WP_Query Object
(
[query] => Array
(
[category__in] => Array
(
[0] => 19
[1] => 39
[2] => 419
[3] => 66
)
[post__not_in] => Array
(
[0] => 7844
)
[posts_per_page] => 50
[ignore_sticky_posts] => 1
[orderby] => desc
[_shuffle_and_pick] => 3
)
[query_vars] => Array
(
[category__in] => Array
(
[0] => 19
[1] => 39
[2] => 419
[3] => 66
)
[post__not_in] => Array
(
[0] => 7844
)
[posts_per_page] => 50
[ignore_sticky_posts] => 1
[orderby] => desc
[_shuffle_and_pick] => 3
[error] =>
[m] =>
[p] => 0
[post_parent] =>
[subpost] =>
[subpost_id] =>
[attachment] =>
[attachment_id] => 0
[name] =>
[pagename] =>
[page_id] => 0
[second] =>
[minute] =>
[hour] =>
[day] => 0
[monthnum] => 0
[year] => 0
[w] => 0
[category_name] => peter-borten
[tag] =>
[cat] => 19
[tag_id] =>
[author] =>
[author_name] =>
[feed] =>
[tb] =>
[paged] => 0
[meta_key] =>
[meta_value] =>
[preview] =>
[s] =>
[sentence] =>
[title] =>
[fields] =>
[menu_order] =>
[embed] =>
[category__not_in] => Array
(
)
[category__and] => Array
(
)
[post__in] => Array
(
)
[post_name__in] => Array
(
)
[tag__in] => Array
(
)
[tag__not_in] => Array
(
)
[tag__and] => Array
(
)
[tag_slug__in] => Array
(
)
[tag_slug__and] => Array
(
)
[post_parent__in] => Array
(
)
[post_parent__not_in] => Array
(
)
[author__in] => Array
(
)
[author__not_in] => Array
(
)
[suppress_filters] =>
[cache_results] => 1
[update_post_term_cache] => 1
[lazy_load_term_meta] => 1
[update_post_meta_cache] => 1
[post_type] =>
[nopaging] =>
[comments_per_page] => 50
[no_found_rows] =>
[order] => DESC
)
[tax_query] => WP_Tax_Query Object
(
[queries] => Array
(
[0] => Array
(
[taxonomy] => category
[terms] => Array
(
[0] => 19
[1] => 39
[2] => 419
[3] => 66
)
[field] => term_id
[operator] => IN
[include_children] =>
)
)
[relation] => AND
[table_aliases:protected] => Array
(
[0] => wp_term_relationships
)
[queried_terms] => Array
(
[category] => Array
(
[terms] => Array
(
[0] => 19
[1] => 39
[2] => 419
[3] => 66
)
[field] => term_id
)
)
[primary_table] => wp_posts
[primary_id_column] => ID
)
[meta_query] => WP_Meta_Query Object
(
[queries] => Array
(
)
[relation] =>
[meta_table] =>
[meta_id_column] =>
[primary_table] =>
[primary_id_column] =>
[table_aliases:protected] => Array
(
)
[clauses:protected] => Array
(
)
[has_or_relation:protected] =>
)
[date_query] =>
[request] => SELECT SQL_CALC_FOUND_ROWS wp_posts.ID FROM wp_posts LEFT JOIN wp_term_relationships ON (wp_posts.ID = wp_term_relationships.object_id) WHERE 1=1 AND wp_posts.ID NOT IN (7844) AND (
wp_term_relationships.term_taxonomy_id IN (19,39,66,419)
) AND wp_posts.post_type = 'post' AND (wp_posts.post_status = 'publish' OR wp_posts.post_status = 'acf-disabled')
AND ID NOT IN
(SELECT `post_id` FROM wp_postmeta
WHERE `meta_key` = '_pilotpress_level'
AND `meta_value` IN ('','employee')
AND `post_id` NOT IN
(SELECT `post_id` FROM wp_postmeta
WHERE `meta_key` = '_pilotpress_level'
AND `meta_value` IN ('' ))) GROUP BY wp_posts.ID ORDER BY wp_posts.post_date DESC LIMIT 0, 50
[posts] => Array
(
[0] => WP_Post Object
(
[ID] => 6864
[post_author] => 3
[post_date] => 2018-01-23 18:59:02
[post_date_gmt] => 2018-01-23 18:59:02
[post_content] =>
For her birthday, my daughter received a “magic chakra pendant” which consisted of cheap, dyed crystals glued together to form a rainbow in the shape of a pyramid. Shortly thereafter, she and I were shopping and we saw a set of seven “chakra teas” in a rainbow of boxes. She asked me, “What does chakra mean?” I sighed. It was like being asked, “What is art?”
