Chakras in Yoga Tradition: What the Texts Say

‘Tis the season to light candles, decorate trees, spin dreidels, honor ancestors, exchange gifts, listen to Handel’s Messiah (or Mariah Carey), and, apparently, contemplate questions about chakras.

A mysterious synchronicity in the questions I receive occurs from time to time. This time, the synchronicity revolves around the mystery of chakras, as several people have asked me the same questions (more or less) over the last few days:

“Are chakras really referenced in the yoga tradition or are they products of modern imaginations?”
“Are they real or symbolic?”
“Is meditating on chakras just fashionable woo-woo for urban Goopers, an esoteric exercise for forest-dwelling ascetics, or does it have a practical role to play in a modern yoga practice?”

Having been assured by at least one correspondent that my take on the topic is more trustworthy than the equivocations of random yahoos on the interwebs, here’s my take on chakras:

First, chakras and related subtle energy systems are definitely a part of the yoga wisdom tradition.

To the best of my knowledge, the earliest references to chakras as energy centers through which a practitioner systematically ascends for the sake of achieving liberation appear in the Chāndogya Upaniṣad (8^th to 6^th century B.C.E.):

“There are one hundred and one subtle prāṇic channels emanating from the heart. One of these — the suṣumṇā — extends to the top of the head. By passing up through this channel, one transcends death. The other channels lead in all directions, to various kinds of rebirth.” ~ CU 8.6.6

The Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (also known as the Bhāgavata Purāṇa, 9^th to 10^th century C.E.) contains a similar reference:

“Among the followers of the methods set forth by great sages, those with less refined vision worship the Supreme as present in the region of the abdomen, while those with more refined vision worship Him as present in the heart, in the subtle center from which all the prāṇic channels emanate. From there, O unlimited Lord, these worshipers raise their consciousness upward to the top of the head, where they can perceive You directly. Then, passing through the top of the head toward the supreme destination, they reach that place from which they will never again fall to this world, into the mouth of death.” ~ SB 10.87.18

Traditional commentaries on this verse emphasize the high degree of difficulty in perceiving the Supersoul — the personal form of Universal Consciousness — within the region of the heart, and go on to say that

““Novice meditators often practice focusing on the Supersoul’s secondary presence in one of the lower centers of vital energy, such as the mūlādhāra-cakra, at the base of the spine, the svādhiṣṭhāna-cakra, in the area of the navel, or the maṇipūra-cakra, in the abdomen.” ~ SB 10.87.18 p

The Bhagavad-gītā gives additional weight to the commentary when Krishna refers to himself as the Supersoul in the abdominal, heart, and higher energy centers associated with cognitive functions:

“I am the fire of digestion within the bodies of all living beings, and I am situated within the outflowing and inflowing air of life to balance the digestion of the four kinds of foodstuff. I am seated deep within everyone’s heart and from me come remembrance, knowledge and forgetfulness.” ~ BG 15.14-15

Later texts appearing in various threads of the Vedic yoga tradition map these subtle energy systems out in greater detail. Different traditions also cite differing numbers of chakras.

Which brings us to the second point: traditional yoga philosophy is emphatically metaphysical and yogic practices are meant to purify the senses so that metaphysical reality becomes perceptible to the practitioner.

I personally reference the chakras, koshas, and yoga’s conception of a metaphysical reality as the foundation for our physical experiences in my guided meditations, yoga classes, and philosophy workshops.

I also use them as focal points in my personal practice to develop an awareness of where the energy in my body feels deficient, excessive, or balanced, and how I should adjust my practice accordingly.

So, this holiday season, when you see light emanating from a flame atop a candle, you can think of your maṇipūra (jewel) chakra, and how your own sense of purpose connects to the purpose that the candle’s flame represents.

When you decorate a tree, you can think of both your mūlādhāra (root) chakra and your sahasrāra (crown) chakra, and remember how yoga offers us a conception of simultaneous connection to the earth and vertical transcendence that reflects the symbolism of the tree.

Whether spinning dreidels, honoring ancestors, exchanging gifts, or listening to the music of the season, there’s a way to connect a chakra to the experience and deepen your appreciation for the pluralistic, non-denominational nature of yoga.

It’s yet another way that yoga connects us to one another, no matter what holidays we celebrate.

Wishing you all good fortune,

– Hari-k

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