While chakras have become a popular metaphysical topic of discussion and subject of study, the concept of the chakras is nothing new. But first of all, what is a chakra? The word chakra comes from the Sanskrit word for “wheel” or “disk,” and, as part of ancient Vedic healing practices and techniques—many of which endure today—yogis have worked with the chakra system for thousands of years. That’s because in Ayurvedic medicine, illness is seen as an energy blockage anchored in one or more of the chakras. Other healing modalities, such as acupuncture, also acknowledge the blocked flow of energy as a root cause of disease and pain. In fact, Western allopathic medicine is one of the few traditions that does not locate energy blockages in order to alleviate pain and suffering in the body, mind, and spirit.
Perhaps you are asking yourself why energy moves through disks or chakras in the first place, Let me explain: In the yogic tradition, prana or life force energy, is by design and necessity a flowing source of God/Source/Creator consciousness. Energy is always flowing, and this is a fact: Quantum mechanics has proved, via zero-point theory, that particles are never at rest; even in a resting state, there will always be non-zero kinetic energy. And since all matter is energy, even when you are physically at rest, you are in constant motion on a subatomic level. Beyond your physical body, you have an etheric, or “subtle,” body that remains at a higher vibratory state and thus is not visible to the eye. That subtle body is home to your chakras, or energy centers, where energy naturally coagulates at nine central points from just above your head to just under your feet.
Most people are aware that their physical well-being is much more than a physical issue, so it’s not hard to understand and appreciate the idea of energy centers that are open and functioning well, freely, and comfortably, as opposed to energy centers that are closed, constricted, and uncomfortable. Since pain is nothing more than data being processed over the wires of your central nervous nothing more than data being processed over the wires of your central nervous system—information designed to tell you that a system is offline or awry—it is easy to see how pain begins energetically in one of the chakras and, from there, starts to manifest in the physical body, often in close proximity to the chakra origin of the energy wound or trauma. Western medicine treats the symptoms of energy issues, which is so helpful: Where would many of us be without the ability to manage pain and symptomatic suffering? But in order to reach the source or root cause of your physical disease, it is wise to look deeper, and sometimes further back, than ever before—back into your maternal and paternal lines, since many of your current energy patterns were inherited from the ancestors who came before you.
For example, experiences of war in your genetic line can manifest as Root Chakra imbalances around safety. You may not inherit the physical experience of war, but you can inherit the energy imprint of it. If you wonder why you came into this life feeling unsafe and unable to rest, you may not have a single physical symptom—but your feelings may indicate that something is off
balance. If you can address these feelings, which precede physical pain and disease, much healing can be accomplished.
This process begins in the chakra system. Once you identify the chakra of origin for any of your current challenges, you can establish a plan to shift and move the energy, allowing the chakra to function normally and realigning it once again with the other energy centers. From there, physical healing—which may seem to be a spontaneous miracle, but is actually rooted in the alchemical transformation from within—can begin to unfold. Your entire life can change. It all begins with knowledge and making the choice to say yes to a new way of thinking about your life, your health, and your happiness.