Our journey into this world begins with a tiny bit of information wrapped up in DNA.  It is through our need, force and passion that we are able to manifest ourselves into this world.It is the same with anything we wish to manifest – it all starts with information and belief.  It is with this perspective that I’d like to describe these wonderful energy fields – called the chakras and how they serve us willingly in manifesting our reality.  It is knowing how to use these energy fields which allow us to craft a reality we want rather than be victim to a reality created unconsciously.

Much has been written about the eastern perspective of chakras but only recently has a more integrated model been developed to suit our western taste for the logical and rational explanation for these phenomena.  Both east and west agree that we are surrounded by an electromagnetic field (aka aura) which is the vehicle for receiving and sending out impulses related to various aspects of out thoughts, feelings and general well-being.  How these translate from a psychological perspective is what we’ll look at here.

Each of these seven energy centers serve as loading stations, offering different facilities we require on our journey to manifestation.  As we go on this journey we’ll load up with what we need to ensure that what we manifest is what we want.

We start at the top of the head where the first energy centre resides – Sahasrara chakra, where we derive all meaning.  We ask such profound questions such as “Who am I?” “What is my purpose?,” to the more mundane of “How does the eclipse work?”  “Why does the alarm keep going off?”  This energy vortex expands from our most inner being to the far universes and mingles with thought and information fields, enabling us to tap into whatever information we require to carry us through life.  It is here where we develop our beliefs and derive meaning – beliefs and meaning about ourselves, others and the world.  And as we know, these beliefs form patterns of thinking, feeling and behaving, resulting in us manifesting both wanted and unwanted outcomes.  It is here we develop our self-knowledge.  It is here that we believe we can craft a dream that we can manifest.    All dreams are made of pictures, so is to the next energy station we move to, in order to create the perfect picture that we want to manifest.

We find the next swirling vortex of energy in the centre of our head – Ajna Chakra.  The pineal gland powers this vortex, shining light on the pictures we create.  Here is our faculty of pattern recognition, leading to intuition and clairvoyance.  It is here we create pictures of how we want to look, how we want to be perceived, how the outside world should experience us.  It is these pictures that we send further down the system to manifest.  Are we beset with illusions or can we clearly see with clarity what we want to manifest?

With our pictures in hand, we move to the next energy vortex located in the throat – Vissudha chakra.  This center provides us the tool to communicate our pictures and their meaning.  Here we are able to share with others what we want to manifest, how we want to be seen, what we believe about ourselves, others and the world.  Can we speak our truth or do we hide in the shadow of lies which prevent us from manifesting what we have in our minds?

Now that we have communicated our truth we move to the next vortex of energy which resides at the heart – Anahata chakra – which provides us with the energy to move into relationship with ourselves and others.  It is only through relationship that we can manifest anything for ourselves.  Here we find balance – between giving and receiving, attachment and freedom, mind and body.  Are we able to dance with Eros, the force of life that allures and unites, ever mindful of Thantos, who thrives on the darkness of our lack of consciousness?  Do we sabotage our relationships, or do we acknowledge our shadows, knowing we can’t have Eros with Thantos – the balance?

Moving further down towards manifestation, we encounter the energy vortex of fire which resides in the belly – Manipura chakra.  Here we find the power-house for action, the heat and the energy to act upon the pictures in our mind and slay the dragons that lie in wait to sabotage our plans.  Or maybe we succumb, not finding the necessary willpower to manifest our dreams.

Necessary to power anything is the want to do it – the passion.  For this element we need to move further down to the next energy vortex which resides in the hips and  reproductive area – Svadhisthana chakra.  Here is the watery realm of our emotions where we find the passions that stir the soul to move us forward to what we desire.  It supplies the juiciness in our life. Do we have the necessary passion to move us or are we plagued with guilt at even daring to believe we could manifest such a wonderful dream?

With all the pictures and passions we have, we now need the ability to limit our energy, to contain our energy, in order to manifest the desire.  This takes all the energies we have carried with us from the top: the belief that we can manifest our dreams, a clear picture of what we want, our ability to communicate this picture to world, moving into relationship with others who can help the process of manifestation, sufficient power to cause action, and the passion to do it.  Do we have what it takes?

The final energy vortex which resides at the base of our spine  – Muladhara chakra – is our anchor, the roots of our dream, that if planted in fertile soil, watered properly, given the energy from the sun, oxygen to breathe and imagination and meaning to know what it will grow into, we have the makings of an ancient and foolproof process to manifest our dreams into the reality we truly desire and deserve.

Reference: ‘Eastern Body Western Mind’ by Anodea Judith for a comprehensive understanding of the Chakra System and its correspondences to western psychological theories. This is a summary of wonderful visually creative, informative, light and full of humour presentation given by Caroline Henley at YTF Yoga day of 18 November 2006. Published 1n Complete Yoga Vol 1, 2007.