Chakras
Chakras are spinning vortices or wheels of energy that mediate the energy flow between the physical and the subtle bodies and the environment. According to Barbera Brennan they serve as transformers that receive and process cosmic energy, as well as enabling expression and healthy functioning of the individuals own consciousness and psycho-physical make up. The term ‘chakra' literally translates as wheel or ‘spinning disc' and refers to a spinning sphere of bio-energetic activity emanating from the major nerve ganglia branching from the spinal column. Six of the seven main chakras are situated over major intersections of nerves (ganglia) and endocrine glands, which interface between the physical and non-physical realms, from the base or first chakra through the sacral, solar plexus, heart, throat and third eye to the crown, which is above the head. When meditating on the chakras, one uses the breath to slow down the conscious mind and open up the perceptive faculties to sense impressions, insight and intuition, focussing on one or more of the chakras in turn. It is important to remember to close down the chakras after such meditation, rather than leave or energy bodies open to infiltration from any old energy that might happen to be floating by in the ‘sea' of energies in which we all live and move and have our being.
Base Chakra
The Base or first chakra is situated at the base of the spine, energetically overlaying and intersecting with the perineum. Mentally and emotionally the base resonates to the issues of group safety and security, (‘tribal mind' in Caroline Myss's words), ancestral family and bloodline; the ability to provide for life's necessities and to stand on ones own two feet. The Base Chakra is the foundation of our emotional and mental health, for example, psychological stability originates in the family unit and early social environment and various mental illnesses develop out of family dysfunction's, such as OCD, depression, alcoholism etc. Somewhat like Maslow's hierarchy of needs, we cannot resolve the need for psychological satisfaction until we have first attended to the basics of providing food, shelter and warmth. The base is very much about the structure within which we live, the physical structure of the body and the home and work environments; the need for order and structure is played out through the five senses, for it through these that we orient ourselves in time and space. It is governed by Saturn.
The main fears related to the base chakra are to do with physical survival; abandonment by the group and loss of physical order, whilst the main strengths are those of tribal or familial identity, bonding and the support and loyalty that gives one a sense of safety and connection to the physical world.
Sacral Chakra
The second or sacral chakra can be located overlaying the sacrum and navel and its energy begins to pulsate and become distinct around the age of seven, when individuation begins and children begin exploring relationships and the power of choice. The second chakra resonates to our need for relationships both emotional friendships and sexual ties, and to our need to control our physical environment. All attachments by which we maintain control over our external lives such as other people or money are linked through this chakra to our energy field and physical body. Illness that originates here is activated by fear of losing control,; for example, fibroids and cysts in this area result from second chakra energy that was not birthed (energetic abortions/ ideas or desires conceived yet not brought to fruition), or from life energy directed into dead end jobs and relationships.
The energy of the second chakra enables us to generate a sense of personal identity and the psychological boundaries necessary to protect that identity; it is the energy of self sufficiency and our survival instinct for being in the world.
The main fears of the sacral chakra are connected to loss of control, or being controlled by another, substance addiction, rape, betrayal, impotence, financial loss, abandonment by primary partner or professional colleagues, and also fears of loss of control of the physical body.
The strengths of this chakra are the ability and stamina to stand on ones own two feet financially and physically and to defend and protect oneself; the ability to take risks, resilience to recover from loss and the power to rebel and re-establish a life, as well as personal and professional decision making ability and talent.
Solar Plexus Chakra
The third or solar plexus chakra is ruled by mars and is the chakra where we explore issues to do with personal power, where the magnetic core of our personality radiates. Disease originating here tends to be activated by issues related to self responsibility, self esteem, fear of rejection and over-sensitivity to criticism. Symbolically speaking, this chakra mediates between external reality and the internal understanding of our consciousness. Basically, it's about how we relate to ourselves and understand our own motives and attitudes.
The main fears here are related to rejection, criticism, looking foolish and failing to meet one's responsibilities, as well as all fears related to physical appearance and fears that others will discover our secrets.
The main strengths of the healthy solar plexus chakra are to be found in self-esteem, self respect, self discipline, ambition and the ability to generate action; the ability to handle crisis and the courage to take risks; generosity, ethics and integrity; stamina, endurance and strength of character.
Heart Chakra
The fourth chakra is about our need for loving interaction with friends and family; the need to give and receive love in many types of relationship- spouse, partner, family, children, friends, colleagues etc. The heart chakra resonates to our emotional perceptions, ‘as adults we are challenged to generate within ourselves an emotional climate and steadiness from which to act consciously and with compassion' (Caroline Myss). This Chakra's motto might be ‘let go and let God', for it is with the energy of the heart chakra that we accept our personal emotional challenges as extensions of a Divine plan, which has as it's intent our conscious evolution. It is only through releasing emotional pain and letting go of our need to understand why things happened as they did, that we can reach a state of tranquility. The focus here is on our feelings about our internal world; our emotional response to our own thoughts, ideas and inspirations, our attitudes and the attention we give our emotional needs.
