THE CHAKRAS - what they do, and why you might need to know about them
Saturday, February 11, 2012 at 09:46PM THE CHAKRAS IN RELATION TO THE PHYSICAL BODY, MIND AND EMOTIONS.
The seven major chakras are energy centers in the body that are located along the spine. While they are invisible, we know from Chinese acupuncture (and many other eastern systems of healing) that there is a vast and complex system of meridians and nadis that are energetic pathways (similar to the veins and capillaries and their transportion of blood) in the body. Moreover, it is now widely accepted that each human being also has an aura, or personal energy field (often called the Luminous Energy Field) that surrounds the body.
The chakra centers store, assimilate and process information. When I first began to study them through the work of Carolyn Myss, she described them as ‘computers’. At first I thought this was a simplistic way to characterize them. But now, having worked with them in such detail and for so much time, this analogy is actually quite astute. In the same way that computers store information and log memory, the chakras contain all of the emotional, physical, mental, and spiritual ‘data’ of the human energy system.
These incredible discs of energy and information are also directly related to the biology of the body. Each chakra has a connection to (and are located near) the seven glands of the endocrine system. The endocrine system chemically regulates every single function of the body and brain. Processes like fighting illness, digesting food, and cognition, begin initially, and are overseen by, the glands of the endocrine system. In addition, each chakra is housed near the vital organs and connected to complex groups of nerve ganglia that take the information that the chakras contain and absorb from the outside world, and transform it into physiological response within the body.
In the most basic terms, this is why we get a ‘tension headache,’ a ‘nervous stomach,’ or an overall increased physical vitality when we receive good news - the body is literally responding physiologically to mental and emotional information. And this information travels through, and is assimilated by, the chakras.
Given this, any chronic physical or emotional condition, is the result of preexisting imbalances in the human energy field (the chakras). In other words, illness is always energetic before it is physical. What causes these energetic imbalances? While the list is endless, some examples might be — negative thinking and self-talk, anxiety, unresolved trauma, compromised self esteem, abusive relationships, poor work or home environment, fear, addiction , etc. Any of these types of problems will cause a chakra to close or function in an impaired way. Chronic chakra dysfunction can affect physical health. To quote Caroline Myss: ‘your biography becomes your biology’.
While the health of the physical body is obviously incredibly important, the quality of ones emotional and mental life is equally vital. How we manifest in the world, achieve goals, engage in our professional careers, relate to family and friends, our sexual identity, self-image, and overall life direction all have their energetic blue-prints in the chakras. Whenever any of these aspects of our lives are not working well, healing and change occur when we re-program and cleanse the chakras.
The chakras literally make up every aspect of our being. Below is a short overview of where they are in the body and what they contain:
CHAKRA 1 (ROOT CHAKRA)
Location - base of spine at the perineum
Content - basic survival needs (food, clothing, shelter), connection to earth, family and tribal beliefs, continuation of the species
Organs - elimination system
CHAKRA 2 (SACRAL CHAKRA)
Location - 2 inches below the navel
Content - sexuality, sexual identity, giving and receiving pleasure, money, emotion, sensuality, the fight or flight response, relationship, creativity
Organs - reproductive system
CHAKRA 3 (SOLAR PLEXUS CHAKRA)
Location - solar plexus (the soft spot below where the ribs meet)
Content - sense of self, self-esteem, personal management of ones own health, who we are in the world, persona
Organs - digestive system
CHAKRA 4 (HEART CHAKRA)
Location - Central Heart area
Content - our ability to love, self-love, compassion, higher quality of relationships
Organs - circulatory system
CHAKRA 5 (THROAT CHAKRA)
Location - throat
Content - self-expression, communication, the seat of will and will-power, addiction, professional/career will
Organs - thyroid gland and ears
CHAKRA 6 (BROW CHAKRA)
Location - third eye (center of brow)
Content - thinking, cognitive center, processing and assimilation of ideas, intuition, physic sight, executive will (how we ‘run our show’)
Organs - pineal gland and brain function
CHAKRA 7 (CROWN CHAKRA)
Location - crown of head
Content - connection to Spirit, higher self, inspiration
Organs - pituitary gland and brain function
DISFUNCTION, HEALING AND SPIRITUAL ASPECTS OF THE CHAKRAS
The information contained in our chakras is often detrimental or out-dated for us, and also largely unconcious. We let negative beliefs, unhealthy perceptions and bad habits determine the quality of energy that we possess. Dysfunction in our energy system is often ‘placed’ there by others when we were children. It can be the result of mis-knowledge about ourselves based on conclusions we have made about life or our identity after abuse, trauma or emotional neglect. Not to mention a host of societal norms or family customs of which we unconsciously subscribe, and that do not serve us at all. When the chakras are out of balance, they contain ideas, beliefs, habits and thought patterns that are totally incongruent with our authentic personal truth. This is why we get feel sick, stuck and depressed.
A common idea in this ‘new age’ is that we ‘create our own reality’. And in truth, we absolutely do. We can, at any time, begin to change the content of our chakras. We can reconfigure, restructure and resurrect our energy system into one that glows with health, vitality, positivity and abundance. Like computers, the chakras will hold any information that we choose to ‘download’. They will open to any new energies and ideas that we decide we want to make a part of us.
Finally, the chakras have a rich ‘spiritual’ aspect. They function best when we are running energy through them that celebrates, encourages and supports our highest good. When we align with a vision of ourselves, and a view of the world that is expansive, inherently abundant, joyful, and filled with possibility, the chakras function optimally.
Most interesting perhaps, is that even when we are unconscious of the severity of the problems in our lives - when we deny the existence of a negative situation, when we pretend that a relationship that is stifling us is ‘just fine’, when we accept a falsehood about ourselves that keeps us stuck, abused, or unable to move forward, the chakras will send a message (through a feeling, an intuition, an illness) that we are out of balance. In other words, the chakras help align us with Higher Intelligence, with our Higher Selves, with Spirit. This helps to light our way.
Chakra Balancing, Shamanic Healing and Reiki are all energy medicine practices that work with developing and transforming the chakras.