A couple years ago, I wrote an article for The Dragontree about the throat chakra and received numerous requests for articles on the other chakras. I have hesitated to oblige for a few reasons. First, interpretations of the word and concept vary quite a lot, even within the various Indian traditions where it’s found. Many of the classical writings about chakras are complicated and arcane. And the idea has been widely co-opted by Westerners, sometimes in thoughtful ways, other times in superficial ways. I felt it would be difficult to do the subject justice in the format of a brief article.
However, I’m realistic about modern attention spans. I know that not many people are interested in reading a scholarly work about chakras. But Westerners have a hunger for spiritual connection, and chakras are interesting and might serve as an opening to deeper exploration and insight. So, I figure, if you’re going to read a mediocre article about chakras it might as well be from someone who has had in interest in them for a few decades and possesses a small library of books about them. Even if I have to oversimplify and modernize the topic, I feel there’s still value in opening the door. So, over the following months, we’ll look at what chakras are and how you can grow and heal through an understanding of this system.
First, what’s a chakra? Chakra or çakra – pronounced “chah-krah,” not “shah-krah” – is a Sanskrit word meaning wheel, disc, or cycle. Chakra philosophy, which comes mainly from the Tantrik texts of India, appears in Hinduism, Buddhism, Yoga, Ayurvedic medicine, Jungian and transpersonal psychology, and more. Chakras are usually defined as energy centers in the body that influence spiritual awakening as well as psychological and physical function. The number and location of chakras varies between traditions, but the prevailing model features six or seven chakras located along the midline of the body, upon or in front of the spine.
The endurance and spread of this system is probably due to the appealing and accessible way in which it describes different states of consciousness and how we’re influenced by this subtle layer of our being. Here are the viewpoints of a few authors:
Sir John Woodroofe, an early translator of Tanrik texts, described the chakras as centers of “Vital Force” (prana) and universal consciousness.1 He (and many others) saw them as instrumental stations that need to be opened in order to arouse the life force/consciousness called kundalini to move through us and awaken us. (Kundalini is just as dense of a topic as chakras, so please pardon my superficial coverage.)
Caroline Myss exposed millions of people to the concept of chakras through her 1996 book, Anatomy of the Spirit. She writes about them as if there’s a historical consensus supporting her interpretations (there isn’t), which is a bit misleading, but I believe her presentation of the chakras offers a lot of value. Here’s her modern psycho-spiritual definition: “The chakra system is an archetypal depiction of individual maturation through seven distinct stages.” She describes a process of ascension through the chakras whereby, “at each stage we gain a more refined understanding of personal and spiritual power, since each chakra represents a spiritual life-lesson or challenge common to all human beings. As a person masters each chakra, he gains power and self-knowledge that become integrated into his spirit, advancing him along the path toward spiritual consciousness in the classic hero’s journey.”2
Harish Johari, in one of the earliest English language books on the subject – aptly named Chakras – defines them as “psychic centers of transformation that enable one to move toward an enlightened state of being.” As for the translation of chakra as wheel, Johari says, “the word chakra indicates movement. Chakras introduce movement because they transform psychophysical energy into spiritual energy.” He explains that variances in the way energy moves through our chakras produce variances in our psychic state and physiology.4
Just to shake things up, let’s look at some contrasting views. Ken Wilber, a prolific scholar on Eastern philosophy, writes: “The being-consciousness-bliss of one’s formless self is distorted and constricted, and under this tyranny [imposed by a separate-self sense] appears in the restricted forms known as the chakras.” Wilber goes on to explain that the chakras are like knots or contractions in our consciousness, and that spiritual liberation is the untying of these knots, or, more accurately, “not the actual untying of these knots, but the silent admission that they are already untied.” The paradox of the chakras, he explains, is that “They are ultimately dissolved in the realization that they need not be dissolved.”
