So What is a Chakra Anyway?

Chakra is a Sanskrit word that actually has many meanings.

So what is Sanskrit?   Sanskrit is an ancient language of beauty, complexity and power! 

Sounds amazing right?!  Sanskrit is considered to be the oldest written language in the world.  It is at least six thousand years old but may even be older and it’s roots are in India.

Sanskrit actually means refined or purified.  It is believed to be of a higher order and is often called the language of the gods.

If you have meditated, or taken Yoga then you are aware of ‘OM’ which is another Sanskrit word.  ‘OM’ is believed to be the basic sound of the world and is to contain all other sounds.  It’s almost poetic in nature don’t you think?

Ok…back to chakras.  For this article the definition that we will mostly use is ‘wheel of light’ for your chakras.   Your chakras move in a circular or cyclical motion.   Try to imagine beautiful, spinning wheels of light that run along your spinal column starting at the base of the spine all the way to the top of your head.   Now…try to image 14  mini tornadoes that are emanating from the front and the back sides of your body.   7 coming out of the front of your body and 7 from your back.   These wheels or mini tornadoes can spin clockwise or counterclockwise.  There are distinctions between the movement of them that will have to wait for a later time.

When the movement is slowed down or becomes still,  the shape resembles a beautiful lotus flower, which is why a lot of diagrams use the lotus flower to represent the chakras.

A chakra is an organ of your body that manages energy, just as the lungs manage respiration. 

There are many more chakras in our body but for this series we will focus on the 7 main ones.

Chakras are made of energy, and each one has a very important job to do.  Each one is in charge of an area of your physical body and it’s set of emotional and mental concerns.  Each chakra is developed at different stages of your life and your chakras health will be reflected on the circumstances during that particular stage.   

For example, when you were born and if your parents were stressed out or didn’t welcome you with love or open arms you could have issues of self-worth, or with your identity or even physical recurring adrenal problems because the root or first chakra is developed between conception and 6-12 months old and it’s primary function is safety, security and worthiness to exist.

Each chakra has its own location, a related endocrine gland that it manages, it’s own color, sound, associated body parts, related diseases, psychological functions, personality profile, intuitive gifts, and many other attributes. 

Our ancestors knew that we had energy bodies that were associated with our physical bodies….which is really part of the miracle of life!  East Indian culture called these energy bodies chakras.  Chakras appear in different forms in many cultures around the world.  What is amazing is that in a time where there wasn’t internet, social media, newspapers or radio, each culture defined them in the same way…as a system of subtle energy transformers.  They knew that they constituted a vital part of us that can and does influence both subtle energy and physical energy.  

From ancient peoples and cultures such as Jewish Kabbalah, Incans, Taoism, Sufism, Buddhism, many tribes in N. and S. America, Tibet, Egypt, China and even a few Christian sects these ancient people had similar whirling vortexes that they used to aid in their spiritual, emotional and physical health!  Amazing!

When we start to look at our bodies as an energy system vs. just a physical system we can start to really manage and understand what truly powers our body! The chakras are a powerful guide to understanding our body’s energy system.  Once we start to understand the concept behind each chakra, we can begin to understand your body from a holistic perspective.