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Chakra
See also    Kalaa       Chakra in Aagam an Nigam

(1) Circle.
(2) Wheel.
(3) Divine Disc - Sudarshan Chakra. One of the four things Vishnu holds in His hands called Sudarshan. The other three things in His hands are Paanchjanya Shankh (conch shell), Kaumodakee Gadaa (mace) and Padm (lotus flower).
(4) There are 84 Chakra in astrology. Some famous Chakra are Panch Shalaakaa (used in fixing marriage), Sapt Shalaakaa (used in Upanayan), Sarvatobhadra, Shatapad, etc. One such chakra is Sapta Naadee Chakra, from which the concept of 28 Nakshatra are divided into 7 Naadee from which Jal or Amrit are taken. Read Krishi Paraashar and Makarand Prakaash for details.


(5) Its another meaning is in context of Yog science. According to it, our body has seven Chakra or seven centers of consciousness located along the spinal column - three in the upper hemisphere of the body and three in the lower hemisphere of the body and one in the center.

(i) Moolaadhaar Chakra - This is the first Chakra located at the base of the spine. This is the root Chakra - the center for the earth element. It is the center that is the base of worship for the Kaulaa school of Tantra.
(ii) Swaadhishthaan Chakra - This is the second Chakra
(iii) Manipoor Chakra - The third Chakra which is filled jewels; is at naval center; the center of the fire element; the solar plexus.
(iv) Anaahat Chakra - This is the fourth Chakra in the row which is located in the center, the heart center, and has its location between the upper and lower hemispheres of the body. It is the center of the air element. Practices involving Anaahat Chakra are always recommended to control Bhava, which means to balance emotional life as well as the problem of inertia or sleep. If a beginner is not yet competent to meditate on this Chakra, he experiences sleep-like inertia or dozes. Students of Mishra school of Tantra perform their worship at this Chakra. The Yogee hear the sound as of a bell in this Chakra. The Chakra is so called because there, without a sound producing cause (stroke), sounds are heard, emanating from the Shabd Brahm.
(v) Vishuddhi Chakra - This fifth Chakra is located at the throat center (above heart); center of the space element.
(vi) Aagyaa Chakra - This sixth Chakra
(vii) Sahasraar Chakra - This 7th and the last Chakra is situated at the top and that is why is called Crown Chakra also - the seat, sphere, or abode of Brahm. Also called Brahm Puree.

Bhaagvat Puraan, 2/1 describes only 5 Chakra's names like this - Manipoorak, Anaahat, Vishuddh, Aagyaa, and Sahasraar.

Shriram Sharmaa, the founder of "Shantikunj, Haridwaar" mentions six Chakra as "Shat Chakra" in his book "Super Science of Gayatri" but does not count the Sahasraar Chakra along with all other Chakra - (1) Moolaadhaar Chakra lying in the genital region; (2) Swadhishthaan Chakra lying in the portion between the navel and the pubic region; (3) Manipur Chakra lying in the umbilicus region; (4) Anaahat Chakra lying near the heart; (5) Vishudaakhya Chakra near the neck; (6) Aagyaa Chakra lying in the middle of both the eye-brows; and above all lies (7) Sahasraar Chakra in the brain.


Linking These Chakra to Animal World
There are Chakra below Moolaadhaar Chakra that belong to the animal world.
(1) Moolaadhaar at the lower end of the spine,
(2) Swaadhishthaan at the genitals,
(3) Manipoor at the navel,
(4) Anaahat at the heart,
(5) Vishuddha at the throat,
(6) Aagyaa Chakra at Bhroo-madhya or forehead and between eye-brows
(7) Sahasraar Chakra above all these.

People irrespective of race, caste, or any other divisive parameters are placed in any of one these Chakra. Each person functions at a particular Chakra from which he tries to rise. The colors assigned to these Chakras follow the rainbow colors: VIBGYOR, Violet for Sahasraar, Indigo for Aagyaa, Green for Anaahat, Yellow for Manipur, Orange for Swaadhishthaan, and Red for Moolaadhaar Chakras.

One's personality conforms to any one of these Chakra -
(1) Moolaadhaar: Anal man. Bliss in eating and excreting. like Insects. Survival instincts.
(2) Swaadhishthaan: Genital man. Bliss in procreation. like rabbits. propagation.
(3) Manipur: navel man. Bliss in herd mentality. like elephants. Social instincts.
(4) Anaahat: Heart man. Bliss in wealth, Education, and Social climbing. man-man. Social.
(5) Vishuddh: Throat man. Bliss in spiritual wisdom. Universal man. Yogic spirit.
(6) Aagyaa: Glabella (Trikuti = forehead) man. Bliss in spiritual life. Yogi. Yaugik spirit.
(7) Sahasraar: God-man. Bliss in oneness with his god and the universe. Yogi. Yogic spirit.
Rishi-Muni: Krishn, Buddha, Jesus Christ, Ramakrishn Paramahams, Ramana Maharshi.