He claims that the chakras aren’t real, “in the sense that they do not pose a barrier to self-realization, nor do they constitute mandatory stages in an upward climb to liberation,” however, he goes on to say that they can certainly be perceived – as the localized experiences of different states of consciousness.3
In Robert Svoboda’s book, Kundalini, he asks his mentor, Aghori Vimalananda, about the notion that almost all physical and mental diseases are due to ‘blocked chakras.’ Vimalananda replies, “A little knowledge is a dangerous thing. The chakras exist in the subtle body, and their connection to the physical body is very subtle. It is true that both the physical and subtle plexuses may become blocked, but in most people the Kundalini is fast asleep in the Muladhara Chakra [the first or root chakra at the base of the spine], and their chakras are absolutely closed and play no part in their day-to-day lives. . . . As long as you are full of attachments to life your consciousness will never be able to get close enough to any chakra even to smell its fragrance, much less to experience it.”5
So, how do we make sense of these disparate views? I recommend a combination of contemplation of others’ teachings and the guidance of your personal experience (keeping in mind that your personal experience doesn’t make you an authority on others’ experiences). I have encountered many practitioners of yoga, energy healing, and meditation who have had powerful firsthand experiences of their chakras – specifically the experience of an opening or closing, or the blockage of flow and the restoration of flow.
It’s possible that these experiences are occurring on a different plane than what Vimalananda defines as a chakra, but we have to ask if it really matters. I’m inclined to believe that in most cases, it doesn’t. If the chakra system is a useful means for understanding our challenges, knowing ourselves, and prompting growth, isn’t that a good thing even if it doesn’t make us enlightened?
Before I wrap this up, here is a list of the seven primary chakras, some of their characteristics, plus the key virtues and obstacles associated with them:
- Muladhara – at the perineum (between the genitals and the anus). Associated with the earth element, with a sense of security and stability, and [Myss:] with lessons related to the material world.
- Svadhisthana – at the genital region. Associated with the water element and with creativity, family, procreation, and [Myss:] with lessons related to sexuality, work, and physical desire.
- Manpura – at the level of the navel. Associated with the fire element and with transformation, will, and [Myss:] with lessons related to the ego, personality, and self-esteem.
- Anahata – at the level of the heart. Associated with the air element and with balance, love, compassion, connection, and forgiveness.
- Vishuddha – at the level of the throat. Associated with space and with communication, self-expression, and creation through the word.
- Ajana - at the level of the “third eye.” Beyond the elements, it is associated with self-realization, vision, knowing, projection, intuition, and insight.
- Sahasrara – at the top of the head. Sometimes considered not to be a proper chakra, it is associated with oneness with Absolute (God) Consciousness and [Myss:] lessons related to spirituality.
Next time, we’ll discuss the first and arguably most important chakra for the average human – Muladhara – which is often said to be an expression of our sense of foundation and our ability to trust that our basic needs will be met. In the meantime, consider meditating on these concepts. Have you ever had a sense of one or more of your chakras? Have you ever experienced a shift in one of these places that brought about a change in your body, mind, or broader consciousness?
Be well,
Dr. Peter Borten
References
- Woodroffe, J. G., & P. (1931). The Serpent Power: Being the Shat-chakra-nirūpana and Pādukā-panchaka; Two Works on Laya yoga. Madras: Ganesh.
- Myss, C. M. (1996). Anatomy of the Spirit: The seven stages of power and healing. New York: Three Rivers Press.
- White, J. W. (1990). Kundalini, Evolution, and Enlightenment. New York: Paragon House.
- Johari, H. (1987). Chakras. Energy Centers of Transformation. Destiny Books.
- Svoboda, R. E. (1995). Aghora II: Kundalini. Albuquerque, NM: Brotherhood of Life Publishing.
