The Chakra System and Modern Levels of Development Part 2

Yoga Leaflet 3

Last month I briefly outlined how the ancient chakra system can be integrated into modern developmental psychology, both as a path to the Self from an evolutionary/psychological and a spiritual perspective. It is difficult to do justice to the essence of the chakras in two pages. One excellent book by Anodio Judith is "Eastern Body, Western Mind", subtitled : Psychology and the Chakra System as a Path to the Self.

Another name for chakras is "sacred centres to the Self". These centres are often symbolised as a rainbow bridge which allow for a journey through several dimensions of our inner nature to our (larger) Self. It is a transformative journey through consciousness- across a vital, energy bridge- connecting and integrating spirit and matter, mind and body, inner and outer. The journey is symbolised to move through the colours of the rainbow and is in essence a quest for wholeness and the renewal of our collective spirit.

The Kundalini or sleeping serpent Goddess, which according to yoga philosophy lies at the base of our spine(energetically speaking as a potential force), moves her way through the chakras in a transformative dance along this bridge. On our journey through life, the chakras are the energy wheels along this axis mundi- the central axis of the world that runs through the central core of each of us. This process (journey) takes the vehicle of the Self along our evolutionary quest through the chakras to reawaken and reclaim our divine and true nature. In short crossing the rainbow bridge is a mythic metaphor for the evolution of consciousness, which also spans the cultures of East and West.
The chakra system then is a seven-levelled philosophical model of the universe, which has come to the West through the tradition and practice of yoga.

Yoga is a discipline designed to yoke together the individual and the divine, using mental and physical practices that join our everyday and spiritual lives. This goal is achieved by passing through steps of ever expanding consciousness.The chakras represent these steps. Chakras are said to have a location, although they do not exist in a physical sense; it is a centre that receives, assimilates and expresses life force energy. Based on their location in the body, the chakras have become associated with various states of consciousness, archetypal elements and philosophical constructs. The lower chakras are related to the more practical concerns of our lives, such as survival, movement and action. They are ruled by physical and social law.
The upper chakras represent mental realms and work on a symbolic level through words images and concepts.
Each of the seven chakras has also come to represent a major area of human psychological health, which can be briefly summarised in the following characteristics.
1. Muladhara Chakra- survival
2. Swadisthana Chakra- sexuality
3. Manipura Chakra- power
4. Anahata Chakra- love
5. Vishuda Chakra-communication
6. Ajna Chakra- intuition
7. Saharara Chakra- consciousness
Metaphorically the chakras are related to the following archetypal elements:
1. earth, 2. water, 3. fire, 4. air, 5. sound, 6. light, 7. thought.

Modern Psychology adds to this through its extensive research.
Last month I mentioned Ken Wilber's masculine and feminine aspects of the chakras, the lunar and solar dimensions which converge at a higher level (Ajna Chakra).
For instance in chakra 3(power), women tend toward power exercised communally or socially (Do it this way or I won't talk to you!) Males tend toward power exercised autonomously (My way or the high way).
Carol Gilligan in her book "In a different voice" points out that both men and women tend to develop through 3 or 4 stages of moral development. Pointing to a great deal of research evidence, she notes that these 3 or 4 moral stages can be called pre-conventional, conventional, post-convential and integrated. Both men and women move through these hierarchical stages, each having a higher capacity for care and compassion.
Male logic or a man's voice, tends to be based on terms of autonomy, justice and rights, whereas women's logic or voice tends to be based on terms of relationship, care and responsibility.
Men tend toward individualism, women tend toward communion.
An example she gives illustrates this.
Boys are playing baseball and a boy takes his third strike, he is out and begins to cry.
The other boys stand unmoved until the child stops crying. If a girl is around she will usually ask for him to be given another try. The girl wants to help the crying boy, she wants to connect and heal. This drives the boys nuts. For them this game is an initiation into the world of rules and male logic. Gilligan suggests that the boys will therefore hurt feelings in order to save the rules; the girls will break the rules in order to save the feelings.

It is at the fourth and higher stage of moral development that the masculine and feminine voices in each of us tend to become integrated. This does not mean that a person at this stage starts to loose the distinction between masculine and feminine and become some sort of bland androgynous, asexual being. In fact, masculine and feminine dimensions might become intensified. It means the individual starts to befriend both the masculine and feminine modes in themselves, even if they characteristically act predominantly from one or another.
17 September 2012
Marjolein Gamble
(It might be help-full to reread the previous leaflet as some people found it complex, and this may make it clearer).



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