--The Heart man (Anaahat Chakra) is in the transitional zone.
--The Throat man (Vishuddha Chakra) has given up the Raajasik behavior of Manipur Chakra and has become Saattwik. He is cerebral and intelligent, and his Buddhi has the ability to filter out the Taamasik and the Raajasik Gun. He is beginning to see there is more to life than going to work, making a living, and raising a family. He realizes there is something greater than he is and begins to immerse himself in religious studies; he is on a path to find peace, freedom, and happiness from within.
--The Glabella man (Aagyaa Chakra) and the Crown man (Saharaar Chakra) are the realized souls. The Glabella man (Bhroo-madhya, the spot between the eyebrows) goes in and out of Samaadhi and enjoys it. He is on his way to becoming one with Brahman, and enjoying Samaadhi is incidental but his primary aim is to become one with Brahm.


Try to activate your Chakra. To activate means it is a Quantum healing technique, at least you have to practice meditation.

Amplifying the Energy of the Chakras
Chakra are the subtle energy centers of the body. The ancient Indian Yogee understood the nature of the subtle energy which drives all biological function. They called these centers "Chakra" which literally means "wheels". Those who see energy often perceive the chakras as spinning with a wheel-like appearance. This energy is most commonly referred to as Chi or Praan and it is the animating force behind all living things. Physiologists who search for a purely physical explanation of all biological activity are on a fool's quest, like a man dissecting a piano in order to find the concerto hidden inside. The mystery is vast. Somewhat like Abraham Maslow's "Hierarchy of Needs" which moves from survival, to sex, to emotional well-being, etc., the Chakra have a similar hierarchy. The first Chakra at the base of the spine vibrates with the energy of safety and security. The second Chakra across from the genitals holds the energy of sex, procreation and creativity. The third Chakra at the solar plexus carries the energy of emotional expression. The fourth Chakra at the heart vibrates love. The fifth Chakra is at the throat and holds the energy of communication. The sixth Chakra is at the "third eye" between the eyebrows and holds energy for insight, awareness and wisdom. The seventh Chakra is at the crown of the head and and helps us open to our spirituality. Most people who are familiar with the Chakra do not realize that you can activate and amplify the energy of the Chakra to assist yourself and others for the purpose of healing. Since energy follows thought, when you put your attention into the Chakra, you are also bringing energy there. Since breath carries the life-force energy, breathing may also amplify the energy. When you have learned to link powerful body awareness exercises with focused breathing, and vortex the Chakra, the energy you generate becomes remarkable.

Chakras : Introduction
The word comes from the Sanskrit term "Chakra" meaning "wheel" or "circle" (also cognate to both words), and sometimes also referring to the "wheel of life". Some traditional sources describe five or seven Chakra, others eight. The Chakra are described as being aligned in an ascending column from the base of the spine to the top of the head. In new age practices, each Chakra is associated with a certain color. In various traditions Chakra are associated with multiple physiological functions, an aspect of consciousness, a classical element, and other distinguishing characteristics. They are visualized as lotuses with a different number of petals in every Chakra. The Chakra are thought to vitalize the physical body and to be associated with interactions of a physical, emotional and mental nature. They are considered loci of life energy, or Praan, (also called Shakti, or Chi), which is thought to flow among them along pathways called Naadee. The function of the Chakra is to spin and draw in this Universal Life Force Energy to keep the spiritual, mental, emotional and physical health of the body in balance. Traditional Chinese medicine also relies on a similar model of the human body as an energy system.

The New Age movement has led to an increased interest in the West regarding chakras. Many in this movement point to a correspondence between the position and role of the chakras and those of the glands in the endocrine system. Some people in New Age also claim that other Chakra, besides the above, exist "for instance, ear Chakra" and have described many more Chakra than made reference to in traditional texts. Frequently references are made to the Chakra in the New Age "sacred sexuality" or neo-Tantra movement. The Chakra are described in the Taantrik texts the Shat Chakra Niroopan, and the Paadak Panchak, in which they are described as emanations of consciousness from Brahman, an energy emanating from the spiritual which gradually turns concrete, creating these distinct levels of Chakra, and which eventually finds its rest in the Moolaadhaar Chakra. They are therefore part of an emanation's theory, like that of the Kabbalah in the west, Lataif-e-sitta in Soofeesm or Neo-platonism. The energy that was unleashed in creation, called the Kundalinee, lies coiled and sleeping at the base of the spine. It is the purpose of the Taantrik or Kundalinee forms of Yog to arouse this energy, and cause it to rise back up through the increasingly subtler Chakra, until union with God is achieved in the Sahasraar Chakra at the crown of the head.

Apart from this primary text from India, different Western authors have also tried to describe the Chakra, most notably the Theosophists. Many New Age writers, such as the Danish author and musician Peter Kjaerulff in his book, "The Ringbearer's Diary", or Anodea Judith in her book "Wheels of Life", have written their opinions about the Chakra in great detail, including the reasons for their appearance and functions. The seven Chakra are said by some to reflect how the unified consciousness of humanity (the immortal human being or the soul), is divided to manage different aspects of earthly life (body/instinct/ vital energy/ deeper emotions/ communication/ having an overview of life/contact to God). The Chakra are placed at differing levels of spiritual subtlety, with Sahasraar at the top being concerned with pure consciousness, and Moolaadhaar at the bottom being concerned with matter, which is seen simply as crudified consciousness.