[post_title] => How to Have the Hottest Chakras in Town
[post_excerpt] =>
[post_status] => publish
[comment_status] => open
[ping_status] => open
[post_password] =>
[post_name] => hottest-chakras-town
[to_ping] =>
[pinged] =>
[post_modified] => 2019-07-02 22:01:31
[post_modified_gmt] => 2019-07-02 22:01:31
[post_content_filtered] =>
[post_parent] => 0
[guid] => http://www.thedragontree.com/?p=6864
[menu_order] => 0
[post_type] => post
[post_mime_type] =>
[comment_count] => 10
[filter] => raw
[webinar_id] => 0
)
[1] => WP_Post Object
(
[ID] => 6678
[post_author] => 5
[post_date] => 2017-05-24 14:03:03
[post_date_gmt] => 2017-05-24 14:03:03
[post_content] => When my wife says I’m the only person she knows who could happily curl up in bed with a 20-pound medical text, I like to point out that I also enjoy books on philosophy. It’s been at least a decade since I’ve read a work of fiction (except to my kids), but I find nonfiction so fascinating, and it constantly challenges my worldview. I know most people find these subjects dry and heady, so I try to tackle them in our newsletters with the aim of making them more accessible and digestible.
Today I’d like to share some thoughts on one of these dry topics – the philosophy of nondualism. Wait, don’t leave! I promise I’ll make it interesting – controversial even. Just bear with me. It might even change the way you see the world.
In a nutshell, nondualism is the notion that everything is essentially one – that all the apparent differences and separation we perceive in the world are an illusion.
Nondual philosophy has many different forms; I can’t deliver a comprehensive analysis in an article this short. Instead, I’ll speak to the perspective of a single Eastern source – Tantra Illuminated by Christopher Wallis – and a single Western source – A Course in Miracles (ACIM) by Helen Schucman.
The first is a study of Tantra, a group of spiritual traditions that arose mainly between 300 and 1300 A.D. They had a significant impact on the development of yoga, Hinduism, and Buddhism. And I’m sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but “tantric sex” is the tiniest fraction of what Tantra comprises.
The second, which might be understood as nondual Christianity, was written by an American in the 1960s and 70s and is presented as a “channeled” work dictated by Jesus.
Though seemingly very different, these two traditions actually have a lot in common. And what they share is a perspective that would alleviate a lot of suffering if it were more widely known.
Both schools of thought focus on discovering the unity within all the apparent differences in the world. They say that when we see a world where some things are godly and others aren’t, where good and evil, wealth and poverty, sickness and health, virtue and sin, life and death, and a host of other “dualities” yank us around and define our experience of life, we’re wrapped up in a dream that obscures the real truth.
And that truth, they assert, is that all things are an expression of one Consciousness (God, Spirit, Universe, Divine Light, Highest Self, or whatever other word you care to use), which is synonymous with Love. These systems hold that everyone and all things are connected, equal expressions of God, and there is nothing to fear and no reason to suffer.
ACIM often pushes non-Christians’ buttons by using terms like Jesus, Christ, and Holy Spirit. For me, raised Jewish, the terminology presented some hurdles at first, but it gets easier the more I recognize that these names – as well as those of most other traditions – are all pointing to the same thing.
ACIM also pushes Christians’ buttons because much of what it teaches flies in the face of Christian dogma. It states that God isn’t outside of us or different than us. It holds that there is no duality of heaven and hell; only heaven is real and we’re either conscious of it or lost in stories of our own making. It says there is no sin – only mistakes made out of confusion. It claims that God doesn’t forgive – because God doesn’t condemn.
Despite these potential objections, I feel it’s a worthwhile study in Western nondualism. It might be a more natural leap for someone with a background in an Abrahamic religion (Judaism, Christianity, Islam are the main three) rather than adopting a completely foreign Eastern nondual tradition. However, some find the reframing of deeply entrenched Abrahamic concepts too difficult to swallow, or the terminology too loaded, making the Eastern traditions something of a clean slate in comparison.
Central to ACIM’s narrative is the idea that you sought to break apart from God, to be independent, and in so doing, you gave your power to your ego. (This might be likened to the biblical story of eating from the Tree of Knowledge, whereupon the mind was given authority and we lost the “Eden” state of consciousness.) The ego protects this idea of independence by asserting that the world is a place of separation, where everything is disconnected, where all things are in competition, and pain, suffering, and loneliness threaten us.
The perpetuation of this dream depends on the ego’s continually empowering itself by generating conflict – with the world and yourself. Meanwhile, the belief that you cut yourself off from your Highest Self (keep substituting words you like) is a source of deep self-blame, which you also project onto the world and its inhabitants.
