The human body is a complex electrical system wherein energy keeps flowing through it and it is this energy that we use to perform our daily activities. While there is a physiological system that co-ordinates and runs the human body, there is also a psychological system that controls the brain and pushes it to think what our mind wants to.
To understand the chakras or the energy system of the body, we need to know how a chakra (wheel) is formed in the body.
In yoga, the belief is that the whole universe lies within the body that has various sources of energies that flows through it. The most important sources being the sun and the moon that are called “HA” and “THA” in yoga, respectively. These energies flow through channels known as “nadis” in the body. There are three main nadis in the body — “ida”, “pingala” and “susumna”. These energy channels intercept at different points along the spinal cord forming chakras.
There are seven main chakras in the body that control different parts and functions of the body. Their names are: mooladhara (root chakra), swadhishthan (sacral chakra), manipura (navel chakra), anahata (heart chakra), vishuddhi (throat chakra), ajna (forehead chakra) and sahasrara (crown chakra).
Over the next few weeks, we’ll look at each chakra in detail and learn about the benefits of activating these energy centres for a healthy life.
