Chakras Explained

The word ‘Chakra’ always elicits a mystical as well as a curious response, every time it is spoken of. It is a vast topic and hence the effort here is to introduce the topic and provide information that can be used by the average reader. To understand the concept of Chakras we need to be first aware of our levels of existence as explained in the Indian philosophy.

These are what are termed as the Koshas or sheaths which are as follows;

Annamaya Kosha:This is the physical body that we are able to see and feel.
Pranamaya Kosha: This is the sheath of prana or energy (chi) that flows in our body through subtle channels (nadis), invisible to the naked eye.
Manomaya Kosha: The mind encompassing various emotions are included in this sheath.
Buddhimaya Kosha: This is the intellect or the aspect of logic and thoughts that determine the course of our actions.
Anandamaya Kosha: This is the state of Bliss ever residing in all of us that cannot be explained through words but can only be experienced.
The chakras are relate to the energy level of our existence, but before proceeding to understand them, we need to understand some more aspects of these Koshas.

All these 5 levels are present in each of us, yet depending on our personal beliefs, we consider one or the other from them to be our reality or being more important.
These 5 levels are not distinctly separate bodies but rather, closely inter-related entities. Thus we find that imbalance at one level is capable of causing disturbance at other levels. For example, a disease can cause your emotions to get disturbed and simultaneously the thought process to be hampered. Also, these imbalances at one level can be corrected even through a healing/ balancing of the other sheaths. Thus, a headache (physical level) can be caused by disturbed emotions and can also be reversely corrected by balancing disturbed emotion.
Thoughts being the deepest level of creation, are most capable of affecting the chakras. Thoughts create emotions and hence an imbalanced state of emotions corresponds to an imbalanced state of Chakras and conversely, balanced emotions lead to balanced Chakras.
Kundalini is the word used to describe this energy. It is imagined symbolically that it is like a coiled serpent which is coiled two and a half times at the muladhara chakra and one by one the chakras can be opened systematically from bottom upwards.
Hence, Chakras relate to the energy (pranamaya) sheath, can be affected by or influence the other Koshas.

What are Chakras?

Chakras are intense energy points present at the junctions of various energy channels that criss-cross our body. Since there are around 72,000 energy channels (nadis) in our body and correspondingly thousands of junctions between them, there are simultaneously thousands of Chakras in almost every part of our body. Yet seven Chakras that are present from the waist above are considered to be the most important ones.

Each Chakra is related to a particular colour, deity, mantra, yantra, etc. as also various organs and related illnesses. The colour, mantra, etc. is then used to treat diseases in particular organs. more