The primary means of resolving this dilemma, the Course teaches, is forgiveness. By forgiving yourself and everyone else, conflict dissolves, the illusion of separation fades, you see that you were never actually alone or vulnerable, and the world becomes a different place.
Nondual Tantra takes a slightly different view of the origin, but presents a similar human conundrum. In its conception of reality, there is one Divine Light (again, you can call this God, Goddess, Awareness, Spirit, Dao, etc.) that expresses itself in all possible ways – including as seven billion humans – through what is called krida, the doctrine of divine play. The word “play” is used because the Source manifests an infinitely diverse world for its own sake – for the love of it – rather than for some end result.
In order to have an immersive experience as each of these facets of the world, the Divine imbues them with only a fraction of its total awareness. That is, so that you can really experience being you – believing you’re on your own, thinking you’re limited by this body, feeling the full spectrum of human emotion, triumphing over obstacles – you can’t know all along that you’re actually God acting like a human.
You have to forget, so the play feels that much more real – and so that you can later remember. It’s the ultimate game: to dive into a world where you’re blind to the connections and safety nets, where there’s so much potential to feel alone, afraid, and attacked, and yet, to find the light. To remember that it’s all You. To wake up to what you really are, with revelation, relief, and awe.
I have no agenda of convincing you to subscribe to either of these schools of thought. But knowing that our readers are open-minded people who are looking for deeper peace and an experience of connection, I thought you might find it compelling that two traditions from such different times and places offer such a similar message. (And these are just a couple examples of many.)
Both systems declare that you’re so much more connected to the world and your Highest Self than you realize, that the death of your body isn’t the end of life, and that the fundamental matrix of the universe is love. Perhaps there’s room in your worldview for a little nondualism. What do you think?
With love,
Dr. Peter Borten
[post_title] => You're More Connected Than You Realize
[post_excerpt] =>
[post_status] => publish
[comment_status] => open
[ping_status] => open
[post_password] =>
[post_name] => youre-connected-realize
[to_ping] =>
[pinged] =>
[post_modified] => 2017-05-24 15:12:51
[post_modified_gmt] => 2017-05-24 15:12:51
[post_content_filtered] =>
[post_parent] => 0
[guid] => http://www.thedragontree.com/?p=6678
[menu_order] => 0
[post_type] => post
[post_mime_type] =>
[comment_count] => 23
[filter] => raw
[webinar_id] => 0
)
[2] => WP_Post Object
(
[ID] => 7095
[post_author] => 3
[post_date] => 2018-08-07 15:36:54
[post_date_gmt] => 2018-08-07 15:36:54
[post_content] =>
A few decades ago, we knew very little about the chemistry of cannabis. Most of what I encountered in college was low quality, compressed, greenish-grey material with lots of stems and seeds – commonly known as “Mexican brick weed.” It was likely to make you feel passive, immobile, and hungry – a much more benign combination than the various effects you might experience from too much beer or Mad Dog 20/20.
Of the many compounds in the plant, we only heard much about two back then – THC and CBD. At the time, our elementary knowledge could be summed up in a few words: THC is the mood-altering component (what gets you “high”) and CBD is the part that makes you relaxed. We didn’t want to be relaxed, though, so we interpreted this to mean that “good marijuana is high in THC and low in CBD” and bad marijuana is the other way around.
In the years that followed, Mexican brick weed became increasingly scarce as the American cannabis industry bred more potent plants that contained an ever-higher percentage of THC. But for many of us who had dabbled in it in our early 20’s, an intensely altered state was no longer something we desired.
As legal restrictions loosened up, specialists in botanical medicine were eventually able to gain a better understanding of cannabis chemistry (we still have a ways to go) and breeders began to develop strains that produced a more specific effect – calming, stimulating, and so on.
Furthermore, although the market for Mexican brick weed seemed to be long gone, it turned out that there was a high demand, especially among older consumers, for a product with its effects – essentially a breed with a high level of CBD and a very low quantity of THC. Something a connoisseur would have once called low quality cannabis is now sought after. And an increasing number of my patients tell me they use this - or simply CBD alone - not to “get high” but to de-stress, decrease pain, sleep better, manage neurological disorders, and more.
