Cakra — Energy Centers
The subtle energy centres of the body. Their role in yogic anatomy, in the awakening of kuṇḍalinī and in meditative practice.
Related journeys
Śivasaṃhitā 24
- ŚS 2.2There are in it seers and sages; all the stars and planets as well. There are sacred pilgrimages, shrines; and presiding deities of the shrines.
- ŚS 2.4All the beings that exist in the three worlds are also to be found in the body; surrounding the Meru they are engaged in their respective functions.
- ŚS 2.5(But ordinary men do not know it). He who knows all this is a Yogi; there is no doubt about it.
- ŚS 2.6In this body, which is called Brahmanda (microcosm, literally the mundane egg), there is the nectar-rayed moon, in its proper place, on the top of the spinal cord, with eight Kalas (in the shape of a semi-circle).
- ŚS 2.7This has its face downwards, and rains nectar day and night. The ambrosia further sub-divides itself into two subtle parts:
- ŚS 2.11It certainly swallows the vital secretions, and ray-exuded nectar. Together with the atmosphere, the sun moves through the whole body.
- ŚS 2.15Sushumna, Ida, Pingala, Gandhari, Hastijihvika, Kuhu, Saraswati, Pusa, Sankhini, Payaswani, Varuni, Alambusa, Vishwodari, and Yasaswani are the fourteen principal nadis. Among these, Ida, Pingala and Sushumna are the chief.
- ŚS 2.16Among these three, sushumna alone is the highest and beloved of the Yogis. Other vessels are subordinate to it in the body.
- ŚS 2.19Brilliant with five colours, pure, moving in the middle of sushumna, this chitra is the vital part of body and centre of sushumna.
- ŚS 2.20This has been called in the Shastras the Heavenly Way; this is the giver of the joy of immortality; by contemplating it, the greatYogi destroys all sins. The Siva Samhita – Chapter II (4) The Pelvic Region.
- ŚS 2.23In it is the supreme goddess Kundalini of the form of electricity, in a coil. It has three coils and a half (like a serpent), and is in the mouth of sushumna.
- ŚS 2.25The nadi called ida is on the left side coiling round the sushumna, it goes to the right nostril.
- ŚS 2.26The nadi called pingala is on the right side; coiling round the central vessel, it enters the left nostril.
- ŚS 2.27The nadi which is between Ida and Pingala is certainly Sushumna. It has six stages, six forces,1 six lotuses, known to the Yogis.
- ŚS 2.34The wise Yogi, having kindled this Viswanaric fire according to proper rites, should sacrifice food into it every day, in conformity with the teachings of his spiritual teacher.
- ŚS 2.36Various are their names, and innumerable are the places in this human body; all of them cannot be enumerated here. (6) The Jivatma.
- ŚS 2.41The Jiva that has accumulated an excess of good and virtuous actions receives a happy life; and in the world he gets pleasant and good things to enjoy, without any trouble.
- ŚS 2.42In proportion to the force of his karma, man suffers misery or enjoys pleasure. The Jiva that has accumulated an excess of evil never stays in peace – it is not separate from its karmas; except karma, there is nothing in this world. From the Intelligence veiled by maya, all things have been evolved.
- ŚS 2.46The illusion of the manifested (objective world) is destroyed when the Maker of the Manifest becomes manifest. This illusion does not cease so long as one thinks, “Brahma is not.”
- ŚS 2.48As long as knowledge does not arise about the stainless Manifestor of the universe, so long all things appear separate and many.
- ŚS 2.49When this body, obtained through karma, is made the means of obtaining nirvana (divine beatitude); then only the carrying of the burden becomes fruitful – not otherwise.
- ŚS 2.51If the practiser of Yoga wishes to cross the ocean of the world, he should perform all the duties of his ashrama, (the condition of life), renouncing all the fruits of his works.
- ŚS 2.54All desires and the rest are dissolved through Gnosis only, and not otherwise. When all (minor) tattwas (principles) cease to exist, then My Tattva becomes manifest. 9
- ŚS 2.56He who sees the Self through the Self itself sees nothing else here. He attains the supreme state of the Self.
Haṭha Yoga Pradīpikā 7
- HYP 1.37Firmly pressing the left heel against the perineum and placing the other foot over the generative organ, with the chin firm against the chest, senses controlled, gaze fixed between the eyebrows: this is called Siddhāsana, which opens the door to liberation.
- HYP 1.55Placing the ankles below the testicles, on either side of the perineum, with the heels firmly positioned — this is known as Vajrāsana.
- HYP 2.6When the entire nāḍī system, previously full of impurities, becomes purified, then the yogī becomes capable of retaining prāṇa.
- HYP 3.1Just as the supreme serpent (Śeṣa) supports the earth with its mountains and forests, so Kuṇḍalinī is the support of all yoga practices.
- HYP 3.3When the sleeping Kuṇḍalinī awakens by the grace of the guru, then all the lotuses (chakras) are pierced, as are the knots (granthis).
- HYP 3.30As the moon with its sixteen phases creates wonderful formations, so [Mahābandha] of supreme beauty and quality penetrates the three places.
- HYP 3.73Only by the contraction of the throat, the two nāḍīs should be firmly stopped.This is known as the middle chakra, the bundle of the sixteen ādhāras.
Yoga Sūtras of Patañjali 3
Bhagavad Gītā 2
Gorakṣa Śataka 2
- goraksha-shataka 60Donde el toro (prāṇa), atado de tres maneras, hace el gran sonido 'rauravi'; ese cakra en el corazón es conocido por los yoguis como Anāhata.
- goraksha-shataka 62Recordado por la sílaba 'vi', el haṃsa (prāṇa) es llamado puro e inmaculado; por eso, en la garganta, los conocedores de los cakras conocen el cakra llamado Viśuddha.
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