HINDU RITUALS AND ROUTINES - Part 73

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HINDU RITUALS AND ROUTINES - WHY DO WE FOLLOW THOSE?

Chakras

 

Tantra recognizes seven energy centers in the human body. These are known as 'chakras'. Chakra means "what revolves" and hence signifies a wheel. In a physical sense the chakras are visualized as lotuses, composed of different number of petals. Each chakra governs a certain sense organ, and has its own presiding deity. The seven chakras are: · Muladhara Chakra: Muladhara means "root foundation", and is hence also known as the root chakra. It is located at the base of the spine. This chakra has four petals and rules the organ of smell, the nose. Its presiding deity is Brahma.

· Svadhishthana Chakra: In Sanskrit, Svadhishthana means self-abode. It is situated in the spine in the region just above the genitals, and is made up of six petals. This chakra governs the principle of taste, and its presiding deity is Lord Vishnu.

· Manipura Chakra: Manipura means "the city of gems", and this chakra is thought to be radiant like a city of jewels. It is also called the 'navel' chakra since it is located behind the navel. It is made up of ten petals, and its presiding deity is Rudra. The Manipura chakra rules over the sense organ of sight, the eyes.

· Anahata Chakra: Anahata means "unstuck sound", and it is from this chakra that the inner sounds or natural music of the body is said to arise. It is made up of twelve petals and is located along the spine at the level of the heart. Its presiding deity is believed to be Isha. It governs the organ of touch, the skin.

· Vishuddha Chakra: Vishuddha means "very pure", and as such this center is believed to very subtle. It is made up of sixteen petals, and the presiding deity is Ardhanarishvara. This chakra governs the organ of sound, the ears, and is located in the throat.

· Ajna Chakra: Ajna means command, and this chakra is called the center of command as it is from here that the other chakras are guided. It is often called the Third Eye, and is located between the eyebrows. It is made up of forty-eight petals, and its presiding deity is Paramashiva. It rules over the mind as a sense organ.

· Sahasra Padma Chakra: Sahasra in Sanskrit means thousand, and padma means lotus, this chakra hence is also known as "the thousand petalled lotus." It is located above the crown of the head. It is the meeting place of the Kundalini Shakti with Shiva. It governs the voluntary nervous system, and is said to be the seat of pure consciousness or ultimate bliss.

What is a Chakra Exactly? Chakra is a Sanskrit word. Sanskrit is the ancient language of India in which most religious and spiritual literature was written. The word chakra literally means “wheel.†The chakras are interpreted as wheels of energy...they spin and move energy up and down the body. They run up the center of the body, parallel to the spinal column. Of the many chakras within the human body, seven have been identified as major. Chakras are first mentioned in the Vedas, ancient Hindu texts of knowledge.

The major chakras are whirling energy centers, which in general are about three to four inches in diameter. They control and energize the vital organs of the visible physical body, and work like power stations to supply life energy to them. When the power station malfunctions, the vital organs become sick or diseased, because they lack the enough life energy to operate properly. Minor chakras are about one to two inches in diameter and the mini chakras are even smaller. Both the minor and mini chakras control and energize the less important parts of the visible physical body. In general, the chakras interpenetrate and extend beyond the visible physical body. There is also a system that identifies eleven different charkas instead of the traditional seven charkas: Basic Chakra The basic chakra is located at the base of the spine or the coccyx area. This controls, energizes and strengths the whole visible physical body, especially the spine, the production and the quality of blood produced, the adrenal glands, the tissues of the body, the internal and sexual organs. People with highly activated basic chakra are usually healthy. Sex Chakra This chakra is located on the pubic area. It controls and energizes the sexual organs and the bladder. Meng Mein Chakra The meng mein chakra is located at the back of the navel. It serves as a 'pumping station' in the spine and is responsible for the upward flow of subtle pranic energies coming from the basic chakra. To avoid adverse effects, the meng mein chakra of infants, children, pregnant women and very old people should not be energized. Navel Chakra This chakra is located on the navel and it affects the general vitality of a person. Malfunctioning of the naval chakra results in constipation, appendicitis and difficulty in giving birth, low vitality and other intestine related diseases. Spleen Chakra The front spleen chakra is located on the left part of the abdomen between the front solar plexus chakra and the naval chakra. The front and back spleen chakras control and energize the spleen. The spleen purifies the blood of disease-causing germs. It also destroys worn-out blood cells. Solar Plexus Chakra A human body contains two solar plexus chakras?the one located at the solar plexus area and the other in the back. Both controls and energizes the diaphragm, pancreas, liver, stomach and to a certain extent energizes the large and small intestines, appendix, lungs, heart and other parts of the body. The solar plexus chakra is also referred to as the 'energy clearing house center', mainly because the subtle energies from the lower chakras and from the higher chakras pass through it. The whole body can be energized through the solar plexus chakra. Malfunctioning of this may cause diabetes, ulcer, hepatitis, heart ailments and other illness related to the organs mentioned above. Heart Chakra Like the solar plexus, the human body contains two heart chakras, one located at the center of the chest, called front heart chakra, and the other located at the back of the heart, referred to as back heart chakra. The front heart chakra energizes and controls the heart, the thymus gland and the circulatory system. Malfunctioning of the front heart chakra manifests as heart and circulatory ailments. The back heart chakra primarily controls and energizes the lungs and, to a lesser degree, the heart and the thymus gland. Malfunctioning of the back heart chakra is marked as lung problems such as asthma, tuberculosis, and others. Throat Chakra This is located at the center of the throat. It controls and energizes the throat, the thyroid glands, parathyroid glands, and lymphatic system and to a certain degree, also influences the sex chakra. Ajna Chakra Also known as master chakra, the ajna chakra is located at the area between the eyebrows. It controls and energizes the pituitary gland, the endocrine glands and energizes the brain to a certain extent. Forehead Chakra This is located at the center of the forehead. It controls and energizes the pineal gland and the nervous system. Malfunctioning of the forehead chakra may result in the loss of memory, paralysis and epilepsy. Crown Chakra The crown chakra is located at the crown of the head. It controls and energizes the pineal gland, the brain and the entire body. It is also one of the major entry points of prana into the body.

