what is chakra?

[White Wolf Alue]

hello everyone,

just a few questions, what is a chakra? how do you use it? and what does it feel like, is it different for everyone?

thanks :)

Chakras are centers of energy, located on the midline of the body. There are seven of them, and they govern our psychological properties. The chakras located on the lower part of our body are our instinctual side, the highest ones our mental side.

The chakras can have various levels of activity. When they're "open," they're considered operative in a normal fashion.

Ideally, all chakras would contribute to our being. Our instincts would work together with our feelings and thinking. However, this is usually not the case. Some chakras are not open enough (being under-active), and to compensate, other chakras are over-active. The ideal state is where where all are clear flowing.

There exist lots of techniques to balance the chakras. Mostly techniques to open chakras are used. It makes no sense to try to make over-active chakras less active, as they are compensating for other chakras. To restore the compensation they'd be over-active again in no time. To stop them from compensating, the chakras they are compensating for must be opened. See the techniques to open chakras.



. 1 - Root chakra

The Root chakra is about being physically there and feeling at home in situations. If it is open, you feel grounded, stable and secure. You don't unnecessarily distrust people. You feel present in the here and now and connected to your physical body. You feel you have sufficient territory.

If you tend to be fearful or nervous, your Root chakra is probably under-active. You'd easily feel unwelcome.

If this chakra is over-active, you may be very materialistic and greedy. You're probably obsessed with being secure and resist change.



. 2 - Sacral chakra

The Sacral chakra is about feeling and sexuality. When it is open, your feelings flow freely, and are expressed without you being over-emotional. You are open to intimacy and you can be passionate and lively. You have no problems dealing with your sexuality.

If you tend to be stiff and unemotional or have a "poker face," the Sacral chakra is under-active. You're not very open to people.

If this chakra is over-active, you tend to be emotional all the time. You'll feel emotionally attached to people and you can be very sexual.



. 3 - Navel chakra

The Navel chakra is about asserting yourself in a group. When it is open, you feel in control and you have sufficient self esteem.

When the Navel chakra is under-active, you tend to be passive and indecisive. You're probably timid and don't get what you want.

If this chakra is over-active, you are domineering and probably even aggressive.



. 4 - Heart chakra

The Heart chakra is about love, kindness and affection. When it is open, you are compassionate and friendly, and you work at harmonious relationships.

When your Heart chakra is under-active, you are cold and distant.

If this chakra is over-active, you are suffocating people with your love and your love probably has quite selfish reasons.



. 5 - Throat chakra

The Throat chakra is about self-expression and talking. When it is open, you have no problems expressing yourself, and you might be doing so as an artist.

When this chakra is under-active, you tend not to speak much, and you probably are introverted and shy. Not speaking the truth may block this chakra.

If this chakra is over-active, you tend to speak too much, usually to domineer and keep people at a distance. You're a bad listener if this is the case.



. 6 - Third Eye chakra

The Third Eye chakra is about insight and visualization. When it is open, you have a good intuition. You may tend to fantasize.

If it is under-active, you're not very good at thinking for yourself, and you may tend to rely on authorities. You may be rigid in your thinking, relying on beliefs too much. You might even get confused easily.

If this chakra is over-active, you may live in a world of fantasy too much. In excessive cases halucinations are possible.



. 7 - Crown chakra

The Crown chakra is about wisdom and being one with the world. When this chakra is open, you are unprejudiced and quite aware of the world and yourself.

If it is under-active, you're not very aware of spirituality. You're probably quite rigid in your thinking.

If this chakra is over-active, you are probably intellectualizing things too much. You may be addicted to spirituality and are probably ignoring your physical needs.

The chakra pronounced Chuck Rah and not chack rah nor shuck ruh/shack ruh and is named after chariot wheels. Chakra is from the Sanskrit Text and has no SH sound.

The chakra is where meridian energy lines cross a certain amount of times and there are 7 major (as discussed above) and 21 minor.

The major chakras are based on the spine, have a front and back, except the base and crown which work as each side of each other. They resemble cones with mini cones or vortexes inside of these, in children they appear like buds of a flower

The chakras resonate at a certain colour pitch so these colours are associated with them:

Red = base/root
Orange = Sacral Plexus
Yellow = Solar Plexus
Green = Heart
Blue = Throat
Indigo = Brow/third eye
Violet/ultra violet = crown

These major chakras also link up with the 7 layers of the aura.

[Arcturus]

Originally Posted by Serenity Bear

The major chakras are based on the spine, have a front and back, except the base and crown which work as each side of each other.

glad you said that. when i do the vocalising of lam vam ram yam ham aum, i like to imagine the chakra for each sound, the colour and the direction it spins in, which i believe is the other way for it's opposite side, depending on front or back or top and bottom; as with crown - root. i'd never seen the crown - root shown as opposite but it always seemed obvious to me and wrong to think/imagine/feel otherwise.

i actually believe that they all spin in both directions, one gravatorial and the other levatorial, for balance, though they have a prominent, apparent direction like a water vortex; if you look carefully at a water vortex you will see the opposing or balancing vortex rising out of it.

