What Are Chakras?

Excerpted from
Spirit Babies; How to Communicate with the Child You're Meant to Have
By Walter Makichen

Chakras are the body's major energy centers. There are seven major chakras in the body, all located along the spine. The first chakra is located at the base of the spine, at the tip of the tailbone; the second is approximately two inches below the navel. The third is located in the middle of the solar plexus, the fourth in the center of the chest, the fifth at the throat, the sixth in the center of the forehead, and the seventh at the top of the head.

The Chakra System Is an Interface

The chakra system provides an interface between the tangible, physical world we call "reality" and unseen realms of energy. It is the part of us that becomes active when we meditate, the part that allows us to perceive energy, to become aware of spirit guides, to develop psychic or clairvoyant abilities.

The chakra system also links body, mind, and spirit and connects us to the energy we commonly call the "soul"-our infinite energy of potential. The soul is the part of us that never dies or forgets our interconnectedness with every part of the universe. Chakras give us a way to reach from the physical world into the soul's realm.

Chakras can be compared to the foundations of a house. A solid foundation is essential in supporting the house of our dreams. In the same way, our chakras can support the lives we long for, lives of genuine fulfillment and joy. They enable us to tap into many different energy sources and to develop the abilities we need to make our hopes and aspirations real.

Chakras Have Specific Energies and Functions

Each chakra has its own unique functions and "oversees" specific parts of our lives. As a result, each chakra resonates with a particular kind of energy and provides unique information to our physical form for integration into our consciousness. Such integration guides our actions The second chakra, for example, deals with emotions and is highly sensitive to emotional energy. While most of us can recognize obvious emotions, like the sadness of someone crying, the second chakra goes beyond the obvious. For instance, when a mother is at one end of the house and her son at the other, it is the second chakra that intuits when the child is doing something his mother wouldn't permit.

Often when I look at a person's chakras, I see a picture or image of how each chakra's energies are being used at that moment. For instance, in the second chakra I might see an image of someone rolled up in a little ball as if to say "Leave me alone." This indicates to me that this person is dealing with other people's emotions a lot and is feeling overwhelmed.

In fact, chakra energy is what many of us see when we look at another's aura. Auras are a combination of the physical body's electrical field, the energy from all its chakras, and the colors resulting from the mix. Auras also hold all the interactions we've had with the world around us. The basic function of each chakra is to receive energy vibrations and to translate these into ideas, images, or feelings related to the self. In addition, chakras generate energy. Each chakra creates an energy that supports and nourishes the entire chakra system and provides vital, animating energy for the whole physical body. In other words, the chakra system draws in energy from outside itself and converts this into forms of energy useful to the mind and beneficial to the body.

The Chakra System Is Nourished by Nature

Have you ever wondered why a walk on an unspoiled ocean beach seems to melt away all worries? Why does experiencing nature lift our spirits, clear our minds, and relax our bodies? What happens on an energy level to cause this transformation? The answer is that our chakra systems are greatly affected by our surroundings. They allow us to interact with nature's vibrations, to experience nature's nourishing energies.

Unless we live in an unpopulated rural area, we're constantly surrounded by electrical fields, which are generated by the electrical currents running through the buildings we enter. In addition, we're exposed to electricity flowing through overhead cables, wires, and towers, plus pulsing waves emanating from computers, televisions, and radios. Our chakra systems interact with these man-made electrical energy pulses, most of which carry human discourse. On a subtle energy level, all of these vibrations and waves surround and bombard our chakra systems.

In nature there are no wires, and fewer bits of information fly through the air. This freedom from electromagnetic fields and the din of human activity is a boon for the chakra system Our chakras are able to absorb from natural surroundings the basic, vital energies that enhance well-being. Beneficial elemental vibrations of air, water, fire, earth, and light are far more available and accessible to us in nature, where artificial electrical fields are absent. Vibrations from land occupied primarily by animals rather than humans are very settling and centering to our chakra system. Ultimately, they revitalize the entire physical body.

As a result, when we speak of drawing in the vitality of a place, of absorbing the spirit of the forest or the lulling effect of ocean waves, we're speaking of chakra experiences. Because our chakra system enables us to assimilate nature's elemental qualities, natural surroundings can act like a healing balm for our body, mind, and spirit.

