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Meditation and chakras

Within every human being there is a subtle body of three energy channels (nadis) and seven energy centres (chakras). At the root of this system lies a creative, protective and nurturing power which is a dormant, maternal energy (Kundalini). When this power is awakened within us, it rises spontaneously through the spinal column, passes through each of the chakras and emits from the fontanelle bone area on top of the head. This process is referred to as Enlightenment (Self-realization). This energy can actually be felt on top of the head and on the palms of the hands. Any imbalances in the subtle system can be felt on various parts of each hand. Through this meditation one can learn, not only how to diagnose and decode the state of one's own inner subtle system, but one can also learn very simple clearing techniques to rebalance oneself.

There are 7 major chakras within our subtle body:

Mooladhara, Swadisthana, Nabhi (Manipura), Hearth (Anahata), Vishuddhi, Agnya, Sahasrara

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Each chakra has different qualities and by healing or balancing these chakras, we awaken and enhance their qualities within us, making us more balanced and integrated. Our enlightened chakras give us joy and peace.

Each of these subtle chakras is a storehouse of energy for the gross plexuses supplying the physical, mental and emotional demands of the sympathetic nervous system. For instance, if the Swadisthan chakra looks after the abdominal organs, it also supplies energy to creative action and thought and depth to the aesthetic sensibility. Before Kundalini awakening, the energy in the chakras is limited and exhaustible, as in a battery. After realization, they are connected by Kundalini passing through Sushumna (the middle channel) to the infinite current of the universal superconscious, to the all-pervading power of divine love.

Mooladhara chakra

Physical manifestation: Pelvic plexus
Number of petals/sub-plexuses: 4
Element: Earth
Controls: Excretion and reproductive organs
Qualities: Innocence, wisdom, fearlessness
Place on hand: Heel of palm

Situated below the sacrum bone, the awakened Mooladhara chakra gives us innocence and wisdom. Innocence gives us joy without the limitation of conditionings and prejudice, a quality that can be found on small children. This quality diminishes as we grow up and develop a sense of ego and selfish desires. Fortunately this innate innocence is never destroyed and can return to us by practicing Sahaja Meditation. It is like the sun which is obscured by clouds but which shines again after the clouds pass. In India the elephant-headed deity, Shri Ganesha, is worshipped as the essence of innocence and wisdom. He has the body of a child, symbolizing innocence and the head of an elephant, symbolizing humility and wisdom.

Swadisthan chakra

Physical manifestation: Aortic plexus
Number of petals/sub-plexuses: 6
Element: Fire
Controls: Kidneys, liver, spleen, pancreas, uterus, intestines
Qualities: Creativity, pure attention. pure desire, pure knowledge
Place on hand: Thumb

The Swadishthana chakra moves like a satellite around the Nabhi chakra and the Void and provides us with our sense of aesthetics, art, music, our appreciation and connection with nature. It looks after our digestive organs and provides us with the dynamic energy to do physical, mental and creative work.

The quality of Swadisthan is pure knowledge (Nirmala Vidya), knowledge of things as they are in the absolute sense. This knowledge needs to be experienced by ourselves directly not through an external agency.

The key to true creativity is in achieving the state of thoughtless awareness (nirvichar samadhi). Like a lake, silent and still, all the beauty of the creation around You, is reflected within. You become the flute, an egoless channel for the divine music of vibrations. You are, in the words of the Poet, 'a heart that watches and receives'.

Nabhi chakra

Physical manifestation: Navel/Solar plexus
Number of petals/sub-plexuses: 10
Element: Water
Controls: Stomach, intestines, liver, spleen
Qualities: Seeking, peace, generosity, satisfaction, pure attention, looking after others
Place on hand: Middle finger

When enlightened by the Kundalini, the Nabhi chakra gives us unconditional generosity, complete contentment and profound inner peace. On the right side, it looks after the upper part of our liver which is the organ of our attention. We seek food, shelter and comfort and ultimately, we seek to evolve into a new state of spiritual awareness and to receive our Self-realization.

"Satisfaction" is actually a key word for Nabhi. Because of liver problems and the consequent irritability people often develop the habit of expressing discontent at the slightest provocation. For them, life without worry is an impossibility.

When the Spirit manifests, you see things in their true perspective, through purified attention, and give up worrying. In the peace of thoughtlessness, you can only be content. Then you know the Spirit is not bothered with passing fads and trends, a button missing here or there. The mantra for Nabhi is : "In my Spirit I am satisfied."

