The Chakras: An Introduction
The Chakras: An Introduction
Refreshing My Memory
I plan to do a seven-part series on the Chakra system and figured it would be a good idea to write an introduction. Knowing I tend to cherry-pick, I figured it was probably a good idea to refamiliarise myself with the nuts and bolts I'd likely discarded decades ago. I made a start by listening to a sixteen-hour audiobook that was written by Anodea Judith. I'd read that she's a renowned chakra expert and assumed she was a good place to start. But honestly, I’ve struggled to keep listening. I am unimpressed with the near-constant blending of Chakras and psychology because it just doesn't seem to work. With little less than an hour of listening to go, I felt confused and irritated. Somehow, I was even less sure of how I wanted to approach the series and no longer had any idea of what to include or discard.
Anyway, I still didn't have some essential bits of information and had to go on a mission to do some basic digging into the origins. I was on a quest to present a simplified basic outline, and yet I managed to find myself neck-deep in the middle of a complex blog post written by Sanskrit scholar, Christopher Wallis. While he doesn’t dismiss the Western understanding altogether — he makes it clear the way that most people look at the Chakra system, including people like Anodea Judith — who he mentions — is completely wrong. Great stuff!
I don’t mind admitting the historian in me was struggling. But then at the same time, I didn't want to get too bogged down in the bits that I just don’t and won't use. So, with all of that said. . .onward!
Origins of the Chakra System
The origins of the chakra system are deeply rooted in ancient Indian spiritual and philosophical traditions, particularly within Hinduism and Tantra. While the exact dates are difficult to pinpoint, the concept of chakras can be traced back to ancient texts such as the Vedas (1500-500 BCE) Upanishads (1000 to 300 BCE), and Tantras (600CE).
The rise in occultism and mysticism that occurred in the late 1800s was largely responsible for popularising the concept of the chakras. A sixteenth-century Sanskrit nonscriptural source was badly translated in 1918 and contemporary correspondences were added to that flawed translation. According to Wallis, the sixteenth-century text was not the earliest to mention the seven Chakra system, but the 1918 translation of it is the one most Westerners relied upon.
So, What are the Chakras?
The term chakra is Sanskrit for 'wheel' or 'disc'. They are believed to be important centres of spinning energy within the body. Practices involving chakras, such as yoga, meditation and mantras, aim to remove blockages or imbalances in the flow of energy, to promote physical, emotional, and spiritual well-being.
Scientific Evidence
There isn’t anything to prove the chakras exist in the physical or energetic sense. Theories have been posited that the chakras may line up with important points connected to the nervous system. Another obvious similarity to mention is that of the Conception Vessel and Governing Vessel in Traditional Chinese Medicine. These two meridians are the ones that run up the mid-line of the front body and follow the spine down the back.
Western Method Mistakes
By far the most important point here is that the chakra system was prescriptive, not descriptive. In its earliest origins, there was no mention of the chakras being literal energy centres in the body. They were focal points to visualise during meditation. Going forward, I will try to keep this significant point in mind.
The Seven Chakra Format
I want to stick to the seven chakra method because it’s the one most commonly used in the Western world, and therefore the one most people are familiar with. It will also make it easier for anyone new to the concept of Chakras to apply whatever I write in the upcoming blog posts and blend it with other information they come across. What I’ll be arguing for is to look at things through a prescriptive lens, and then add some basic Western correspondences that make sense to me. In other words, the traditional tools of meditations and mantras will be continued here, and I will happily perpetuate some of the modern association myths. So, crystals and colour will definitely be in, but I’m unsure as to whether it’s appropriate to include any astrology and other bits — I need to think about that and maybe do some more reading.
Psychoanalytic Adaptations & Other Health Matters
I love psychoanalysing pretty much anything and everything, but this is not the place for attaching traumatic events or problematic behaviours. The psychologising has been one of the more difficult aspects to listen to in Anodea’s book because I just don’t see how it’s anywhere near accurate enough. I completely get the point of linking some health conditions to specific chakras — throat problems to the throat chakra, solar plexus to the stomach etc. Further, I’m quick to suggest to clients who complain of issues around communication that they may benefit from a throat chakra focus. Oddly, or not, my instinctive position has been closer to the prescriptive method rather than the descriptive ways of the Western woo elite. So, for clarity, I don’t believe for one minute that any complex psychological or health issue can be fixed by sorting out your Chakras.
Some Final Bits of Housekeeping
I highly recommend you go and read Christopher Wallis' blog post for a better understanding of the different historical layers and how they led to the contemporary understanding of the Chakra system. I think it's quite sad so much is based on a flawed interpretation of a secondary source; especially when considering the existence of earlier texts.
I will talk about possible signs of imbalance but will refrain from using overactive or underactive in any descriptions I give because I think this is another contemporary aspect that can be ignored. While I get the philosophy behind it, the important point is that traditionally the Chakras were prescriptive for restoring balance. So, I don’t see how it’s important to know if one is under or overactive. It’s kind of beside the point because the remedy is the same — to restore balance through meditation or ritual on the area giving cause for concern. Further, how do we know someone’s excessive behaviour isn’t just a piss-poor attempt to free up a chakra that is closed? Or is someone’s closed-off position a guard against an overly open chakra? My point is that we can be too quick to assume. Better to work with what we know rather than what we want to think. Further, the awareness of exactly what is going on is likely to come through a moment of insight once we start working on an area. It’s always better to have a clear head with no preconceived ideas. If we’re too attached to our thoughts we could unwittingly block recovery because it conflicts with what we think we already know. And in any case, a little bit of dissent is always going to be a good thing.
Links & References
The real story on the Chakras — Christopher Wallis <<<<<< READ THIS LINK!
