Exploring Yoga: The Chakra System

The chakra system is essentially a system of energy centers along the spinal column, each of which functions as a focal point for the reception and transmission of psychophysical energies. Interestingly, there appears to be a strong relationship between the chakras and the neuroendocrine system as the location of the chakras overlaps with that of the glands. The glands are responsible for secreting hormones directly into the bloodstream creating the chemical balance in the body. The chakras are located along the spinal column and each of the energy centers specialize in a different aspect of our body, mind and spirit experiences, which contribute to the aura we carry through the world.

The lower chakras in the system are the most dominant as they represent our animal instincts, such as survival, sexuality and dominance. As you rise up the energy line, the upper chakras reach a more spiritual plane. In order to balance the existence of the Self (I am-ness), there needs to be balance between the upper and lower chakras. When the Self emanates at its fullest potential, from the midpoint of the heart chakra, the quest for spirituality comes from a place of love.

The word “chakra” means “wheel” and they appear to be a sort of spinning wheel of light to those who can see them. The chakras transform this light (life force / prana / chi) by releasing subtle energy into the aura and the part of the physical body where they are located. Unbalanced chakras can lead to physical imbalances. It is plausible then that the disharmonious, unbalanced or insufficient flow of subtle energy through the chakras could be the ultimate cause of disease.

From the lowest most instinctual chakra rising to the highest most spiritual one, the seven major chakras are: Muladhara (root), Svadisthana (sacral), Manipura (navel), Anahata (heart), Vishudda (throat), Ajna (brow) and Sahasrara (crown).

Muladhara (Root/Base) Chakra

The root chakra is located at the base of the sacrum and the coccyx. It is associated with the earth element and the lower limbs and is energetically connected to the Adrenal glands. When Muladhara is imbalanced, it can create insecurity, fight or flight responses and a sense of being rootless - out of touch with gravity. On the contrary, we can stimulate Muladhara through the practice of Asanas (Frog, Bridge and ? pigeon), by the color red and with the mantra LAM to foster a strong sense of security, positive self image and grounded ness.

Svadisthana (Sacral/Sex) Chakra

Svadisthana is located mid point between the navel and pubic bone and is associated with the water element and sexual energy. Its connection to the neuroendocrine system appears to be through the sex glands (ovaries / testicles) which stimulates and maintains sexual characteristics and influences behavior. If Svadisthana is imbalanced it can result in primal emotions and lust. But with concentration on the color orange, the mantra VAM and Asanas (pigeon, cobra, sphinx and half locust) we can create vitality and willfulness, creativity and sensuality from the energy of the sacral chakra.

Manipura (Navel/Solar Plexus) Chakra

You can find the navel chakra halfway between the base of the sternum and the navel and it is associated with the fire element and personal power. It is connected to the pancreas which maintains blood sugar levels in our body which in turn affects our energy levels. Manipura or “jewel city” can affect us negatively with a sense of helplessness, fear of change, feelings of being stuck and sometimes actions of brute force. However, we can nourish our navel chakra meditating with the mantra RAM and the color yellow and with the practice of Bow, Full Locust and Warrior postures, we will benefit from power, vulnerability, calm assurance and adaptability and an openness to change.

Anahata (Heart) Chakra

As the name identifies, find your heart chakra in the middle of your sternum. Anahata is the energetic center of the chakra system and is associated to the air element, the cardiac system and compassion for others. The heart chakra connects to the glandular system through the heart and the thymus gland, effecting the development of immunity and love. Ignoring Anahata may result in a sense of despair and hardheartedness but through the practice of Camel and Fish postures, the color green and the mantra YAM, one can cultivate a Self of compassion and unconditional love for the universe.

