The Subtle Energy Centers
Among yogis, the chakra (Sanskrit for “wheel” or “turning”) has long been known as an “energy station” (Eden, 2008), envisioned as a point of swirling energy, a vortex. Eden also notes that while the term chakra has its origins in India, many cultures have identified and worked with the spiraling centers. Most healers sensitive to subtle energies eventually discover these centers of awareness in the human body. Neither physical nor anatomical, chakras reside in the subtle energy system.
Each of the chakras is paired with a particular layer in the biofield (human energy field). Chakras are similar to the physical organs in the body, and they correspond with and connect to a particular location within the physical body, except that they operate at a higher frequency that is not visible to the human eye (Dale, 2017).
Described and attended to by yogis for thousands of years, the chakra system serves as an integral part of healing in several spiritual traditions. Recently, interest in this ancient practice has exploded among healthcare professionals and the general population, rising with the growing appeal of integrative and alternative medicine (Slater, 2013).
Most healing traditions identify seven major chakras. The English names of the chakras refer to the parts of the physical body where they are believed to reside: the root chakra, the sacral chakra, the solar plexus chakra, the heart chakra, the throat chakra, the third-eye (pituitary) chakra, and the crown (pineal) chakra.
- Each chakra influences organs, muscles, ligaments, veins, and all other systems, especially the endocrine system, within its energy Field.
- Chakras are energy centers traversing the length of the spine, each accounting for a different mode of perception.
“Memory is energetically coded in your chakras just as it is chemically coded in your neurons. While an ‘energy memory’ system parallels neural memory and is foreign to Western thinking, it is taken for granted in many healing traditions” (Eden, 2008, p. 147).
One of the subtlest methods of healing, chakra work is based on the belief that one must be integrated physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually for total well-being to occur. One of the best ways to visualize a chakra in the body is to imagine a swirling wheel of energy where matter and consciousness meet.
Valerie Hunt, a professor of physical therapy at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), and Hiroshi Motoyama of Japan demonstrated objective evidence of chakra activity (Slater, 2013). Hunt placed electrodes on the skin over the chakra areas, which recorded wave-like electrical signals that were much higher frequency than any previously recorded in the study of human body.
Motoyama theorized that if an enlightened individual could influence the chakras, the energy output of those chakras could be measured. Using a lead-lined recording booth, Motoyama measured the energy field of various chakras that subjects claimed to have awakened, usually through years of meditation. Motoyama recorded control subjects’ electrical state and changes over chakra areas, along with those for advanced meditators and individuals who reported experiencing psychic incidences. He found that advanced meditators could consciously project energy through their chakras, revealing significant electrical field disturbances over the activated chakras. His findings demonstrate significantly greater energy levels at those areas than over the same areas of control subjects (Slater, 2013).
The health effects of one’s habits, beliefs, thoughts, fears, and desires may be found in our chakras. The ways individuals eat, exercise, deal with their emotions, and support their intellect are imprinted on their energy body. The goal of chakra balancing, then, is a strong, clear (unblocked) energy system that supports vitality, health, and continued spiritual and intellectual growth.
Chakra Chart
Eden (2008) notes that it is helpful to correlate each chakra with a particular color. This framework reflects an organic tendency rather than a specific correlation.
- Colors are vibrations of energy, and each chakra is as unique as a thumbprint.
- The vibrational relationship between the chakras and their associated colors is more complex than a direct correlation between a specific chakra and its corresponding color. For example, red is associated with the root chakra, but some energy healers will also perceive other colors, such as gold, in the root chakra.
- It is important to note that the associated colors are guidelines of the most common colors observed.
The table below provides an overview of each of the chakras as well as their associated features. A detailed discussion of each chakra is provided in the next section.
| Chakra | Sanskrit Name | Color | Location in the Body | Endocrine Gland | Function or Purpose | Element | Sense |
| Crown (7th) | Sahasrara | Violet | Top of head | Pineal | Spiritual | Thought | With drawal of senses |
| Third Eye (6th) | Ajna | Indigo | Brow | Pituitary | Wisdom, intuition | Light | Sight |
| Throat (5th) | Vishuddha | Blue | Throat | Thyroid | Commun ication, creativity | Sound | Hearing |
| Heart (4th) | Anahata | Green or Pink | Chest | Thymus | Love, relation ships | Air | Touch |
| Solar Plexus (3rd) | Manipura | Yellow | Solar plexus | Pancreas | Personal power, energy, will | Fire | Sight |
| Sacral (2nd) | Svadhisthana | Orange | Sacral area, lower back | Ovaries, testes | Emotions, sexuality | Water | Taste |
| Root (1st) | Muladhara | Red | Base of spine, coccygeal plexus, perineum | Adrenals | Grounding, physical needs, survival | Earth | Smell |
