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This paper explores the concept of Chakras as energy centers within the body according to the Rishiculture Ashtanga Yoga tradition. It outlines the distinction between lower and higher Chakras, detailing their associations with physical, psychological, and cosmic elements. Each Chakra is examined in terms of its qualities, connections to sensory organs, and its significance in yoga practices, with a focus on the role of these psychic centers in enhancing awareness and energy flow.
iNAC, 2022
Get to know about the chakras, their attributes, strengths, weaknesses, and relation with yoga. Watch the video at the end and learn how to stimulate and balance these energy centers with their specific mantra (sound) and yantra (sign). What are Chakras? Chakras are the energy centers of the body. They are located in the astral body, along the spine, starting at its base and running upwards to the crown of the head. The astral body is the energy body residing inside our physical body. Each physical body part has a corresponding astral body part. The astral body cannot be seen or touched. This is also a reason why we cannot see the chakras. The chakras radiate a specific colour and energy, and each one coincides with a gland in the physical body. Since each chakra relates to specific spiritual, emotional, psychological, and physical aspects of our being, it is believed that their blockage or malfunction can lead to physical, psychological and emotional disorders. The conscious awareness and balancing of these energy centers, on the other hand, is believed to lead to well-being and good health. And that is one of the purposes of yoga. Through asana practice, yoga seeks to stimulate and balance these chakras or energy centers in the body. What is the shape of a chakra? There are many myths about the shape of the chakras. Some say they are like whirling discs, while others believe they are like flowers hanging from the spine. Some people even think that they resemble an ice-cream cone! All these different ideas exist simply because the chakras cannot be seen by the eyes or by any device. So, we tend to believe whatever becomes commonly circulated. The ancient scriptures say that a chakra is shaped like a sphere or a ball. And it is even believed that planet earth is a major chakra of the solar system and a minor chakra of our galaxy, the Milky Way. It rotates to distribute some energy, but knowing more about this remains beyond the scope of the human imagination. What is the size of a chakra? Some people say that chakras are one foot in radius, while others say that they change their size according to the energy flow. Scriptures, on the other hand, tell us that the chakras are very small, as they are located in the astral spinal cord, which is further located inside the physical spinal cord. Types of Chakras Mostly, we hear about the 'seven chakras' but, there is an infinite number of chakras in the human body. A specific vibration, color and sound is associated with all the 7 chakras. Depending on whether these energy centers are healthy or blocked, you may experience different attributes of your physical, mental, and emotional health. 1. Muladhara Chakra-Root Chakra
The Major Chakras and their Petals - A Technical Overview & New Insights, 2000
Based on Hindu religion, tradition and culture, and supported by ancient (800 B.C.E and on) Sanskrit literature from India, it is generally accepted by those who through their involvement in meditation, yoga, reiki, etc. have acquired a more oriental or alternative view on what the human being in essence is, that there are seven major chakras within the human aura - or to say it differently, 'seven subtle energy centers within the etheric human bio-energy field'. In the current literature that deals with the human aura and chakras, expressions like 'bio-energy field' and 'energy centers' are often used in conjunction with words like 'aura' and the Sanskrit term 'chakras'. The main purpose of this paper is not to provide 'yet another overview' of what chakras are, as there are many excellent writings on this already. Instead - as the significance for each chakra to have a specific number of petals is not generally known - the focus will be on the technical reasons why the chakras hold within themselves the specific number of petals that they are traditionally reported to contain. The relationship between the petals of each chakra and their links to the 25 major nerve pairs emanating from the spinal vertebrae will be described. Also a very little known chakra - the Coccyx Chakra, - one of the eight (!) major chakras) - will be introduced and described.
According to yoga tradition, the subtle body is a part of us that we can’t see or touch—it’s where our energy flows. It is also referred to as the energy body. There are seven key points in the subtle body that are thought to be vortexes of energy, known as chakras. When energy becomes blocked in a chakra, it triggers physical, mental, or emotional imbalances that manifest either in psychological symptoms such as anxiety, lethargy, or physical symptoms such as poor digestion. The more one studies these centres and their nature, the more she comes to understand the difference between various psychological and therapeutic points of view. In the present paper, the psychological aspects of each chakra are explored and the result of the synthesis or integration at each chakra is discussed.
