Understanding The Chakras For Tantra Practice

When practicing tantra, understanding the chakras and what each of them represents is very important. The chakras are basically the centres of core energies that direct everything we do in our lives. A tantra master must help his students understand the significance of each of these centres and how they come into play in the course of tantra instructions and practice.

The chakras are aligned along the spinal column, and the kundalini energy that you so often hear of flows along and between them. When you look at a chakra chart, you will see that each chakra are defined by a specific symbol and colour.

Every chakra is also the seat of certain drives or responses within our bodies. In the life of an uninitiated person, the flow of energy invariably gets road-blocked at one of the chakras, leading to strife in relationships and a disrupted inner and also physical existence.

The first is the Muladhara chakra, located at the perineum in the pelvic area. Depicted in red, it represents all our basic physical drives and quests for nourishment, shelter and overall security. When this centre is clear and grounded, we are able to take care of all our basic needs and are basically stable in the physical realm.

The second is the Svadhishthana chakra, located in the genitals. No prizes for guessing that it is the centre of the human sexual drive. Given the colour orange, it is responsible for procreation and the continuance of our race, but also for the bliss we derive from sexual union. With sufficient tantra practice under a qualified tantra teacher, this chakra – which is often subverted and blocked by insecurities and wrong impressions – opens up and becomes clear. This leads to more balanced emotions.

The third is the Manapura chakra and is situated in the navel. Assigned the colour yellow, this is the centre of power and energy and is also closely linked with how long we survive in the physical realm. From this centre comes self-confidence to achieve things, to progress and to attain independence in most things.

The fourth is called Anahata chakra, and is seated in the heart. From here emanates everything that is normally understood as ‘heart-felt’ – generosity, love, empathy for others and worshipfulness. Given the colour green, this chakra can be blocked by negative impressions, experiences and conditioning. When this happens, we tend to live small, superficial and selfish lives and are prone to die soon of diseases of the heart. In the course of your tantra instructions, your tantra teacher will guide you in specific tantric techniques that will open up this centre and align it with all the others.

The fifth is the Vishuddha chakra, located in the throat and assigned the colour violet. It is from here that we speak the truths we have learned. When this centre is blocked, we can actually feel it as a physical sensation commonly known as a lump in the throat. In such a situation, we are afraid to speak because we are not certain of what we know. Tantric practice opens up this chakra because what we have suspected or known only intellectually becomes experiential truth backed by full conviction.

The sixth is named Ajna chakra and is seated in the pineal gland. Often called the ‘third eye’, this is the seat of spiritual awakening, growth and self-realization. Given the colour of light blue, this is the seat of our intuition, meditation and self-awareness.

The seventh is called Sahasrara chakra and is located in our cranium. It is the seat of mindfulness and knowledge of the workings of the world and the worlds beyond. In the most spiritually advanced people, this chakra is an empty space that is open to the secrets of the cosmos. Represented by a golden white colour, this is the nexus of enlightenment and supreme consciousness.

As you learn tantra from your tantra teacher, these chakras become unblocked and allow spiritual energy and awareness to flow without obstruction. It cannot happen overnight and requires much practice, but it is possible for every genuine seeker to attain perfectly aligned and connected chakras, which is a pre-requisite to spiritual progress.

Acharya Subhojit Dasgupta is a Tantra Teacher with deep knowledge of traditional Indian sciences. Visit his tantra online guide for Tantra Lessons from this young Tantra Master.

Guidance Of The Tantra Teacher During Kundalini Awakening

The importance of a tantra teacher extends beyond that of the role of an instructor – he is a spiritual guide. It is important that the tantra master is not perceived as a spiritual authority figure. Such a model is indeed redundant and in fact can hinder the process of learning tantra. He is an adviser and a guide – the person who, thanks to his knowledge of the esoteric tantra teachings – can smooth the path towards spiritual self-actualization.

The tantric master certainly plays a very important role during kundalini awakening. In the first place, this advanced process of self-realization and spiritual empowerment is only reached after a long process of tantra instructions. For awakening the kundalini, the student of tantra will have had to display a high degree of understanding of and compliance with the instructions given by the tantra master.