[Papa Bear]

Hi White Wolf Alue;
Adding to what has been reflected already;

“what is a chakra?”

The chakra is a conduit of energy flow, a sense, similar to the functions of our five human senses, as our eyes process light into vision, or our ears process sound into discernible recognition, or our smell or taste discern invisible scents of flavours. The first difference is that they are not part of our human body, because the body which manifests them is our subtle etheric body. The chakra is ethereal. The second is, that the energies which pass through the chakras, are both identified and transformed.

“how do you use it?”

Because chakras are a natural extension of our fuller being, they naturally process energy, transforming it in transition. Our thoughts and feelings are transformed into an ethereal energy, which shapes our subtle body, as it becomes an extension of our human experience. They also transform energies which are sourced by etheric, astral or Spiritual reflections, expressed as different currents of ether, which are transformed through the chakra, into energies which directly influence the biological condition of a human being.

This is why many associate the chakra to specific areas of the human body, because it is those specific areas which recognize and react to, those direct energy influences. These processes occur naturally, but if a focus is placed on learning to control or recognize these flows of energy, there are many systems of explanation and practice which any individual may research, to find one which best suits the individual, that they may learn to recognize or control such energy flows.

“what does it feel like,”

The western system of seven chakras, (eastern systems, the Hindu/`Nadis`, and Chinese Qi/Chi, `meridians`, relate to minor and major chakras, more than seven) associate differing influences of energy to each chakra. Understanding them individually requires some personal study, and practical personal interactive experience.

“is it different for everyone?”

Individual experience and understanding of those energies which pass and transform through our chakras, varies from individual to individual.

There are more chakras than the main 7 ones. There are minor chakras as well (21), and mini ones at every joint according to Robert Bruce, author of Energy Work: The Secret of Healing and Spiritual Development as well as inter dimensional chakras (8 thru 12 that exist above our heads). You can read the tutorial on his website here:

http://www.newworld.co.za/chakra.htm

[Uma]

Originally Posted by White Wolf Alue

hello everyone,

just a few questions, what is a chakra? how do you use it? and what does it feel like, is it different for everyone?

thanks :)

Hi White Wolf Alue, As a spiritual being you live inside a number of bodies to enable you to experience different dimensions of being. Your mental body communicates with your physical body and its five senses to experience your world through these spinning wheels of subtle energy. Everything that you do in this world, you are doing it using a chakra. What does it feel like? Ever fall in love? Remember how it felt to fall in love...the feeling in your body, and in your heart and in your mind? And it actually affects the physical body too - the rush of blood, the pumping of the physical heart... Love is an energy and you can feel it - tingling, spreading, warm/hot or some people see it as a colour in the aura. It can jump from one person into another person. It can linger around and stay in a room. It can be sent long distances and have an effect on the person who is open to receiving it. This is just one example. Your chakras allow you to do all that and more. Does any of this make sense?

it makes me so happy to read so many different shades and feelings about the Chakra system.... thanks everyone for sharing your experiences with us here.

My intro to Chakra's was almost 20 years ago, being of a western mind, I found a book by Anodea Judith - Eastern Body Western Mind a great beginning. It blends western ideas about psychology with the Chakra system.

keep exploring as it will open up your world to something so vast it may be hard to understand it all.

cheers,

[White Wolf Alue]

Originally Posted by Uma

Hi White Wolf Alue, As a spiritual being you live inside a number of bodies to enable you to experience different dimensions of being. Your mental body communicates with your physical body and its five senses to experience your world through these spinning wheels of subtle energy. Everything that you do in this world, you are doing it using a chakra. What does it feel like? Ever fall in love? Remember how it felt to fall in love...the feeling in your body, and in your heart and in your mind? And it actually affects the physical body too - the rush of blood, the pumping of the physical heart... Love is an energy and you can feel it - tingling, spreading, warm/hot or some people see it as a colour in the aura. It can jump from one person into another person. It can linger around and stay in a room. It can be sent long distances and have an effect on the person who is open to receiving it. This is just one example. Your chakras allow you to do all that and more. Does any of this make sense?

i think the only chakra ive ever really been able to feel is heart chakra, if that is what it is anyways i cant really explain the exact feeling that i get but i feel it in my chest like energy or something it comes and goes randomly i felt it the other day and was inspired to draw a hand holding a human heart with the heart monitor going from one end of the page to the other and through the hearts veins :) it came out nice but i felt this odd energy in my chest when i was drawing and for a while after, im not sure if this was my heart chakra opening?