You may have heard the word chakra used in a yoga class, but what are the chakras? To start chakra, pronounced chuk-ruh, is a Sanskrit word that means wheel or disk. It is fluid and cyclical. Chakra refers to energetic points in the subtle body. There are many chakras, but when people usually talk about them, they refer to the 7 major chakras.
The seven chakras are located along the spinal column. In the yoga tradition, it is believed they overlap with the three major.
Nadis or energy channels. They represent the basic level of human consciousness. Imagine each of the seven major chakras as a doorway through which can help us perceive our reality.
A quick side note on the number seven. It is fascinating to me that in so many cultures and indeed in almost every major religion, the number 7 is considered a divine or holy number. Indeed this is true for the chakras as well. Interestingly enough, each chakra coordinates with a color, one for each of the seven colors in the rainbow. Each chakra is also linked to one of the seven musical notes. Everything feels connected.
The seven Chakras of the Human Body
- Muladhara – Root Chakra
- Swadhisthana – Sacral Chakra
- Manipura – Solar Plexus Chakra
- Anahata – Heart Chakra
- Vishuddha – Throat Chakra
- Ajna – Third-Eye Chakra
- Sahasrara – Crown Chakra
The chakra system is both physical and metaphysical/energetic. That means they actually coordinate with places on our spine, but they also represent something greater in our bodies and our consciousness. For those who have studied psychology, a good analogy is Maslow’s hierarchy of needs. But instead of 5 stages, there are seven, starting at the base of the spine in your low back and moving up toward the crown of your head and toward enlightenment. The cool thing conceptually is there is no shame or blame on this journey. It just is. It is a road map of sorts to help us navigate the landscape of our inner lives and spiritual growth. I think this concept can go hand in hand with whatever spiritual discipline you practice. While yoga is culturally linked to Hinduism and Buddhism, yoga is not a religion. It is, however, a philosophy on life.
The Chakras Simplified
The chakra system can be very nuanced and complex. I find it helpful to think of it as we start at our base and, as we are open, we grow and we learn more and then are open to more. I love this image below represented by colors. So much explanation and imagery surrounding the chakra system looks mysterious and otherworldly. We could look at it like that or look at it simpler as a physical, emotional, and spiritual representation of what we go through as humans. You can look at it as how you embrace one single topic, your life, or even how you are in a moment moving up and down this chart through your day, much like a wheel or a disc. It starts with “I am” moves to “I feel”, “I do” and then “I love” to “I speak”, ” I see” and finally “I understand.”
What is Your Response to the Chakras?
Know that if after reading this it all feels abstract and overwhelming, you are not alone. It is complex and when I first learned it I blew it off. But I have come to think that different cultures use different ideas to explore very human concepts. Maybe there is a mystical explanation for all of this or maybe it is as simple as how our spinal cord navigates our bodies. When you think and learn about the chakra system what resonates with you? Do you read this and it feels like the world makes sense or do you read this and it feels like it’s a bunch of hooey? Maybe you feel like it is someplace in the middle? The good news is that you don’t have to decide today. By learning this and sitting with the information, bring awareness to how you might feel on the spectrum from “I am” to “I understand,” knowing that wherever you are is exactly where you need to be for today.
Namaste friends.
