Llewellyn’s Complete Book of Chakras

Your Definitive Source of Energy Center Knowledge for Health, Happiness, and Spiritual Evolution

Cyndi Dale

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Book Details

Price	5.00
Pages	1626 p
File Size	13,452 KB
File Type	PDF format
eISBN	978-0-73874570-1
Copyright©	2016 by Cyndi Dale

About the Author

Cyndi Dale (Minneapolis, MN) is an internationally renowned author, speaker,

healer, and business consultant. She is president of Life Systems Services,

through which she has conducted over 50,000 client sessions and presented

training classes throughout Europe, Asia, and the Americas.

Visit her online at CyndiDale.com.

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Introduction

IF THE STARS should appear one night in a thousand

years, how would men believe and adore…

....

RALPH WALDO EMERSON

I often think of the chakras as stars that descended to earth and embedded in our

human form. In some ways, the story of chakras is similar to that of the stars. As

Emerson implies, their presence can be overlooked, ignored, or assumed simply

because they are content to exist, seen or unseen, as surely as day follows night.

But to explore the chakras is to investigate one of the truly great tales of the

universe. I have spent years uncovering its many twists and turns, an array of

stories enfolded within the larger tale. I wrote this book to present a

compendium of these stories pulled together into a single source, a definitive

storybook about chakras.

Chakras are energy centers in our bodies that, when perceived by those of us

who are blessed to be able to see them, look like wheels of light spinning in and

around the body—stars in miniature. Chakras are also “subtle” structures,

meaning that, in many ways, they operate under the radar of most people’s

perception, on a psychic or spiritual level. But they are also intricately

intertwined with our physical and emotional capacities. As key parts of a greater

subtle energetic anatomy that you will learn about in this book, they have no less

important a job to do than to manage all levels of our existence.

Chakras have been studied by hundreds of cultures over thousands of years.

These dynamic energy centers are linked with myriad aspects of our being, from

the body’s electrical system—measurable to an extent with diagnostic and other

medical devices—to subtler categories of vibration such as colors, sounds, and

elements. I call this gigantic basket of chakra ideas—and especially the practices

associated with them—“chakra medicine.” This term honors the traditional

meaning of medicine: the sum total of all knowledge, skills, theories, and

practices we can engage in to increase our well-being. Because chakras manage

all aspects of life, they can be seen as the key to health, happiness, and prosperity.

Chakras have been a subject of study by so many diverse peoples and for so

long that writing a book about chakras could take forever—a never-ending

account that starts in the early mists of time and slips over the horizon ahead. I

have dedicated myself to putting two covers on this eternal story, to serve as

markers; hence, I have aimed to make this book a comprehensive compilation of

the knowledge of chakras and chakra medicine as it exists today, drawing from

sources worldwide, beginning with the ancients and adding information of my

own that I have gained through extensive study and my energy healing practice.

But never fear: we will unfold this massive tale in bite-sized pieces. The

information I will share begins at a basic level and grows in complexity. It is,

therefore, an invitation to learn the fundamentals of “all things chakras” and then

go deeper, ever deeper. Eventually, through your own explorations, I hope that

you will add your own chakra discoveries to our shared wisdom base.

As you travel though this book, you’ll discover that I continually return to the

theme I already introduced: that the chakras in our bodies can be compared to

the stars in our galaxy. I enjoy this beautiful metaphor, but as you dive into the

discussions of the nature of energy in later chapters, you will see that this

connection is more than symbolic. Like our feelings about the stars, chakras

operate at all levels, and most practitioners would agree that they are ultimately

spiritual, pointing the way to our souls’ dreams.

I’ll start by covering the most fundamental aspects of the chakras and how they

perform; this will be the subject of chapters 1 through 15. I open part 1 with a

question: what is a chakra? This entire book has been written to fully answer that

question, but I will first answer it in basic terms. I’ll include a thumbnail sketch

of the history of chakra-related ideas, spanning civilizations and eras, as well as

a review of ancient Hindu ideas about energy, as the venerable Hindu system is

one of the best known today. This information will help you set your discovery

of chakras in a chronological context and reveal the mindset upon which all

modern data has been built. Later in the book we’ll explore these Hindu roots in

much greater depth.

Next I’ll outline scientific thought about the nature of energy. After all, as I

mentioned, chakras are essentially energy centers, so it is helpful to get a

refresher on what we have learned about the physics of energy. Again, this will

be a brief backgrounder that I will expand upon later in the book.

As you’ll soon discover, chakras are powerful tools for spiritual transformation.

