Meditation, Chakras and Energy Psychology

Many of us have come across the term ‘Chakras’ in our Yoga classes. It comes out of the Yogic or Vedantic tradition and plays an important role in physical and psychological healing and in spiritual development in the Eastern spiritual traditions. At the level of the physical body the Chakras are energy centres along the spine at the points of nerve plexuses and major glands and we usually work with them through touching, breathing into or tensing those physical areas, or their corresponding points on the front of the body. However, the major function of the Chakras is not at the level of the physical body. They can rather be seen as connecting body, mind and spirit. 

By working with the Chakras we are addressing the whole mind-body-energy system. Such work can have profound effects. While Mindfulness meditation helps us to develop more of a meta-perspective on our mind’s activities, the work with the Chakras can affect energy patterns at the spirit-matter interface. These patterns have often been created by past trauma and can form blocks that hold us back on our life journey. They are the energetic patterns that underlie our emotional responses. Whereas the mental and emotional patterns are like software, the deeper energetic patterns are more like the computer’s operating system, covering all the individual programmes and determining how those programmes work, individually and together. 

Changes at the level of the Chakras can drain our dysfunctional and distressing mental and emotional response patterns of their underlying energy.  We can then establish a new operating system which fills the inner space that has been cleared of old traumatic material; and to this effect we often use mantras (repetitive words and phrases) or positive qualities (e.g. love, compassion, courage) while we breathe into or touch the Chakra points.

In the new field of Energy Psychology a particular approach called AIT (Advanced Integrative Therapy), formerly known as Seemorg Matrix Work, utilises the Chakras in a deeply psychological way by releasing the energetic residue of traumas from them. Here is Phil Mollon’s definition of Energy Psychology (I highly recommend his new book ‘Psychoanalytic Energy Psychotherapy’, which explores this whole new exciting field of psychology):

“The psychodynamics and traumas of the mind are manifest also in the body’s energy system, with its meridians, chakras and other traditionally recognised components. When a person thinks of a target anxiety or trauma, the subjective experience in the mind and body is accompanied by a patterning in the energy system ... . If this pattern that is manifest in the energy system is eliminated, by tapping or holding a sequence of meridian or chakra points, the subjective disturbance in the mind and body (the experience of anxiety or distressing emotion) is also eliminated” (Phil Mollon, Psychoanalytic Energy Psychotherapy, p.11).

Each Chakra point has a different psycho-spiritual meaning, and there are many books on the market which go into great (sometimes contradictory) detail about this. In the context of this article I would like to introduce you to the location of the Chakras and suggest a thought for each of these energy points which represents its main psycho-spiritual function. In my next article I will give you some more Chakra exercises.

Chakra Exercise (ideally done with your eyes closed)

For the Crown Chakra put the palm of one of your hands on top of your head and breathe into and out from that point about five times. Think of your connection with the whole universe, with all of life, your spiritual connection.

For the Forehead Chakra put the palm of one of your hands on your forehead and breathe into and out from that point about five times. Think of your concentration, your will, your ability to see things as they are.

For the Throat Chakra put one of your hands around the bottom of your neck and breathe into and out from that point about five times. Think of ability to speak ‘your truth’ and also of your creativity.

For the Heart Chakra put the palm of one of your hands on the middle of your chest and breathe into and out from that point about five times. Think of love and compassion for yourself and others.

For the Solar Plexus Chakra put the palm of one of your hands on your belly just above your navel and breathe into and out from that point about five times. Think of your personal power, fearlessness and courage.

For the Sacral Chakra put the fingers of one of your hands just above your pubic bone and breathe into and out from that point about five times. Think of your passion and creativity.

For the Root Chakra touch the perineum (area between anus and genitals) with the fingers of one of your hands and breathe into and out from that point about five times. Think of being rooted and grounded on earth and in your life.

For more intensive work with the Chakras see my ‘Mindfulness and Mindbalancing Handbook’.