Each and every one of us, as well as every other being, sentient or otherwise, on this planet, is composed of energy. This is the fact only recently realize by science, but it has been understood for millennium by mystics. Most of the ancient form of healing was based on this understanding, and there was a well-recognized link between the energy of the individual and the energy of nature, the creator or the divine. The word chakra means literally ‘wheel’ in Sanskrit, and it is symbolized as a spinning wheel of light through which prana – the life force – moves.
There are seven major chakras and each one represents an important centre of the body’s and mind’s energy, as well as the different stage of spiritual development. Its is when the chakras are open and receptive, the energy is free to travel between them, that we feel most at peace, grounded and balanced in life, and healthy in mind and soul.
Seven chakra
- Crown chakra
- Brow chakra
- Throat chakra
- Heart chakra
- Solar plexus chakra
- Sacral chakra
- Root chakra
The chakras are aligned from root to the crown as a column of energy and they are both conduits and generators of energy. Prana, or life – force, flows through he chakras and the rest of the body along a network of channels known as Nadis.
In Hindu mythology, Kundalini Shakt is a serpent goddess who lies sleep at the base of the spine, coiled around the root chakra. She represents the unfolding of the divine creative force that gives life to all things. Similarly, many practicing yogis believe kundalini is an energy that lies sleeping at the base of your spine. Once awakened, it moves up through the seven chakras, piercing and opening each one until it reaches the crown chakra. When it’s fully arisen, this energy is believed to unlock the consciousness and bestow psychic knowledge and healing powers. Kundalini is also known by yogis as the nerve of the soul – when it’s awakened, your soul is said to align with your life’s true purpose, giving you the impetus to follow your dreams.
By practising Yoga or going on Yoga holidays to open up our chakras, we also open up our possibilities in life. Many Spa Resorts now offer Yoga programmes which help to improve our physical health and achieve a sense of emotional wholeness, a deeper connection with those around us and a sense of harmony with the world and our part and purpose in it.