A patient with very stubborn idiopathic nerve pain (meaning, the cause was unknown) came in one day reporting that the pain had been remarkably better since our last visit. “I hate to break it to you, Doc,” he said with a smirk on his face, “but it wasn’t the acupuncture.” He went on to tell me that he had been using a topical CBD lotion, and that it was more effective than anything else he had tried.
Another patient, who had for years experienced an anxious tightness in her chest in social situations, told me that a small amount of oral CBD resolved it without causing any other perceptible effect. She said, “I don’t feel different in any other way. I do my work, I can think clearly. I just don’t have that anxious feeling.”
And several patients who were tired of using pharmaceuticals to treat their insomnia have told me of their success with a variety of CBD products. They generally find them just as effective as sleeping pills, but with the advantage of being natural. Also, unlike the prescription drugs, they don’t worry that the CBD could put them into such a deep slumber that they might not hear a smoke detector or other emergency.
Now, if there’s one thing that rubs me the wrong way, it’s a “cure-all” – and that’s because there aren’t any! There’s no substance out there that’s good for everything or everyone, and I’d be remiss as a healthcare practitioner if I implied otherwise. CBD isn’t going to fix your life, and some people don’t experience any noticeable benefit from it. But I can say that, for many, it’s a useful natural helper with an excellent safety profile. And I’m eager to see what more we learn about this and other remarkable plants.
Be well,
Dr. Peter Borten
P.S. Just as we were publishing this article, I discovered a new study in the journal Nature on the use of CBD in the treatment of pancreatic cancer. Pancreatic cancer has a dismal 5-year survival rate of just 5%. But in this study, mice with pancreatic cancer who were given CBD plus chemotherapy survived THREE TIMES longer than those who were treated with only chemotherapy. While we don't yet know how this will translate to treatments for humans, it's one more way in which this astounding plant is a promising tool for healing.
Click Here to Learn More About Dragontree CBD Infused Body Care Products And Get Free Shipping On Your Next Order
[post_title] => CBD vs. THC: A Tale of Two Cannabinoids
[post_excerpt] =>
[post_status] => publish
[comment_status] => open
[ping_status] => open
[post_password] =>
[post_name] => 7095
[to_ping] =>
[pinged] =>
[post_modified] => 2020-07-28 19:43:20
[post_modified_gmt] => 2020-07-28 19:43:20
[post_content_filtered] =>
[post_parent] => 0
[guid] => http://thedragontree.com/?p=7095
[menu_order] => 0
[post_type] => post
[post_mime_type] =>
[comment_count] => 4
[filter] => raw
[webinar_id] => 0
)
)
[post_count] => 3
[current_post] => -1
[in_the_loop] =>
[post] => WP_Post Object
(
[ID] => 6864
[post_author] => 3
[post_date] => 2018-01-23 18:59:02
[post_date_gmt] => 2018-01-23 18:59:02
[post_content] =>
For her birthday, my daughter received a “magic chakra pendant” which consisted of cheap, dyed crystals glued together to form a rainbow in the shape of a pyramid. Shortly thereafter, she and I were shopping and we saw a set of seven “chakra teas” in a rainbow of boxes. She asked me, “What does chakra mean?” I sighed. It was like being asked, “What is art?”
A couple years ago, I wrote an article for The Dragontree about the throat chakra and received numerous requests for articles on the other chakras. I have hesitated to oblige for a few reasons. First, interpretations of the word and concept vary quite a lot, even within the various Indian traditions where it’s found. Many of the classical writings about chakras are complicated and arcane. And the idea has been widely co-opted by Westerners, sometimes in thoughtful ways, other times in superficial ways. I felt it would be difficult to do the subject justice in the format of a brief article.
However, I’m realistic about modern attention spans. I know that not many people are interested in reading a scholarly work about chakras. But Westerners have a hunger for spiritual connection, and chakras are interesting and might serve as an opening to deeper exploration and insight. So, I figure, if you’re going to read a mediocre article about chakras it might as well be from someone who has had in interest in them for a few decades and possesses a small library of books about them. Even if I have to oversimplify and modernize the topic, I feel there’s still value in opening the door. So, over the following months, we’ll look at what chakras are and how you can grow and heal through an understanding of this system.
