Chakras : Energy Centers of Transformation

by Harish Johari

Chakras are psychic centres in the body that are active at all times, whether we are conscious of them or not. Energy moves through the chakras to produce different psychic states. Modern biological science explains this as the chemical changes produced by the endocrine glands, ductless glands whose secretions mix into the body's bloodstream directly and instantaneously. Ancient philosophers of the East related those changes with the five basic tattvas , or elements- earth, water, fire, air and akasha ( ether ). These elements are constantly coming and going with the circadian rhythms inside the body. The ancient Indian science of Yoga therefore laid great emphasis on knowing these elements and on working accordingly, for the chakras are understood as the playground of the elements. In the ancient science of Svara Yoga (the yoga of conscious breathing), various methods to identify the presence of the tattva in the body are prescribed and by mastering these techniques yogis can program themselves so as to accomplish much by using the least possible amount of energy. By the constant practice of kshata chakra bhedana (piercing the six chakras by visualization) and mantra japa (mantra recitation), they can finally transcend the tattvas, which dominate the five basic centers of the body-that is, the first five chakras-and thereby achieve the nondual consciousness that liberates them from the illusory world of maya.

Genres: Spirituality, Nonfiction, Reference

116 pages, Paperback

First published November 1, 1987

Reviews

[Kelly · Rating 2 out of 5]

Thorough and interesting, but crafted more for the serious scholar and practitioner. Background knowledge is essential.

[Judy Lindow · Rating 5 out of 5]

Chakras, Harish Johari's book of Chakras is my favorite. First, there are the beautiful drawings. The supporting black and white line detailed drawings make the concepts clear and inspiring. I find myself gazing like a child at the set of large colored plates for each chakra at the center of the book.

The content is well organized with 4 chapters: Principles of Tantra Yoga, Kundalini and Yoga, The Essentials of Chakra, and Chakras, rebirth, and spirituality. The appendix includes extracts from hindu scriptures on the various stages of yoga, a glossary, and an index.

Each chakra starts with a page of all the key indicators of that chakra: name, meaning, location, element, color, etc. Some of these identifiers are written about everywhere, like the name and meaning, however here we see 'the prominent sense', 'seed sounds for the petals' and much more detail. In addition to the 7 chakra's the Soma is included between the 6th and 7th. A detailed line drawing facing each 'fact sheet' illustrates the chakra, is similar to the large color plate for that chakra and can be colored, if you like.

There is a lot of Hindi/Vedic vocabulary and I doubt all the words in the text can be found in the glossary. This is not a dumbed down explanation of these concepts or practices. There is some overlap in content between the 4 chapters. For myself, I'm grateful for the review. I've had this book for years and there's so much information, I'll be reading and rereading it for years - not just to learn it - but, just for the joy of it.

[Koduvayur Harikrishnan · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great book to browse if you want to learn the basics of the Chakras, or the energy centres of the body, as per ancient Hindu tradition. Harish Johari explains things in a systematic manner, easy to understand. There are many useful pieces of information about each of these centres, and how to keep them ticking along for our bodily benefit. There are many books on this subject, yet this book holds its own, and that speaks volumes about the author's ability to lucidly explain complex concepts to the reader. This is a reference book and should be treated as such - not the kind of book one would erad and be done with. This contents of this book need to be regularly revisited.

[Duncan · Rating 4 out of 5]

'Put it in your pipe and smoke it'. Very difficult to consume and take on. One of the most interesting elements for me was the description of the different chakras and the major deity they are linked up to.

[Phillias · Rating 5 out of 5]

Essential

[Allyson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Recommend for someone who has already been studying energy work. The dialogue could feel overwhelming at times if this was your first book on chakras. Beautiful pictures and incredible descriptions.

[Simon Harvey · Rating 5 out of 5]

So much to gain here, not perhaps a beginner’s guide but awesome for anyone wanting to discover more in-depth knowledge of chakras.

[Cheri Flake · Rating 5 out of 5]

I didn’t really enjoy coloring this book because I’m not much of a color, but there is so much in here. It is such a great look at the chakras and the whole new light.

[Marco Sán Sán]

Pues... estoy acostumbrado a otro tipo de exposiciones de información. Aún así valoro la interpretación y síntesis del tema, muy buen insight.

[rae . *. ⋆ · Rating 2 out of 5]

too many words not enough pictures

[Bethany · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is not a fair review of this book. I'm a novice at best in Yoga. To me, reading this book was like picking up Grey's Anatomy (as an accountant), but written in sanskrit. I literally got nothing out of it. I had wanted to learn about Chakras because a psychic told me my fourth chakra was dying out... which I guess I now understand that at least. That's the chakra about faith, and that's been dying in me for quite some time... it may never recover. It also doesn't help that my copy from the library was missing at least two pages.

Basically, this book could be really helpful for someone who knows something about Yoga, dieties, and sanskrit.

[Sujata Sahni]

The book presents the ancient Vedic learnings of Yoga in a simple and easy to understand language. Helps to understand how to use the left and right hemispheres of the brain and build creative intelligence through regular practice. Also throws light on the use of the Cerebrum ( hemispheres), Cerebellum ( lower brain, mechanical) and Cerebral Cortex (upper brain, open to change) to enable transformation via Yoga techniques.

[Susan · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book provides a helpful beginning to understanding the chakras. I'm going to purchase on of the chakras coloring books available. In another lifetime, when I was in nursing school, I memorized the bones and nerves in the human body by slowly and painstakingly coloring them. I think using a coloring book will help me in my endeavors to understand more about the body's energy centers.

[Lauri · Rating 1 out of 5]

3/30/10 I started reading this book about a week ago and find it difficult to follow. I have skipped large sections filled with Hindi concepts and vocabulary that are impossible to fully grasp. Not very relatable so far. Hoping for a bit more history.

[Holly Bemis-Schurtz · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful and detailed exploration of the subtle anatomy. A must for yoga practitioners exploring the chakras. Includes amazing illustrations. Full color inserts in center are amazing. Sahasrara Chakra illustration is perfect for Face Swapping (an added bonus for the younger set).

[Dawn Anderson · Rating 4 out of 5]

AMAZING .

[Chelsea · Rating 3 out of 5]

Book 10/50.

For yoga. Very informational for those interested in the chakras AS WELL AS the different branches of kundalini yoga.

[Alexander Damian · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great

[Cherie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not my fave chakra book, but a tight focus on chakras and kundalini, with TONS of info. A must for any chakra scholar.

[Kirtida Gautam · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a must-read book for people interested in knowing about the chakra from an authentic source.