The minor chakras

According to the yoga tradition, the chakra points along the spine are five, another is in the forehead area and one above the skull. In addition to the seven chakras mentioned, there are many others, called " minor chakras", which constitute a veritable energy network with nodal points scattered throughout the body. One can be more or less skeptical with respect to the theory of energetic vortexes traceable in the body, but it is undeniable that there is a clear correspondence between the map of the chakra points and the endocrine glands.

Clean the chakras

It is good to let the light of the morning sun and the perfumes of the flowers enter the chakras. For those who practice yoga or are approaching the discipline, a panacea for the chakras is the "salute to the Sun" ( Surya Namaskara ), an ancient technique that includes twelve movements aimed at unblocking all the chakras and collecting the powerful energy of the Sun. Let's not forget the effect of colors on the chakras; each color has a different influence on our physical, spiritual and mental body.

But what is really fundamental for chakra cleansing is inner cleansing . Think of your interiority as a light bulb; if dust is deposited on the surface, the light is weak, poor. Metaphorically, light is the energy that allows us to accept the challenges and make the most of what every single day has to offer, while the dust is the negative thoughts, the actions are not suited to our true ego, the powerful forces like, to example, fear, which if not exploited in a reactive sense, invalidates actions and immobilizes intent.

To "keep the light bulb clean", you can talk to yourself (even aloud) or imagine having a truly dialogical relationship with the "divine", whatever that word means to you.

Drinking alcohol in high quantities, eating meat with a certain frequency, not practicing physical activity regularly and, in general, overeating, work, sex or lack of sleep and continuous tension: all this weakens the body's energy.

Want to know what the 7 main chakras are and where they are? Then find out here!

Chakra reference manual

If you want to delve into the question of chakras and yoga explained to Westerners, Google Books offers many pages of the Manual of kundalini yoga. The theoretical and practical bases for self-development for use by Westerners of Swami Sivananda Radha, perhaps one of the most beautiful texts ever written on yoga, chakras and their functioning.

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