First, what’s a chakra? Chakra or çakra – pronounced “chah-krah,” not “shah-krah” – is a Sanskrit word meaning wheel, disc, or cycle. Chakra philosophy, which comes mainly from the Tantrik texts of India, appears in Hinduism, Buddhism, Yoga, Ayurvedic medicine, Jungian and transpersonal psychology, and more. Chakras are usually defined as energy centers in the body that influence spiritual awakening as well as psychological and physical function. The number and location of chakras varies between traditions, but the prevailing model features six or seven chakras located along the midline of the body, upon or in front of the spine.
The endurance and spread of this system is probably due to the appealing and accessible way in which it describes different states of consciousness and how we’re influenced by this subtle layer of our being. Here are the viewpoints of a few authors:
Sir John Woodroofe, an early translator of Tanrik texts, described the chakras as centers of “Vital Force” (prana) and universal consciousness.1 He (and many others) saw them as instrumental stations that need to be opened in order to arouse the life force/consciousness called kundalini to move through us and awaken us. (Kundalini is just as dense of a topic as chakras, so please pardon my superficial coverage.)
Caroline Myss exposed millions of people to the concept of chakras through her 1996 book, Anatomy of the Spirit. She writes about them as if there’s a historical consensus supporting her interpretations (there isn’t), which is a bit misleading, but I believe her presentation of the chakras offers a lot of value. Here’s her modern psycho-spiritual definition: “The chakra system is an archetypal depiction of individual maturation through seven distinct stages.” She describes a process of ascension through the chakras whereby, “at each stage we gain a more refined understanding of personal and spiritual power, since each chakra represents a spiritual life-lesson or challenge common to all human beings. As a person masters each chakra, he gains power and self-knowledge that become integrated into his spirit, advancing him along the path toward spiritual consciousness in the classic hero’s journey.”2
Harish Johari, in one of the earliest English language books on the subject – aptly named Chakras – defines them as “psychic centers of transformation that enable one to move toward an enlightened state of being.” As for the translation of chakra as wheel, Johari says, “the word chakra indicates movement. Chakras introduce movement because they transform psychophysical energy into spiritual energy.” He explains that variances in the way energy moves through our chakras produce variances in our psychic state and physiology.4
Just to shake things up, let’s look at some contrasting views. Ken Wilber, a prolific scholar on Eastern philosophy, writes: “The being-consciousness-bliss of one’s formless self is distorted and constricted, and under this tyranny [imposed by a separate-self sense] appears in the restricted forms known as the chakras.” Wilber goes on to explain that the chakras are like knots or contractions in our consciousness, and that spiritual liberation is the untying of these knots, or, more accurately, “not the actual untying of these knots, but the silent admission that they are already untied.” The paradox of the chakras, he explains, is that “They are ultimately dissolved in the realization that they need not be dissolved.”
He claims that the chakras aren’t real, “in the sense that they do not pose a barrier to self-realization, nor do they constitute mandatory stages in an upward climb to liberation,” however, he goes on to say that they can certainly be perceived – as the localized experiences of different states of consciousness.3
In Robert Svoboda’s book, Kundalini, he asks his mentor, Aghori Vimalananda, about the notion that almost all physical and mental diseases are due to ‘blocked chakras.’ Vimalananda replies, “A little knowledge is a dangerous thing. The chakras exist in the subtle body, and their connection to the physical body is very subtle. It is true that both the physical and subtle plexuses may become blocked, but in most people the Kundalini is fast asleep in the Muladhara Chakra [the first or root chakra at the base of the spine], and their chakras are absolutely closed and play no part in their day-to-day lives. . . . As long as you are full of attachments to life your consciousness will never be able to get close enough to any chakra even to smell its fragrance, much less to experience it.”5
So, how do we make sense of these disparate views? I recommend a combination of contemplation of others’ teachings and the guidance of your personal experience (keeping in mind that your personal experience doesn’t make you an authority on others’ experiences). I have encountered many practitioners of yoga, energy healing, and meditation who have had powerful firsthand experiences of their chakras – specifically the experience of an opening or closing, or the blockage of flow and the restoration of flow.
It’s possible that these experiences are occurring on a different plane than what Vimalananda defines as a chakra, but we have to ask if it really matters. I’m inclined to believe that in most cases, it doesn’t. If the chakra system is a useful means for understanding our challenges, knowing ourselves, and prompting growth, isn’t that a good thing even if it doesn’t make us enlightened?
