In our classes online this summer, we will be working systematically through all seven chakras with movement, breath and meditation work. As a basis for this teaching, it will be helpful to understand exactly what chakras are in the yogic sense.
Chakra means wheel, literally “that which revolves” and in yogic literature the word refers to the seven vital centres in the subtle body, where important energy lines (nadis) cross.
The chakras have become a popular topic in New Age thinking, alternative medicine, and yoga, but there is a growing gap between how the chakras are viewed today and how they are regarded in traditional yogic literature.
In new age thinking, the chakras are used mainly for physical healing; in this system each chakra is said to be related to certain organs or bodily functions, which can become diseased or healthy based on the relative clarity of the chakra itself.
The yogic approach is different to this and aimed purely and simply at clearing chakras as part of the process of growing Self-knowledge, spiritual development and enlightenment. The techniques of yoga - asana, mantra, pranayama, and meditation - all lead to towards clearing energy, cleansing chakras and personal development. In yoga, chakras cannot be moved, influenced or opened by another.
According to the yoga system, in the ordinary human state, which is rarely transcended except by sustained spiritual practice, the chakras are closed; that is, they do not truly function. The result of this is not disease, but ignorance, known in yoga as avidya: the mistaken belief that we are separate from everything and everyone else. Someone’s chakras can be closed and yet they can be healthy, emotionally balanced, mentally creative, and successful in many areas of life.
To bring the subtle centres called chakras towards clarity, the body and mind must be put in a state of rest and balance. You lay the groundwork for this in the all of the work you have done in yoga to create stillness of body, breath, senses, and mind.
Opening chakras requires opening to universal feelings of compassion and devotion and connection with a sense of the universal life force. For example, to open the heart chakra is quite different than being in a heightened, vulnerable, or overly emotional state; rather to awaken this chakra is to go beyond mere personal emotions to understand the cosmic energy behind all emotional fluctuations.
Opening the chakras requires an open and receptive attitude, it cannot be forced. You may have experienced chakra opening for yourself, those quiet but meaningful inner shifts that take place during the practice of yoga. Conversely, you may only understand ths chakras intellectually, knowing where they are and what has been taught about them and their significance to yoga practice. Either path is valid and seeking sensation for the sake of it won’t get you very far.
The best way to begin chakra work is deep within the quiet, peaceful state that we find ourselves in when we practise yoga. Be alert to that which is shifting within you and learn to be curious about it.
Sarah xx