It is an outstanding book from both the scientific and spiritual points of view. It is the unique record of the pioneering experiments which presents clear, electro-physiological evidence of the existence of the network of chakras and nadis which form the infra-structure of the subtle energies existing in the pranic and psychic dimensions, which underlie and activate the physical, material body of man. The experiments in the book successfully integrate the subjective and objective dimensions of knowledge, and will serve as guideposts and blueprints for experiments in the years ahead. The chakras and other components of the human energy field were largely brought to the attention of the Western world by clairvoyant Charles W. Leadbeater. His pioneering work is discussed in detail in this fascinating exploration of the subtle body, along with that of other respected seers and yogis.
Psychology Review, 2019
The paper reviewed the origin of the chakra system on a more scientific basis. We have studied the history of the seven chakra system and Amit Ray's 114 chakra system. A couple of decades ago, it was believed that the seven chakras are worth only for spiritual development. However, recent scientific studies have proven the opposite, uncovering several regulatory chakras in the human body are deeply related to human psychology. Scientists observed several regulatory micro-networks in the human body, deeply connected with immunity, health, mental peace, emotions and happiness. Biological models of behavior have become increasingly prominent in psychological theory, particularly with the development of various neuro-imaging tools. The field of neuropsychology, which studies the brain and the connected nervous system, is growingly feeling the role chakras in human psychology. In this paper, we tried to trace the history of the chakra system on a more scientific basis.
Such words as energy, chakras, auras and subtle bodies have become relatively commonplace within our everyday vocabularies and conversations. An ever-growing population want to know about energy and spirituality. Those yearning for something more than a routine daily existence have reached 'critical mass'-they are prompted by a desire for inner fulfilment, for a reconnection with a sense of the sacred in life.
Zygon(r), 2009
Chakras are a basic concept of yoga but typically are ignored by scientific research on yoga, probably because descriptions of chakras can appear like a fanciful mythology. Chakras are commonly considered to be centers of concentrated metaphysical energy. Although clear physiological effects exist for yoga practices, no explanation of how chakras influence physiological function has been broadly accepted either in the scientific community or among yoga scholars. This problem is exacerbated by the fact that yoga is based on subjective experience, and practitioners often shun objective descriptions. This essay builds on earlier work hypothesizing that intercellular gap junction connections provide a physiological mechanism underlying subtle energy systems described in yoga as well as other disciplines such as acupuncture. Three physical aspects of chakras are distinguished that are integrated through gap junction mechanisms and are proposed to have arisen during embryological development. Furthermore, electrical conductance associated with a high concentration of gap junctions could generate phenomena that, when subjectively experienced, have the radiant qualities attributed to chakras. This theory provides a scientific rationale for previously unexplained details of chakra theory and offers a new orientation to conceptualizing and studying such subjective phenomena.
The religio-cultural phenomena of theosophy and the New Age directed the transformation of chakras from an aspect of traditional tantric and hatha yoga practice to a New Age system of healing or “spiritual growth”. As a concept that implies an unseen body, chakras do not sit comfortably with the anatomically conceived yoga body that has come to dominate most contemporary yoga classes. Rather, as a bridge between the corporeal body and something other, be it the astral bodies of theosophy or the “energy” healing of the New Age, the chakras have thrived within spheres that are predicated on the non-physical. Nonetheless, each of these spheres overlap and intertwine with modern yoga, almost re-inserting what was once an exclusively yogic concept back into a system from which it has become estranged.
Psychoanalytic Energy Psychotherapy, 2018
Techniques for finding and balancing chakra disturbances are described, with emphasis on the use of symbols. The relationship between bilateral muscle weakness and chakra imbalances is also discussed.
