Types of Chakras

The simplistic position asserts that there is only one type of chakra, or at best two (major and minor). This in fact is quite incorrect, and comes from the obscure nature of the aura and the subtle body (yogic anatomy), and the fact that the different grades, organs, strata, and so on are frequently confused and jumbled, owing to a lack of an overall systematic framework.

It seems to me that there are at least five different chakra series (and probably more). These are:

The Seven Primary Major Chakras – these are archetypal and pertain to the Inner Being. They represent the original microcosmic vertical axis (“Mount Meru”), and contain (links to) gods and major planes of existence

The Tan Tien (“Cauldren” for the processing of ch’i), of which there are at least three, which seem to constitute the etheric counterparts of the Primary Chakras, and are located with the body.

The (at least 18, if not much more) Secondary Major Chakras. These are etheric and pertain to the Outer Being. They ideally constitute – or rather can be awakened into – a rhythmic microcosmic orbit (although this is very rarely the case because of congested energy flow etc)

The ten(?) important “chakras” (if they can be called such) are obviously also associated with the internal organs. Chinese medicine speaks of the five pairs (one major and one minor) of internal organs, each pair associated with specific correspondences such as an emotion, a taste, colour, cardinal point, etc etc. These body chakras would seem to constitute a different series again.

A larger number of Tertiary, Minor Chakras. These are associated with acupunture points, sensitive points in the body, etc

An even much larger number of Quaternary, Quinternary etc chakras (minor acupuncture points etc), associated along the meridians.

Human Energy Systems

In Sanskrit chakra means “wheel,” and those who can see them describe chakras as spinning wheels of light. They are found in the aura, an electromagnetic force field which surrounds every living being. The energy of the aura is that of our thoughts and feelings, and the chakras concentrate and coordinate the flow of these energies in and from the physical body.

We who use healing modalities based on subtle energy (flower essences, crystals, Reiki) believe that illness first manifests in the realm of thought and feelings. Stress is an excellent example. The mind says, “I’m doing too much; I’m under pressure.” This message translates into the emotional feeling of being burdened. On both levels resistance creates energetic blockages form, as mind and emotions try to close up against what is perceived as a negative experience.

If the mind and emotions continue to create resistance the blockage will eventually assume physical proportions, lodging in whichever physical area is most vulnerable.

The purpose of chakra balancing is to dissolve blockages before they become physical (although it can also be helpful with physical conditions. Crystals, being symmetrical in their molecular structure, radiate energy in a consistent and steady manner. When they’re used in chakra balancing they can help to reestablish a healing, creative flow.

Each chakra has a color, and usually stones of corresponding colors are placed there.

The Shakta Theory of Chakras

The Shakta Theory of Chakra

Developed Shakta doctrine postulates seven chakras. These are called the Muladhara or “Root Support” at the base of the spine with four “petals”, the Swadhishthana or “Own Abode” at the root of the genitals with six, the Manipura or “Fullness of Jewels” at the level of the navel with ten “petals”, the Anahata or “Unstruck Melody” at the heart-centre with twelve, the Vishuddha or “Complete Purity” at the throat with sixteen, and finally the Ajna or “Guru’s Command” at the brow with two “petals”. The Crown centre, the Sahasrara-Padma or “Thousand Petalled-Lotus”, located at the very top of the head, is technically speaking not a chakra at all, but the summation of all the chakras.

The chakras are strung along the central or Sushumna channel (usually located at the spine). In the lowest chakra, the Muladhara, at the base of the spine, there lies the kundalini-shakti, the latent consciousness-energy, the microcosm of the cosmic creative shakti. When this is aroused, it can be made to ascend the sushumna, either ac-tivating or dissolving (depending on the yogic tradition) each chakra in turn, until it reaches the highest or crown chakra, the Sahasrara, where dwells the Godhead or Supreme Shiva (Paramashiva). As the Kundalini-Shakti unites with Paramashiva, the original transcendent equilibrium is restored, and the yogi returns to the state of oneness with the Absolute.

