Chakras: Tradition Verses New Age

Traditionally Chinese medicine relies on the model beliefmeditation to arouse the energy, and encourage it to
that the human body is an energy system, consistingflow back up through the increasingly subtler chakras,
of seven chakras located through the body on auntil union with god is achieved in the Sahasrara
horizontal line from the Root chakra on the genitle area(crown) chakra at the top of the head.
up to the Crown chakra at the top of the head. TheIt is believed that the energy of the chakras is
New Age movement has created an increasedcontinuously flowing (like a stream), if it is not
interest in Western cultures including the chakras.respected and given the proper care then the energy
Some people in New Age practices claim that therecan become blocked (by a dam). For instance when a
are chakras, besides the seven major ones, forchild gets and ear ache it could be caused by a
instance, ear chakras. Although it cannot be provennumber of things ranging from physical illness or a
that this is entirely untrue it is certainly up for debate.damaged ear drum. But physicians tend to over look
People from the East and West who study or tap intothe chakras energy system which could be blocked
the chakras energy system know that there is acausing the tissues in the ear to break down. To ease
correspondence between the position and role of thethe discomfort in the child's ear many doctors will
chakras, and those of the glands in the endocrinemask the pain with medication. But the inflammation
system. Each chakra is responsible for differentcan be reduced simply by placing a hand over the ear
aspects of the body just like each organ is responsibleand concentrating on the corresponding chakra. As the
for its own functions.energy pulses through the blockage it will allow the
The chakras are described in the tantric texts asbody to heal naturally.
Sat-Cakra-Nirupana, and the Padaka-Pancaka, whereIn the end it does not matter which set of beliefs you
they radiate an electrical consciousness, an energyfollow, all that matters is that you treat your energy
which pours down from the spiritual like the suns rays.centers with the same care and respect that you
They then create these distinct levels of chakraswould treat any other part of your body. when you
(simular to oil settling on top of water), which eventuallycan find balance in your life it becomes much easier to
settle in the Muladhara (root) chakra. This energy thatfocus less on the negative and more on what is
came into creation, called the Kundalini, will lie coiled andpositive.
sleeping until it is taped into through tantric yogi, reiki or