Now that the chakras have become New Age parlance, there are many interpretations of their meaning and function being bandied about. While this popularity is making the chakras a household word, it is also spreading a lot of confusing, conflicting, and often erroneous information. It is important to realize the chakras come from an ancient tradition, which many New Age teachers have barely explored. Here is a brief summary of the development of the chakras historically.
The Vedas, which are the oldest written tradition in India, (2,000 - 600 B.C.) were written largely by the Indo-European invaders of India, known as the Aryans. The Aryans were said to have entered India on chariots, and the original meaning of the word chakra as "wheel" refers to the chariot wheels of the invading Aryans. (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." (ruler) and denotes the eternal cycle of time called the kalacakra, or wheel of time. In this way, it represents celestial order and balance.
It is said the cakravartins were preceded by a glowing 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?). The birth of a cakravartin was said to herald a new age. 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 600A.D.) and later in the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali (circa 200 B.C.). Patanjali's tradition was largely dualistic, however, stating that nature and spirit were separate, and that the goal of yoga was to rise above nature.
The chakras and Kundalini came to be an integral part of yoga philosophy in the non-dual Tantric tradition, which arose in the 7th century, in reaction to the dualist philosophy which preceded it. This tradition advised being in the world rather than separate from it. Tantra is commonly thought of in the West as primarily a sexual tradition, as Tantrism does put sexuality in a sacred context. Yet this is actually only a small part of a broad philosophy which includes many practices of yoga, worship of deities, especially the Hindu goddesses, and integration of the many polaric forces in the universe.
Alexander began his military campaign and his rule much where his father left off. Whether or not it was his aim, this created a sense of normality for the men that was part of his father’s regime. Alexander’s position as a warrior-king who stood side-by-side among his men also served to create respect among his peers. Gradually, as Alexander conquered more Persian land, he began to adopt the policies of Persian rulers. Alexander’s change in policy extended beyond just political roles, he gave consideration to the local gods in many of the lands that he conquered. Eventually, Alexander brought people in from the conquered nations to serve under him.
The first printing press was created to make books (Mostly bibles in the day) cheaper and more accessible. At this time only nobles and scribes new how to read and write. In result of this press, written pieces became commonplace making the common people needing to know how to read and write. This literacy spread and spread as the printing press became more common and caused the majority of the world’s people to be as literate as it is today which helped to revolutionize the work
...under the Gupta Empire. In the 16th century in Bengal, a sect of erotic mysticism was founded. This celebrated the union of Krishna and Radha in a Tantric theology heavily influenced by Tantric Buddhism.
Although the Vedas and the Upanishads express common themes of the Aryan world view, they differ greatly in genre and emphasis. Underlying both texts are the core ideas of the religion: the ubiquitousness of atman, Brahman’s origins of non-being, the non-existence of physical reality, and the subtle, intangible existence of ultimate reality. But while the Vedas is mythical and ritualistic, the Upanishads is theological and devalues ritual.
...as are a key part of our body is evident. They provide us with creativity and inspiration. Our chakras also keep the body motivated. When a child asks where the soul is, many answers may be thrown at him, but one that is hardly mentioned is the chakras. In my eyes, chakras are as much of a viable answer as saying that the soul is located anywhere else. Whether chakras are real, or whether they are a state of mind, there is one concrete fact, and that is the fact that they improve our lives. With the fact that chakras improve our lives, Buddha once said “To enjoy good health, to bring true happiness to one's family, to bring peace to all, one must first discipline and control one's own mind. If a man can control his mind he can find the way to Enlightenment, and all wisdom and virtue will naturally come to him.” Chakras; gateway to the soul, gateway to enlightenment.
