In sanskrit, chakra means wheel or cycle. The first description of chakras appeared in ancient Hindu teachings, as early as the 3rd millennium BCE. They would become central to Tantric spiritual traditions including Yoga that grew out of Hindu philosophy from the 2nd century CE.
Hiroshi Motoyama in Theories of the Chakras presents this summary of the chakras, from a gross, subtle and causal perspective:
“The three body/mind sets exist and operate in different dimensions, each maintained by the type of prana (vital energy) necessary for and appropriate to that dimension. This does not mean they are separate entities, but rather that they are parts of an organic whole. Each body-mind has within itself energy centers for controlling the flow of prana and a system of energy channels. These channels are called nadis, and the centers controlling them are known as “chakras”. In the physical body, the channels are represented by the cardio-vascular, lymphatic, and acupuncture meridian systems,* and the centers are represented by the brain, the nervous plexuses, and the acupuncture points. The corresponding centers and channels of all three bodies are closely interrelated.
Besides being a control center in each dimension, a chakra works as a center of interchange between the physical and the astral, and between the astral and the causal dimensions. Through the chakras, subtle prana in the astral body can be transformed, for instance, into energy for the physical dimension, thereby providing the physical body with essential life energy. “
P. 22. * Acupuncture Meridian System: In acupuncture theory, developed in China, Ki or vital force is considered to circulate in the human body through a systematic network of energy channels. These channels are usually re/erred to as “meridians”.
