A LITTLE BIT
OF
CH A K R A S
CHAD AND AMY LEIGH MERCREE
STERLING ETHOS and thedistinctive Sterling logo are registered trademarks of Sterling Publishing Co.,Inc.
Text 2016 by Chad Mercree andAmy Leigh Mercree
All rights reserved. No part ofthis publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, ortransmitted in any form or by any means (including electronic, mechanical,photocopying, recording, or otherwise) without prior written permission fromthe publisher.
ISBN 978-1-4549-2259-9
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CONTENTS
8
INTRODUCTION: WHAT ARE CHAKRAS?
A Little Bit of Chakras introduces you to the mysticalworld of chakras, wheels of spinning energy located in specific areas of thebody. Chakras are concentrations of vital life force within the body formedwhen lines of energy running through the body overlap and cross. For thousandsof years, mystics have worked with and studied chakras and incorporated theminto a wide variety of spiritual practices. Working with chakra energy in apositive way has been linked to increased lifespan; physical, mental, andemotional health; and overall personal well-being.
Conflicting information on the number, location, and purpose ofchakras makes any comprehensive guide difficult to compile. This book focuseson the Western view of chakras found in contemporary New Age literature, asopposed to traditional Eastern mystical views. Therefore, we focus on sevenprimary chakras, running from the base of the spine to the top of the head,though we will also devote to some ofthe additional chakras written about over the last two thousand years.
Each chakra is linked to organs within the body, emotional andmental attitudes, physical health or disease, colors, sounds, psychicabilities, and many other things. Some of these associations are symbolic,others based on mathematical formulas, and some on personal opinion bywell-regarded spiritual practitioners. There is a widely held belief in the NewAge movement that energy and consciousness are the same thing, and in thissense, chakra energy also holds aspects of our consciousness. Yogis and mysticshave found many ways of working with these centers of consciousness, and wellshare some exercises and meditations to help you connect on a personal levelwith at least seven of your chakras.
Chakras are a part of a much larger human auric field. The aura isa dynamic field of energy that surrounds and permeates the human body. It is inconstant motion like a pulsating cloud, and its quality, color, and vibrationschange from moment to moment, thought to thought, feeling to feeling. Psychicsbelieve we spiritually connect to other people, the world around us, and to theentire universe through our energy body, the aura. The physical body is simplythe densest aspect of our earthly being. The aura more truly represents who wereally are and the chakras are an important part of our auras because theyconnect our dense physical and our lighter auric fields together.
Chakras are concentrated points of energy within us, and when theyare healthy, vital life energy flows through them unimpeded. When this happens,their colors are bright and clear. The opposite occurs during energeticimbalances; their colors are more dense, dark, and dull. Oftentimes whenpsychics read people they are tuning in to the quality of energy they detectwithin our auric fields, including our chakras. Just as medical doctors believewe store memories physically in our brains, though the exact mechanism has yetto be discovered, so psychics believe we store memories spiritually in ourauric field. Psychics can see memories, emotional states, and pastlivesreally all kinds of information in our auric fields and chakras.
As youll read in , the concept of chakras has been around for over two thousand yearsin India, and for thousands of years Chinese Taoists moved their chi, or vitallife force, through various stations that correspond more or less to theconcept of Indian chakras. Both systems used visualization to bring humanawareness to these points of energy found within the body, typically duringperiods of meditation. Thanks to written records, were able to see the discoveryand changing perceptions about chakras and the larger energy field surroundinghumans, the aura, through thousands of years of human history.
Between the dawn of Indian Upanishad philosophy and Chinese Taoistphilosophy and the New Age movement of today, the concept of chakras hasdrastically changed. Different religions, sects within religions, philosophers,and mystics around the world described chakras differently, and there is no oneconsensus about what they look like or even where theyre located. However,over time, ideas about chakras have brought them from an abstract visualizationto a living, breathing, integral part of human consciousness. This book sharescontemporary Western views about chakras being energy centers that influencephysical, emotional, and spiritual healing and well-being.
A Little Bit of Chakras is laid out sequentially from onechakra to the next, moving up the body from the base of the spine to the top ofthe head. We recognize seven main chakras in the body, though many minorchakras are also recognized. Chapters Three through Nine are devoted to each ofthe seven chakras. Each chakra isassociated with certain colors, organs, emotional and physical states,elements, sounds, and other things. Some people see chakras as key concepts inattaining advanced levels of spiritual development, for example, in some typesof kundalini yoga. Each chakra chapter includes exercises and meditations tohelp you connect and work with the energy and quality of a particular energycenter. Once you learn to work with the energies of each chakra, its possibleto incorporate working with them into any spiritual practice.
explores the intriguing realm ofadditional chakras beyond the primary seven. The location, importance, shape,and function of these additional chakras vary from tradition to tradition andthis book will focus on some of the more commonly recognized ones. As with thetraditional seven, you can learn to connect with these additional energycenters and work with them to bring about deeper healing, wisdom, and spiritualawakening.
Thanks to the mini-New Age movement of the late 1800s and early1900s, spiritual concepts from the East have been trickling into the West forover one hundred years. People from all walks of life and all spiritual faithshave incorporated Eastern philosophies into their lives.
We hope you enjoy A Little Bit of Chakras. The world ofchakras has a colorful past that has contributed greatly to the spiritual,physical, emotional, and mental well-being of thousands upon thousands ofspiritual seekers. We wish the same for you.
HOW TO USE THIS BOOK
Working with chakras, and the greater human energy field, canpositively impact your health and well-being. Its also a great way to get intouch with your personal spirituality. A Little Bit of Chakras
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