I spent about two years thinking about the spiritual powers which are the constituents of the Ecology of the Soul, how many there should be and what they should be. Among my research notes is a file called ‘total powers list.doc’ which had 58 of them at the last count. Clearly I couldn’t use all those, and many of them overlap anyway. So it came down to seven. You know, days of the week – maybe I should structure the book (The Ecology of the Soul; Unlock Your Seven Powers of Spiritual Success) so it is useable as a ‘mental/spiritual breakfast’, a food-for-thought manual that you dip into every day. Seven is also a beautiful number, lucky for many, and with many resonances. Of course I was familiar with the Chakras from long ago, but I swear, honest to God, I didn’t research them again until long after I had settled on the Seven Powers. When I did look at them, I was astonished and uplifted to find that those seven powers are more or less directly equivalent to each of the seven Chakras.
The Chakras: Body, Mind and Spirit (Soul) working on each other
You probably know the Chakras, or at least know about them. It doesn’t take much background reading to understand that there are many different versions of this particular brand of wisdom, and that those many different versions appear in most of the Eastern spiritual philosophies that involve meditation and the ‘mystical’ experience. Essentially they are understood as energy nodes in the body that have an affect on, and are affected by, specific areas of your physical, mental, emotional and spiritual being. Having at least a passing acquaintance with them really helps you make the leap from physical to non-physical experience, because you start right there at a specific part of your physical body, focus on it and very soon become aware of its mental, emotional and spiritual energy. The image of the meditator with all seven of his or her chakras lit up and glowing is a powerful and profoundly compelling one. Kundalini yoga is a kind of meditation which focuses on the power of the Chakras, awakening the ‘energy snake’ inside you. But we don’t have to go there – not yet, anyway.
Briefly (and probably arguably), this is how the Chakras and the Seven Powers of Eco-Mentalism work together:
1. The Power of Connection
Sahasrara, the Crown Chakra, ‘honors spiritual connectedness’. It deals with the release of karma, meditation, universal consciousness and unity, ‘beingness’.
2. The Power of Focus
Ajna, the Brow Chakra, or ‘third eye’, ‘honors the psychic’. It governs the balance of the higher and lower selves, trusting inner guidance, intuition, visual consciousness and clarity.
3. The Power of Communication
Vishuddha, the Throat Chakra, governs communication, independence, fluent thought, and a spiritual sense of security.
4. The Power of Love
Anahata, the Heart Chakra, governs circulation, unconditional love for the self and others, passion and devotion.
5. The Power of Endurance, Sustenance
Manipura, the solar plexus Chakra, ‘honors the life force’, the Ch’i. It governs digestion, personal power, expansiveness, and spiritual growth.
6 The Power of Creativity
Swadhisthana is either the sacral or the spleen Chakra, depending on where you look. It governs reproduction, creativity, joy, and spiritual enthusiasm.
7 The Power of Nature
Muladhara, the base or root Chakra, governs sexuality, stability, sensuality, and spiritual security.
An understanding of the Chakras, like the practice of Yoga, isn’t necessary. But it helps. How you can re-awaken your own personal powers is the subject of this book, and, I hope, the inspiration for a new way of life based on mental and spiritual harmony, inner peace and profound fulfilment. The payoff is very practical. It’s about Doing. But we can’t fix the Doing until we fix the Being (no do-be-do-be-do jokes, please). So that’s where we start. Enjoy.
I read the following with Doing pronounced like “boing” and “Being” pronounced like “Bing”:
“But we can’t fix the Doing until we fix the Being (no do-be-do-be-do jokes, please). ”
It helps eliminate the possibility of do-be-do-be-do jokes. Doing like boing, and Being like bing.
Nice one, M Benesi. Sorry I didn’t really twig that this was a real comment from a real person until now. (Most of the comments we get are from automated spiders trying to sell perfume or Viagra.) Yep, LOL. I actually prefer it when ‘Being’ is pronounced like ‘Boing’, so you get ‘Doing’ (the sound of a bell, or even of a one-handed bell as it were, with no clapper, like the Zen one-hand clap) and ‘Boing’ (rhymes with nothing but itself. And of course ‘Doing’). But it gives us a giggle, and hey, us spiritual types have to remember to have a laugh now and then, right? Otherwise it’s all too deadly serious.
Excellent post at The 7 Spiritual Powers & The 7 Chakras. I was checking continuously this blog and I’m impressed! Very useful info specifically the last part 🙂 I care for such info much. I was seeking this certain info for a very long time. Thank you and good luck.