The exact number and location of the chakras may vary depending on the tradition that a person follows. In Buddhism, there are four main chakras, while in Hinduism, seven are recognized. The chakra system originated in India between 1500 and 500 BC in the oldest text called the Vedas. Evidence of chakras, spelled chakra, is also found in the Shri Jabala Darshana Upanishad, the Upanishad Cudamini, the Yoga-Shikka Upanishad and the Shandilya Upanishad. According to the scholar Anodea Judith in her book The Wheels of Life, knowledge of the chakra system was transmitted through an oral tradition by the Indo-European people, also called the Aryan people.
The chakra system was traditionally an Eastern philosophy until New Age authors, such as Anodea Judith, resonated with the idea and wrote about chakras, expanding older texts and making knowledge more accessible. The tsa lung practice embodied in the Trul Khor lineage baffles the primary channels, thus activating and circulating liberating prana. Just as the Internet arises when you turn on a computer or digital device, chakras arise when you practice meditation and visualize your body's chakras in specific places. It is likely that most people who practice chakra alignment will probably not seriously question their belief because there are very few possible negative effects of this practice (other than the possible waste of time, money, or failure to consider alternatives). Yoga leaders generally have a lot of experience in practicing, so people who are new to practicing yoga would probably be inclined to follow the advice of these experts on how to improve their well-being in a variety of ways. Gichtel, in his book Theosophia Practica (169), refers directly to the centers of internal force that are strictly related to the doctrines of the Eastern Chakras. Invoking the image and energy of a specific deity in a specific chakra is also culturally specific, although if Western yogis come to understand what those deities represent, the practice could be significant to them as well. Ideas and practices involving so-called “subtle bodies” have existed for many centuries in many parts of the world.
Chakras are often referred to as part of yoga practice and are used to describe the way energy “moves” in the body. The energy body can present, experientially speaking, any number of energy centers, depending on the person and the yogic practice being performed. Studying chakras more closely and thoroughly is essential for understanding their significance. It is important to note that while this practice is not traditional and hasn't been tested for generations (which is really the goal of tradition), it can still be beneficial for those who practice it. The practice facilitates the flow of pranic energy through three main energy channels: Sushumna (central), Ida (left) and Pingala (right).I know many people who practice yoga and believe unconditionally in this type of energy.
An even older influence may be present in the practices of Hesichastic tradition and Christian ascetic theology, where ascetic methods and meditation leading to an inner knowledge of the heart were often referred to as cardiognosis. Clearly, this practice is embedded in a culturally specific context in which the sounds of Sanskrit language are seen as unique and powerful vibrations that can form an effective part of a mystical practice that produces spiritual liberation or worldly benefits through magical means.
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