develop appropriate strategies for coping with our situations, whether personal or cultural.
Chakras are sometimes referred to as lotuses, for they open and close like a flower, and in the Tantric system they are shown with a varying number of petals. The petals, ranging from four at the base chakra to 1,000 or more at the crown, express their vibratory rate. When a chakra is closed, the life force energy cannot travel through that part of the body, and one might say that the programming in that chakra is locked in a restrictive pattern. If this is the case, we feel a lack in our lives in its related area (such as the ability to communicate, chakra 5), and our physical health in the chakra's related functions may also be affected (sore throat, tight neck). A chakra can also be "overblown" if it is out of balance with the other chakras in the system. In this case, that particular chakra uses so much of the body's energy and the mind's attention that other areas become deficient. An overblown third chakra causes an attachment to holding power over others hindering the ability to find the love and balance associated with the heart chakra directly above.
With attention and understanding, we can control and influence our chakras. They can be developed like muscles, programmed like a computer, nurtured like a seed, or closed like a book. Development of the chakras occurs through understanding the system as a whole and then working directly on specific areas. The body is a vehicle of consciousness. The chakras can be seen as the wheels of life that carry this vehicle through its evolutionary journey toward enlightenment. As we open our chakras, we become more conscious and more fully alive. Our journey becomes smoother, more productive, yet more exciting as we become more fully who we are.