Origins and Development
The earliest known mention of Chakras is found in the later Upanishad, including specifically the Brahm Upanishad and the Yog Tattwa Upanishad. These Vaidik models were adapted in Tibetan Buddhism as Vajrayan theory, and in the Taantrik Shaakt theory of Chakra. It is the Shaakt theory of 7 main Chakra that most people in the West adhere to, either knowingly or unknowingly, largely thanks to a translation of two Indian texts, the Sat Chakra Niroopan, and the Padaka-Panchak, by Sir John Woodroffe, alias Arthur Avalon, in a book entitled "The Serpent Power". This book is extremely detailed and complex, and later the ideas were developed into what is predominant western view of the Chakra by the Theosophists, and largely the controversial (in theosophical circles) CW Leadbeater in his book "The Chakra", which are in large part his own meditations and insights on the matter. That said, many present-day Indian gurus that incorporate Chakra within their systems of philosophy do not seem to radically disagree with the western view of Chakra, at least on the key points, and both these eastern and western views have developed from the Shaakt Tantra school. There are various other models of Chakra in other traditions, notably in Chinese medicine, and also in Tibetan Buddhism.

Even in Jewish Kabbalah, the different Sephiroth are sometimes associated with parts of the body. In Islamic Sufism, Lataif-e-Sitta (Six Subtleties) are considered as psycho-spiritual "organs" or faculties of sensory and supersensory perception, activation of which makes a man complete. Attempts are made to try and reconcile the systems with each other, and notably there are some successes, even between such diverged traditions as Shaakt Tantra, Soofeesm and Kabbalism, where Chakra, Lataif and Sephiroth can seemingly represent the same archetypal spiritual concepts. In Soorat Shabd Yog, initiation by an Outer Living Satguru (Sat - true, Guru - teacher) is required and involves reconnecting soul to the Shabd and stationing the Inner Shabd Master (the Radiant Form of the Master) at the third eye Chakra.

The Seven basic Chakra
Sahasraar or The crown Chakra , is said to be the Chakra of consciousness, the master Chakra that controls all the others. Its role would be very similar to that of the pituitary gland, which secretes hormones to control the rest of the endocrine system, and also connects to the central nervous system via the hypothalamus. The thalamus is thought to have a key role in the physical basis of consciousness. Symbolized by a lotus with a thousand petals.

Aagyaa or The Third eye, is linked to the pineal gland. Aagyaa is the Chakra of time and awareness and of light. The pineal gland is a light sensitive gland, that produces the hormone melatonin, which regulates the instincts of going to sleep and awakening. It has been conjectured that it also produces trace amounts of the psychedelic chemical dimethyltryptamine. Symbolized by a lotus with two petals. (Note: some argue that the pineal and pituitary glands should be exchanged in their relationship to the Crown and Brow Chakra, based on the description in Arthur Avalon's book on Kundalinee called Serpent Power or empirical research.)

Vishuddh or The throat Chakra, is said to be related to communication and growth, growth being a form of expression. This Chakra is paralleled to the thyroid, a gland that is also in the throat, and which produces thyroid hormone, responsible for growth and maturation. Symbolized by a lotus with sixteen petals.

Anaahat or The heart/emotions Chakra, is related to love, equilibrium, and well-being. It is related to the thymus, located in the chest. This organ is part of the immune system, as well as being part of the endocrine system. It produces T cells responsible for fighting off disease, and is adversely affected by stress. Symbolized by a lotus with twelve petals.

Manipur or The solar plexus Chakra, is related to energy, assimilation and digestion, and is said to correspond to the roles played by the pancreas and the outer adrenal glands, the adrenal cortex. These play a valuable role in digestion, the conversion of food matter into energy for the body. Symbolized by a lotus with ten petals.

Swaadhishthaan or The sacral Chakra, is located in the groin, and is related to emotion, sexuality and creativity. This Chakra is said to correspond to the testes or the ovaries, that produce the various sex hormones involved in the reproductive cycle, which can cause dramatic mood swings. Symbolized by a lotus with six petals.

Moolaadhaar or The base or the root Chakra, is related to security, survival and also to basic human potentiality. This center is located in the region between the genitals and the anus. Although no endocrine organ is placed here, it is said to relate to the inner adrenal glands, the adrenal medulla, responsible for the fight and flight response when survival is under threat. In this region is located a muscle that controls ejaculation in the sexual act. A parallel is drawn between the sperm cell and the ovum, where the genetic code lies coiled, and the kundalinee. Symbolized by a lotus with four petals.

 

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Created by Sushma Gupta on 3/15/06
Contact:  sushmajee@yahoo.com
Updated on 06/27/12