“It was when I stopped searching for home within others and lifted the foundations of home within myself, I found there were no roots more intimate than those between a mind and body that have decided to be whole.” – Rupi Kaur
We love to think that the unconscious mind is a great modern discovery. Not so! Only the term unconscious mind is new. The fact that there lies beneath the surface of conscious thought a realm far larger and more influential has been understood for a very long time.
Every myth you have ever heard that involved entering a cave, dropping to the bottom of the sea or a bottomless lake, journeying into the land of the dead, getting stuck in the belly of a whale, and stories of dragons, demons, 3-headed dogs, and even creation stories with land emerging from the deep, have all been referring to the murky territory we now call the unconscious mind.
All the techniques of mediation, yoga, and other esoteric practices, in their original form and intent, have all been methods for making the unconscious conscious. And they have been consistently successful at doing just that.
In the process of developing these techniques, many different models have been created as teaching devices to help the student come to terms with forces that can not be directly observed.
One such model is the Chakras.
Located in the energy system of the body, the Chakras are often represented by colorful, swirling balls of light. Missing from most of our modern renditions and new age posters is the snake, which is actually the most important part of the whole symbology.
The snake, an animal that sheds its skin and literally becomes a new creature, represents the rising of consciousness from being purely animal or instinctual into the spiritual realms.
In the instinctual realm, we are nothing more than animals. We have no more say in our lives than a dog or a snake.
- 1st Chakra – Survival above all else is the function at this level, the will of the group is paramount
- 2nd Chakra – Individuality, the infantile “I am the center of the universe” energy of the child
- 3rd Chakra – Identity, the “I” that resolves the inevitable conflict between the 1st and 2nd and creates the desire for status, recognition, and position. This is what we now call the ego.
Notice that each of these has a very different function than the others. Not only are they different but they are also downright contradictory and they are all unconscious. No one creates or controls these. This is the nature of life itself.
It is here in these first three chakras where we find almost all of our traumas, wounds, karma, and problems of all kinds.
When we move beyond the initial three chakras found at the base of the energy system and examine all the chakras as a whole, we can see that they are grouped into three areas of the body. Each grouping focuses on specific traits and issues within our physical realm.
- The Lower grouping: These map our instinctive tendencies, conditioning, and karma, what we now refer to as unconscious
- The Upper grouping: These represent ever-increasing conscious awareness and connection to our true source and nature
- The Middle: The heart represents not only the crossover point or place of rebirth but how our rebirth as a new creature is brought about. Love!
When we delve into the world of chakras, we can begin a healing journey of self-acceptance. Understanding what each chakra deals with, and stores within it, can help you remove your inner conflict and move to a place of inner peace.
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