The main fears here are of loneliness and commitment and fear of following one's heart, including the fear of inability to protect oneself emotionally and fear of emotional weakness and betrayal. Loss of fourth chakra energy can give rise to jealousy and bitterness, anger, hatred and the inability to forgive oneself and others.
Strengths emanating from here are love, forgiveness, compassion, dedication, inspiration, hope, trust and the ability to heal oneself and others.
Throat Chakra
The fifth chakra is governed by venus and related to our need for beauty and compassion. The issues pertaining to the throat chakra resonate to the emotional and mental struggles involved in the power of choice. According to Caroline Myss all disease is connected to the throat because choice is involved in every area of our lives. the symbolic challenge here is to progress through the maturation of the will; from the tribal perception that everyone has authority over you, to the perception that you alone have authority over you, to the realization that true authority comes from aligning yourself to God's will, or (in the words of Alcoholics Anonymous) surrendering your life to a higher power, whatever you perceive it to be.
The main fears of the throat chakra are related to our willpower and exist within every chakra, appropriate to that chakra; for example we fear having no authority or power of choice within our own lives, or within our relationships. There are also the fears of having no authority over ourselves in relation to substances, money, power, or another persons emotional control over our well being. Releasing our power of choice to a Divine force is the greatest struggle for the individual becoming conscious. (Think of Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane, sweating drops of blood).
The strengths gained from a healthy and balanced throat chakra are faith, self knowledge and personal authority, knowing that whatever decisions we make, we have the power to keep our word to ourselves and another. The most costly energy consequences come from acting out of fear, as such motivation transgresses our faith in Divine Guidance.
Third Eye
The sixth chakra connects us to our mental body, our intelligence and our psychological characteristics. Symbolically, the sixth chakra activates lessons that lead to wisdom. Becoming conscious, means changing the rules by which we live our lives. Memories and attitudes are literally rules that determine the quality of life as well as the strength of our bonds with others. A shift in awareness always includes a period of isolation and loneliness as one gets accustomed to a new level of truth.
The main fears at this level are an unwillingness to look within and excavate ones fears; fear of the truth when one's reason is clouded; fear of sound, realistic judgement; fear of relying on external advice and fear of one's shadow and it's attributes.
The main strengths at this level include intellectual ability and skills; the ability to evaluate conscious and intuitive insights; receiving inspiration; generating acts of creativity and intuitive reasoning. Perceptual ability is a characteristic of the mind: in becoming conscious, one is able to detach from subjective perceptions and see the truth or symbolic meaning in a situation. Detachment means stilling one's fear-driven voices. Attaining an inner posture of detachment, means that you have a sense of self that is so complete that external influences have no authority within your consciousness, in other words, it is here that we can realize our buddha nature.
Crown Chakra
The seventh chakra or spiritual connector, located above the crown of our head, is about our capacity to allow our spirituality to become an integral part of our physical lives and guide us. It is here that the energy of prayer and meditation is gathered and stored, for this is the dimension of conscious rapport with the Divine, where we experience a need for devotion to something greater than ourselves, receive inspiration and have mystical connections.
The main fears of the crown chakra are to do spiritual issues such as the ‘dark night of the soul', fears of spiritual abandonment, loss of identity, loss of connection with life and people around us.
The strength of the crown chakra is to do with faith in the presence of the Divine, and in inner guidance. insight into healing and a quality of trust that is above and beyond ordinary human fears. The crown is also the place where we hold ‘unfinished business', i.e. where we are reminded of regrets that continue to pull at our energy, such as words that should or should not have been spoken, or relationships we wish had finished differently, or paths we wish we had taken but for whatever reason, did not. These issues require that we call our spirits back from such events and bring our energy into the present moment.
Seventh Chakra energy motivates us to seek an intimate connection with the Divine in everything that we do; in seeking union with the Divine we are really asking for all physical, psychological and emotional ‘illusions' to be removed from our lives. Once this process has been initiated, we awaken an internal voice of authority that competes with every external authority over our lives and this can and indeed often does throw us into inner turmoil.
In truth, all the chakras are intimately connected, we separate them to make them easier to talk about. It's my experience that when one chakra is out of balance it tends to throw the chakras immediately above and below it out of sync as they try and compensate for the imbalance. The throat and the sacral chakras are also intimately connected, tending to mirror each other on different levels (as above, so below). There are many more more, minor chakras in the body and the all important soul star (several feet above the head) and earth star (below the feet); man, after all is the bridge between heaven and earth.
It is possible to evaluate ones own energy field on a daily basis, by feeling and meditating on the chakras and paying attention to the language of the soul which speaks to us symbolically in images and feeling. Simply focus on each chakra, one at a time, beginning with the base, and asking yourself, ‘where is the energy of this chakra today?' Regular appraisal in this manner can enlighten and influence one's consciousness, and give a completely different understanding of the daily challenges of life.
Refs:
Caroline Myss, Anatomy of the Spirit
Barbera Ann Brennan, Hands of Light
Graeme Martin, Chakra Prescribing and Homeopathy
