I’ve started exploring the concept of Chakras. My current understanding is that a Chakra is a region of high nerve density.

If you think of the nervous system as the information freeway infrastructure of your body, a Chakra would be a high traffic junction.

Every Chakra is associated with a certain group of emotions. My mom forwarded a WhatsApp message to me which presents the following mapping-

Chakra Trait Muladhara/Root Enthusiasm & Boredom Swadishthana/Sacral Creativity & Sex Drive Manipur/Solax Plexus Generosity, Jealousy, Joy & Greed Anahata/Heart Love, Fear and Hatred Vishuddha/Throat Grief & Gratitude Ajna/Third Eye Anger & Alertness Sahaswara/Crown Bliss

A few interesting points come up from observing this mapping.

The positioning of various emotions makes intuitive sense to me. I’ve felt grief and gratitude in the throat and fear in my heart.

It’s intriguing that emotions are grouped with their complements. Gives credence to the idea that the answer to Fear and Hatred is Love.

It’s even more intriguing that ‘Bliss’ is on its own — perhaps alludes to the idea that in a state of complete Enlightenment, you feel only Bliss.

I find it fascinating that Sex drive & Creativity are grouped together. It reminds me of a couple of things. Firstly, a conversation I had with a friend I made at Burning Man. She introduced me to the idea of polyamorous monosexuality — which involves being in loving, emotionally connected relationships with many people while having an active sexual relationship with only one. Further more, the sexual relationships she maintains are with partners she is collaborating on projects. I remember this conversation vividly because it goes completely against societally accepted ideas about “keeping work and love separate”.

Secondly, it also reminds me about societal stereotype about artists having a high sex drive.

This exploration is aligned with a belief I hold. I believe that Western medicine has messed up by treating the brain and the body as separate entities (mind-body duality). I have a few reasons for holding this belief-

1. From a system theoretic perspective, given that the brain and the body are part of an interconnected system, it seems incorrect to address them independently

2. I’ve noted the interconnections via a few experiences — exercise causing changes in emotion via changing brain chemical balance, link between physical sensations and emotions per Vipassana/Buddhist literature

   I suspect the term ‘mental wellness’ shall eventually expand from ‘brain health’ to ‘health of the nervous system’.

I’m curious to hear from those who’ve read more into this than I have. What benefit has an understanding of Chakras brought to your life so far? What practices have you inculcated in your routine on the basis of this understanding?