Vishudda (Throat) Chakra

Vishudda rests in the hollow of the throat and is associated with the ether element, the auditory system, self-expression, energy and endurance. The throat chakra’s connection to the neuroendocrine system is the thyroid gland which secretes hormones that affect the metabolism of the body. Imbalanced, Vishudda might leave you with a prejudiced perception of the world and a rigidity to change. On the other hand, activating your throat chakra with Shoulder stand and Plow pose and meditating with the color blue and the mantra HAM can ignite your sense of reason, logic, creative expression and commitment to speaking the truth.

Ajna (Third Eye/Brow) Chakra

Go between your eyebrows to find your third eye chakra which is associated with the light element, sensory input, intuition, telepathic communication and the ability to meditate. Ajna has a connection to the Pituitary gland which contributes to the reception of the nervous system and the secretions of hormones. Blocking the path to Samadhi, the imbalanced Ajna will result in our wish to control things and our narrow-mindedness. But intuition, creative thinking and a larger view of life will nourish our energy system through the practice of Yoga Mudra and concentration on the color indigo purple and the mantra OM.

Sahasrara (Crown) Chakra

At the highest energy center in the chakra system, located at the top of your head you blossom your crown chakra. To avoid a lack of consciousness and feelings of being put down and alienation, practice sitting in silent meditation in lotus posture. Focus on the pineal gland’s role of creating the ability to see within - pure intuitive perception. Concentrate your imagination on a violet white lotus blossom opening up at the crown of your head and absorb the aroma of cosmic understanding and oneness with all that will come to you.

With the continued practice of yoga and an exploration of its eight limbs, mantras, meditations and root locks, we continue to open the energy lines to create balance in the chakra system. As we maintain this equilibrium, we will benefit from the energetic affirmations noted above and raise our energy from our primal instincts to a higher level of spiritual awareness and existence in the world. Who knows? Perhaps we may even find Samadhi.

Michael Russell

Your Independent guide to Yoga

Is Maslow’s Hierarchy A Plagiarism On Chakras & Kundalini Yoga, Known About For Thousands of Yea

Maslows Hierarchy Of Needs is A Plagiarism On Chakra Theory And Kundalini Yoga, Known About For Thousands Of Years

Maslow’s Hierarchy of needs Psychology- Really a plagiarism of the psychological aspects of the 7 Chakra Processors? Is Maslow’s Hierarchy of needs really a plagiarism or parallel confirming research of the psychological aspects of the 7 Chakras, known about in Kundalini Yoga for Thousands of Years.

Chakras are about the parallel processors of the mind. Only one of these processors is Intellectual. The rest comprise the emotions, the unconscious, the subconscious, the inner child and the id.

All todays fastest supercomputers use parallel processors gaining speed with the number of processors.

Base Chakra is Mooladhara Chakra

Abdominal Chakra is Swadisthan Chakra

Solar Plexus Chakra is Manipur Chakra

Heart Chakra is Anahata Chakra

Throat Chakra is Visshudhi Chakra

Brow or Third Eye Chakra is Ajna Chakra

Crown Chakra is Sahasrara Chakra

The levels of evolution and their relationship to the parallel processors of the human brain, chakra, development and the ages at which they normally start working correctly, are used in the Montessori method of teaching yet the age of paradigm shift is simply the age at which another chakra gains functionality. Anyone can see that this follows the theory of chakra awakening of Kundalini Yoga known about for thousands of years.

Maslows Hierarchy of Needs says that as the lower desires are fed so higher desires can be achieved.

Sex , Safety and Food - base chakra

Belonging in relationships ? second chakra

Power ? solar plexus

Self Esteem ? Heart Chakra

Self Actualisation ? Crown Chakra

Anyone can see that this follows the theory of chakra awakening of Kundalini Yoga known about for thousands of years.

Chakras are like the processors in a super computer. The more they communicate, the more intelligent they are. So anything which stops that communication, like an energy blockage will decrease intelligence. The more each chakra functions, the more intelligent we are, therefore anything which stops that functionality, like an energy blockage, the less of our potential intelligence we are using.

