Dear Soul Arcanum: I often read references to the “chakras,” and while I’ve done some research on this term, there is so much out there I’m overwhelmed. I love your simple writing style. Can you offer some basic information on the chakras, such as what they are and why they’re important?
– Suzanne
Dear Suzanne:
I understand why you’re feeling overwhelmed. I plugged “chakras” into Altavista to see what kind of information a web surfer might come up with, and got more than a million hits.
The word “chakra” comes from the Sanskrit word for wheel. It refers to the energy vortices that run along our spines, through which life force energy is channeled into the physical dimension. There are a number of articles in our archives regarding the various specific properties, colors, etc., associated with each chakra, so here I will focus more on general chakra information.
The nature of everything in the Universe is energy. The slowest/densest form of this energy that most of us can perceive is what we experience with our physical senses. There is a great deal of energy, however, that can not generally be physically perceived. Some sensitive people like psychics and healers can use extrasensory perception to consciously tune into some of this energy before it slows down enough to manifest in physical form. Everyone is actually aware of these subtler energies more or less, however, for it is from this dimension of perception that intuition arises.
Here’s a simple metaphor: before it rains, humidity is building in the atmosphere. We can’t see that humidity as water, nevertheless, it is there. As it gets heavier and heavier, we may begin to “feel” or sense it, but we still can’t see it until it builds to a point where it actually becomes drops of rain. Someone who is very sensitive can feel that humidity building before others can, and can perceive it in the air when others can not. Someone who is very sensitive and wise or spiritually conscious can further recognize the signs of an impending “storm” or other weather manifestation based on past experience. In this example, a psychic is sort of like a trained meteorologist.
This is similar to what happens with energy. We all have physical bodies that can be seen, felt, etc., but we also have etheric bodies that can be seen and felt by sensitive people. These etheric bodies are composed of life force energy that is in the process of flowing into the physical dimension. It is from the reports of those who can see and otherwise perceive etheric energies that we glean our understanding of the chakras. (Please note that references to chakras can be found throughout the world’s cultures and religions, which indicates that this is not an abstract model for understanding our human nature, but rather a universal truth.)
Our bodies are in a state of constant change; in fact, life itself is the constant flowing of energy. When energy stops flowing from the non-physical into the physical, we are “dead” in this dimension. It is through our chakras that this ever moving energy flows.
The chakras/auras of people of great youth and vitality tend to look brighter and more vibrant, where people who have ill health or who lack “energy” tend to have dimmer auras and less vibrant chakras. The energies of every person are unique; there is a wide range of possible manifestations here. Even within the same individual, some chakras will be seen to be highly developed, while others are smaller or dimmer. Some chakras may appear to be clear, open and “healthy,” while in others, problems or issues may appear like rips or tears, blocks, clouds, shadows, etc.
Further, as we develop spiritually, our chakras grow and expand. In someone undeveloped, they may look like dim, small circles. In someone of great spiritual development, they will appear huge, vibrant, open and swirling. The “halo” of angels, Jesus and the Buddha are crown chakras that are so developed, even ordinary people could perceive them. (The crown chakra governs our connection to Spirit – to all that is – so those of tremendous spiritual development are seen to have glowing “halos” or rings of light around their heads.)
By observing the condition of the aura/chakras, sensitives can determine many things, from health problems that have manifested or are about to manifest, to how someone is feeling emotionally, to how developed they may be spiritually. Further, by working at a conscious level with our chakras, we can move toward greater well-being and personal development.
Somewhere along the way I picked up a model of the chakras being divided into three classifications, the lowest governing more physical matters such as our physical bodies, the middle governing more personal matters such as our desires and feelings, and the upper chakras governing more spiritual matters such as our outlook on life and our sense of connection to the Divine. There are no distinct demarcations, however – one level flows into the next.
The more evolved we become spiritually, the higher we tend to be centered in terms of our chakras. If we reflect on cultural history, I believe we can see a shift upward in terms of society’s general focus. A century and more ago, we as a race were more centered in the middle chakras, as life was a lot of hard work. With technology and evolution, we’ve moved upward, and recently been more focused in the intellect.
Beyond the intellect of course lies Spirit; that is where we are heading as a race right now. Individuals throughout history have focused in certain areas, of course – I’m referring to overall population trends.
Ideally, we are never focused solely on one aspect of life or centered in one chakra; instead, all our chakras are radiant, open, and in healthy balance with each other. As we progress or evolve on one level then, we must bring the other areas of our being up to speed. Someone who focuses a great deal on intellectual development (the fifth and sixth chakras) will tend to neglect other aspects, such as their physical well-being, and end up “out of shape.” Someone who is very spiritually focused, who meditates a lot, etc., can become so “top heavy” in their chakras that they lose touch with the physical. We say that they are “out there,” by which we mean that they are not “all here” – grounded in their physical bodies.
It can be very helpful to make a habit of consciously assessing the state of the chakras at any particular time, and if one or more seems to be lagging behind the others in development, or reflects any sort of problem or issue, to work on bringing the corresponding area of one’s life up to speed. One can do this via personal meditation, or with the help of an energy healer or clairvoyant.
I had to rebalance my own chakras years ago when I began intensely exploring spiritual matters and meditating a lot. Through various experiences I figured out that I had developed my upper chakras (intellect and spirit) beyond my lower chakras (physical being and will). I was like a lot of “spiritual” people: out of shape and sort of drifting through life.
I then made a conscious decision to cultivate better balance by getting fit and adopting earthier spiritual practices. This helped to bring my lower chakras up to speed with my upper chakras. There are many ways to go about this. Yoga, for example, is a great way to bring spiritual energy through all of one’s being into the physical, and to balance your energy overall.
If you’d like to read more, I recommend you start with books by classic authors on the subject, such as C.W. Leadbeater, A.E. Powell, and Barbara Brennan.
– Soul Arcanum