Journey Through the Chakras: How Chakras Rule Different Phases of Our Lives
160
Journey Through the Chakras: How Chakras Rule Different Phases of Our Lives
160Paperback
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Overview
The book dives deep into one of the most ancient structures of the spiritual body. With both anatomical and physiological views, it deconstructs the complexities behind the system, explaining the chakras in a simple fashion that is accessible to anyone.
Discover how to work with the chakras in your subtle body and begin your journey toward deeper spiritual healing as you learn how to harness universal and human energy and gain knowledge about:
- The chakras and their connections to the body
- Spiritual attributes of each chakra
- Sacred chakra mantras and meditations
- Kundalini awakening
- Aromatherapy and crystals for chakra balancing
- Mudra and yoga practices for chakra healing
Product Details
| ISBN-13: | 9781925682991 |
|---|---|
| Publisher: | Rockpool Publishing |
| Publication date: | 06/15/2019 |
| Pages: | 160 |
| Sales rank: | 1,054,274 |
| Product dimensions: | 6.90(w) x 9.10(h) x 0.70(d) |
About the Author
Dr. Minoo Ratan holds an MSc in psychology and PhD in psychoaromatherapy. She is a member of the Bombay Psychological Association.
Read an Excerpt
CHAPTER 1
The chakra system
A system is a complex mechanism of interacting, interdependent components forming an intricate whole. In a similar way, chakras are interdependent, intricate and complicated mechanisms of the body that should be understood as a complete system. Ayurveda and tantra associate various attributes to each individual chakra, which affect chakras' functioning at energetic and physiological levels. To understand the proper functioning of the chakra system, we need to understand each attribute and its effect on chakras as well as on the whole being.
From a health and healer's perspective, chakras are the barometer of our health. In different healing modalities or spiritual practices there could be a variation in the numbers and location of the chakras; however, they may all be correct from their understanding of major and minor chakras. According to kundalini tantra there are seven major chakras located on our torsos and heads representing the activity of vital organs and glands. These seven major chakras are the focal point of this book. The activity and balance of our chakras reflect the health of our organs and glands. While in modern medicine cadavers are studied in order to understand health and disease, in chakra healing we need to study living beings: their physical, nutritional, mental and emotional life styles.
To understand chakras, we need to understand human life and its evolution. Evolution is a universal process; all life is evolving and humankind is no exception. Life, creation and evolution are the stages in the unfolding of consciousness. We as human beings are evolving, not only as individuals but also as a race. The muladhara or base root chakra is our most fundamental chakra; from here our process of evolution in this lifetime begins, culminating at sahasrara — the crown chakra.
The muladhara chakra corresponds to the coccygeal plexus and is located at the perineum (between the anus and the genitals), the spot that touches the ground when we sit in the lotus position. As the name suggests (mul: root; adhar: base), this chakra is the foundation of the physical body in the realm of physical existence. During the process of spiritual evolution, a person goes through animal consciousness and then on to be a real human. There are certain minor chakras from muladhara down to the heels that are responsible for the development of animal and human instincts as well as intellect. Muladhara is responsible for survival and maintenance of the physical body, and besides being a source of physical energy it also regulates all excretory functions.
Located at the pubic area or at the lowest point of the spinal column, corresponding to our sacral plexus of nerves, is the second major chakra, known as swadhisthana or the sacral chakra. This chakra is the desire centre of the body and the seat of emotions, hence it is responsible for emotional balance, sexuality, procreation and the exchange of sexual energy, and it also controls the unconscious in human beings.
The third major chakra is manipura or the solar plexus chakra, in the naval region. It corresponds to the solar plexus. Located in the V of the ribcage below the diaphragm, it controls the entire process of digestion, assimilation and temperature regulation in the body. This chakra is responsible for mental power and self-will, and is associated with our ambitions towards money, power and authority; it is known to be the seat of ego.
The first three chakras take care of our basic needs, as described by renowned psychologist Abraham Maslow in his hierarchy of needs. Only after fulfilment of the basic needs can a person focus on self-actualisation. In spiritual and tantric practices it is said that while we are stuck in the mundane and struggling with the basic needs, kundalini keeps rising up to the manipura chakra then returns to the muladhara (base root) chakra. However, once the kundalini crosses the astral bridge, which is an energetic barrier between manipura and the anahata (heart) chakra, kundalini movement is upwards only. This movement of kundalini is associated with the evolution of consciousness.
The anahata chakra is located at the centre of the chest, at the level of the depression of the sternum. It corresponds to the cardiac plexus of nerves and regulates the functioning of the heart, lungs, thymus gland, diaphragm and other organs in this region of the body. This is the first chakra on the path of self-actualisation and a stepping stone to spiritual growth. It is an important chakra for all healers, denoting unconditional love and empathy for all.
Our vishuddhi or throat chakra is located in the deep of the throat and corresponds to the cervical plexus of nerves. Responsible for communication and self-expression, it regulates the entire thyroid complex, certain systems of articulation, and the upper palate and epiglottis.
