The Chakras

Chakras, meaning "wheels", are described, by the majority of yoga systems working with them, as psychic centers that lie along the axis of the spine as consciousness potentials. They are usually represented as lotuses, each with a specific number of petal.

The chakras are not materially palpable and, therefore, are to be understood as situated, not in the gross body, but in the subtle or etheric body.

Repositories of psychic energies, they are meant to be strongly linked to the multi-dmensional governing structure of a human being.

Depicted as seven main energy centers in the body, the Chakras are located along the Spine, starting at the base and running upwards to the crown of the head. The Chakras are described as "whirling disks of light", and each Chakra radiates a specific color and energy. As each Chakra relates to specific spiritual, emotional, psychological and physical issues, the conscious awareness and the balancing of these energy centers lead to well-being. 

Muladhara
The first Chakra, Muladhara (root), is located at the base of the spine. Its color is red and its issues are survival, stability, and self-sufficiency.

Svadhisthana
The second Chakra, Svadhisthana (sweetness), is located at the lower abdomen (between belly button and pelvic bone). Its color is orange and its issues are sexuality, creativity, relationships and emotions.

Manipura 
The third Chakra, Manipura (lustrous gem), is located at the solar plexus (between belly button and bottom of rib cage). Its color is yellow and its issues are personal power, self esteem, willfulness and energy.

Anahata 
The fourth Chakra, Anahata (not struck), is located at the heart (center of the chest). Its color is green and its issues are love, compassion, acceptance, and trust. 

Vishuddha 
The fifth Chakra, Vissudha (purification), is located at the throat. Its color is bright blue and its issues are communication, inspiration, expression, and faith. 

Ajna 
The sixth Chakra, Ajna (to perceive), is located between the eyebrows, just above the bridge of the nose. Its color is indigo blue and its issues are psychic, emotional and mental intelligence, and intuition. 

Sahasrara 
The seventh Chakra, Sahasrara (thousand petaled), is located at the crown (top) of the head. Its color is white or violet and its issues are devotion, inspiration, selflessness, and spiritual understanding. 

Kundalini and Chakras

When kundalini is struck, she awakens, uncoils and begin to rise upwards like a fiery serpent, breaking upon each chakra as she ascends, until the Shakti merges with Shiva in sahasrara chakra.

As kundalini reaches each chakra, that lotus opens and lift its flower; and as soon as she leaves for a higher chakra, the lotus closes its petals and hangs down, symbolizing the activation of the energies of the chakra and their assimilation to kundalini.

The dynamization of kundalini when it passes from one chakra to another is an unfoldment of spiritual consciousness stage by stage and is said to enable the acquirement of yogic powers called siddhis.

The increasing number of lotus petals, in ascending order, may be taken to indicate the rising energy or vibration-frequencies of the respective chakras, each functioning as a transformer of energies from one potency to another.

Each of the chakras, according to the Tantras, corresponds to one of the elements of which the known world is compounded. Muladhara represents solidity; Svadhisthana, liquidity; Manipura, the gaseous; Anahata, the aerial; Vishuddha, the etheric, or space. One can see the whole process as a progressive transformation of the elements, with an increase of volatility.

This ascent through the chakras can be viewed as an upward journey through the self which refines and subtilizes the energy that is the kundalini, until at the sixth chakra, the Ajna, center of command, a qualitative change has taken place.

Nadis and Chakras

Combined to this understanding of the kundalini energy, the chakras can easily be seen as centers of transformation of psychic or mental energy into spiritual energy.

In addition to the seven chakras of the subtle body, the Tantras have described a network of subtle channels known as nadis through which the life force (prana) circulate. Nadi means "stream". According to the tantric treatise Shiva Samhita, there are fourteen principal nadis. Of these, Ida, Pingala and Sushumna are considered the most important.

Ida is the left channel. Ida is white, feminine, cold, represents the moon and is associated with the river Ganga (Ganges). Originating in Muladhara, Ida ends up in the left nostril.

Pingala is the right channel. Pingala is red, masculine, hot, represents the sun and is associated with the river Yamuna. Originating in Muladhara, Pingala ends up in the right nostril.

Sushumna is the central channel and is associated with the river Saraswati. Within the Sushumna nadi there are three more subtle channels: Vajra, Chitrini and Brahma nadi through which Kundalini moves upwards running up the body from just below Muladhara chakra to Sahasrara chakra at the crown of the head.

The kanda in Muladhara chakra is the meeting place of the three main nadis and is known as Yukta Triveni (Yukta: "combined", tri: "three", veni: "streams"). In Muladhara, Shakti, the static unmanifested Kundalini, is symbolized by a serpent coiled into three and a half circles around the central axis Svayambhu-linga at the base of the spine. The serpent lies blocking the entrance to Sushumna, the central channel with his mouth. Sushumna remains closed at its lower end as long as Kundalini is not awakened.

The technique of Kundalini Yoga consists in using Prana (the vital air), guiding its circulatory movement through Ida and Pingala down to the base of the spine into the space where Kundalini lies coiled. The vital energies of the opposite forces circulating in Ida and Pingala will be unified and Shakti Kundalini will then awaken and rise up Sushumna, energizing the seven chakras.

From Muladhara chakra, Ida and Pingala alternate from the right to left sides at each chakra until they reach Ajna chakra where they meet again with Sushumna.

In Ajna chakra the meeting of the three main nadis is called Mukta Triveni (Mukta: "liberated"). Continuing beyond Ajna chakra, Ida and Pingala end in the left and right nostrils respectively.

Once the Kundalini Shakti has ascended through Sushumna to Sahasrara, the highest psychic center at the crown of the head, it is made to reverse its course and return to rest in the base center again.