Chakras, What are they and how to work with them? Options

Ive been reading about the chakra's and am not exactly confused but then am not finding out what I want to know about them. It would be healpful to know other peoples oppinions? (IMG:style_emoticons/default/confused012.gif)

For example is it right to think that they are energy centers of our being that deal with the flow of information with the out side world? Ive read that we can protect them with covering them with leaves. And to stop them from working is to picture them as a flower closing up. And of course to open them again would be to open the flower. Ive read someone's topic on chakras and they mentioned...

"Imagine a lotus flower growing up from a seed in the earth through the chakras. Grip the stem with a light root lock at the Muladhara Chakra at the base of the spine. Then steady the stem with a light diaphragm lock and neck lock. Now, Imagine a Lotus Flower blossoming open at the crown. You can visualize a beautiful violet color in the middle of the flower getting lighter at the tips of the petals. Visualize two pathways on either side of the spine like the double helix of a DNA molecule. Spiral the inhale down either side of the stem as the lotus closes and exhale up through the center as it blossoms open. Inhale think Sat Nam. Exhale Wah Hay Guru. Time open."

Another recent idea I had for some reason although not too sure what I was doing or why but I formed a couple of pink astral energy balls and absorbed them to the heart and solar plexus, not sure if this would work. I guess the idea was to form an emotional understanding between me and the persons involved.

Something else ive been wondering is about telepathy sort of as a chakra, picturing a black lotus flower opening or closing, im not too sure why this is but i had an experience a while ago and wanted to shut down telepathy but hadnt actually done so, so i dont know if this would work. I just pictured it one day but dont realy know why black or even if it would work.

So many people have different ideas on the chakras im not too sure what to do. But then again there are things missed from what we can do or i havnt found what im looking for. I wonder how they came to their opinions. Often the colors are different too. Any help here is greatly appriciated.

Thanks.

This post has been edited by Coffee: Oct 5 2006, 11:14 AM

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ve been reading about the chakra's and am not exactly confused but then am not finding out what I want to know about them. It would be healpful to know other peoples oppinions?

For example is it right to think that they are energy centers of our being that deal with the flow of information with the out side world? Ive read that we can protect them with covering them with leaves. And to stop them from working is to picture them as a flower closing up. And of course to open them again would be to open the flower. Ive read someone's topic on chakras and they mentioned...

Essentially chakras are a part of one way to describe what mystics call the subtle anatomy. Almost every culture from ancient times had thier own mystic philosophy that explained the function and relationship of invisible forces. THe human body is basically an energy node. This energy has been called many things - Chi and Prana are the two biggies. The subtle anatomy can be broken down to models of energy centers that correspond to many energies, ie planets, the septagram, even sephira of the kabbalah. Each energy center of the subtle body then serves its own function - a state of councsiousness, parts of the body, colors, shapes, sounds this can very from one philosophy to the next.

In Hindu, chakras are the main energy centers of the subtle anatomy that run from the crown of the skull to the base of the spin. Each does indeed correspond to energies that are affluent through out nature and each can also be manipulated using their corresponding natural forces. Hindu (yoga is a hindu practice too) generally works with seven. But some eastern philosophies work with as many as nine that include the legs (I think Taoism is example) and in kabbalah there are ten. If flowers are not to your liking when trying to tap these energies try eyes instead or some other form that opens and closes.

"Imagine a lotus flower growing up from a seed in the earth through the chakras. Grip the stem with a light root lock at the Muladhara Chakra at the base of the spine. Then steady the stem with a light diaphragm lock and neck lock. Now, Imagine a Lotus Flower blossoming open at the crown. You can visualize a beautiful violet color in the middle of the flower getting lighter at the tips of the petals. Visualize two pathways on either side of the spine like the double helix of a DNA molecule. Spiral the inhale down either side of the stem as the lotus closes and exhale up through the center as it blossoms open. Inhale think Sat Nam. Exhale Wah Hay Guru. Time open."

In Hindu, each energy center channels its force through pathways called nadis. We actually have nadis that run through out the body, but the double helix pattern you describe are the two main nadis that run from the base of the spine to the nostrils. I believe the left nostril correlates to the ida (and lunar energies) the right is called the pingala (solar energies). In pranyama (I think litterally means "breath", - the art of breathing) one utilizes the ida and pingala to raise energy from the kundalini, at the base of the spine or Mulahdara, as well as activate and channel energies through one's chakras.

Regardless of which model of the subtle anatomy one practices with, tt is very important to understand that these energies are not to be dabbled with. You can really hurt yourself and put your body out of whack. In psychological terms, the practices of rasing energy through the energy centers is essentially learning to use the brain (mind over body) to tap into the glands of the body. If one does not treat this very seriously they may become over stimulated resulting in hypersensitivity amung other things. Use much caution and much practice to work yourself up to more complex skills.

In wicca the raising of the kundalini is called "rousing leviathan" and used in rituals to raise energy for magick.

Something else ive been wondering is about telepathy sort of as a chakra, picturing a black lotus flower opening or closing, im not too sure why this is but i had an experience a while ago and wanted to shut down telepathy but hadnt actually done so, so i dont know if this would work. I just pictured it one day but dont realy know why black or even if it would work.

The beauty of the subtle anatomy is that its a concept that hasn't been boiled down to a science and any practioner (Hindi, Taoist, Wiccan, Kabbalist) can experiment, responsibly after they have learned the basics, with their own subtle bodies to discover hidden "powers" or abilities.

So many people have different ideas on the chakras im not too sure what to do. But then again there are things missed from what we can do or i havnt found what im looking for. I wonder how they came to their opinions. Often the colors are different too. Any help here is greatly appriciated.

This is why I mentioned the subtle anatomy and other forms of expressing it (the mystc kabbalah, taoism) because when I learned this stuff I was told that the models presented are really guidelines and that if one practices these guidelines without discovering what they mean to each of us individually, then the practioner has missed the point all together. Exploring the subtle anatomy is all about self discovery and an critical part of learning magick. The colors, senses, gods, functions, shapes ect ect ect are all uniquely different for each of us. Learning any given model and its correspondances are essential to any begginer. But once one has that down pat the only way for further exploration and ultimately trancending reality is to figure out how each of the energy centers and their functions/abilities related to us personally. The fact that you pictured a black lotus is not a bad thing at all. In fact I would make note of it because it is personal to you and your eventual progress.

I will stress that while I said each model is only a guidline that ultimate trancendance is found through discovering one's own energy centers and how it corresponds to natural energies - learn your choosen model(s) because it will give you the skills and control to master your own subtle body *safely*.

Some key concepts to research or keep in the back of your mind, in no particular order - subtle anatomy of the body and the universe, kundalini, the mystic kabbalah and the sephiroth tree of life, chinese accupunture, Tibeten buddhism and the nine psychic centers, hatha yoga, pranyama, rousing leviathan and the holy trinity in Christianity (yes even Christians have ideas about the subtle body and universe) and gnosis.

This post has been edited by Acid09: Oct 16 2006, 02:17 PM