Most commonly, Ancient Yogic knowledge says that the human body contains seven major psychic centers, five centers situated along the spine and two found within the head. These centers are called chakras or Basic padmas. Chakra means wheel, and thus it is implied that these centers moving or active. Padma means lotus, and as a lotus, like any plant, is something that grows, so the psychic centers are not fully developed in us but have yet to open their petals into full bloom.
A chakra is a whirling vortex of energy at the conjunction point of the mind and the body. Translate this into western anatomy and physiology and note that the traditional location of each chakra correlates with a major gland, or glands, and a main autonomic nerve plexus within the body. By some coincidence or method of analytical introspection now lost to us, the point where each chakra is located corresponds with the points in the body where psychosomatic illness most commonly manifests.
1. Muladhara means root support, is situated at the base of the spine in the coccygeal region, and is physically manifested through the gonads and the pelvic plexus. Traditionally this chakra controls the sexual functions in humans (a responsibility shared with swadhishtana, the next chakra) and therefore is implicated with sexual dysfunctions. Muladhara is said to influence the legs and has a relation to the sense of smell.
2. Swadishtana means ones own place. All fluids in the body are balanced through this centre. Physiologically related to adrenal gland, kidneys, hypogastric plexus, swadishtana has its root in the first few vertebrae of the sacral region. Classic teaching relates malfunctioning of swadishtana to fluid disturbances such as edema, anemia, anuria, polyuria, etc. sexual fluids, the arms, and the sense of taste are also connected.
3. Manipura, or the gem city center, emerges from the lumber region of the spine and is physically evident as the solar plexus. The glands most often connected with the manipura are the pancreas, spleen, and liver. The solar plexus (sun center) has often been called the second brain; its importance psychosomatically is readily appreciated by anyone who has ever suffered stomach cramps, butterflies, etc. It is said that according to your date of birth, some are more prone to feel emotional tension in this area. The theory is that sustained tension here may elicit anything from ulcers to gallstones. The anus and the eyes are also influenced by Manipura.
4. Anahata, the center of unstruck sound, comes out between the upper thoracic vertebrae and manifests through the cardiac plexus and the thymus gland. Heart problems such as palpitations, tachycardia, up to angina pectoris and even cardiac infarction have been suggested as falling within the domain of Anahata. Secondary factors include any disorders of lungs. Anahata also encompasses the entire tactile response from the skin and the procreative genital function.
5. Vishudha, or with purity center, is the last of the chakras rooted upon the spinal column (cervical or neck vertebra, in this case). The thyroid and parathyroid glands, as well as the pharyngeal plexus and vocal cords, are associated with vishudha as physical vehicles. Thyroid over- or underactivity will be accelerated in some people by stress, as well as speech disorders and deafness. (vishudha has the ear as a sensory input.)
6. Ajna, or the center of command, is started to be situated about where the eyebrows cross, if extended, and internally where the pituitary gland rests in the Turkish saddle. Ajna is the third or all seeing eye and may logically be related to the nasociliary plexus and frontal lobes of the brain. This is interesting when we consider the pituitary gland as the overseer of most of the other ductless glands. It should be started that the pineal gland is also considered related to this chakra.
7 Sahasrara:chakra means the” thousand-petaled” center, this is the reference to the thousands upon thousands of brain cells contained within the cerebrum, with which sahasrara is related. The gland connected with saharsara is the pineal-about which we know too little. Sahasrar, in Sanskrit, is often used to indicate a number beyond enumeration. Sahasrara is said to be dwelling place of of shiva, the destroyer of ignorance (maya). This is an esoteric statement concerning the ability of humans to destroy ignorance (maya) by the use of enlightened consciousness (shiva) which result from the awakening of sahasrara chakra.
It is said that when Kundalini rises and unites with sahasrara, the resulting shock to the nervous system awakens the pineal gland from its dormant state and we find ourselves possessed of sidhis, psychic powers. These sidhis represent dormant sensory faculties within us that have been lost through disuse.
A chakra is a whirling vortex of energy at the conjunction point of the mind and the body. Translate this into western anatomy and physiology and note that the traditional location of each chakra correlates with a major gland, or glands, and a main autonomic nerve plexus within the body. By some coincidence or method of analytical introspection now lost to us, the point where each chakra is located corresponds with the points in the body where psychosomatic illness most commonly manifests.
1. Muladhara means root support, is situated at the base of the spine in the coccygeal region, and is physically manifested through the gonads and the pelvic plexus. Traditionally this chakra controls the sexual functions in humans (a responsibility shared with swadhishtana, the next chakra) and therefore is implicated with sexual dysfunctions. Muladhara is said to influence the legs and has a relation to the sense of smell.
2. Swadishtana means ones own place. All fluids in the body are balanced through this centre. Physiologically related to adrenal gland, kidneys, hypogastric plexus, swadishtana has its root in the first few vertebrae of the sacral region. Classic teaching relates malfunctioning of swadishtana to fluid disturbances such as edema, anemia, anuria, polyuria, etc. sexual fluids, the arms, and the sense of taste are also connected.
3. Manipura, or the gem city center, emerges from the lumber region of the spine and is physically evident as the solar plexus. The glands most often connected with the manipura are the pancreas, spleen, and liver. The solar plexus (sun center) has often been called the second brain; its importance psychosomatically is readily appreciated by anyone who has ever suffered stomach cramps, butterflies, etc. It is said that according to your date of birth, some are more prone to feel emotional tension in this area. The theory is that sustained tension here may elicit anything from ulcers to gallstones. The anus and the eyes are also influenced by Manipura.
4. Anahata, the center of unstruck sound, comes out between the upper thoracic vertebrae and manifests through the cardiac plexus and the thymus gland. Heart problems such as palpitations, tachycardia, up to angina pectoris and even cardiac infarction have been suggested as falling within the domain of Anahata. Secondary factors include any disorders of lungs. Anahata also encompasses the entire tactile response from the skin and the procreative genital function.
5. Vishudha, or with purity center, is the last of the chakras rooted upon the spinal column (cervical or neck vertebra, in this case). The thyroid and parathyroid glands, as well as the pharyngeal plexus and vocal cords, are associated with vishudha as physical vehicles. Thyroid over- or underactivity will be accelerated in some people by stress, as well as speech disorders and deafness. (vishudha has the ear as a sensory input.)
6. Ajna, or the center of command, is started to be situated about where the eyebrows cross, if extended, and internally where the pituitary gland rests in the Turkish saddle. Ajna is the third or all seeing eye and may logically be related to the nasociliary plexus and frontal lobes of the brain. This is interesting when we consider the pituitary gland as the overseer of most of the other ductless glands. It should be started that the pineal gland is also considered related to this chakra.
7 Sahasrara:chakra means the” thousand-petaled” center, this is the reference to the thousands upon thousands of brain cells contained within the cerebrum, with which sahasrara is related. The gland connected with saharsara is the pineal-about which we know too little. Sahasrar, in Sanskrit, is often used to indicate a number beyond enumeration. Sahasrara is said to be dwelling place of of shiva, the destroyer of ignorance (maya). This is an esoteric statement concerning the ability of humans to destroy ignorance (maya) by the use of enlightened consciousness (shiva) which result from the awakening of sahasrara chakra.
It is said that when Kundalini rises and unites with sahasrara, the resulting shock to the nervous system awakens the pineal gland from its dormant state and we find ourselves possessed of sidhis, psychic powers. These sidhis represent dormant sensory faculties within us that have been lost through disuse.