While they do play physical and psychological roles in our lives, ultimately

chakras encourage spiritual growth. To begin orienting you to this aspect, I’ll

briefly describe an energetic force that awakens the chakras and paves the way

toward enlightenment. This force is called kundalini energy.

A thorough understanding of chakras requires many more and much deeper

layers of understanding, including an exploration of the nature of the energy in

our bodies; the psychological, intuitive, and physiological effects of the chakras;

the imagery and symbolism people have associated with them; and both

traditional and contemporary views of chakras’ aspects that include everything

from spiritual icons to archetypes. We will begin this in-depth journey in Part 2.

Part 2 examines the most familiar chakra model: the Hindu system. We will

travel through the seven in-body chakras in order, from the base of the spine to

the top of the head. Our first goal is to look at how they function in the most

fundamental of ways: physically and psychologically. We also will begin to add

the layers of knowledge needed for a fuller picture: Sanskrit names, purpose,

color, associated gland, and the part of the body that each chakra manages. I’ll

outline practical considerations, including related diseases and psychological

functions, and move into more esoteric topics such as the gods and goddesses

that reign within each bodily star. Symbols, archetypes, intuitive abilities, and

explorations of secondary chakras, as well as other features, 

help round out our chakra profiles.

We then turn the corner to engage in Part 3, Fundamentals of Chakra Medicine.

Here you will learn chakra medicine procedures and techniques. The first

chapter in this part introduces the concept of chakra medicine: practices you can

follow to work with chakras for greater health and well-being. You will learn

various ways chakras can assist you, and I’ll provide a plethora of processes you

can use to do everything from locating your chakras to clearing and balancing

them. Practices are loosely organized into Western and Eastern approaches.

Then it will be time to walk through the next doorway and into Section 2,

Chakras in Depth: Historical, Scientific, and Cross-Cultural Understandings. Up

to this point, you will have spent your time with the book learning and enjoying

all the basics of chakra methodology as if peering through a telescope into the

great night sky. Section 2 is the equivalent of getting into a spaceship and

actually flying to those stars, carrying precise equipment such as spiritual

treatises, finely tuned microscopes, and geographic maps. You will embark upon

a thorough review of the history of chakra concepts, examining Vedic, tantric,

and yogic chakra legends stretching as far back as 12,000 BCE. This history,

which we’ll cover in Part 4, will prepare you for part 5: The Science of Subtle Energy.

Part 5 kicks off with a primer on physical and subtle energy that reviews

relevant classical and quantum physics and all things scientific about the nature

of energy. With a better understanding of the energetic scenery in which chakras

grow, you will be ready to picture chakras within their larger familial structure:

your entire energetic anatomy. To truly work with chakras, you must also place

them within the physical body, which you will examine to better understand the

chakras’ unique structure. Finally, you will devote your time to the scientific

explanation of kundalini, the force that activates the chakras.

Then it’s around the world you go, plunging into a deeply meaningful odyssey

in Parts 6 through 8. Chakras are not exclusively Hindu in origin; they have

appeared in jungles, deserts, mountains, and seasides around the world and

across time. In addition, they are the subject of modern academic, spiritual, and

philosophical disciplines. Dozens of chakra systems are outlined and explained

within the context of their spiritual and cultural surroundings. On this aroundthe-

world tour, you will visit Asia, discover the ancient chakra systems of

Africa, the Middle East, Europe, and the Americas, and investigate modern

Western chakra systems.

Unique and contemporary chakra concepts and systems are the subject of Part

9, Chakras Et Cetera: Natural and Unusual Chakras, coverage of the relationship

between chakras and the earth, animals, and skies, as well as an analaysis of

contemporary and emerging chakra systems. Does the earth itself have chakras?

What about animals? This fascinating review is followed by a one-two-three of

recent and unusual chakras that are just making their way into our common

chakra medicine bag.

As will become clear throughout your pilgrimage, chakras are nothing new—

and they are always new; we never complete our chakra adventure. These points

of light touch every aspect of our lives as embodied reflections of the starry sky

we gaze upon when we count our blessings.

