The Subtle Anatomy
चक्र (Chakra) - “Wheel” or “Disk”
Beyond the physical body lies the subtle body (सूक्ष्म शरीर, sūkṣma śarīra)—a network of energy channels (नाडी, nāḍī) and centers. The seven major chakras are the primary nexuses where consciousness manifests through different frequencies.
Understanding the Chakra System
Not Physical, Yet Real
The chakras are:
- Not anatomical structures
- Not visible to physical eyes
- Yet experienced by those who develop subtle perception
- Correlated with nerve plexuses and endocrine glands
- Real in the same way emotions are real
Like tuning fork frequencies:
- Each chakra vibrates at different rate
- Corresponds to different level of consciousness
- Affects physical, emotional, mental, spiritual dimensions
The Central Channel (Suṣumnā Nāḍī)
Three primary channels:
-
सुषुम्ना (Suṣumnā) - Central channel
- Runs through spinal column
- Where Kuṇḍalinī rises
- Path of enlightenment
-
इडा (Iḍā) - Left channel (Lunar)
- Feminine, cooling
- Intuitive, receptive
- Associated with moon
-
पिंगला (Piṅgalā) - Right channel (Solar)
- Masculine, heating
- Active, dynamic
- Associated with sun
Goal: Balance Iḍā and Piṅgalā, awaken Suṣumnā, raise Kuṇḍalinī through chakras.
The Seven Major Chakras
1. Mūlādhāra (मूलाधार) - Root Chakra
Location: Base of spine, pelvic floor
Element: Earth (पृथ्वी)
Color: Red
Seed Sound: लं (LAM)
Petals: 4
Symbol: Square with downward-pointing triangle
Theme: Survival, Grounding, Foundation
Physical associations:
- Legs, feet, bones
- Adrenal glands
- Eliminatory system
Psychological functions:
- Basic survival needs
- Security and stability
- Connection to physical body
- Tribal/family bonds
- Fight-or-flight response
Balanced Mūlādhāra:
- Feeling grounded and safe
- Physical vitality and health
- Ability to manifest needs
- Present in body
- Healthy boundaries
Imbalanced Mūlādhāra:
- Anxiety and fear
- Feeling ungrounded, “spacey”
- Financial difficulties
- Eating disorders
- Chronic tension in body
Practices:
- Walking barefoot on earth
- Physical yoga (especially standing poses)
- Chanting LAM
- Root vegetables, protein
- Visualization: Red glowing at base of spine
2. Svādhiṣṭhāna (स्वाधिष्ठान) - Sacral Chakra
Location: Lower abdomen, 2 inches below navel
Element: Water (जल)
Color: Orange
Seed Sound: वं (VAM)
Petals: 6
Symbol: Crescent moon
Theme: Creativity, Sexuality, Emotion, Flow
Physical associations:
- Reproductive organs
- Kidneys, bladder
- Bodily fluids
Psychological functions:
- Creative expression
- Sexual energy
- Emotional intelligence
- Pleasure and enjoyment
- Healthy desire
- Relationships
Balanced Svādhiṣṭhāna:
- Creative flow
- Healthy sexuality
- Emotional fluidity
- Joyful engagement with life
- Flexibility
Imbalanced Svādhiṣṭhāna:
- Blocked creativity
- Sexual dysfunction
- Emotional rigidity or overwhelm
- Addiction to pleasure
- Difficulty with change
Practices:
- Hip-opening yoga
- Dance, movement
- Creative arts
- Water practices (swimming, baths)
- Chanting VAM
- Connecting with emotions
3. Maṇipūra (मणिपूर) - Solar Plexus Chakra
Location: Upper abdomen, solar plexus
Element: Fire (अग्नि)
Color: Yellow
Seed Sound: रं (RAM)
Petals: 10
Symbol: Inverted triangle
Theme: Power, Will, Transformation, Digestion
Physical associations:
- Digestive system
- Pancreas
- Liver, stomach
- Metabolic processes
Psychological functions:
- Personal power
- Self-esteem
- Will and determination
- Mental clarity
- Transformation
- Boundary setting
Balanced Maṇipūra:
- Strong sense of self
- Healthy self-esteem
- Ability to act decisively
- Good digestion (food, emotions, experiences)
- Warmth, humor
Imbalanced Maṇipūra:
- Low self-esteem or narcissism
- Victim mentality or domination
- Digestive issues
- Difficulty making decisions
- Anger issues
Practices:
- Core-strengthening yoga
- Breathwork (especially Kapalabhati)
- Chanting RAM