The chakras are described as stations or centres of pure consciousness (chaitanya) and consciousness-power. They are focal points of meditation; iconographic structures within the occult or “subtle body”. Apart from the Sahasrara, each chakra is described by means of a whole lot of symbolic associations or correspondences. Building upon the initial later Upanishads speculation, each chakra, as well as having a specific position in the physical body, element, mantra, and deity, also has a particular number of “petals”, each associated with one of the letters of the Sanskrit alphabet, a corresponding colour, shape, animal, plane of existence, sense-organ, mantric sound, and so on.

As is usually the case with intellectual esoteric systems, a lot of these correspondences are arbitrary, for example, smell and feet with Muladhara, taste and hand with Swadhishthana, sight and anus with Manipura, etc. These associations are all based on the Samkhyan sequence of tattwas and their attributes.

In addition to the seven major chakras arranged along the spine there are also chakras in the hands, feet, genitals, and so on. Also in addition to the seven major chakras, there are also a number of other chakras along the spine which are sometimes referred to. In his exhaustively detailed and definitive work on the chakras according to the traditional Indian understanding, Layayoga – an Advanced Method of Concentration, Shyam Sundar Goswami, citing numerous references, describes thirteen chakras altogether; the seven standard chakras there are six minor ones. The following lists the chakras according to the 13-chakra model.

chakra	position	petals	tattwa	element
Sahasrara	above head	1000	transcendent	transcendent spirit
Guru	above head	12
Nirvana	crown	100	origin of mind	mind
Indu	forehead	16	buddhi
Manas	forehead	6	chitta
Ajna	brow	2	manas
Talu/Lalana	roof of mouth	12 or 64	n/a	n/a
Vishuddha	throat	16	space	elements
Anahata	heart	12	air
Hrit	heart	8	n/a
Manipura	navel	10	fire
Svadhisthana	genitals	6	water
Muladhara	base of spine	4	earth

Reference is also made in all Tantric texts to the nadis or channels of vital-force (prana). According to the traditional Tantric teachings, the seven chakras are strung like pearls or jewels along the brilliant thin thread of the sushumna nadi, which is the primary nadi in the body. On either side of the sushumna are the two main secondary nadis: the white moon-like ida on the left, containing descending vitality (apana), and the red sun-like pingala on the right, containing ascending vitality (prana in the narrow sense of the term). The tantric yogi aims to direct the subtle airs from these two primary side channels into the central sushumna nadi, and so activate the latent Kundalini energy. This then ascends through each of the chakras in turn, and when it reaches the top of the head, the yogi attains Liberation

The understanding of the chakras and kundalini in the West derives largely from Sir John Woodroffe’s The Serpent Power, a very technical work, first published in 1919 under the psuedonym Arthur Avalon. The first (and still one of of the only) serious books on the chakras and Kundalini yoga to be published in the West, it is actually a translation of two sixteenth century Bengali texts and their commentaries, together with Woodroffe’s own long and detailed introduction. Woodroffe’s book – his own chapters cover Shakta metaphysics and cosmology, Patanjali Yoga, and Tantric practice, as well as the chakras themselves – is unfortunately very difficult for the beginner, but it served as the inspiration and chief reference text (usually without acknowledgment) for many Western occult-esoteric writers

Your Chakra Colors and What They Do

Adapted from The Chakras in Shamanic Practice, by Susan J. Wright (Inner Traditions, 2007).

For millennia, eight colors have been thought to correspond to energy centers in the body. Wearing or surrounding yourself with these colors leads to balance and inner healing. For example, if you want to open your heart, there is a color that corresponds to the heart that will help. If you need to speak your truth to someone, you can wear a throat-chakra-colored scarf for encouragement. Find out about the chakra colors and what they do.

Red – First chakra, base of the spine. Groundedness, trust, belonging, lessens feelings of mistrust.

Orange – Second chakra, belly just below the navel. Sensuality, emotion, creativity, lessens feelings of inferiority.

Yellow – Third chakra, solar plexus. Will, identity, commitment, lessens feelings of confusion.

Green – Fourth chakra, heart. Compassion, forgiveness, intimacy, lessens feelings of isolation.

Blue – Fifth chakra, throat. Expression, communication, power to manifest, generativity, lessens feelings of stagnation.

Indigo – Sixth chakra, third eye, between the eyes. Clear sight, intuition, integrity, lessens feelings of despair.