Yogis and tantrics believe that the ajna, or third eye chakra, is located between the brows in the forehead. It is the seat of the guru — our guiding principle — and works as the command centre. It has complete control over all the functions of a disciple's life.
The aforesaid six chakras serve as triggers of energy to different parts of the brain, and are channelled through various nadis (conduits of energy, or prana). According to kundalini tantra there are two higher illuminated centres, called bindu and sahasrara. The bindu is located at the top back of the head and is where Hindu Brahmins keep a tuft of hair; this feeds the optic nerve and is considered to be the seat of nectar or ama-kala, the true philosopher's stone of immortality.
The sahasrara is supreme, the seat of higher awareness; it is is located slightly above the fontanelle. Considered to be the seventh major chakra, sahasrara is our connection to higher consciousness, the point of culmination of kundalini.
During the process of evolution, sometimes our outer experiences get in the way of our inner experiences. Known in Hindi as anubhuti, this inner experience results from our spiritual practices and is very subjective, as each seeker may get a different anubhuti in spite of carrying out the same spiritual practice. When the chakras get activated through our spiritual practices our values and perception of life also change, resulting in the improvement of the quality of love, relationships and compassion. For a yogi, the world remains the same but the perception of the world changes, resulting in sat-chit-anand, a state of eternal peace and bliss within.
Nature and consciousness
Our cosmos is the body of the Absolute (an essential attribute of God; ultimate reality), the vessel through which the Absolute expresses itself. There are two fundamental principles of the universe — nature and consciousness — that are continuously interplaying in the cosmic drama of the universe. They are basically two sides of the same coin; they are yin and yang. Supreme consciousness is the masculine principle or purusha: it is all-pervading, it is the sustainer and the only sign of divinity. Consciousness is the ultimate, out of which and by whose power mind and matter proceed. The other aspect, nature, is the feminine principle (prakriti shakti); it is the material form of the consciousness and is the one responsible for procreation. Consciousness, which exists in all forms of life, does not differentiate between people or species. It is the very basis of creation, the power of evolution.
The consciousness of a living being is conditioned by the matter that makes up this body. As long as we have a physical body we participate in the play of nature; that is maya, which is the illusionary world of desires: the desires we chase, the material things we want for illusionary happiness. As you fulfil one desire you will find you have another one, creating a vicious cycle or a web. No incarnate body can be completely worldly or completely spiritual. No matter what level of light or spirituality you attain, as long as you are embodied you are not able to transcend your dark side. The expression of shakti in the physical body is prana, the vital life force, which keeps the body, mind and spirit working as a complete whole.
The ancient law of microcosm (part) and macrocosm (whole) explains that there is no real difference between the vast external universe and the limited internal universe of the human body, except that we as individuals believe ourselves to be different. A human being is a living microcosm of the universe, and the universe is a living macrocosm of a human being. Each cosmos affects the other. Our universe affects us each moment, and each one of us also influences the entire universe by our actions. Humankind, as microcosm, contains within itself all the elements: mineral, vegetable and animal kingdom (flora and fauna). Also, within plants is the potential of human beings, and within human beings is the underlying energy structure of plants. Life is rational, interdependent and interconnected, like an ecosystem, for mutual nourishment and care. Independence and individuality are myths of human origin: humankind cannot live without air; air exists because of the planetary mass of the Earth: the Earth exists because of the sun; the sun exists as part of the galaxy; the galaxy exists as part of the macrocosm.
In essence, both cosmic and individual consciousness are one. While the power of cosmic consciousness, chiti shakti, identifies with the unmanifested absolute, the power of individual consciousness, maya shakti, identifies with the world and is the manifestation of the absolute. As individual consciousness is a partial expression of cosmic consciousness, the two aspects cannot exist without each other; there is a spark of the absolute in even the densest of matter, which is why a rock is considered alive as it has vibrations. Similarly, in the highest state of consciousness there is a particle of maya or a sense of individuality, because the physical form identifies with the material world only. Once you understand the truth of the universe, you forget your own individuality and remember your true nature. The one exists in all and all defines the one; unity and duality both exist simultaneously. Wherever chiti shakti is displayed there is intelligence and sensation. Without it there is ignorance and insensitivity.
Our bodies are our soul mates, as they are the carriers of our souls. They are like vessels, getting filled with the flow of consciousness. The chief centres of consciousness in human beings are found in the cerebrospinal system, the upper brain and hypothalamus; this is the first part of the body to be developed after conception. After that our sahasrara or crown chakra opens. Individual consciousness flows in the body through the sahasrara chakra, bringing with it a complete blueprint of our life. This blueprint is our destiny in this lifetime. According to Hindu philosophy, this destiny is based on the karma of our past lives. When a person consults an astrologer, palmist or numerologist they will try to analyse this blueprint to predict the person's destiny, although this destiny cannot be changed.
From the cerebrospinal system, entire body form materialises. The spine and spinal cord extend consciousness from the brain, the seat of highest awareness (ajna or third eye chakra), to the coccyx, the pole of greatest density (muladhara or base root chakra). This consciousness, which came through the sahasrara (crown) chakra, flows all the way down, activating the muladhara (base root) chakra so that the physical body starts taking shape.
