“Ida pinglayormadhye sushumna ya bhavet khalu,
Shatsthaneshu cha shatshaktim shatpadmam yogine viduh.”
(Shiva Samhita, 2:27)
“The nadi which is between Ida and Pingala is Sushumna. It has six places, six forces and six lotuses, known to the yogis.”
The six chakras mentioned in the Sivasamhita are as follows – Muladhara Chakra, Swadhisthan Chakra, Manipur Chakra, Anahata Chakra, Vishuddhi Chakra and Agya Chakra. The enlightened energy centers mentioned in the Yogasastra are referred to as Chakra or Padma. Physiologists and medical experts have located the association of energy centers in specific glands, called endocrine glands. Physiologists consider them to be special types of bio-electromagnetic fields. According to modern physiology, Muladhara chakra is related to the reproductive glands, Swadhisthana chakra is related to the adrenal gland, Manipur chakra is related to the pancreas, Anahata chakra is related to the thymus gland. Vishuddhi is related to the thyroid gland and the Agya chakra is related to the pituitary and the pineal gland. Endocrine glands are ductless, so these glands release their hormones directly into the blood.The secretion secreted by endocrine glands is called endocrine or hormone. These hormones reach the organs where they have an effect with blood. If any of the six chakras in the astral body remain dormant due to any reason, then it has an effect on the endocrine gland of that chakra, as a result of which the gland related to the chakra is unable to produce hormones according to the requirement of the body. Thus the diseases occur. With the regular practice of “Shatchakra Kriya”, the six chakras remain active and the endocrine system keeps on functioning smoothly and effortlessly. According to ancient Indian scriptures, the gross body is made up of five elements, known as ether, air, fire, water and earth. Tridosha arises from the imbalance of these five elements; Tridosha means diseases arising from Vata, Pitta and Kapha. There are eighty types of diseases in the human body due to vata dosha, forty from pitta dosha and twenty types of diseases due to kapha. Due to imbalance of ether and air element, vata diseases occur, imbalance of fire element causes gall diseases and imbalance of water and earth element causes Kapha diseases. The five elements of the gross body are closely related to the chakras located in the astral body. Earth element is related to Muladhar Chakra, Water element is related to Swadhisthana Chakra, Manipur Chakra is related to Fire element, Air element is related to Anahata Chakra and ether Element is related to Vishuddhi Chakra. By practicing “Shatchakra Kriya”, the five elements are balanced, which reduces the Tridoshas.
~ Acharyasri