Violet – Seventh chakra, crown, top of the head. Spiritual connection, mastery, lessens feelings of distraction.

White – Eighth chakra, just above the head. Radiance, expansion, lessens feelings of limiting attachment.

The New Angel Chakra

Adapted from Tantra of Sound, by Jonathan Goldman and Andi Goldman (Hampton Roads, 2005).

The “Angel” chakra appears to be a new chakra that is becoming activated now for many people who are working with higher consciousness. This chakra appears to be a way of bringing more light and higher vibrations into the physical and etheric bodies from higher dimensions. It is also a way of getting information from guides and angelic beings, thus the name Angel chakra.

Find out the location of this new chakra, and how to activate and balance it, here:

The Angel chakra’s midway location between the third eye and crown suggests that it possesses qualities that are a little more spiritual than the third eye, and a little less transpersonal than the crown chakra. It is an exciting new area for those who are doing advanced work with energy and relationships.

Directions for Activating the Angel Charka
Activate and utilize the Angel chakra separately from working on the other chakras.

The way to activate the Angel chakra is with the NURR sound. It rhymes with the word “her.” It is phonetically written NNN-UUUU-RRRR.

Make the NURR sound while visualizing the sound going through the roof of the mouth, up through the sinus cavity and into the pituitary-pineal-hypothalamus area, causing light to be projected out from (and at the same time, received into) this area.

The System of Chakras

by: Anodea Judith

A chakra is a spinning vortex of energy created within ourselves by the interpenetration of consciousness and the physical body. Through this combination, chakras become centers of activity for the reception, assimilation and transmission of life energies. Uniting the chakras is what we experience as the “self.” It is through our chakras that our self grows and changes and interacts with the world.

The word chakra comes from the Sanskrit word for “wheel” or disk” and originated within the philosophy of the ancient yoga systems of India, most specifically from the Tantric texts. In this system, there are seven major chakras arranged vertically along the spine, starting at the base of the spine and ending at the top of the head. In the physical body, these seven chakras correspond to major nerve ganglia, glands of the endocrine system, and various bodily processes, such as breathing, digesting, or procreating. While the chakras do exist within the physical body, exhibiting strong influence on such things as body shape or health, they are not made of any physical components themselves. A physician could not operate on a chakra anymore than an emotion, yet both can and do affect us physically.

In the psychological realm (by which I include the mental, emotional, and spiritual), the chakras correspond to major areas of our lives, such as survival, sex, power, love, communication, perception, and understanding.

Taking the original meaning of the word chakra one step further, the chakras within us can be seen as our internal “floppy disks” that store our programming about how to function in life. The base chakra contains our survival program such as what we like to eat and when we need exercise; the second chakra-our sexuality program, including ethics and preferences; the upper chakras-our modes of perception and information storage. Our body is the computer hardware, and each of us has a slightly different model, programmed in a distinct language with unique operating systems. Ideally, one’s work on the chakras is to examine the programming we have been given on each of these levels, eliminating destructive programming and consciously recreating something more beneficial.

Philosophically, the chakras correspond to major archetypal concepts, such as the elements of earth, water, fire, air, sound, light, and thought. The elements describe the essential nature of that chakra’s function, such as earth that contains, water that flows, or fire that transforms. Numerous other correspondences, such as colors, sounds, herbs and gemstones, have also been correlated to the chakras and can be used as tools for accessing and developing them.

There are many smaller chakras throughout the body, such as those in our hands and feet. These are functioning centers like any of the others but are not usually attributed to major philosophical areas. Yet, those working with their hands are likely to have well-developed hand chakras, and a runner might have well-developed channels through their foot chakras.

As a composite system, the seven chakras describe a set of patterns that are evident through many aspects of life. In terms of cultural evolution, they describe the stages our race has been through and where we are going, from the first chakra survival consciousness of the Paleolithic era to the power-dominated (third chakra) consciousness of the present era.

In terms of individual development, the chakras describe the progression from infancy to early adulthood that repeats itself again from adulthood to old age as we establish our survival strategies, form sexual relationships, develop our personal power, communicate, plan ahead, and learn. As we understand the significance of these levels, we can better develop appropriate strategies for coping with our situations, whether personal or cultural.

