How do Energy Centers/Chakras Affect Physical Organs, Glands?

May 3, 2010
Subha Ekambaram

Chakras are Invisible Spinning Wheels of Energy - greyloch

Chakras are invisible energy centers that control various physical organs and glands. There are seven major chakras connected by meridians called nadis.

Chakras are spinning wheels of energy centers in the human body. There are seven major chakras documented in many spiritual traditions including, Tibetan Buddhism, Hindu scriptures – Upanishads, Taoist yoga philosophies and in western alchemical tradition.

Every human being is said to have an energy body along with the physical body. The ancients say that the chakras serve as a bridge between the physical and energy body.

What are the Functions of the Energy Centers or Chakras?

Chakras seek to maintain the energy balance in the human body and optimize the function of every gland and organ. It's believed that these energy centers keep the life force energy — which is variously called Prana, Chi and Ki, in various eastern traditions — flowing unfettered and evenly distributed.

The lower six chakras serve as the energy components to enable bodily functions of cognition, respiration, circulation, digestion, reproduction and excretion. The brain has an additional center that controls the functioning of the whole being.

Chakras and Their Physical Counter Parts

There is a direct relationship between energy depletion in the chakras and disease symptoms in the physical organs or system of organs. Though not an exhaustive list, the basic relationship, between the energy centers and some of their physical counterparts, is described below.

Base Chakra (Muladhara) – Related Organs are large intestine, rectum, kidneys. Controls the adrenal gland and excretion system.
Sacral Chakra (Swadhishtana) – Affects the bladder and kidneys. Controls the testes, ovaries and reproductive system.
Solar Plexus (Manipura) – Affects the liver, stomach, spleen, small intestine. Controls the pancreas and digestive system
Heart Chakra (Anahata) – Heart and the arms are the physical equivalents of the heart chakra. The thymus gland and the circulatory system is controlled by this chakra.
Throat (Visuddhi) – Lungs and throat and the respiratory system comprising the thyroid and parathyroid glands are affected by the functioning of the throat chakra.
Brow (Ajna) – Brain and the pituitary gland is the physical equivalent of the brow chakra.
Crown (Sahasrara) – The whole being is controlled by the crown chakra. The pineal gland is directly involved with the functioning of the crown chakra.

How are the Chakras Connected to Each Other?

Just as the physical body functions as a whole unit with the functions of the various organs and systems being interdependent, it's believed that the energy system of the chakras also functions as an interconnected network. One chakra being out of balance affects the the other chakras and systems as well.

The channels that connect the chakras are called meridians or nadis. The most important of meridians - sushumna runs along the spinal cord of the human body. Two other important meridians are ida and pingala. The meridians serve as a conduit for the passage of prana or chi.

In many ancient eastern traditions, healing of the physical body involved allowing the life force energy to be unblocked in an affected chakra. Practices of yoga, pranayama, qi gong, tai chi, acupuncture also are centered around the energy model of promoting free flow of pranic energy along the energy meridians.