Table of Contents

List of EXERCISES

List of ILLUSTRATIONS

Color Illustrations

introduction

Section 1: Chakra Fundamentals and Basic

Practices

Part 1: What Are Chakras? A Pocket Guide to Your

Body’s Points of Light

1 Your Spinning Wheels of Light

2 What Is Kundalini?

Part 2: The Hindu Chakra System

3 Hindu Chakras: The Basic Seven

4 The First Hindu Chakra: Muladhara

5 The Second Hindu Chakra: Svadhisthana

6 The Third Hindu Chakra: Manipura

7 The Fourth Hindu Chakra: Anahata

8 The Fifth Hindu Chakra: Vishuddha

9 The Sixth Hindu Chakra: Ajña

10 The Seventh Hindu Chakra: Sahasrara

Part 3: Fundamentals of Chakra Medicine

11 The Benefits of Chakra Medicine

12 Chakra Medicine Methods I: Preparation and Analysis

13 Chakra Medicine Methods II: Healing

14 Chakra Medicine Practices: Eastern Methods

15 Chakra Techniques: From Mantras to Gemstones and

Everything in Between

Section 2: Chakras in Depth—Historical,

Scientific, and Cross-Cultural Understandings

Part 4: The History of Chakra Knowledge Through the

Lens of Ancient India

16 Ancient Vedic Scripture: The Four Canons

17 Chakras Taking Form: Divining Three Movements from the

Upanishads and Other Early Sacred Texts

18 Following the Light of Tantra and Yoga

Part 5: The Science of Subtle Energy

19 Your Energy Primer: Understanding Physical and Subtle

Energy (And a Few Matters in Between)

20 Chakras as Part of the Subtle Energy Anatomy

21 The Science and Structure of Chakras

22 Kundalini Rises: The Chakra Serpent

Part 6: Chakra Systems of Asia

23 Chakra Systems of India

24 Tibet: Indian Tantra Meets Buddhism

25 Other Asian Chakra Systems

Part 7: Ancient Chakra Systems Across Africa, Europe,

the Middle East, and the Americas

26 The African Continent

27 Chakra Systems of Old Europe

28 The Middle East

29 Chakra Medicine in the Americas

Part 8: Modern Western Chakra Systems

30 Early Western Mystics and Esoteric Orders

31 The Theosophical Society

32 Chakras Come of Age in the West

Part 9: Chakras Et Cetera: Natural and Unusual Chakras

33 Chakras in Nature

34 New and Unusual Chakras and Chakra Systems

CONCLUSION: Your “Great Perhaps”

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

GLOSSARY

ENDNOTES

EXERCISES

Exercise: The Two Vital Airs

Exercise: A Grounding Tool for Muladhara

Exercise: Special Muladhara Mudra Through “Knowing Your Nose”

Exercise: Left Nostril Breathing to Activate Water and Moon

Exercise: Increase the Flow of Prana to the Second Chakra

Exercise: Meditating on Svadhisthana

Exercise: Sounding the Universe Through Your Manipura

Exercise: Firing Up Your Manipura

Exercise: Pit Pose for Manipura Chakra

Exercise: Mantra to Create Peace Instead of Fear

Exercise: Wishing Upon the Celestial Tree

Exercise: Resonating the Bija Ham

Exercise: The Khechari Mudra: Opening to the Nectar of the Gods

Exercise: The Five Steps for Grounding

Exercise: Spirit-to-Spirit

Exercise: Finding Chakras with a Pendulum

Exercise: Establishing a Polarity Baseline Using Muscle Testing

Exercise: Establishing Your Sending and Receiving Hands

Exercise: Locating Chakras with Applied Kinesiology

Exercise: Locating Chakras with Hands-On Interaction

Exercise: Locating Chakras Intuitively

Exercise: Testing for Chakra Spin with a Pendulum

Exercise: Assessing with Applied Kinesiology

Exercise: Assessing with Hands-On Interaction

Exercise: Assessing with Intuition—Four Styles

Exercise: Chakra Clearing with Hands-On Interaction

Exercise: Chakra Clearing with Intuitive Meditation

Exercise: Healing Chakra Blocks

Exercise: Relieving Congestion in a Chakra

Exercise: Charging a Chakra

Exercise: Using a Light Wand

Exercise: Aligning Another’s Chakras

Exercise: Aligning Your Own Chakras

Exercise: Working with Beliefs in Seven Steps

Exercise: Ujjayi Pranayama

Exercise: Bhramari Pranayama

Exercise: Bhastrika Pranayama

Exercise: Anulom Vilom (Alternate Nostril Breathing)

Exercise: Udgeeth Pranayama

Exercise: Sukhasana Pose

Exercise: Padmasana Pose

Exercise: Jnana and the Chin Mudras

Exercise: Shambhavi Mudra

Exercise: Ashvini Mudra

Exercise: Navamukhi Mudra

Exercise: Dhyani Mudra (also called Samadhi Mudra)

