What is the origin of the chakra system?

The chakra system originated in India between 1500 and 500 BC in the oldest text called the Vedas. Evidence of chakras, spelled cakra, is also found in the Shri Jabala Darshana Upanishad, the Cudamini Upanishad, the Yoga-Shikka Upanishad and the Shandilya Upanishad. According to the scholar Anodea Judith in her book the Wheels of Life, knowledge of the chakra system was passed down through an oral tradition by the Indo-Eurpoean people, also called the Aryan people. The Chakra system was traditionally an Eastern philosophy until New Age authors, like Anodea Judith, resonated with the idea and wrote about the chakras, expanding upon the older texts and making the knowledge more accesible.

What is a chakra? The word is defined as a spinning disk or wheel; a chakra on the human body is a spinning disk or wheel of energy that runs along the spine. There are seven ‘main’ chakras along the spine, though some say there are as many as 114 all over the body.  The health of one’s chakras is directly connected to the health of the physical body, the mind, and the emotional wellbeing of a person.

The chakra system and yoga have been interlaced since the beginning. Dianna Lucas will be leading a workshop on Wednesday, 3/27 about chakras and yoga – click here to register!

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