Daily Excerpt: The Seven Wisdoms of Life (Tubali) - Definition of Chakras, Nadis, and Main Function
Excerpt from The Seven Wisdoms of Life -
Definition
Undoubtedly,
the Chakra system is the most known, most researched, and most accessible
energetic layer. The first documentations of this system go all the way back to
the ancient Eastern and Egyptian cultures, about four-thousand years ago.
Simply
defined, chakras are mediators of energy-matter interaction. The chakra system
is the bridge between the physical body and the subtle bodies and also between
the physical body and the vital life force of the universe. The chakras are the
key energy centers of the whole subtle anatomy and may be regarded as our basic
energetic body. As mediators of energy-matter interaction, they translate
material energy into spiritual energy and spiritual energy into material energy.
The main
function of the chakra system is to translate spiritual energy into physical
energy for the sake of physical and psychological wellbeing. Residing in the
central confluences of the energetic nervous system, they connect all the
different energies: material, emotional, mental, and spiritual.
One may
theorize that every biological system complex enough to conduct a certain
amount of consciousness through the brain and nervous system must have a number
of chakras. These chakras make the connection between all levels of being for
the sake of the living organism possible. Human beings have seven central
chakras.
The Nadis
To better
understand the workings of the chakra system, we first have to get to know the nadis. The term, nadi, means stream, and this is exactly what nadis are: channels, or empty tubes, that conduct energy throughout
the body. There are physical nadis,
such as nerves, blood vessels and lymph vessels. The nadis we are interested, though, are the subtle ones through which
energy flows. These subtle nadis are the
energetic nervous system.
The nadis carry energy into the brain, the
nerves, the endocrine system, the organs, the skeletal system, and the cells. Yogic
tradition identifies about seventy-two thousand nadis, of which fourteen are considered central. The well-known
meridians from Chinese medicine seem, in fact, to be important fragments of the
nadi system, and acupuncture points are
the meeting points between the meridians and the nadis. The nadis interact
with the physical nervous system and convert subtle energy into material energy
for the organs, glands, and tissues. They absorb these subtle forms of energy
both from subtler bodies and from the universal life force.
The general
definition of the physical nervous system is that it is a complex nerve network
through which the body functions as a synchronized whole, with the physical
nervous system receiving information of stimulants from the inner and outer
environment and supervising all processes related to conscious and unconscious
behavior. Similarly, the nadis are a
complex nerve network through which the energetic and psychic systems function
as a unified whole, with the nadis receiving information on energetic and
psychic stimulants from the inner and outer environment and supervising all
processes related to conscious and unconscious subtle activity.
Main
function: the absorption of prana
The chakras
dwell in the seven central conjunction points of the seventy-two thousand nadis. In a way, they connect them all. This may be similar to the
relationship between the central nervous system, located in the brain and the
spinal cord, and the network of nerves around the body (i.e., the peripheral
nervous system). The seven chakras are like wheels of swirling energy, rotating
clockwise, located in the subtle spine of humans. They constantly absorb the
vital life force of the universe and translate it into material energy that can
be assimilated into the physical nerves, the glands, and the organs.
Vedic
literature calls this vital life force prana;
Chinese literature calls it chi. Prana means breath of life, which
basically implies that there is a cosmic reservoir of energy that enables all
living beings to exist and breathe. Once this energy leaves the body, no life
remains, and the body will perish. This prana
is felt as the warmth of life, and that is why, in its absence, the body
becomes a cold corpse. So, prana is
our basic connection with the cosmos, and as long as it flows into our body,
filling the nerves, glands, and organs, we enjoy the experience of life. (There
are also physical types of prana that
flow within our bodies).
So, imagine
it this way: the universal life force is captured by the seven chakras; from
the chakras, it flows through the nadis,
and from the nadis is assimilated
into the nerves, glands, and organs. The chakras function as vortexes, which
attract the cosmic energy into the endocrine and nervous systems.
For the
sake of simply existing as conscious beings on this planet, the chakras require
a small amount of universal prana. This
is enough to maintain the physical activities and the automatic processes of
emotions and thoughts. In this context, one cannot refer to chakras as
“blocked” or “open,” but rather as conductors of a lot of energy or little
energy. The more conscious activity is required for the organism, the more
energy the chakras demand from the universe. A tremendous intellectual force for
example, creates a greater demand for prana
to enliven the chakras and, subsequently, the brain and its glands.
When a
conscious human being becomes extremely spiritual, the chakras become,
accordingly, highly active and conduct much more prana. Without much prana,
there cannot be a spiritualizing process in the body and mind. That's why all
spiritual traditions invoke practices that enhance the stream of prana into the body and within the body.
On the
other hand, we don't need highly active chakras unless there is a specific
requirement for it in our bodies and minds. Dr. Gabriel Cousens, a psychiatrist
and a spiritual teacher, points out that, in his experience with manic
psychosis, patients often describe floods of energy from their vertex. This is
not a spiritual advantage but rather another form of imbalance.
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