Exercise: Vitarka Mudra

Exercise: Dharmachakra Mudra

Exercise: Bhumisparsha Mudra

Exercise: Abhaya Mudra

Exercise: Varada Mudra

Exercise: Uttarabodhi Mudra

Exercise: Mudra of Supreme Wisdom

Exercise: Anjali Mudra (also called Namaskara Mudra)

Exercise: Vajrapradama Mudra

Exercise: Karana Mudra

Exercise: Activating the Eyes

Exercise: Trataka

Exercise: Mula Bandha

Exercise: Uddiyana Bandha

Exercise: Jalandhara Bandha

Exercise: Maha Bandha

Exercise: First Chakra Pose: Virabhadrasana I (Warrior I)

Exercise: Second Chakra Pose: Parivrtta Trikonasana (Twisting Triangle Pose)

Exercise: Third Chakra Pose: Ustrasana (Camel Pose)

Exercise: Fourth Chakra Pose: Bhujangasana (Cobra Pose)

Exercise: Fifth Chakra Pose: Dhanurasana (Bow Pose)

Exercise: Sixth Chakra Pose: Adho Mukha Svanasana (Downward Facing Dog)

Exercise: Seventh Chakra Pose: Savasana (Corpse Pose)

Exercise: The Gayatri Mantra

Exercise: Employing a Yantra

Exercise: A Reiki Chakra Practice

Exercise: Archetype Meditation

Exercise: Lotus Meditation

Exercise: Using Gemstones for Chakra Healing

Exercise: A Guided Meditation to Visit the Heart of Brahman

Exercise: A Self-Assessment—Which Siddhis Have You Already Activated?

Exercise: Becoming the Peace of the Ancient Texts

Exercise: Breathing the Kriya Breath

Exercise: Putting Marma Touch Therapy into Practice

Exercise: Meditation on the Shakti Chakra

Exercise: An Experience of Theravada Buddhism

Exercise: Receiving a Tibetan Blessing

Exercise: Meditating on the Vajra Body

Exercise: Clearing Winds Exercise

Exercise: Massaging Away Negative Emotions

Exercise: Chakra Hand and Feet Reflexology

Exercise: Simple Zazen: Being One with Your Breath

Exercise: Strengthening Your Chakras

Exercise: Quick Shiatsu Energy Boost

Exercise: Clearing a Space with Crown Chakra Energy

Exercise: Clearing Your Orishas

Exercise: Entering the Fire Temple

Exercise: Remembrance with the Sufis

Exercise: In Times of Trouble

Exercise: Listening with Your Five Ears

Exercise: Cooling Off with the Kuna Indians

Exercise: Experiencing the Nawis

Exercise: Activating Your Own Chumpis

Exercise: An Incan Chakra Harmony Rite

Exercise: Walking This Good Earth: The Nawis of the Feet

Exercise: Living as a Rosicrucian

Exercise: Rosicrucian Meditation for Chakra Healing and Prayer

Exercise: Healing Techniques Using the Rays

Exercise: Perceiving the Colors in the Astral Body

Exercise: Steiner’s Advice for the Fifth Chakra

Exercise: Meditating the Cayce Way

Exercise: The Seven Catholic Sacraments

Exercise: Strengthening Your Hara Line

Exercise: Is There a Vortex in Your Area?

Exercise: Creating Your Own Songline in Your Environment

Exercise: Steiner’s Planetary Energy in Your Body

Exercise: Disembodying the Pain Body

Exercise: The Etheric Mirror: Seeing the Healing

Exercise: The Book of Life: Transforming the Negative to Positive

ILLUSTRATIONS

Illustration 1—Chakras As Vortexes

Illustration 2—The Location and Basic Functions of the In-Body

Chakras Illustration 3—The Plumed Serpent and an Ouroboros

Illustration 4—Kundalini and the Three Main Nadis (left) and the

Energy Flow of Ida and Pingala (right) Illustration 5—The Three Main Granthis

Illustration 6—The Five Koshas

Illustration 7—The Greek Caduceus and Kundalini Illustration 8—The Endocrine System

Illustration 9—The Seven Hindu Chakras

Illustration 10—The Muladhara and Parts of the Spine Illustration 11 —The Pancreas

Illustration 12—The Celestial Tree Wishing Chakra Illustration 13— The Thyroid and Parathyroid Illustration 14—The Lalana Chakra

