Yoga Beyond Belief: Insights to Awaken and Deepen Your Practice

Body
and
The Kiss of the Yogini
, 5 historically trace the development of the chakra system through the ages.
    Philosophers and sages have debated about the origin of spirit and matter and the nature of consciousness for eons. Did consciousness arise out of matter? Did spirit or consciousness create matter? Or are they actually one and the same? The age of science has given much weight to the former argument—that consciousness evolved out of matter. The materialist viewpoint argues that the interaction of elements, energies, and sunlight created ultimately the chain of life from plants to what we call life’s paragon—humankind, with its self-reflecting intelligence. Religious people have argued the opposite—that spirit brought matter into being. There seems to be no way to prove or disprove either position. The chakra model, however, shows consciousness and matter to belong to one interdependent continuum. Consciousness, or spirit, seems to require matter to express itself or to be known. Even an envisioned or perceived pure spirit realm containsa material component. To have shape, structure, space, and difference of any measure requires a defining structure. Which came first, matter or consciousness? It is possible that they are mutually embedded in each other. Matter, energy, spirit, and consciousness may be part of one interdependent interplay.

The Chakras’ Relation to Science
    The system of chakras refers to a metaphysical or mystical aspect of yoga and Eastern philosophy. Being esoteric, the theory is difficult to prove or demonstrate and therefore easily lends itself to misinterpretation and misconception. Therefore, I would like to present an explanation of the chakras that is useful and practical (though less mystical) for the practice of yoga. After a number of years of study and experimentation with the esoteric aspects of this energy system, I began to see some direct correlations between the chakras, science, and various levels of experience and being. This proved to be congruent with mystical and spiritual levels as well. Early training in physics and science allowed me to find common ground between spiritual philosophy and scientific knowledge. I found correlations between the ancient chakra mapping, the energy-matter continuum, the periodic table of the elements, and the structure of the body.
    The chakra system moves in ascending energy levels from earth, or solids, to cosmic energy. In a somewhat similar manner, the periodic table of elements charts how high energy coalesces down level by level from light, to gases, liquids and finally to matter. The chakra system can be seen as a holographic reflection of the cosmic continuum from matter to energy. It can also be used to map and explore the correlations of the movement from energy to matter with different levels of consciousness.
Holographic
has come to refer to phenomenon where the properties of a greater whole are contained or reflected in the parts. A
hologram
is a three-dimensional image madeby the coherent light of lasers. Each part of the hologram, a holographic photo, contains information for the whole image. Fractals, geometric patterns that are repeated at ever smaller scales, are similar to holograms and are found in nature. For example, some ferns are generated by the plant repeating the same geometrical patterns, which build and combine to make the final plant structure. Each part contains the formula for the whole.
    The word
chakra
means “wheel” and refers to certain
wheels
or
balls
of energy in the subtle or psychic body. Many ancient yogis believed that our physical bodies are animated by an energy body or astral body composed of subtle energies. This subtle or astral body is in turn created and animated by the field of consciousness. The chakras are seen as nonphysical energies that cannot be measured directly but that can be felt and experienced. To illustrate this concept, we might repeat the experiment from Chapter 7 : Let your arm hang and swing freely from your torso over the edge of a chair or table, then withdraw your active consciousness from your arm and let it swing loosely like a pendulum. When the energy is withdrawn, the arm seems inert and almost dead. You can animate the arm again by directing your consciousness and energy back into it, even lifting it or swinging it forcibly. This is a simple way to feel how consciousness and the energy body is activated and withdrawn in your arm.

Seven Energy