- Sun gazing (briefly at sunrise/sunset)
- Goal setting and achievement
- Fire gazing (candle, bonfire)
4. Anāhata (अनाहत) - Heart Chakra
Location: Center of chest
Element: Air (वायु)
Color: Green (or Pink)
Seed Sound: यं (YAM)
Petals: 12
Symbol: Two intersecting triangles (Star of David)
Theme: Love, Compassion, Connection, Balance
Physical associations:
- Heart, circulatory system
- Lungs, respiratory system
- Thymus gland
- Arms, hands
Psychological functions:
- Unconditional love
- Compassion (self and others)
- Forgiveness
- Connection and relationships
- Bridge between lower and upper chakras
Balanced Anāhata:
- Loving without conditions
- Compassion for self and others
- Healthy relationships
- Forgiveness and letting go
- Feeling connected to all
Imbalanced Anāhata:
- Codependency or coldness
- Jealousy
- Bitterness, inability to forgive
- Loneliness
- Heart/lung problems
Practices:
- Heart-opening yoga (backbends)
- Loving-kindness meditation (Mettā)
- Chanting YAM
- Green foods
- Acts of kindness
- Breathing practices
- Spending time in nature
5. Viśuddha (विशुद्ध) - Throat Chakra
Location: Throat
Element: Ether/Space (आकाश)
Color: Blue
Seed Sound: हं (HAM)
Petals: 16
Symbol: Crescent within circle
Theme: Truth, Communication, Expression, Purification
Physical associations:
- Throat, vocal cords
- Thyroid, parathyroid
- Mouth, jaw, neck
- Ears
Psychological functions:
- Authentic expression
- Speaking truth
- Listening deeply
- Creativity through voice
- Inner voice and outer expression aligned
Balanced Viśuddha:
- Speaking truth with compassion
- Effective communication
- Good listener
- Creative expression through voice
- Integrity (inner and outer match)
Imbalanced Viśuddha:
- Fear of speaking
- Talking excessively
- Lying, gossiping
- Thyroid issues
- Sore throat, stiff neck
- Inability to express feelings
Practices:
- Chanting, singing
- Mantra recitation
- HAM meditation
- Journaling
- Authentic conversation
- Blue foods (blueberries)
- Shoulder stands
6. Ājñā (आज्ञा) - Third Eye Chakra
Location: Between eyebrows
Element: Light/Mind
Color: Indigo/Purple
Seed Sound: ॐ (OM)
Petals: 2 (representing duality transcended)
Symbol: Two-petaled lotus
Theme: Intuition, Insight, Imagination, Vision
Physical associations:
- Pineal gland
- Eyes
- Brain
- Nervous system
Psychological functions:
- Intuition and insight
- Imagination and visualization
- Wisdom
- Perception beyond five senses
- Integration of opposites
- Command center (“Ājñā” = command)
Balanced Ājñā:
- Strong intuition
- Clear inner vision
- Wise decision-making
- Imagination grounded in reality
- Seeing unity in diversity
Imbalanced Ājñā:
- Lack of clarity, confusion
- Disconnected from intuition
- Nightmares
- Headaches, eye problems
- Delusions or excessive fantasy
- Inability to see bigger picture
Practices:
- Meditation (especially focusing at third eye)
- Visualization practices
- Chanting OM
- Trataka (candle gazing)
- Purple/indigo foods (eggplant, grapes)
- Contemplation
- Dream work
7. Sahasrāra (सहस्रार) - Crown Chakra
Location: Top of head
Element: Consciousness itself
Color: Violet or White/Gold
Seed Sound: Silent OM or silence
Petals: 1000 (infinite)
Symbol: Thousand-petaled lotus
Theme: Unity, Transcendence, Divine Connection, Pure Consciousness
Physical associations:
- Pineal gland
- Cerebral cortex
- Central nervous system
Psychological functions:
- Connection to divine/universal consciousness
- Spiritual awakening
- Transcendence of ego
- Pure awareness
- Bliss (Ānanda)
Balanced Sahasrāra:
- Sense of unity with all
- Spiritual connection
- Peace beyond understanding
- Living in present moment
- Purpose and meaning
Imbalanced Sahasrāra:
- Spiritual cynicism or arrogance
- Disconnection from body
- Lack of purpose
- Depression
- Closed-mindedness
Practices:
- Silent meditation
- Prayer
- Fasting
- Silence
- Service
- Reading sacred texts
- Simply being
