Asanas

Chakras - the spinning wheel that symbolizes the energy which emanates due to its motion, is the epitome in human understanding of the body and mind. Its understanding is the key to a blissful life, full of energy. A person who can invigorate the Chakras within himself or herself can achieve which mere mortals cannot. The road to this bliss and peace, achieved when the Chakras in a human are incensed, is not easy. Ancient Indian text in the form of Vedas and writing attributable to saints and sages vouch that immortality of the soul as well as permanent inflexion of the human body with the Universal source of all energy is achievable through the invigoration of the Chakras within the human body.

In today’s literature, available to Western audiences, there is recurrence of the term “Universal Spirit”, mythology as well as to moral principles. In order to explain these terms to a reader of today’s generation, it is necessary to explain this in terms of physical well being, gains to the bodily existence as well as to some extent to the concentration level in the mind. While it is necessary for all forms of learning to be adaptable to the generation of the fore and future, any shortcuts to the understanding of the concept of Chakra will be nothing short of perilous. To derive simile without adequate forethought can lead to inadvertent conclusions.  The concept of Chakra and its implications requires deep understanding. While it is encouraged to initiate an early learning on the subject, for any student serious enough to begin, a guru or teacher who is uninitiated tends to mislead the concept citing means available for physical development where mental development is required. In a recent conference, I experienced one such recitation where a therapy using Yoga Asana was being prescribed to develop the invigoration of a chakra. The aim was to cure a particular malady. What stuck me as strange was the fact that the presenter was describing a set of asana and claiming that by regularly practicing the set, it was possible to generate enough energy to develop the Chakra in question! This is the new generation preaching for you!!! Asana alone cannot develop the chakras and neither will the practice of a particular set of exercises lead to the desired affect. To invigorate the Chakra, the disciple of the art has to focus the mind and body together. Preachers of the art of doing yoga and presenters presenting the concept of the Chakra often tend to miss this important point.

The development of Chakra in its true sense is possible only after the disciple of the practice is able to bind or join the attention or the will attribute within herself to the will and energy of the universal energy source. It is upto the person’s faith to agree upon the source of the universal energy. It is possible only when the disciplining of the intellect, the mind, the emotions, the will in order to able to look at life in all its aspects evenly. This is the moot point which we need to explain to the audiences today. Chakra invigoration is not about a set of exercises; it is all about bringing the balance to the body and mind. Its about understanding what the mind needs to tell the body and how the body is required to respond through its actions. The Chakras are the link between the human emotions and its bodily affects. The imbalance of the two can lead to an energy imbalance and this in turn can also be attributable to the scores of maladies which affect the human body.

A number of present day maladies are overtly or covertly due to stress and strain on the human body owing to the fast pace of life. The tensions and stress levels most working people experience at work and afterward can be attributes to the lack of a release system or state. This can - and is - causing long term affects to the human body. The increased number of chronic ailments, stress related deaths, pace of aging of the human body - all point to the same issue. Are we able to cope with the changing environment around us? Are we in a balanced state? Where will this imbalance lead us to? What will the long term affects of this malady be on the human body? Modern science is grappling with these questions and no satisfactory answer exists in modern medical literature.  Popping pills is not a long term solution and modern day medicine has also come around to accept the same fact. We are looking at a world wide problem which can burgeon into an epidemic. The problem of stress is looming large on the psyche of the human mind today. Yoga and perhaps the holistic understanding of the Chakra system is an answer to this problem. It is believed that a problem is half solved when the source of the problem is found. The system of Chakras is an established system which associates the human body’s physical attributes to its mental health. The understanding of the chakra system is an essential step towards attaining good health of the human body. Understanding it holistically is of essence.

Chakra and its understanding is of vital essence to living a healthy life. This statement requires little assertion. What require assertion though is the fact that the Holistic understanding of the concept of Chakra is of paramount importance. Its understanding can go a long way in alleviating the ills of the human body.