Intelligence is not only the intellectual IQ.

Emotional Intelligence functions in different chakras from the intelligence chakra. And emotional intelligence is when there exists in a human being none of the negative emotions.

Negative emotions are, Anger, Depression, wanting attention, manicism and Fear but to these we could add, wanting to harm another, jealousy and selfish desire.

As the chakras becomes harmonized by losing their energy blockages then the negative emotions become controllable or just go.

Thus releasing the Power of Positive emotions like Love, Willpower and the Power of getting things done. These become the norm.

Kundalini Yoga works by giving advanced techniques to remove energy blockages and thus release the power of the human intellect and Positive Emotion. Of Love, Love under Will.

Read the psychology of, Wilber, Piaget and Berne, - Ponder on this and see the truth for yourself.

Director Satchidanand, is one of the leading teachers of Meditation.

He helps people worldwide reach further than they EVER thought possible, FASTER!

http://www.energyenhancement.org

Energy Enhancement and Psychology

Here is an example of an interview I gave before our last course which we give both in Spain on the Costa Brava and in Rosario in Argentina.

“I was meeting a nice girl of 28 this morning here at our center in Rosario. She is a Psychologist but has fallen out of love with Psychology because although it explains things intellectually it gives no TECHNIQUES apart from talking to change anything internally, particularly in herself. You can see how effective Psychology is by looking at Woody Allen.

I connected with her base chakra and her inner child showed me all her chakras and blockages one by one. A very interesting experience. First the Base chakra, one fear and security blockage which I removed very quickly. Then the second, a pain filled relationship blockage which I also removed. Then all the chakras solar plexus, heart etc, feeling the general dirtiness of the psychic body usually cleaned with The Grounding of Negative Energies but no major blockages.

Then the head, two blockages, one a person who had just died, very deep and negative. I removed the first blockage but the other one was more difficult and stayed with me, absorbed by my psychic body, for a day before I sent it on.

She felt the movement of energy blockages in the head and in the body as my mind and energy was working on her and told me that she normally got a lot of headaches. She was interested in my exposition of Energy Enhancement as all the while I was working on these blockages I was also talking to her.

Such openings show an educated psychic body, one with talent. Not everyone who comes to the Guru has similar experiences. Some also get more. She and I felt that with training she also might be able to help her clients in a similar way. So, she is coming back tomorrow to try out the process, to get her first Initiation in Energy Enhancement.”

“The first day Satchi taught me how to sit. By moving the position of my posture slightly I could feel the flow of energy from the center of the earth into the center of the universe. Satchi explained that what I was feeling was Kundalini Energy. If I followed it, he said, It would lead me to Enlightenment.”
From the testimonial of Energy Enhancement Student Carla, Jan 2004

Siva Samhit?, iii, 10-19: “Now I shall tell you how easily to attain success in Yoga, by knowing which the Yogis never fail in the practice of Yoga. Only the knowledge imparted by a Competent Teacher through his lips is powerful and useful; otherwise it becomes fruitless, weak and very painful.

And this is why - by coming into the Buddhafield of Energy surrounding Energy Enhancement Satchidanand obtained through many years of meditation with many enlightened masters, you obtain Shaktipat- an infusion of energy to help you get into a permanent state of meditation.

Swami Satchidanand is Director of Energy Enhancement Synthesis of Light which teaches 28 ancient and effective techniques to enable you to achieve control of your mind, an enhanced IQ, control over all your negative emotions, anger, fear, depression on the path of the ultimate Samadhi and enlightenment itself.

Energy Enhancement techniques have catapulted people years in their meditational experience in weeks. Some 5 years, some jump 10 times further! It helps people worldwide reach further than they EVER thought possible, FASTER!!!

Director Satchidanand, is one of the leading teachers of Meditation.
He helps people worldwide reach further than they EVER thought possible, FASTER!!!

http://www.energyenhancement.org