Illustration 15—The Three Main Secondary Chakras of the Ajña

Illustration 16—The Location of the Pineal Gland Illustration 17— Sukhasana

Illustration 18—Padmasana

Illustration 19—The Jnana and Chin Mudras Illustration 20— Navamukhi

Illustration 21—Dhyani or Samadhi Mudra Illustration 22—Vitarka Mudra

Illustration 23—Dharmachakra Mudra

Illustration 24—Bhumisparsha Mudra

Illustration 25—Abhaya Mudra

Illustration 26—Varada Mudra

Illustration 27—Uttarabodhi Mudra

Illustration 28—Mudra of Supreme Wisdom Illustration 29—Anjali

or Namaskara Mudra Illustration 30—Vajrapradama Mudra

Illustration 31—Karana Mudra

Illustration 32—First Chakra Pose

Illustration 33—Second Chakra Pose

Illustration 34—Third Chakra Pose

Illustration 35—Fourth Chakra Pose

Illustration 36—Fifth Chakra Pose

Illustration 37—Sixth Chakra Pose

Illustration 38—Seventh Chakra Pose

Illustration 39—The Seven Sacred Geometry Signs of the Chakras

Illustration 40—Reiki Symbols

Illustration 41—Vishnu and the Sudarshana Chakra Illustration 42— 

The Greek Omphalos

Illustration 43—Nadis within the Sushumna Illustration 44—

The Auric Fields

Illustration 45—The Seven Rays

Illustration 46—The External Energy Bodies Illustration 47—

The Dantians

Illustration 48—The Human Spine

Illustration 49—Parts of the Brain

Illustration 50—Close-Up of the Glands Illustration 51—The

Electromagnetic Spectrum Illustration 52—Gap Junctions

Illustration 53—The Torus, Zero-Point Insert, and the Chakra

Illustration 54—Two-Sided Chakra (left) and the Heart’s Field

(right) Illustration 55—The Rising of Charges Illustration 56—

Bodily Areas Where Emotions Appear in Kundalini Situations

Illustration 57—A Thirteen-Chakra System Illustration 58—The Kshetram Points

Illustration 59—The Kshetram and Chakra Points in the Brain

Illustration 60—The Five Elemental Areas of the Body Illustration

61—The Five Koshas in the Body Illustration 62—The Marmani

Related to the Chakras Illustration 63—The Kalachakra Six-

Chakra System Illustration 64—The Four Taoist Forces Illustration

65—The Microcosmic Orbit Illustration 66—The Seven Chakra

Points in the Hand Illustration 67—The Seven Chakra Points on

the Foot Illustration 68—The Korean Dahnjons

Illustration 69—Pranic Healing and the Eleven Major Chakras

Illustration 70—The Kamitic Tree of Life Illustration 71—The Yoruba Cosmology

Illustration 72—The Yoruba Chakra System Illustration 73—The

“Chakra” Worlds of the Norse Illustration 74—The Zarathustrian

Amesha Spentas Illustration 75—Physical Location of the Lataf’a

Illustration 76—The Sephiroth on the Tree of Life Illustration 77—

The Chakras and the Kabbalah Illustration 78—The Taoist I Ching

and the Kabbalistic Tree of Life Illustration 79—The Seven Stones

of the Sioux Illustration 80—The Chumpi Energy Belts Illustration

81—The Hidden Thirteenth Nawi Illustration 82—The Nawis in

the Feminine Quilagos Tradition Illustration 83—

Leonardo da Vinci’s “Vitruvian Man”

Illustration 84—The Rose Cross Lamen

Illustration 85—The Rose Cross with Seven Roses Illustration 86— 

The Power of Ten

Illustration 87—The Rose in the First Chakra Square Illustration 88

—Blavatsky’s Planes Within Planes Illustration 89—The

Theosophical Constitution of the Human Being Illustration 90—

The Shape and Structure of a Chakra Illustration 91—Leadbeater’s

Chakra System Illustration 92—Brennan’s Planes of Reality and

Auric Field Layers Illustration 93—Brennan’s View of the Chakras

Illustration 94—The Twelve-Chakra System Illustration 95—

Transpersonal Chakras Illustration 96—The Hara Line Chakras

Illustration 97—The Antakarana Symbol Illustration 98—Crop

Circles and Chakras Illustration 99—Animal Chakras

Screenbook

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Book design by Rebecca Zins

Cover design by Ellen Lawson

Cover images: iStockphoto.com/41763132/© Julia Snegireva,

iStockphoto.com/30364516/© Fuet, mandala courtesy of Cyndi Dale/Essential

Energy Interior ornamental pattern: iStockphoto.com/41763132/© Julia

Snegireva Interior illustrations by Mary Ann Zapalac, Elisabeth Alba, James

Clark, and the Llewellyn Art Department Llewellyn Publications is an imprint of

Llewellyn Worldwide Ltd.

Llewellyn Publications

Llewellyn Worldwide Ltd.

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