Chakras
The concept of Chakras is generally unfamiliar to Western cultures. The following introduction is from Earth's Gifts:
An introduction to Chakras
"Chakras are energy centres in the body believed to influence the way the body functions. There are seven major chakras commonly used in yoga, meditation and crystal healing. These are located centrally in the body, five lie in front of the spine, one in the forehead and one on the top of the head. There are also many smaller chakras dispersed around the body.
The term chakra originates from sages and seers of ancient India (thousands of years BC). They perceived life forces (nadis) flowing through the body in pathways of energy that interacted with every element of the body. Chakras are positioned where these pathways of energy intersect. The term chakra means "wheel", it is likely to have been used because where two sources of energy intersect a spinning vortice is created (this can be seen in eddies in rivers and in tornados).
Chakras are said to govern the balance and health of the body. Generally where the energy forces in the chakras are balanced, the body will be in a good state of health. If the chakras become unbalanced (ie one or more chakras produce more or less energy than the others) there will be a corresponding physical effect on the organs of the a body or the persons mental state. When this occurs chakra balancing is required."
Chakra balancing
Involves controlling the energy in the chakras using one of a
number of techniques: Yoga
uses posture to relieve stress on the imbalanced chakras, meditation uses visualisation to
channel the bodies energies appropriately, crystal healing uses the energies of
crystals associated with the chakras to regulate the unbalanced
chakras, and tuning forks use
sound vibration to bring the chakras back into alignment. Sarah
may use any or all of these techniques during a chakra balancing session.
 SEVENTH
CHAKRA - understanding, knowing, bliss. Violet. I
know. Located at the crown of the
head, the 1000 petaled lotus symbolizes oneness with the Absolute. Its
element is thought and its vowel sound is ngngng as in sing. |
 SIXTH CHAKRA
- intuition, imagination, dreaming. Indigo. I
see. Located at the center of the
forehead (the third eye). It has two lotus petals. Its mantra is Om,
its element is Light, and its vowel sound is mmm/ nnn. |
 FIFTH
CHAKRA - communication, creativity,
connection. Blue. I speak. Located at the
throat, it has sixteen petals. Its element is ether/sound, its mantra
is Ham, and its vowel sound is ee as in see. |
 FOURTH
CHAKRA - love, balance, compassion. Green I love. Located at the heart, it has twelve petals. Its element is
air, its mantra is Sam/Yam, and its vowel sound is ay as in play. |
 THIRD CHAKRA
- will, power. Yellow
I can. Located at the Solar Plexus, it has ten petals. It is the
main storage center for vital energy. Its element is fire, its mantra
is Ram, and its vowel sound is ah as in father. |
 SECOND
CHAKRA - desire, sexuality, pleasure,
procreation. Orange I feel. Located at the lower abdomen, it
has six petals. Its element is water, its mantra is Vam, and its vowel
sound is oo as in due. |
 FIRST
CHAKRA - survival, grounding, manifestation.
Red I have. Located at the base of the spine, it has four petals. Its element is earth, its mantra is Lam, and its vowel sound is o as in rope. |
A chakra
mandala represents the energy that
is present in the seven energy centers of the body.
Most Eastern cultures recognize that there are seven chakras or energy
centers of the body. The Chakras appear as wheels of energy and each
can be represented by its own mandala.
|
In his book, "Sound Health: The
Music that Makes Us Whole", Dr. Steven Halpern tells us that "… vibrations at
1000 cycles per second are easily audible. If you double the vibrations
to 2000 cycles per second, that is one octave higher. If you double it
again to 4000 cycles per second, that is another octave. A normal piano
spans a bit more than seven octaves. If, hypothetically, we could
extend the piano keyboard another 35 to 50 octaves higher, the keys at
the higher end would produce colors, rather than audible sounds, when
played." (p. 182-183). The chakra centers are affected by both light
and sound, especially when used in conjunction with each other. To hear
what Halpern means, click the musical note next to the C below. The
music is called 1st Chakra:C from his CD
album, Chakra Suite.
|
| Chakra | Color | Note |
| Root | Red | C |
| Sacral | Orange | D |
| Solar Plexus | Yellow | E |
| Heart | Green | F |
| Throat | Blue | G |
| Third Eye | Indigo | A |
| Crown | Violet or White | B |
Many web sites are devoted to understanding Chakras. Chakra Vortex of Light is good for orientation and is a wonderful resource for terminology and definitions. Gaetano Vivo is a good resource. A definitive and sparkling site is offered by Dr. Caroline Myss. Her graphics, many links, and comprehensiveness are worth the visit.