2009
Chakras are a basic concept of yoga but typically are ignored by scientific research on yoga, probably because descriptions of chakras can appear like a fanciful mythology. Chakras are commonly considered to be centers of concentrated metaphysical energy. Although clear physiological effects exist for yoga practices, no explanation of how chakras influence physiological function has been broadly accepted either in the scientific community or among yoga scholars. This problem is exacerbated by the fact that yoga is based on subjective experience, and practitioners often shun objective descriptions. This essay builds on earlier work hypothesizing that intercellular gap junction connections provide a physiological mechanism underlying subtle energy systems described in yoga as well as other disciplines such as acupuncture. Three physical aspects of chakras are distinguished that are integrated through gap junction mechanisms and are proposed to have arisen during embryological developm...
The Chakras or Force Centers Lam Van Kiet An illustrated and comprehensive look at Chakras — their awakening, energy transference, kundalini, their relationship with disease, etc. This synthetic paper is indeed a most valuable resource for an in-depth study of the etheric vehicle.
Different cultures and healing traditions practice Energy medicine. Physical, psychological, and spiritual health and vitality are fostered through energy medicine. Hospitals are increasingly making them available as a gentle intervention that can enhance the quality of care and support Western physicians' efforts. It is referred to as 'Chi' in China, 'Prana' in India, and 'Lung' in Tibet. Subtle vital energy is another term used for Energy Medicine. Exercise, nutrition, medicine, lifestyle changes, and the implementation of various energy modalities stimulate, enhance, and redirect this vital energy. According to Norm Shealy, M.D., founding President of the American Holistic Medical Association, energy medicine is the future of medicine. Albert Szent-Gyorgyi, a Nobel laureate in medicine, says that healing has always been accomplished by moving energy.
The paper focuses on the importance of intertwining theoretical shreds of evidence that exist in the West with that of the Vedic philosophy of the Chakra system in the East to bring forth cultural similarities. The paper attempts to explore a different and culturally sound perspective that presents evidence of how the Chakra system shares commonalities with various theories of the West such as that of the Mind-Body theory. A comparison is also made between Chakras and the personality theories proposed by Erikson, Maslow, Jung, and Freud. For this purpose, secondary data analysis of research papers, journals, and books was done to gain deeper knowledge and insight about the topic. This paper also reveals the importance of spiritual awakening which in turn helps cultivate overall well-being, and selfgrowth which are important factors that contribute towards a positive and moralistic development among people.
Medium, 2019
This paper explains the origin and development of chakras in India. It sketches how Lord Shiva, Buddha, Sri Amit Ray, Shri Gorakhnath, Purnananda Swami, Saraha, Kabir Das, Tirumular, Sir John Woodroffe, Abraham Maslow, and Curl Jung were involved in the discovery of the chakras. It traced all the roots of the chakra system in the religion history of India and also noted how Sri Amit Ray discovered the 114 chakra system in deep meditation in Himalaya. Moreover, it explained how the Tantric Traditions and Buddhism used chakras for spiritual growth in the 8th century. In addition, it discussed how the chakra system become popular in the west.
Chakra Yoga: Integrating the body and mind , 2021
The spinal cord conducts electrical currents and distributes energy throughout the nervous system. Chakra Yoga opens electrical channels through a series of asanas, bandhas, and mudras used in conjunction with breath control to integrate the body and mind through energy awareness.
By bringing your focused awareness into the present moment and examining your bodily sensations at the root level, you will begin to awaken and unravel the latent energies that are solidified within the unconscious. It is important when awakening any energy that it is accompanied by a proportionate increase in consciousness. This is the balance of Shakti (energy/ feminine/ moon/ Yin) and Shiva (consciousness/ masculine/ sun/ Yang). The unconscious is made of programs or conditioned patterns that repeat endlessly, solidifying our reality and diverting our
In order to identify a specific physicality for the character of Lady Macbeth, I based my movement direction work on the theory of chakras, connecting the vibration of each of these “wheels of energy” to areas of the spine and the flow of vital energy through the body to the respiratory system, namely the flow of breath.
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