The Chakras

Last Friday we discussed the cosmic vibration, Aum.  In that post I promised to talk about the chakras, so here we go!

Image from www.angels-earth-and-energy.com

Chakras are energy centers in the astral body.  They each have a corresponding center in the spinal cord and nerve plexuses in the physical body.  Swami Satyananda Saraswati describes the chakras as "vortices of pranic energy at specific areas in the body which control the circulation of prana permeating the entire human structure. Each chakra is a switch which turns on or opens up patterns of behavior, thought or emotional reactions which may have been unconscious in our everyday life."


There are seven major chakras:


1. Muladhara Chakra
Location: Lower end of the spinal column, corresponding to the sacral plexus
Presiding Deity: Brahma
Resonating Sound: Lam
Element: Earth
Sense: Smell
Behavior: Basic needs


2. Swadhisthana Chakra
Location: Genital organs, corresponding to the prostatic/vaginal plexus
Presiding Deity: Vishnu
Resonating Sound: Vam
Element: Water
Sense: Taste
Behavior: Positive/negative thoughts, physiological needs


3. Manipura Chakra
Location: Navel, corresponding to the solar plexus
Presiding Deity: Rudra
Resonating Sound: Ram
Element: Fire
Sense: Sight
Behavior: Motivation/Ego


4. Anahata Chakra 
Location: Heart, corresponding to the cardiac plexus
Presiding Deity: Isha
Resonating Sound: Yam
Element: Air
Sense: Touch
Behavior: Cosmic love


5. Vishuddha Chakra
Location: Throat, corresponding to the pharyngeal plexus
Presiding Deity: Sadasiva
Resonating Sound: Ham
Element: Ether
Sense: Hearing
Behavior: Power of speach, the ability to make people hear and understand you


6. Ajan Chakra
Location: Between the eyebrows, corresponding to the cavernous plexus
Presiding Deity: Paramasiva
Resonating Sound: Om
Element: Avyakta (primordial cloud of undifferentiated energy and matter)
Behavior: Liberation and intuition based knowledge


7. Sahasrara
Location: Above the crown of the head
Presiding Deity: Siva
Behavior: Pure consciousness