How Is the Chakra System Structured?

As a clairvoyant, I have worked with and "read" the chakra systems of thousands of individuals. All have certain characteristics in common. For example, each chakra consists of four cone-shaped spirals. The narrow ends of the spirals attach to the spine, while the larger ends face away from the body in four directions: front, back, left, and right. In other words, each chakra consists of four dynamic spirals emanating from the spine.

Each chakra also connects to a system of three channels running up and down the spine. The central channel runs through the middle of the spine. In this channel we find the universal spark of vital energy called "kundalini." Kundalini energy embodies the elemental forces of creation and destruction, which constantly transform energy and matter. It is helpful to think of kundalini energy as the force inside us that inspires creation. This energy starts at the base of the spine-where the first chakra is located-and runs up the center of the spine.

Two additional energy pathways are located on either side of the kundalini channel. These feed into the chakra system the raw universal energies of expansion and contraction. The universe has a basic pulse-expanding and contracting again and again. These two channels access this basic pulse and transmit it to the chakras, which then feed it into our physical body. Thus, the two energy channels running on either side of the spine provide a vital link between our physical bodies and the universal pulse that sustains all life. Put simply, these channels supply nourishment for our chakras in the same way that food provides fuel for our physical body.

Functions of the Chakras

Each chakra receives, generates, and projects energy. Whether or not we're aware of it, we constantly experience our chakras' ability to project energy. For example, have you ever noticed that sometimes when you're in a lousy mood and don't want to talk to anyone, everyone asks you questions and wants to chitchat? Why does this happen, especially when you think you're projecting the message "Leave me alone"? It happens because, even though you're unaware of it, you're probably projecting an energy that says "Come talk to me." Without your knowledge, your second chakra is putting out an image of you as an open, friendly person. While such an image pattern may seem to work against you when you crave solitude, you store it in your second chakra because ordinarily you find it useful. In other words, our chakras can project particular pictures, vibrations, or energy forms without our conscious awareness. This is what people mean when they say someone is sending out mixed messages. It is entirely possible for us to unconsciously send out contradictory messages through our chakras, body language, or words.

Most us don't consciously see the images we project from our chakras. Nonetheless, others react to them. For example, some people unconsciously project an air of authority simply as an outgrowth of their roles on the job. If you are a supervisor, an entrepreneur running your own business, or the CEO of a company, you're constantly called upon to make decisions. Your job requires you to project an energy that says "I know what I'm doing." Over time, this projection becomes patterned into your chakra system. As a result, even when you're not at work, you may find that others not only defer to you but expect you to make all the decisions. This can be frustrating, to say the least The last thing someone who's been making decisions all day may want to do is make more decisions. But the chakra system's ability to project energy is one of our most potent forms of nonverbal communication, whether we're aware of it or not.

Along with projecting energy, the chakra system is also able to receive energy vibrations and images. Maybe you've had the experience of taking a day off from work only to feel a sudden work-related anxiety while relaxing at home. Some part of you feels that something is wrong. As you wonder what's happening, the phone rings. A frantic coworker is calling because your supervisor can't find a report you were supposed to have finished. Even before the phone rang, your supervisor's agitated vibrations had alerted you, and you'd responded with instant anxiety. In other words, your chakra system had received your boss's panic vibrations, passed them along to your energy system, and translated them for your body. Reacting instantaneously to your supervisor's anxiety, your body then mimicked the typical response you would have had if you'd been at work, facing your supervisor's displeasure. As this example shows, the chakra system has a tremendous capacity to receive all manner of information relevant to our survival and general well-being.

Finally, chakras can generate energy. We often think of people with "high-voltage" chakra systems as peppy or uplifting. When our chakra systems generate a lot of energy, we're able to inspire others. We're able to instill confidence, unify groups, or motivate others. The chakra system can draw energy from the universe's unlimited abundance and pass it on to others. Those who receive such energy usually feel healed, inspired, or more connected to the divinity of the universe.

In daily life, the chakra system subtly alerts us to activity in both the physical and energetic realms. Meditation can help us access such information. When we quiet the conscious mind during meditation, we become aware of energy signals from each chakra. We can then begin consciously to integrate this information into our daily lives.