Coming to the Yoga teacher training is my first time coming across Chakra. Yet the more I learnt, the more curious I become. These focal points with energy spinning around them constantly at different speed are according to my teacher, not existing, yet it reflects our experience, knowledge, emotions, love.
One widely popular schema of seven chakras is as follows, from bottom to top:
(Grimes, John A, 1996).
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Yoga philosophy believes these spinning wheels are reflecting our consciousness and our thinking. Practicing asanas is one of the ways we keep our chakras balanced, which determines how we live our daily life, show our emotional reactions, visions.
Muladhara/root foundation with its center is found at the pelvic floor at the base of the 2nd bone of coccyx. It represents the Earch principle, keeping us grounded into embodied reality, physically strong and secure. Asanas like butterfly, warrior stance, squats help bring our awareness to Muladhara chakra.
I found this concept very similar to the word QI in Qi-Gong. Qi is known as a focus point for energy in Chinese (and Chinese-influenced) martial arts, and often seen as an intrinsic life energy or vital force within living things. ( https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chakra )
Chakra is also mentioned in Ninja training techniques. It is believed there are 361 chakra points (called Tenketsu) in the body. Chakra is a mixture of the energy present in every cell of the body and the spiritual energy gained from exercise and experience. Once mixed, it can be channeled through the Chakra circulatory system. (Ninja Encyclopedia Wiki)
I wasn’t able to find any science or anatomy explanation whether Chakra exists or how it connects with our body, and why different religions, races back thousands years ago shared the similar belief and techniques. Maybe I will come back for more discussion after practicing more asana and breathing.