The Kuṇḍalinī Awakening
कुण्डलिनी शक्ति (Kuṇḍalinī Śakti) - The Coiled Serpent
The dormant spiritual energy:
- Rests coiled at base of spine (Mūlādhāra)
- Like serpent coiled 3.5 times
- Divine feminine power (Śakti)
- When awakened, rises through Suṣumnā
- Pierces each chakra, activating potentials
- Unites with Śiva (pure consciousness) at crown
The journey:
Mūlādhāra → Svādhiṣṭhāna: From survival to creativity
Svādhiṣṭhāna → Maṇipūra: From emotion to power
Maṇipūra → Anāhata: From ego to love
Anāhata → Viśuddha: From personal to universal
Viśuddha → Ājñā: From expression to insight
Ājñā → Sahasrāra: From duality to unity
Signs of Awakening
Physical:
- Heat rising up spine
- Spontaneous movements
- Changes in breathing
- Tingling, vibrations
Emotional:
- Purging old emotions
- Spontaneous crying or laughing
- Mood swings
- Increased sensitivity
Mental:
- Clarity and confusion alternating
- Insights and visions
- Changes in sleep patterns
- Altered sense of time
Spiritual:
- Sense of energy moving
- Mystical experiences
- Feeling of connection
- Spontaneous bliss
Guidance and Caution
Kuṇḍalinī awakening should:
- Happen under guidance of realized teacher
- Be supported by ethical foundation
- Proceed gradually
- Be balanced with grounding practices
Dangers of premature awakening:
- Physical pain
- Psychological disturbance
- Energy overwhelm
- Spiritual emergency
Safe approach:
- Purify body and mind first
- Develop stable meditation practice
- Work with qualified teacher
- Balance with grounding
- Don’t force or rush
Working with Chakras
Chakra Meditation
Basic practice:
-
Sit comfortably
- Spine straight
- Relaxed but alert
-
Ground at Mūlādhāra
- Visualize red at base of spine
- Feel connection to earth
- Chant LAM
-
Move up through each chakra
- Visualize color
- Chant seed sound
- Feel qualities activating
-
Rest at crown
- Open to divine
- Sit in silence
- Experience unity
-
Return down
- Crown to root
- Integrate experience
- Ground again
Balancing the System
Bottom-up approach:
- Stabilize foundation first
- Can’t open heart with survival fears
- Can’t access intuition without power
- Sequential development
Top-down approach:
- Grace descending
- Divine entering
- Crown opening first
- Integration following
Middle-out approach:
- Open heart center
- Expand up and down
- Heart as bridge
- Love as transformer
Daily Practice
Morning:
- Root chakra meditation (grounding for day)
- Or crown chakra meditation (setting intention)
Throughout day:
- Notice which chakra feels activated
- Use appropriate practices
- Balance as needed
Evening:
- Review day through chakra lens
- Release what needs releasing
- Integrate experiences
Integration and Wholeness
Beyond the Chakras
Ultimate realization:
- Chakras are maps, not territory
- Tools for understanding, not ultimate reality
- When fully awakened, system transcended
- Individual drops merge with ocean
The paradox:
- Work with chakras diligently
- Understand their nature deeply
- Then let go of the framework
- Rest in pure being
Living as Light
When chakras are balanced:
- Energy flows freely
- Each level functions optimally
- Physical health supports spiritual growth
- Spiritual insight grounds in action
The realized being:
- All chakras open
- Energy circulating freely
- Acting from each level appropriately
- Root and crown united
- Earth and heaven married
- Human fully divine, divine fully human
For Contemplation
प्राणायामैस्त्रिभिः पूतः सुखं द्रव्यं द्रशी भवेत्।
चित्ते नाडीमार्गे च शुद्धौ शीघ्रं प्रसीदति॥
Through three practices of breath control, the seer becomes purified. When the mind and the channels of energy are purified, grace quickly descends.
The teaching: Purify the channels, awaken the centers, but remember—you are not the chakras. You are the consciousness witnessing them all. The light shining through each colored lens, yet remaining colorless itself.