charkra

[Vinayaka]

Originally Posted by tainamom

chakras are not limited to hinduism because everyone has them. they are energy centers (wheels=chakra) that turn in different directions and bring in energy or let go of energy. depending on one's spiritual practice or how they live their lives, they open and close and get repaired or damaged.

I've heard the spinning likened to an auger, or a drill. The energy goes up when they spin in one direction, and down in the other. In mystic Hinduism, circumambulating or pradakshina around a temple in a clockwise direction has to do with spinning of chakras in the right direction as well. But you're certainly right it;s more to do with mysticism than Hinduism per se. In fact only the mystic branches and sects of Hinduism would even acknowledge their existence.

[kris]

This is what I can say from personal experience of chakras. After I returned from my visit to India in 2011, while I was doing yogic Asanas, I sensed - heard, saw and felt - an unusual form of relaxing energy around my spine. Chakra that I saw - vishuddhi chakra - was blue and had 16 petals. The chakra was "alive", i.e., it was not spinning but it was not static either - only the petals were moving. Overall effect of this experience was extreme relaxation, freeing and loosening of joints and contentment.

There are lot of misconceptions about Hinduism in the West. What Westerners should understand that is Hinduism is a religion created by Westerners, early Western Indologists / Sanskritists to be exact. Concept of religion is not to be found in any ancient Indian writings that I am aware of. Personally I think religion is a silly notion and I see nothing of value in it.