Chakras are sometimes referred to as lotuses, for they open and close like a flower, and in
the Tantric system they are shown with a varying number of petals. The petals, ranging from four at the base chakra to 1,000 or more at the crown, express their vibratory rate.

When a chakra is closed, the life force energy cannot travel through that part of the body, and one might say that the programming in that chakra is locked in a restrictive pattern. If this is the case, we feel a lack in our lives in its related area (such as the ability to communicate, chakra 5), and our physical health in the chakra’s related functions may also be affected (sore throat, tight neck).

A chakra can also be “overblown” if it is out of balance with the other chakras in the system. In this case, that particular chakra uses so much of the body’s energy and the mind’s attention that other areas become deficient. An overblown third chakra causes an attachment to holding power over others hindering the ability to find the love and balance associated with the heart chakra directly above. As the chakras are discussed individually in the following pages, the results
of a chakra that is too closed or too open will be examined more closely.

With attention and understanding, we can control and influence our chakras. They can be developed like muscles, programmed like a computer, nurtured like a seed, or closed like a book. Development of the chakras occurs through understanding the system as a whole and then working directly on specific areas. Techniques may include physical exercises, processing of old traumas through therapy, visualization and meditation, chanting of mantras, working with their elements,
herbs, or gemstones, and personal ritual, as well as the general lessons that are brought to us through our daily lives.

The body is a vehicle of consciousness.

The chakras can be seen as the wheels of life that carry this vehicle through its evolutionary journey toward enlightenment. Within us, these wheels are like gears, each one appropriate for different activities or stages of life. As we open our chakras, we become more conscious and more fully alive. Our journey becomes smoother, more productive, yet more exciting as we become more fully who we are.

Conclusion
Together, the seven chakras form a connecting ladder between matter and consciousness, body and mind, Earth and Heaven. Each of us forms this ladder as the steps are found within us.

In order for us to be whole, the ladder must be complete. Therefore, each chakra is of equal
importance, and the blocking of one chakra can make an excess or deficiency in another part of the system.

Individually, the chakras can give us important clues about our strengths and weaknesses,
outlining areas in which we need to work on ourselves. It must be remembered, however, that the chakras form a complete system, and diagnosis or attention to any one area should always be seen in relation to the whole.

With our chakras opened and fully functioning, we ourselves form the rainbow bridge between Heaven and Earth, ever evolving towards realization and integration.

Types of Chakras

It seems to me that there are at least five different chakra series (and probably more). These are:

The Seven Primary Major Chakras – these are archetypal and pertain to “”emanational” levels of Consciousness and Being – the “inner subtle, causal and supracausal being. In each of these regions or hypostases they represent the original microcosmic vertical axis (“Mount Meru”), and contain (links to) gods and major planes of existence
The Tan Tien (“Cauldren” for the processing of ch’i), of which there are at least three, which seem to constitute the etheric counterparts of the Primary Chakras, and are located with the body.
The (at least 18, if not much more) Secondary Major Chakras. These are etheric and pertain to the Eso Being. They ideally constitute – or rather can be awakened into – a rhythmic microcosmic orbit (although this is very rarely the case because of congested energy flow etc)
The ten(?) important “chakras” (if they can be called such) are obviously also associated with the internal organs. Chinese medicine speaks of the five pairs (one major and one minor) of internal organs, each pair associated with specific correspondences such as an emotion, a taste, colour, cardinal point, etc etc. These body chakras would seem to constitute a different series again.
A larger number of Tertiary, Minor Chakras. These are associated with acupunture points, sensitive points in the body, etc
An even much larger number of Quaternary, Quinternary etc chakras (minor acupuncture points etc), associated along the meridians

Introduction to the Chakras

According to East Indian philosophy, we possess seven major *Chakras* or psychic centers on the body. Each of these forms a bridge, link, or energy transformer; changing pure (higher) energy into various forms, and connecting the four bodies (ie. spiritual, mental, astral, and physical) together. The chakras are located along the nadies (a network of psychic nerves or channels) and follow the autonomic nervous system along the spinal cord.