Our individual consciousness, is the one, called our kundalini shakti, moves in sushumna nadi, one of the major energy channels running parallel to the spine. This energy is also our personal fragment of the cosmic power, for self-identification, represented as our ego or I-ness or ahamkara. While discrimination is the main characteristic of intellect, possessiveness is the chief characteristic of ego and self-identifies with every cell of our body from conception until death.
Kundalini moves in us all, rising from the muladhara (base root) chakra to the manipura (solar plexus) chakra and then going down. Since our lower three chakras are associated with the fulfilment of basic needs for survival in this material world, as long as our consciousness remains entrenched in the mundane, which is the material world, our kundalini moves in the lower three chakras. However, once we start detaching ourselves from the material things in life and develop discretion, our spiritual awakening takes place and kundalini moves beyond manipura to the anahata (heart) chakra, crossing the subtle barrier called the astral bridge. Then its movement is only upwards. This process is called kundalini awakening, and it represents the awakening of the consciousness. This also triggers our spiritual awakening. Even if we leave our physical body at that point and take rebirth, the kundalini starts its journey from that point onwards or from the chakra to which we have already evolved. We do not remember our previous life nor do we have a realisation about the state of our kundalini, but it is evident from the existence of things such as child prodigies and xenoglossy, or the ability to speak a language without having learned it.
The more we identify with our individuality and are attached to the material things in life the more we are stuck in the lower chakras, living in the world of maya. On the other hand, when we develop detachment and identify less with our individuality, our consciousness level changes and we reflect more of the macrocosm, reflecting our chiti shakti. Maya shakti keeps us awake to the world but asleep to the absolute, while chiti shakti keeps us awake to the absolute away from worldly matters.
CHAPTER 2Energy
Our universe is the interplay of both manifested and unmanifested energy, thus creating a vibrational field. In fact, everything in this universe is energy. Scientifically speaking, matter, whether living or non-living, is made up of atoms and molecules. Atoms have a nucleus made up of one or more protons (with a positive charge) and a similar number of neutrons. One or more electrons (with a negative charge) are bound to the nucleus. Here we are talking about energy at its most basic level of existence. What differentiates between things in this universe is the level of the energy and the vibrational field. All forms are manifested energy mass. Human energy is also the manifestation of universal energy; it can thus be defined as a luminous body that surrounds and interpenetrates the physical body.
The concept of universal energy has been recognised and accepted through the ages by all cultures; it is omnipresent and in continuous interplay with human energy. Human energy represents our subtle body or the energy body; it is also called the bio-plasmic body. Ancient Indian seers call this energy prana, the basic constituent and source of all life. In Chinese philosophy it is called it chi; while in Kabbalah, the Jewish mystical theosophy, it is referred to as astral lights. All other spiritual and religious traditions mention auric layers that are depicted as light around holy or evolved people. Christian religious paintings portray Jesus and other spiritual figures surrounded by fields of light. An aura is that part of the energy field associated with objects; when it is associated with the human body it is called a human aura. Modern advances in science have made it easy for us to understand the whole concept of energy as we now have devices that can measure energy and vibrations and take aura pictures.
Many Western scientific minds believe that a universal energy pervades all of nature, with records of this perceived energy being found in Pythagorean literature as early as 500 BC. As reported by 12thcentury scholars Boirac and Liébeault, human beings have an energy that can cause an interaction with other humans, even at a distance. It is a well-known fact that one person's energy can have a healthful/positive or unhealthful/negative effect on another merely by their presence.
A photographic system to capture the human energy field was developed by Semyon Kirlian in 1939. This system involved the photographing of subjects in the presence of a high-frequency, highvoltage, low-amperage electrical field and resulted in photos of human bodies enveloped in a luminous aura. It could even photograph a similar luminous energy field around fruits and vegetables and even nonliving things. In 1911, medical doctor Walter Kilner reported seeing human energy through coloured screens and filters. He described seeing a glowing mist around the whole body that appeared in three layers: a 6 mm dark layer closest to the skin surrounded by a 25 mm wide vaporous layer streaming perpendicularly from the body, and finally a delicate luminosity of around 15 cm in diameter. According to Kilner, auras differ from subject to subject depending on age, sex, mental ability and physical vitality. He was able to diagnose diseases via the variation and patches in a patient's aura.
(Continues…)
Excerpted from "Journey Through The Chakras"
by .
Copyright © 2019 Dr Ravi Ratan and Dr Minoo Ratan.
Excerpted by permission of Rockpool Publishing Pty Ltd.
All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
Excerpts are provided by Dial-A-Book Inc. solely for the personal use of visitors to this web site.
Table of Contents
About the authors,
Acknowledgements,
Foreword,
Introduction,
1. The chakra system,
2. Energy,
3. Tantra,
4. Nervous and endocrine systems,
5. Lymphatic system,
6. Chakra aspects and symbols,
7. Chakra numbers and planets,
8. Chakra attributes,
9. Chakra healing,
10. The last word,
Glossary,
Bibliography,