Chakra
Also known as: Energy centers, Subtle energy wheels
Sanskrit: चक्र (chakra), meaning 'wheel' or 'disc.'
Chakras are subtle energy centers described in yogic and tantric anatomy, traditionally numbered at seven along the spine from the base to the crown of the head. Each is associated with specific qualities, glands, and psychological themes, and is used as a focus for meditation, breathwork, and energy practices.
The seven major chakras, Muladhara (root), Svadhisthana (sacral), Manipura (solar plexus), Anahata (heart), Vishuddha (throat), Ajna (third eye), and Sahasrara (crown), are not physical structures but are described in the subtle-body model shared across Hindu and Buddhist tantric traditions.
Classical tantric texts, notably the 16th-century Sat-Chakra-Nirupana, describe seven primary chakras along the spine, each linked to a Sanskrit seed sound, a number of lotus petals, an element, and a psychological theme, from grounding and survival at the root to unity consciousness at the crown. Modern popular culture has attached specific colors and crystals to each chakra, associations that postdate the original texts by centuries; the classical tradition treats chakras as centers of subtle energy and psychological function explored through direct meditative experience, not objects that can be photographed or physically measured.
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Related Terms
Kundalini
Kundalini is a subtle energy described in yogic and tantric traditions as lying dormant, often symbolized as a coiled serpent, at the base of the spine. Through practices such as pranayama, asana, and meditation, this energy is said to be gradually awakened and directed upward through the body's subtle channels.
Nadi
Nadis are the subtle energy channels described in yogic physiology through which prana is said to flow. Classical texts describe thousands of nadis, with three considered most important: Ida, Pingala, and Sushumna, which form the basis for many pranayama and kundalini-related practices.