History of the Chakra System The Vedas are the oldest written tradition in India , (1,500 – 500 B.C.) recorded from oral tradition by upper caste Brahmins, who may have been descended from the Aryan stock which entered India from the north. The original meaning of the word chakra as “wheel†refers to the chariot wheels of the rulers, called cakravartins. (The correct spelling is cakra, though pronounced with a ch as in church.) The word was also a metaphor for the sun, which "traverses the world like the triumphant chariot of a cakravartin and denotes the eternal wheel of time called the kalacakra which represents celestial order and balance. The birth of a cakravartin was said to herald a new age, and they were described as preceded by a golden disk of light, much like the halo of Christ, only this spinning disk was seen in front of them (perhaps their powerful third chakras). It is also said that the god Vishnu descended to Earth, having in his four arms a cakra, a lotus flower, a club, and a conch shell. (This may have referred to a cakra as a discus-like weapon.) There is some mention of the chakras as psychic centers of consciousness in the Yoga Upanishads (circa 600B.C.) and later in the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali (circa 200 B.C.). Most interpretations of Patanjali read a dualism between purusha (pure consciousness) and prakriti (the prima materia of the world), implying that the goal of yoga was to rise above nature for the realization of pure consciousness, free of the fluctuations of the mind and emotions. Yet the word yoga means union or yoke, so this realization of consciousness must ultimately reintegrate with nature for a higher synthesis. How do the chakras work? The chakras work with our energy body (also known as the etheric body). We are much more than just a physical body...we are surrounded by energy too (but you knew that already, right?). And the chakras play a critical role in keeping both our physical and energy bodies healthy.

Vibrations of Chakras Each chakra has a different frequency of vibration, symbol, color, and sound that it is attuned to. When the chakra is balanced, clear, and energized it would be in tune and play the most wonderful sound of it’s own, emitting the proper vibration for that chakra. Many things can effect the vibrations including sounds of voice, drums, music, chants, mantras, the vibrational energy of colors, and of course gemstones. All colors and sounds are vibrations and using the sounds and colors of the chakras assist them in becoming aligned and balanced. The colors of the chakras are that of the rainbow; starting at the root chakra black/red, orange, yellow, green/pink, light blue, indigo, and violet/white for the seventh chakra; as shown in the picture above..

Each chakra needs to be able to function at the correct frequency independently. Each needs to be balanced, clear, energized, and properly spinning. Each time all the chakras reach a level of unison the entire physical vibration of the human body is raised.

Think of a scale of one to ten, with ten being the highest and best. Next, think of each chakra needing to be at the same number on that scale. Once each individual chakra is at the same number your entire physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual body raises into its own new vibrational level to match that of the chakras. The more chakra energy work you do the higher your whole body will be raised on this scale with ten being enlightenment while still in this physical human form. Unbalanced and Blocked Chakras = Illness When your chakras are not vibrating or spinning properly you are unable to move your physical, emotional, and mental body onto a higher spiritual level. When we are born we can have a perfect balance or have an imbalance from the past lives we bring with our spirit. Although the human body is just a vessel and a machine it is seldom broke from manufacturer reasons and natural biological causes. Each chakra effects different parts of the body and almost all illness is caused by poor chakra health. Chakra Healing Illness is usually for us, or those around us, to learn higher lessons. You are given intuition and hints all the time about what you should be doing and how you should be living but we often ignore the words from Spirit and our higher selves.. We are too often stuck in the reality and physicality of life to

listen to our inner selves. Eventually, the chakras become out of balance and since you are stuck in the reality - the chakra manifests the energy imbalance into the physical; the health of your physical body. When you have chakra blocks you slow down the Chi, the life force, and the spiritual connection. You may feel depressed, out of touch, like you lost something, tired, unable to clearly think, or listless. You may get angry for no reason, be afraid, be unsure of yourself, lack self-confidence, be unhappy without a direct understood reason, and have a general negative outlook on life. All of these are indications that you have a problem to resolve that is chakra based.

 

How to Balance Chakras

Get wet. Water cleanses and replenishes the chakras. Take long baths or showers. Swim. Walk in the rain. Also, drink water daily. Mind the colors. Each chakra has a corresponding color. If you find that a particular chakra is not operating properly, then you can balance it by introducing more of that chakra's color into your life. The quickest way to do this is to wear the color. You can also buy flowers, burn candles, or decorate a room in the proper hue. Meditate. Meditation centers you and naturally balances the chakras. Focus on your breath. Count to four each you breathe in and do the same as you blow it out. For an added benefit, picture yourself breathing in the color of the chakra you're working on. Exercise.This is a great way to clear your mind and raise your vibration. Physical activity also grounds you which in turn balance your chakras. It doesn't have to be anything rigorous. A simple 10-minute walk or a few quick yoga poses can do the job. Choose something that you really enjoy doing to increase the benefits. Eat a balanced diet.. This means choosing foods that make you feel good physically. Observe how you feel after eating certain foods. Then eat more of what your body loves best. This is different for everyone and may not be the usual prescribed diet. Trust your intuition. Stick to a sleep schedule. Your chakras need rest to balance themselves.

dil se,

Bharath.Krishna

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