Chakras correlate with major acupuncture points along the ‘governing vessel meridian’ (acupuncture term). The seven major chakras are connected together by three major nadies which are parallel and near each other. The middle nadi is called *sushumna* and it has neutral characteristics. The nadi on the left (ie. nearest your left hand) is the *ida* nadi which has yin characteristics. On the other side of sushumna (nearest your right hand) is the *pingala* nadi, having yang qualities.

Chakras are visible to clairvoyant sight as varously colored rotating circles or funnels. In the East they are described as petaled flowers or lotuses. While in Western Shamanism they are devined as Spirit Tunnels.

There are many minor chakras throughout the body but in this writing we will focus on the primary seven as the others are beyond the scope of this discussion. Each chakra has a color and sound letter and a pitch associated with it which can be used to invoke it.

Auras, Chakras, Light and Sleep Cycles

Celeste Yarnall, Ph.D

What is an aura?

An aura is an electromagnetic energy field that surrounds, encompasses, and permeates all living things; it includes the being’s physical structure as well as its energetic outer layers. It is made up of four bodies outside the physical body: the etheric body (where some suggest our past life experiences may be stored), the emotional body, the mental body (two layers: higher and lower), and the spiritual body (three layers: higher, middle, and lower). The colors of an aura vary depending upon the condition of the being. Anyone can learn to see auras; there are also professional readers and even cameras that can photograph them.

Where are our chakras located?

First chakra (root/base of spine)
Second chakra (chi/below navel)
Third chakra (solar plexus)
Fourth chakra (heart)
Fifth chakra (throat)
Sixth chakra (third eye/brow)
Seventh chakra (crown/above head)

What are the Chakras?

The chakras are energy centers aligned along a spiral column in the etheric double; energy is absorbed from the surrounding air and brought through the chakras into the physical body. The Vedas, ancient texts of India, contain the first known reference to chakras. The chakras are considered to be spinning wheels of light energy. (Chakra means “wheel” in Sanskrit.)

Various spiritual schools have different systems of identification for the chakras, but a widely accepted version identifies seven major chakras, beginning with the first, or root, chakra, located at the base of the spine and moving up the body to the seventh, or crown chakra, located a few inches above the top of the head. (There are also five minor chakras, at the hands and feet or in the case of our dogs and cats, their paws, {which I cover for our feline companions in my book The Complete Guide to Holistic Cat Care}, co authored with Jean Hofve, DVM) and then the hollow at the base of the skull, where the brain meets the spine. It is said that as we spiritually evolve, new chakras will emerge.)

Why are the various Chakras assigned colors?

A specific color is associated with each chakra because color can be used to stimulate, sedate, or balance the chakras and their associated organs.

The use of light and color in healing dates from ancient times. In Ayurvedic medicine, it is believed that there are cycles that are the most conducive for certain activities. In Chinese medicine, yang and yin symbolize light and dark. It is of utmost importance to honor our daily cycles of light turning into darkness, as our moon travels around our planet and our planet travels around our sun.

FIRST CHAKRA (root/base of spine)
Red stimulates the immune system by building up the blood and helps with detoxification. It is said that this color fights tumors, has an antiviral effect, and relates to the reproductive system and the procreative imperative to survive. Those with compromised immune systems may benefit by be ing surrounded by the color red as much as possible.

SECOND CHAKRA (chi/below navel)
Orange is said to be an appetite stimulant and a lung builder. It may depresse the parathyroid glands, and may stimulate the thyroid as well as the mammary glands in the production of milk for all types of mammals. Qi (chi) emanates from this chakra.

THIRD CHAKRA (solar plexus)
Yellow is thought to stimulate the gastrointestinal system and helps keep hormones in balance. It’s also said to be beneficial for the liver, gallbladder, kidneys, and for diabetes and hard chronic tumors. The fear/fight/flight mechanism originates here.

FOURTH CHAKRA (heart)
Green is said to stabilize energy and is a bronchodilator. It may be beneficial in the treatment of infections. Many believe that love emanates from the heart chakra. Pink is the secondary color of the heart chakra.

FIFTH CHAKRA (throat)
Blue is said to aid in the healing of third-degree burns, scratches, sores, and infections. It may be beneficial for all fevers that respond quickly when used in conjunction with holistic remedies. Blue is a very cooling and sedating color. The related color turquoise can be soothing for irritations, inflammation, and itching. It may help induce sleep, and it should follow green in treating all infections. It is known as the chakra of self-expression.
See my note below regarding the importance of sleep.

