The 7 Chakra system of modern wellness and healing practices is a complete departure from the original understanding of these symbols from Indian traditions. This article will explain the true origin and meaning of Chakras and show you where the modern version actually came from (surprise–it’s not India).
1. Most People Spell and Pronounce it Wrong
It’s actually spelled cakra and pronounced “chuck-ruh” not “shock-ruh.” The “R” is rolled like in the Spanish word “rojo” (red)
2. Cakras Aren’t “Real”
A cakra is a point visualized within the body, used in rituals from the Indian traditions of Classical Tantra (no not the “sexual” tantra; that’s also a new age adulteration of Indian traditions, but this is a topic for another time). It is used as a focus point to internalize and invoke certain Tantrik deities, elements, and other energies for specific ritualistic purposes.
Well that sounds kinda similar to modern cakras, right? Well sort of, but actually no–the important difference here is that Tantric tradition utilized chakras as a visualization point to channel a practitioner’s attention and energy–whereas modern Western traditions hold that chakras are something you “have within you,” that “exist as a fact” whether or not you are aware of it. Modern tradition would say that your chakras can “go out of balance”, which is absurd to classical Tantric practitioners, because it’s understood to not be a “real thing” but an imagined visualization used only for practice.
While this is perhaps the most fundamental difference, it is only the beginning of a grand departure from the original understanding of Chakras.
2. There are Many Cakra Systems besides the 7 Cakra System
Because Cakras are part of a meditation ritual, and not a static existential fact, there can be as many chakra systems as there are meditations. Some rituals use of as few as 5 chakras, whereas others may call for 21 cakras or even more, depending on the type of ritual and its purpose. The 7 cakra system is based on a text which was mistranslated in 1918 by a Western occultist named John Woodruff. This translation formed the basis of Carl Jung’s exposition on cakras which largely influenced the evolution of the modern 7 cakra system in the West.
3. Cakras are not Associated with Body Parts, Emotions, Crystals, Colors Etc.
There is no Sanskrit / Classical Tantrik text which refers to cakras being associated with certain body parts or emotional / psychological states, whereas the modern cakra system has invented such associations for each one–for example, the root cakra is associated with the base of the spine, pelvic floor, legs and feet, and deals with survival and embodiment. Furthermore, no original texts refer to cakra associations with colors, crystals, essential oils, planets, herbs, suits of tarot, etc, despite these being referred to as fact in lauded modern cakra literature such as Anodea Judith’s Wheels of Life.
4. “Bija” or Seed Mantras Belong to the Elements, not Cakras
Contrary to the modern cakra system, seed-mantras (called bījas) are actually associated with the Elements—Earth, Water, Fire, Wind, Space—not to the cakras themselves. In their original context, elemental sounds could be “installed” in different cakras based on the ritual’s purpose. This is another example of how misunderstanding of source texts has led to incorrect conclusions like the root cakra being associated with Earth.
Where do we go from here?
Despite current cakra practices being completely different from the original ones, we don’t necessarily need to throw the baby out with the bath water. However, we do need to acknowledge that what we are calling cakra practice simply is not that–it’s something else completely–but that doesn’t make it inherently illegitimate as a practice.
Many people have found benefit from modern “cakra practices”, and we don’t have to abandon them, but we should call these practices something else to distinguish them from the actual cakra practice that originates from a tradition that is still alive today.
Potential alternative names for the realities behind these practices:
• Energy Centers
• Energy Points
• Somatic Points
• Elemental Energy Work
• Emotional Energy Work
• Cosmic Energy Work
This blog post was written by Christian Reid supported by research sourced from Christopher Wallis “Hareesh”, Sanskrit Scholar and author of Tantra Illuminated.