Alexander the great is known as one of the most ruthless and greatest leaders the world has ever seen. In less than ten years, Alexander conquered cities from Greece all the way to modern day India. Not only did he defeat and conquer cities throughout the known world, but Alexander would also leave his mark spreading and influencing Greek society wherever he went. His leadership and conquests united the East and the West as a whole like no one up to that point had done before. His impact on culture and society when meshing his Greek background with his conquered cities became something truly unique. In 323 B.C. when Alexander passed away, he not only left behind a vast thriving empire, but also a legacy that would be remembered throughout history.
Alexander the Great, born in July of the year 356 B.C. was the ruler and king of the Greek Kingdom known as Macedonia. In his early years, Alexander was trained as a fighter by his tutor, Aristotle. He trained with his mentor until the age of 16, when his father Phillip II was assassinated, and he inherited his throne. With a massive army at his hand, Alexander started his conquest to capture the Persian Empire, and "ends of the world and the Great Outer Sea.”
Alexander the Great (July 356BC – June 323BC) was King of the ancient Greek Kingdom of Macedon. By the age of thirty he had created one of the largest empires of the ancient world. He remained undefeated in battle and is considered one of history’s most successful Military commanders. Historians’ have offered theories which could explain Alexander’s motivation to conquer so much of the known world. Some suggest that Alexander was an idealistic visionary who sought to unite the world, whereas others argued that he was a fascist whose hunger for power drove him. The Ancient Greeks were driven by love of honour (philotimaea) and their desire for greatness. They were competitive, always striving to better one another.
Yoga is a discipline both involving physical and mental control that originated in India. The word Yoga is derived from the Sanskrit word, "yug", meaning union and it means the joining of the individual spirit with the universal spirit. The type of yoga known as Hatha Yoga, ("Ha"- sun, "tha"-moon) is what is most commonly practiced and this yoga involves the path of the mind and body and is the most physical. There are eight limbs or steps of Hatha Yoga, the first step being the five Yamas. There are five yamas and these concern your behavior to the world.
The word Chakra is an ancient term referring to the spinning vortexes of our body’s natural energy system. The word chakra actually means ‘wheel’ in Sanskrit. Visually, the chakra resembles a cone which is pointing towards the body. The energy from a chakra is being radiated through an expanding spiral. There are seven primary chakras and hundreds, if not thousands, of smaller ones, each linked to a specific part of the human body. The chakras work as conductors of energy and each one has a unique frequency. The base chakra has the lowest frequency and the crown chakra has the highest frequency. When all seven primary chakras are balanced (i.e. open and spinning), energy flows freely through the body and helps us to function on a physical, emotional and mental level. The balancing of the blocked and unblocked Chakra energy flow can be beneficial to one’s health.
Do you ever find yourself feeling off balance or just out of sync with everything around you? These feelings could be signs of unbalanced Chakras. I am sure you are wondering what are Chakras and why do they affect your life so much. Chakras are also known as the central energy centers in your body. Each energy center is responsible for specific functions your body does and emotions you feel. When out of balance your physical and emotional health can decline. If this happens it is not too late to fix it and there are many ways to do it.
known in Northeast India in the 6th century BC. Looking back to the earliest roots,
Each chakra can be under-active or overactive. An overactive root chakra can make a person feel nervous, ungrounded, fearful, or insecure. Moreover, it makes him resistant to change, and greedy or materialistic. On the other hand, an under-active root chakra can cause codependence, fear of abandonment, feeling of lack of security, and inability to get into a person’s body.
During the course of history, there have been many tales of conquest. Men such as Napoleon often stick out in the minds of many, and who could forget Hannibal crossing the Alps with elephants? But where did such men draw their inspiration? It can be said that there has been no other conqueror such as Alexander the Great, a military genius that holds the respect of many despite his short life. He dedicated his life to conquering the world, leaving in his wake a legacy that many have come to know.
In a world full of skepticism towards the alternative, Yoga has created a place of growing belief for itself. As Timothy McCall, M.D. states in his book Yoga As Medicine: The Yogic Prescription for Health & Healing: A Yoga Journal Book: