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DO you believe that you are a conscious being? What shall happen when you lose the conscious of the physical being?

As more Eastern philosophies emerge in the mainstream of the West, these philosophies affect the normal living styles of people, we tend to gravitate to systems and practices which are holistic in nature and also provide us solutions that are lasting and effective. A holistic solution to many of the modern day crises involving health and body related issues is often found in ancient Indian literature which has been preserved over the ages in the form of teachings of Gurus, Vedas and sculptures on temples and monuments. The study of the human anatomy and the relationship between the physical being and its emotional equivalence has long been studied as part of Indian literature. The teachings and findings guide us to the concept of Chakras.

The word Chakra means a wheel and derives its origin from Sanskrit; the language which is considered the mother of most modern day languages by historians today. Historians agree that the early Indus Civilization settlers might have used this language thousands of years ago. According to ancient Yogic teachings, the body thrives on a delicate balance between the physical entity and the emotive being. The Chakras hold the key to this balance. Chakras are the fulcrum on which the physical and the emotional being of a human life hinge.

The Chakras are the equivalent of the Energy Vortexes. In the human body they form the seven energy concentrations on which the human consciousness and energy system is constructed.  They act as controlling inlets and the outlets of energy from and into the human body. They regulate the flow of energy inside, through and out of the body. The state of the Chakras reflects how a human body responds to situations occurring in its stimuli range. They reflect the emotional state of a human being. They regulate the flow of the energy through the human body based on the feelings, thoughts and sentiments of the current state of the human mind. They directly mirror the physical wellbeing of a human body based on its emotional state. Thus they act as the delicate hinge between the physical self and the emotional one.

The issue in focus here is to analyze the reason as to why it is important to understand about the human Chakras and why is increasingly attention in Yogic studies being diverted to it?

The Chakras or the energy vortexes are the junctions which interact with the human body through the endocrine system and the nervous system. Each Chakra is associated with one of the seven endocrine glands present in the human body and also with a group of nerves called the plexus.  Thus each of the Chakras control the physical function associated with the corresponding endocrine gland and in turn governs the emotional signals generated and transmitted through the plexus nerves associated with the Chakras. The state of awareness of the human body, its consciousness levels, its being alive is all associated with a particular Chakra.

A small example to illustrate this is that a cure to chronic tonsillitis can be through encouraging a person to express what they keep inside.  Clearing up unresolved issues and points of miscommunication can often lead to a healthy thyroid gland. This is associated to the Vishuddha, the 5th Chakra. The focus of this Chakra is found in the hollow of the throat opposite the 7th cervical vertebra. The organs directly affected are the thyroid, the larynx, the neck, the salivary glands and the neck. The emotional issues related to the Vishuddha are the feeling of receptivity, capacity of faith, devotion and creativity. It also has a direct bearing on the feeling of vulnerability and that of the ability to nurture love.

The stiff neck syndrome can easily be resolved if we encourage unhindered and easy flow of communication, thoughts and feelings between people. The human body responds positively to such a flow of unhindered energy and the emotional self reacts by experiencing a feeling of happiness.  The moot point to take note of here is that the physical discomfort can be eased through mental and emotional processes.

Chakras hold the key to the release points in the human body. In case a person feels tense, it is an indication that the Chakra associated with the tension producing glands is active and methods to stimulate the same shall ease the tension in the body. This is a beginning of a series of articles which shall introduce the audience to what the seven the Chakras in the human body are and also take them through a journey of self awareness and indicate a few efficient and simple methods to activate the Chakras in the body. The aim is to live happy and share it with people around us. This is possible only if we are happy and satisfied with our surroundings. This in turn is possible when our body responds to the mind signals.

Chakras hold the key to this blissful existence. An understanding of the Chakras will go a long way in making our life more in synchronization with the energy within and the nature which is around us.