We run around from day to day, our head tucked under, our elbows sharpened, and we all struggle to win this never-ending rat race we've been sucked into. If only I buy this, and achieve that, I'll be happy. So we hunker down, ignore those sniffles, pop a few Tylenols to stave off yet another headache, and chase it with some Maalox to keep the indigestion to a low simmer. But the illnesses keep coming, the tensions keep rising and we realize that what we are doing is not working. The superficial has lost its glitter. We feel like throwing up every time the media tells us what we should do next to feel sexy, empowered, and an accepted member of society. Somewhere along the line we realize we've have enough.
So where do we look to find meaning? Perhaps I'll go visit my doctor. I would... that is, if I hadn't lost faith in medicine years ago. Faith, that's it! Religion. Eek, too many red flags popping up. Stressed-out and Freaked-out Anonymous? Oh yeah, they don't exist. So, what do I do to feel like I still have a grip on this topsy-turvy world? Well, for me, I look to the east, far east, and follow it back to the quiet phenomenon that has trickled its way across the ocean to our go-go-go reality. When I seek to rebalance my life, I look inside myself, and see how my chakras are doing.
Chakra is an old Sanskrit word that translates to "wheel" or "turning," and they are said to be force centers that permeate from specific points along the body. They are often described as spinning vortexes that are connected by energy channels and are responsible for the physical, emotional and spiritual balance of the organs and emotions that stem from their vicinity. The most common chakras known to us here in the west are the seven primary chakras that align from the bottom of the spine to the top of the head. Some texts state that there are eight, or even twelve primary chakras, but the six-  and seven-center model was adopted by most schools of yoga around the 11th century and is what we know as the popular chakra system today. Depending on what version of eastern spirituality you're studying, there are different interpretations to these seven, but all theories have some similarities:
- They form an energy body comprised of energy channels (nadis) and subtle winds (pranas).
- They are located along a central energy channel that resides either alongside of inside the spine.
- They are generally associated with certain colours, deities and mantras (a sound, syllable, or word capable of creating an energetic transformation).
The seven primary chakras, starting from the bottom and moving up are:
The Root, or Base, chakra (Muladhara):
Located at the base of the spine, it is associated with the earth element. It is related to the colour red, symbolizing the physical world and including not only all material things, but our physical wellbeing as well. It asks the question "Where/When?"
Sacral chakra (Swadhistana):
Located in the lower abdomen, just below the navel, this chakra is associated with emotion, creativity and sexuality. It is related to the colour orange, and symbolizes vitality. It asks the question "What?"
Solar Plexus chakra (Manipura):
Located between the navel and the chest, it is associated with the sun, and is connected to your power center. It is the place from which you radiate emotional energy to the rest of the world. Its colour is yellow, and symbolizes personal will. It asks the question "How?"
Heart chakra (Anahata):
Located in the center of your chest, this chakra connects the lower chakras to the higher ones. It is associated with love, passion, and devotion. It is related to the colour green and symbolizes compassion. It asks the question "Why?"
Throat chakra (Vishuddha):
Located in the throat area, this chakra is associated with all forms of communication, including written, verbal, and artistic. It resonates with the colour blue, symbolizing independence, fluent thought, and spirituality. It asks the question "Which?"
Brow/Third Eye chakra (Anja):
Located in the center of the forehead, it is associated with wisdom and intuition. The colour it vibrates at is indigo, and symbolizes trust of your inner guidance, and visual consciousness. It asks the question "Who?"
Crown chakra (Sahasrara):
Located at the very top of the head or just slightly above it, it is associated with the divine, or spiritual consciousness. Its colour is violet, and symbolizes the release of karma ("act," "action," or "performance," understood as the cycle of cause and effect) of meditation, and the act of beingness. It asks the question "Who else?"
There are other smaller chakras, such as the Fire Wheel, between the fifth and sixth chakra if you're studying the Tibetan tantric tradition, or the Lalata, located at the roof of the mouth if you're learning with the Bihar school of yoga, but in truth there are hundreds of these 'meridians' that reside between the primary seven, and are too abundant and involved to mention. But despite the variations about these energy centers, the study of chakras is central to many eastern traditions, therapies, and disciplines. While the Hindu and Buddhist tantras (which stands for "loom" or "weavings" and refers to scriptures of philosophy) use the chakras to achieve a deeper level of realization, practices like yoga, shiatsu, tai chi, and Pranayama focus on balancing them. The end result for both, though, is a higher state of being, which, in some cases translates to a union with God through the achievement of enlightenment.
It is said that when our chakras are misaligned and out of balance, we are in a state of dissatisfaction. What results is the manifestation of illness in either the physical, emotional, or mental state, or some combination thereof. For example, when your Solar Plexus chakra is out of balance or blocked, it can manifest as difficulty coping with day to day issues, anger, indigestion, or eating disorders. At the second chakra level, you could see things like lower back pain and problems with sexuality. What causes these imbalances is very individual, and very personal. They can occur due to various childhood traumas, cultural conditioning, physical and emotional injuries, or simply a lack of attention to an issue. The really cool thing about this, though, is that research is beginning to support the idea that many of our illnesses and struggles are happening on an energetic level, and when we rebalance these centers -- when we vibrate along with them -- we can cure ourselves. Quacky? Well, not really. With the rise of quantum physics, and the desire for the general population to find "other" ways to seek health and wellbeing, energy work and the notion of chakras has been getting a lot of attention these days -- and much of it has been positive.
In the west, we have taken the Hindu and Buddhist/Tibetan tantras and condensed them into a weekly  search for balance and tranquility. We do lunch at noon, meetings from one until three, four o'clock we pick up the kids, four-thirty until six dinner and homework, six-thirty seek inner peace, seven-thirty... well, you get the picture. I'm not saying this is a bad thing, but we could all use a little self-reflection in our high-speed world, and I recommend that everyone take a yoga class or two in their lifetime -- not for the apparent outcome that we all feel great and can bend like a roomful of Gumbis by the end of it, but to actually stop and listen to that little voice inside us that we all tend to shut up throughout the day, to stop and pay attention to the energies that resonate within us, and to realize that the pursuit of balance in work, life, school, relationships, and whatever, doesn't come from outside, but from finding a balance within.
(Click here to find various links about chakras; and here to read about two of the better known researchers of chakras; and here and here for general info.)
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