04/09/2023
Everyone has heard of Chakras. Chakra means Wheel or Vortex and is widely taught in yoga classes around the world. There are between six and eight chakra (depending on the tradition) portals that run from the base of the spine to the crown of the head and each one is associated with an aspect of life as well as a shape, a variety of sounds known as bija mantras, a colour and an animal.
Chakras follow the law of correspondances which is why every facet of life can be explored. There is a vibratory resonance between the colour red, survival, the element of earth, an elephant and a cube. This symbolic resonance cannot be understood with the rational lower mind or manas which is not capable of understanding its deeper truth. The chakra system speaks a cosmic language that must be learned through the felt experience of practice.
Everyone assumes they know what chakras are and how they are used but there are a surprising amount of assumptions and untruths about chakras that need to be challenged so that students can work with a deeper paradigm that will add richness to their experience and clearer critical thinking around the subject.
The first thing to establish is that there are the traditional teachings of the chakras which draw upon a variety of old ta***ic texts. These texts have been intelligently explored by Sir John Woodroffe in his exhaustive analysis of ta***ic thought over a series of books written in the early 20th century. Chakra work makes most sense in the context of traditional ta***ic practices that include kriya yoga, ajapa japa, tattva shuddhi and others. Many of these practices are still taught today under strict guidance by the Bihar School of Yoga with whom i was lucky enough to study with for many years.
When chakras are taught randomly outside the context of ta**ra as a whole, then this is an appropriation but that is not to say that appropriations are invalid. Cultures are always borrowing and adapting teachings from other traditions and chakras are no exception. Now we have chakra healing, crystals, meditations, journeys and so on. I have no objection to this as long as the original teachings are acknowledged and not completely supplanted by the appropriated version which is largely what happens. I have been to many workshops in recent years where chakras are taught completely out of context with facile references that diminish them to little more than shallow techniques or fanciful ideas. I find this very disheartening and feel duty bound to make contributions that repay homage to their origins.
Chakras are not in the physical body. In Yoga philosophy, the body is considered to have layers like an onion, the physical body being just the grossest layer. Chakras reside in the pranic and mental fields but can be accessed through the physical body. Access is not the same is residence.Chakras do not reside in the flesh. The physical body acts as a portal and chakra locations are like vortexes or spinning doorways into deeper realms of existence. The main portals can be found along the spine but there are also locations that run along the front of the body that act as kshetram or fields of influence where chakras can also be accessed.
In ta***ic practices, chakras can be accessed using mental focus, pranayama, mudra and bandha. These can be incorporated into asana practice by focusing on particular physical locations as portals. Different asana groups evoke different chakras for example, standing poses draw our energy into our feet so the base chakra is an appropriate match whereas shoulderstand and headstand move our awareness into the higher chakras in the throat and head.
Incorporating chakra awareness, breath work and mental focus with asana practice can deepen ones experience considerably.
The Bihar school of yoga have been successfully teaching asana practice in this way since Swami Satyananda created his system in the 60's.
Building chakra awareness into asana work is an excellent way of preparing the mind and body for deeper ta***ic practices.
Over 10 weeks, I wlil be introducing a chakra every week and incorporating it into a simple sequence. The session will start and end with a short mantra and we will gradually include mudra, bandha and the ujjayi breath.
These classes are not suitable for complete beginners, not because the asana work is challenging but chakra work can stir up the mental body and sometimes leave us feeling emotionally unsettled so I do not recommend these classes for novices.
To book a place, please visit www.bookwhen.com/yogawell
