Chakra (pronounced “sha-kra”) means “wheel” or “wheel of light.” If you went searching for the
source of the word, you would end up in India reading a collection of books called the Vedas.
Organized into four main volumes, the Vedas were written around 3500 B.C and are considered the
oldest known Indo-European writings on religion and philosophy.
In some cultures, the writings were considered to be taken from the language of the Gods. The books
include information on topics such as armies, astrology, government, poetry, and ethical living.
Translated from an ancient language called Sanskrit, these books explore the origins of alternative
medicine theory, including a section on the chakras.
Origins of Medical Science in Ayurveda
The area most relevant to the chakras is the information on Ayurveda (pronounced Aa-your-vay-da),
which is a holistic and comprehensive medical system, and considered the origin of all medical
science. Ayurveda not only involves herbs, foods, aromas, gems, colors, yoga, mantras and choices
about personal lifestyle, but also includes subjects such as organ transplants, anatomy, physiology
and surgery. Ayurveda is a very old but scientific and classifiable medical system.
In our culture, the chakras are one of the many sub-categories assigned to the general heading of
Alternative Medicine. Hundreds of sub-categories fall underneath the term, with massage being the
most popular. When talking about the chakras, many people think that they are connected to some
sort of religion. Although the Ayurvedic concepts of the chakras are spiritual in origin, they are much
more biological than religious in nature. Why?
Long ago, religious figures were also the doctors of the society. Back in the time of the Vedas,
physicians were deeply devoted holy people or seers who saw physical health and spiritual life
interconnected. Today much of that connection is dismissed as unscientific. Most westerners only hear
about hands-on-healing from bible stories, not from their medical providers. As a result, trying to
recreate a paradigm that combines the spiritual with the scientific is still an uphill battle in the west.
Chakras correlate to glands
In terms of western medicine, the word chakra translates loosely into “gland.” Allopathic doctors refer
to glands in much the same way that a chakra therapist or Ayurvedic doctor would refer to the
chakras. In biological terms the seven specific glands that correspond to the seven chakras are hubs
where some of the most important natural reactions in the body take place. The condition of your
glands is the best indicator of the condition of your chakras. When we refer to the gland, we are
referring to a physical organ in the body such as the pituitary gland, the ovaries and testes, and the
thyroid gland. When we refer to the chakra, we are referring to the energy field emanating from the
gland.
Western scientist Charles Coulomb first described electric field strengths in the 1780's, developing a
concept which stated that charged objects create an invisible electric force field around themselves. In
terms of the chakras, we are talking about an energy field, like a baseball field, that is created from
the chemical reactions that take place within the gland.
Making the Invisible Visible
As you might imagine, all of the activity within the gland generates quite a lot of energy and
sometimes, due to the stress in our lives, our genetics and a myriad of other possibilities, things can
and do get out of balance.
Trying to see the measurable energy from the chakra system is the same as trying to view the
invisible radio waves coming into your car stereo from the transmission tower, or trying to hear the
ultrasonic sound from a dog whistle. They are sensory experiences that cannot be verified using your
typical human detection skills.
Many hands-on-healing methods assess the chakra fields. It may seem as though the energy
practitioner is literally seeing your chakras, and the balances and imbalances within them. Although
the clues collected during your assessment are based on a different set of criteria than those in the
medical field, the information is as concrete and measurable as what a doctor might find.
Your chakra system is at work within your body all the time. Strengthening your understanding of
energy and the chakras can help you with your physical and emotional health, and is a good first step
to developing your creativity and intuition. Some hospitals now employ Reiki Masters, and several
major insurance companies are reimbursing for energy therapies. Times are changing in our culture as
we begin to look at our body and our health metaphorically, and become more comfortable using
terms such as chakras and energy.
by Slash Coleman
Slashtipher J. Coleman, MA, LMT is a freelance writer, playwright, and author of the book “Is My
Chakra Pretty?”www.slashtipher.com
