The physical body is composed of a combination of five elements. These elements allow cells, tissues, and organs to manifest in the tangible realm. The chakras are the ones who utilize these elements. We can say that if the elements are colors, then the chakras are the brushes that paint them on the canvas. As we mentioned before, the Annamaya Kosha, formed by the elements, constitutes the gross physical body, while the Pranamaya Kosha, formed by the chakras, constitutes the subtler body.
Modern medicine only focuses on the physical aspect of diseases. For example, a doctor can diagnose and treat the patient’s physical body. However, if they are not knowledgeable about the energy systems, specifically the chakras on the organs, their rotational direction, and their connection with other chakras, they won’t be able to perceive the true source of the problem and thus cannot heal the root cause of the disease. Of course, through their intervention in the physical body, the patient can partially or completely heal. However, the underlying issue, which exists as long as it persists in the person’s life, will reoccur in a different form in the physical body.
To better understand this concept, let’s look at an example: Diseases that manifest in the genital area stem from underutilizing creative energy. This energy (ojas), when accumulated and not transformed according to dharma, burdens that area and causes dysfunction. It may manifest, for instance, as a wart. When the affected person surgically removes the wart, the root chakra temporarily heals. However, if the person doesn’t change their way of life and continues to underutilize their creative energy according to dharma, the wart will reappear or another disease will occur in that area. This interdependence between the koshas leads us to delve deeper into the connection between the chakras and the physical body.
As we begin to explore the chakras, we realize that everything we do holds significance. We discover that our ability or difficulty in performing certain asanas reflects the state of our chakras. Asanas that activate the physical body and play a significant role in diagnosing the Energetic Body. The inability to perform a particular asana is not due to a lack of flexibility, insufficient physical strength, or limited joint mobility. The true reason lies in the issues that the chakras are dealing with. I can hear you asking, “Don’t muscles have anything to do with it?” No, they don’t. Because the condition of the muscles is already a result of the current state of the chakras. In other words, if your muscles are inflexible or weak, it is due to blockages in your Energetic Body. The physical body is always an outcome, not a cause.
The chakra system becomes increasingly clear and understandable as we delve into its study. By working with energy, we transform our perspective on life. We start to recognize the profound meanings hidden even in the most apparent things. I would like to shed light on the areas that the chakras govern in the body. The better we understand these areas and their significance in our bodies, the more proficient we become in working with the chakras. The foot is governed by the Muladhara, the lowest chakra. It is from this chakra that energy spreads throughout the body, predominantly flowing through the feet.
Through the observation of the feet, we can easily decipher our relationship with life. We can observe our will to live or the desire for death. For example, if someone has low energy in the area of their feet, it signifies withdrawal from daily life. In such a situation, we are unable to appreciate the value of our own life and tend to engage in actionsthat put us at risk. The feet hold information about our characteristics, the path we must follow, and our past experiences. Therefore, they hold much greater significance than just supporting the body and walking. They symbolize our steps towards fulfilling our dharma and achieving stability on that path.
Taking an asana as an example: In the anatomical alignment, when the weight of the body is evenly distributed on both feet, balance is maintained by both legs together. However, in the Vrksasana, or Tree Pose, one leg takes on the role of maintaining balance.
The primary goal of this asana is to strengthen the capacity of grounding, allowing the practitioner to confidently and steadily tread their path of destiny. Through the asana, both visible and abstract balance is developed on the field of dharma. Maintaining balance in this pose gives us the ability to maintain balance in life and on our path of dharma. We practice not only a single yoga posture but also the ability to “stand firmly on our feet” and the strength that enables us to endure in life, regardless of internal and external factors. Similar to the unseen but sturdy roots of a tree that provide support and resilience to its visible trunk.