Before I wrap this up, here is a list of the seven primary chakras, some of their characteristics, plus the key virtues and obstacles associated with them:
- Muladhara – at the perineum (between the genitals and the anus). Associated with the earth element, with a sense of security and stability, and [Myss:] with lessons related to the material world.
- Svadhisthana – at the genital region. Associated with the water element and with creativity, family, procreation, and [Myss:] with lessons related to sexuality, work, and physical desire.
- Manpura – at the level of the navel. Associated with the fire element and with transformation, will, and [Myss:] with lessons related to the ego, personality, and self-esteem.
- Anahata – at the level of the heart. Associated with the air element and with balance, love, compassion, connection, and forgiveness.
- Vishuddha – at the level of the throat. Associated with space and with communication, self-expression, and creation through the word.
- Ajana - at the level of the “third eye.” Beyond the elements, it is associated with self-realization, vision, knowing, projection, intuition, and insight.
- Sahasrara – at the top of the head. Sometimes considered not to be a proper chakra, it is associated with oneness with Absolute (God) Consciousness and [Myss:] lessons related to spirituality.
Next time, we’ll discuss the first and arguably most important chakra for the average human – Muladhara – which is often said to be an expression of our sense of foundation and our ability to trust that our basic needs will be met. In the meantime, consider meditating on these concepts. Have you ever had a sense of one or more of your chakras? Have you ever experienced a shift in one of these places that brought about a change in your body, mind, or broader consciousness?
Be well,
Dr. Peter Borten
References
- Woodroffe, J. G., & P. (1931). The Serpent Power: Being the Shat-chakra-nirūpana and Pādukā-panchaka; Two Works on Laya yoga. Madras: Ganesh.
- Myss, C. M. (1996). Anatomy of the Spirit: The seven stages of power and healing. New York: Three Rivers Press.
- White, J. W. (1990). Kundalini, Evolution, and Enlightenment. New York: Paragon House.
- Johari, H. (1987). Chakras. Energy Centers of Transformation. Destiny Books.
- Svoboda, R. E. (1995). Aghora II: Kundalini. Albuquerque, NM: Brotherhood of Life Publishing.
[post_title] => How to Have the Hottest Chakras in Town
[post_excerpt] =>
[post_status] => publish
[comment_status] => open
[ping_status] => open
[post_password] =>
[post_name] => hottest-chakras-town
[to_ping] =>
[pinged] =>
[post_modified] => 2019-07-02 22:01:31
[post_modified_gmt] => 2019-07-02 22:01:31
[post_content_filtered] =>
[post_parent] => 0
[guid] => http://www.thedragontree.com/?p=6864
[menu_order] => 0
[post_type] => post
[post_mime_type] =>
[comment_count] => 10
[filter] => raw
[webinar_id] => 0
)
[comment_count] => 0
[current_comment] => -1
[found_posts] => 211
[max_num_pages] => 5
[max_num_comment_pages] => 0
[is_single] =>
[is_preview] =>
[is_page] =>
[is_archive] => 1
[is_date] =>
[is_year] =>
[is_month] =>
[is_day] =>
[is_time] =>
[is_author] =>
[is_category] => 1
[is_tag] =>
[is_tax] =>
[is_search] =>
[is_feed] =>
[is_comment_feed] =>
[is_trackback] =>
[is_home] =>
[is_privacy_policy] =>
[is_404] =>
[is_embed] =>
[is_paged] =>
[is_admin] =>
[is_attachment] =>
[is_singular] =>
[is_robots] =>
[is_favicon] =>
[is_posts_page] =>
[is_post_type_archive] =>
[query_vars_hash:WP_Query:private] => 7acd850c46095ba41ebc4b708d826d3d
[query_vars_changed:WP_Query:private] =>
[thumbnails_cached] =>
[stopwords:WP_Query:private] =>
[compat_fields:WP_Query:private] => Array
(
[0] => query_vars_hash
[1] => query_vars_changed
)
[compat_methods:WP_Query:private] => Array
(
[0] => init_query_flags
[1] => parse_tax_query
)
)
Cart
