Introducing Chakras

Now this is new stuff for me, a whole new world really but the book was recommended by someone whose opinion I respect so I gave it a go and found it very inspiring. The book is called: "Eastern body - Western mind. Psychology and the chakra system as a path to the self" by Anodea Judith.
It is ancient knowledge.
She says: "The Chakra system describes the energetic structure through which we organize our life force: a seven level philosophical model of the universe. A Chakra is a wheel and refers to the spinning sphere of bio energetic activity emanating from the major nerve ganglia branching forward from the spinal column."

So basically we have 7 Chakras located in our body, in a straight line from our pelvic area to the crown of our head and each is linked to a developmental age. They each have Identities, issues, elements, colours, rights, demons and archetypes.
The energy flows then up and down in our body from the more grounding aspects (survival, sexuality, power), upwards towards the consciousness chakras: love, communication, intuition and cognition.
What we can do is recognise issues which are plaguing us, trace them to their respective chakras and work on releasing the energy stored there enabling it to flow freely between the upper and the lower spheres.
There was something deeply grounding in working through this book and the information is shared with practical tips and suggestions which I found very helpful.
There are also some wonderful quotations she uses to support the understanding. Here is a quick overview of the seven Chakras:

Chakra One, is Survival
Element: earth, colour: red, right: to be here

Chakra Two Sexuality
Element: water, colour: orange, right: to feel
"E-motions are energy in motion, if they are not expressed, the energy is repressed." John Bradshaw

Chakra THree Power
Element: fire, colour yellow, right to act
" If we deny the child the right to act or assert herself as an autonomous being, then we lead her to question that right throughout her life. We need to guide without suppressing the delicate, emerging ego."

Chakra four: Love
Element : air, colour green, right to love
"In order to have intimacy, we first need to have a sense of self. We need to be able to love our own self enough to offer it openly to someone else."

Chakra five: Communication
Element is vibration, colour blue, right to speak
"The narrowest passage within the whole chakra system, the throat is literally a bottleneck for the passage of energy. Only when mind and body are connected do we have true resonance.If we do not express the vibration, the impact is stored in the body as stress."

Chakra six: Intuition
Element is light, colour: indigo, right to see
"Pattern recognition requires the ability to see simultaneously into past, present and future." Vision leads us forward, illusion holds us back."

Chakra seven: Cognition
Element is thought/consciousness, colour is violet, the right to know
" To realize one's universal identity is to recognise our many identities as suits of clothing. They are clothing that I can put on and take off when appropriate because they are not the sole statement of who I am."

The quotations alone here could fill many a blog. Food for thought.
There is so much more but maybe these little tidbits will whet your appetite to finding out more about the power of the Chakras and how we can use that knowledge to become more fulfilled and whole with free flowing energy in our lives.
Let's make it happen!