Heart chakra

Physical manifestation: Cardiac plexus
Number of petals/sub-plexuses: 12
Element: Air
Controls: Heart, lungs, sternum bone
Qualities: Joy, compassion, sense of security, love, responsibility
Place on hand: Little finger

Within the Heart chakra resides the Self: the spirit or atma. The spirit manifests when our heart is open, at which point we feel the pure joy of existence and the meaning and purpose of our place in creation. The quality of the Heart chakra is pure, unconditional love. Before our realization we rarely love unconditionally-we expect something in return. We mistake feelings of love for physical attraction, infatuation and selfishness. We love our children because they are 'ours' but do not love other children in the same way. Often we expect something back from them later in life as a repayment for our love. Love that expects is emotional attachment. Pure love has no motive. It emanates from the spirit and not from the body or mind. If you see how a small puppy runs to every person it sees in a park just to give them its love and share with them its joy, that is the essence of love. The Heart chakra also manifests in the head at the fontanelle bone so it's important to keep our Heart chakra clean, as this is the entry point to the super consciousness, where the Kundalini escapes from the subtle system and unites us with the Paramachaitanya-the all-pervading power of divine love.

Vishuddhi chakra

Physical manifestation: Cervical plexus
Number of petals/sub-plexuses: 16
Element: Sky/Space/Ether
Controls: Neck, arms, face, tongue, mouth, nose, teeth, thyroid
Qualities: Sweetness of communication, diplomacy, collectivity, detachment, self-respect and respect for others, brother/sister relationship
Place on hand: First finger

The Vishuddhi embodies the qualities which governs our communication with others. As it awakens we discover greater self-respect (left Vishuddhi) and greater respect for others (right Vishuddhi). Our ego is not bloated by praise and we are not upset by aggression or criticism. The Vishuddhi is also the chakra that manifests the power of witnessing. By daily practice of Sahaja Meditation, we become identified with our spirit. In this state of union with our spirit, we become witness of our body, our mind, our thoughts, our emotions, and ultimately the detached witness of the drama of our lives.

Agnya chakra

Physical manifestation: Optic chiasma
Number of petals/sub-plexuses: 2
Element: Light
Controls: Pineal body/pituitary gland, eyesight, memory, mind
Qualities: Forgiveness
Place on hand: Ring finger

The Agnya is the narrow gate which, when open, allows our kundalini to ascend to the limbic area of the brain. It is the chakra of forgiveness, humility and compassion. Forgiveness is the power to let go of anger, hatred and resentment and to discover, in humility, the nobility and generosity of the spirit. Once we start to see that by not forgiving others we are actually doing no harm to anyone other than ourselves, we start to realize that it is not only wise and generous to forgive but also very practical and pragmatic. By forgiving, we start to feel a tremendous sense of peace and relief. Forgiveness melts away all our ego and conditionings, our false ideas of racism and nationalism and our misidentifications.

Sahasrara chakra

Physical manifestation: Limbic area of brain
Number of petals/sub-plexuses: 1000
Qualities: Joy, thoughtless awareness, union with the Divine, collective consciousness
Place on hand: Centre of palm

Our complete subtle instrument is integrated in the Sahasrara chakra. Each chakra has its seat. As our attention and our kundalini rise to Sahasrara chakra we enter a new dimension of consciousness. We go beyond the relative to the absolute. We rise above the three channels of the subtle system-beyond the past, present and future and into a timeless state and experience the inner joy and bliss of the divine. This is a heavenly place far beyond our imagination.

When the Kundalini reaches the Sahasrara, the thousand petals of this chakra begin to open and enlightenment begins to manifest. We may experience a pulsation at the fontanelle bone, followed by a subtle flow of cool vibrations. The Kundalini unites our individual consciousness to the universal consciousness. Our individual atma, our soul, is connected to the paramatma, the supreme spirit. We are suddenly tuned into the universal wavelength of vibrations, to the subtle joy that is present in nature. These vibrations pervade the universe but before Realization we are unaware of them.

The opening of this chakra is known as second birth. Our human birth can be likened to the hatching of an egg and Self-realization to the breaking of the egg and the emergence of the bird. This is why an egg is given at Easter, to symbolize the second birth.

The 3 energy channels

The left channel (ida nadi)
The left channel (blue) corresponds to our past, emotions, desires, affectivity. Its termination is the superego, which is the storehouse of all our memories, habits and conditionings.

The right channel (pingala nadi)
The right channel (yellow) corresponds to our actions and planning, to our physical and mental activity. Its termination is the ego, which gives us the idea of I-ness, the sense that we are separate from the world.

The central channel (sushumna nadi)
The central channel is the channel of ascent, it is the power which sustains our evolution and guides us, consciously or unconsciously, towards the higher awareness of the Sahasrara.

You will learn more detailed explanation about the chakras and basic balancing techniques in our free Online Meditation Course.

Next: Meditation and cool breeze (vibrations)