SIXTH CHAKRA (third eye/brow)
Indigo worn around the neck is said to help stabilize the thyroid if a person or pet has a hyperthyroid condition. The third eye chakra is best known for providing living things with intuition and instinct.

SEVENTH CHAKRA (crown/above head)
Violet is said to increase the white blood cell count, stimulates the spleen, and is a color for high spiritual attainment in humans.

NOTE: When we don’t sleep in sync with seasonal light exposure, we not only alter our etheric double, our own aura and our own chakra’s but also alter our biological rhythms that control hormones and neurotransmitters determining appetite, fertility, and mental and physical health as well as those who share our living space with us, such as our children and companion animals.

By relying on artificial light to extend our days, we fool our bodies into living in a perpetual state of summer which is when our ancient ancestors were always anticipating the scarce food supply and forced inactivity of the coming winter, when we do this our body begins storing fat and slowing the metabolism to sustain us through months of hibernation and hunger that never arrive.

We, along with everyone who lives us with us in our homes, including our animals, are all extremely sensitive to natural light and dark rhythms. There is a strong case for all of us to sleep in the summer months between 10:00 p.m. (2200 hours) and 7:00 a.m. (0700), and starting at the Autumn Equinox between 9:00 p.m. (2100) and 6:00 a.m. (0600).

Our early ancestors obeyed these seasonal rules by honoring the seasons and their natural rhythm of light and dark. Our bodies generate a cascade of protective chemicals, including those that help prevent cancer, obesity, diabetes, and depression, to name but a few, only when we sleep deeply with no interference from any light leaks whatsoever, including the LEDs on electronic equipment, digital clocks, night lights, and the light leaks that seep in from outside. We all desperately need a true black night sleeping experience, that tracks with what we did before civilization turned the lights on everywhere. Think about creating a cool dark cave concept which truly produces a wonderful nights sleep. It’s also best to not have caffein after 3pm if you want to sleep well that evening.

The ramifications of not honoring this light and dark concept are enormous for our own health as well as that of all the living things in our household. If just one person leaves a light on in a sleep cycle and any part of our body can sense or feel it we all will suffer the consequences from this chronic addiction and abuse of light. This of course includes our computer screens and TV at night. There is a little trick which helps somewhat if you must work on your computer in the dark cycle and that is to have rose tinted lens made with your prescription in them. This is what I do: I remove my contacts where my glasses which have a rose tint to the lens’s which the eye optometrist called a plus 3 rose tint. You can also use them for driving at night and with or without a prescription they are said to help preserve some of the chemical cascade that we need to have take place in these precious evening hours of darkness when we must remain in artificial light.

I was astounded to learn that studies suggest that even tiny light leaks (0.2 lux), as little as a single candle flame, adversely affect our own health, our childrens health and that of our companion dogs and cats. If light leakage and subsequent lack of melatonin has been found to promote tumor growth. Could the use of light after dark actually be one of the causes of not only having an impact on tumor growth but cancer in people, in children and our pets, as well? So turn out those night lights everywhere in the house. And for a closer look at the importance of honoring light and dark cycles, see “Lights Out” by author, T. S. Wiley.

This simple adjustment in our sleep routine may actually have profound consequences in our own ability to heal ourselves on every level possible, including our chakra’s and etheric double.

I personally include the use of 2.5 mg.’s of sublingual (which you dissolve under your tongue) Melotonin, 30 minutes before bedtime.

Nothing said herein is meant to be construed as medical advice. Please be prudent and consult with your healthcare providers for any serious disorders. These idea’s are presented for informational purposes only and should be treated as such.

We can very easily begin to explore what role our aura and chakra’s play in our modern lives if the idea resonates with you. We can perhaps benefit in many ways when we are open to the ancient idea’s presented by many other cultures around the world. These cultures have all honored nature and the natural order of life from the dawn of our first foot prints on this planet. Perhaps we too can benefit by looking more closely at what we do in our own day to day lives in this modern hi-tech, brightly lit, big blue spinning ball, we live upon.

Your Chakra Colors and What They Do

Annie B. Bond