Chakra Systems

 

 

There are many energy cultivation systems in the world.  Virtually all of them have a theory of chakras, energy centers within the body.  Those theories address the issues of what chakras are, how many there are and where they are located.  This page is a survey of chakra systems based on those theories.  Though there are differences between the systems, they all have a certain amount of validity.  I suggest you use the  system or systems you are most drawn to.

 

Generally chakras are considered to be portals or locations where chi can be drawn in or emitted out of the body as needed.  They are also believed to have a capacity to store and transform chi for use by the individual.

 

I have categorized chakra systems based on the number of chakras and the groups that use them…

 

 

 

THE 1 CHAKRA SYSTEM of the Christians:

This is the simplest system I have seen.  If you wanted to focus on one chakra for all your energy work, make it the Heart chakra.  Cultivating the heart chakra can result in a high level of spiritual awakening.  Also, of all the chakras, cultivating the heart chakra is least likely to accidentally produce negative outcomes.

 

Now to confuse the issue… Christianity is not really a one Chakra system.  It is really a 4 chakra system.  The major religious orders of Christianity, Buddhism and Hinduism tend to work with the 4 upper chakras of the heart, throat, third eye and crown.  As you can see in the accompanying picture of Jesus, his heart chakra is being emphasized most in the picture but a halo is also shown.  The halo is symbolic of an open crown chakra.  So this picture is emphasizing two of the four upper chakras.  The Catholic Blessing of the Throat ritual and the Ash Wednesday ritual of putting ashes on the forehead are Christian rituals dealing with the throat and third eye chakras.  However, an open heart chakra, symbolized by the Burning Heart of Jesus, is THE primary element of Christian mystic spiritual practices.

 

 

 

THE 3 CHAKRA SYSTEM of the Taoists:

The Taoists emphasize three energy centers within the body which they call dantiens.  The lower dantien, frequently called the sub-navel center is located about 2 inches below the belly button.  It is associated with supernatural martial arts and self-defense capabilities.  The middle dantien is located in the middle of the chest and corresponds to what is frequently called the heart chakra.  It is associated with supernatural healing abilities.  The upper dantien is located between the eyebrows and corresponds to what is frequently called the third eye.  It is associated with psychic abilities.

 

 

 

THE 4 ELEMENT STSTEM of the Ancient Greeks and Western European Alchemists:

The four elements represent chakras in the human body.  The element Earth refers to the root chakras of the perenium, the bottom of the feet, the knees and the finger tips when pointed down towards the earth.  The element Water represents the sub-navel and solar plexus chakras.  The element Air represents the heart and throat chakras.  The element Fire represents the third eye and crown chakras.

 

 

 

THE 5 ELEMENT SYSTEM of the Ancient Greeks and the Tantric Buddhists and Hindus:

As with the 4 element system, the five elements represent chakras in the human body.  However, some of the correspondences are different.  The element Earth refers to the root chakras of the perenium, the bottom of the feet, the knees and the finger tips when pointed down towards the earth.  Water represents the sub-navel chakra and corresponds to the bladder.  Fire represents the solar plexus chakra and corresponds to the nerves of the digestive system.  Air represents the heart chakra and corresponds to the heart and lungs.  Spirit represents the three upper chakras of the throat, third eye and crown.

 

 

 

THE 7 CHAKRA SYSTEM of the Tantric Buddhists and Hindus:

This is the most well known system in the West.  It places 7 chakras along the centerline of the body.  The root chakra is located at the perineum.  The sub-navel chakra is located approximately 2 inches below the belly button.  The Solar-Plexus chakra is located in the abdomen between the belly button and the bottom tip of the xiphoid process.  The heart chakra is located in the middle of the chest.  The throat chakra is located at the base of the throat.  The third eye is located between the eyebrows.  The crown chakra is located at the center of the top of the head.  Earlier versions of this system place the second chakra at the pubic bone and the third chakra at the belly button.  Once you become able to feel chi and chakras you will realize there are more than 7 chakras along the centerline of the body.  This is likely to cause confusion as to which one is the solar-plexus or which one is the heart chakra.  It will also make you doubt the correctness of the system.  Don’t worry about it too much.  Understand there are many many chakras in the physical human body and in the energy body above and below the physical body.  These systems are simplifications of the full truth intended to facilitate learning and practice.  They are not the full truth and do not tell everything that is to be told about the human energy system.

 

 

 

OF SPECIAL NOTE:

There are two chakras near the pit of the chest which are related to the solar-plexus and heart chakras.  The bottom one feeds energy down to the lower part of the body while the upper one feeds energy up to the higher part of the body.  These are two very important chakras which are not well known and are easy to confuse with the heart and solar plexus chakras.  I have seen these chakras represented by a lions head in a Roman era bas relief carving of the god Mithras.  This lions head region, which I call the pit of the chest, is often what is meant when the heart or solar-plexus chakras are mentioned.

 

 

 

THE 10 CHAKRA SYSTEM of the Kabbalistic Jews:

The Tree of Life is a symbol of Jewish mysticism which may be referring to chakras.  I have seen many explanations of the system and do not know which is the true explanation.  One opinion I have heard is that the 10 spheres of the Tree of Life represent the seven traditional centerline chakras of the Tantric Buddhists and Hindus plus three additional chakras above the head.  As an alternative, it is possible the tree of life represents four of the main centerline chakras and three chakras running up each side of the body.  The centerline chakras are likely the root, sub-navel, heart and third eye chakras.  The side channel chakras are likely at the hips, mid-body and shoulders, as shown in the figures at the bottom of this page.  However, most frequently, the ten spheres are considered to represent the crown chakra at the top of the head or just above the head, the right brain hemisphere, the left brain hemisphere, the right shoulder, the left shoulder, the pit of the chest, the right hip, the left hip, the root chakra and the feet or the thigh chakras.

 

 

 

OTHER SYSTEMS:

There are far more than 7 or even 10 chakras in the human body.  I can count at least 14 along the centerline of my body alone.  Add to that hand, foot, thigh, hip and shoulder chakras and the number rises to 24.  You also have chakras in your fingers and toes and all the joints of your body.  Also your organs.  As it turns out you can move energy into and out of your body through any surface.  Some groups will say you have hundreds of thousands of chakras in your body.  Don’t stress out about finding the one true answer.  Pick the system or systems you have an affinity for and go with it.  But don’t make the mistake of thinking your way is the one true way.  There is legitimacy in many ways of viewing the mystery of the human energy system.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

10-10-2017