Attempting to awaken the kundalini without the guidance of a gifted tantric teacher is a path fraught with peril. As we all know, the process has driven people to the brink of insanity – they were simply unprepared for the unleashing of such intense tantra energy. The mind, body and spirit need to be in perfect attunement and alignment for this.

One can draw a rough parallel between unguided kundalini awakening and a LSD trip gone badly wrong. Back in the late ’60s and early ’70s, when this powerful hallucinogenic drug was most popular, people who took their first dose often used ‘LSD guides’. These guides stayed at the person’s side and gently reassured him or her that they were not going insane, that it was normal to feel what they were feeling and that all would be well.

This is probably not the best way to describe the role of the tantra master during the ultimate awakening of spiritual energy within the pupil. Though the effects can be devastating in their impact, they do not come from an artificial source. The kundalini energy that is unleashed lies dormant within all of us. It is the opening of the chakras to such an extent that it can course freely through us that can have such a profound and even mind-shattering effect.

It is certainly true that it is inadvisable to attempt to learn tantra without the guidance of a proficient tantra master. But attempting to tap into the deepest wellsprings of spiritual energy without such guidance is not merely inadvisable – it is folly. Only someone who has been there before, who knows what is happening and what lies ahead can suitably guide this process.

Ancient tantra holds mysteries which the untutored mind cannot fathom. There is distinct potential for severe trauma during spiritual awakening, and the process must not be attempted without the presence someone who can expertly help in navigating the strange feelings and reactions.

Acharya Subhojit Dasgupta is a Tantra Teacher with deep knowledge of traditional Indian sciences. Visit his tantra online guide for Tantra Lessons from this young Tantra Master.

The Transformative Power of Chakra Awakening

Awakening the chakras is an important and integral part of learning tantra. Opening the pathways for tantric energy to flow is a must if one wishes to make any progress at all. However, do not be under the impression that awakening the chakras is merely a mystical tantric practice.

In fact, anyone who has reached a higher state of consciousness, either by diligent study and observation or by spiritual practices, has awakened chakras. He or she has evolved beyond base instincts and desires and sees the world with compassion, mercy and love. There are specific tantra rituals and meditation techniques used to achieve this state of being.

Is chakra awakening really necessary? Can one not go directly to the more ‘interesting’ aspects of tantric lore? Many false tantra gurus will offer such a path. They are playing on people’s base, craven desire for sexual thrills and are often ignorant of the spiritual basis of ancient tantra. Countless tantra students have been led astray by such false teachers. These students often approach the entire subject with reverence but eventually abandon in disgust, even more conflicted than they were before.

Ancient tantra is primarily a science of spiritual awakening, and this includes – among many other things – chakra awakening. When you learn tantra from a genuine tantra teacher, you are first and foremost embarking on a journey of self-discovery. The process of awakening the chakras is a process of accelerated mental, spiritual and even physical evolution.

No matter with what erroneous preconceptions you have approached your tantra master to begin with, they fall away like dead scales when your chakras are awakened by rigorous practice. The new, awakened slef has no use for the old ways – it is too enraptured by what it sees with new eyes and perceives with a whole new set of senses.

If you have never been initiated into the secrets of the tantric sciences, consider yourself as you are now. What are your desires? What are your ideals? How do you see yourself in context with the world around you? Are you free of biases, free of hatred and self-loathing, free to an uninhibited exchange of energy with another? Very unlikely. Your chakras – those pathways along which spiritual energy flows and blossoms – are blocked and your perceptions are numbed.

In the process of chakra awakening under a genuine tantra teacher, the world you exist in undergoes a miraculous change. Hatred falls away and love takes its place. Prejudices die and are replaced by compassion. Fear vanishes and is replaced by calm conviction. Importantly – base sexual desire vanishes and a worshipful attitude towards your mate arises. You are, in a very real and tangible way, reborn.

Awakening the chakras is an exact tantric science that involves specific tantric rituals and practices. You can only learn these under the patient guidance of a true tantra teacher. Are you ready to be reborn? Will you invest the time, effort and sacrifice required of you to shed your old self and become a spiritually awakened being. The path awaits… all you need to do is take the first step on it.

Acharya Subhojit Dasgupta is a Tantra Teacher with deep knowledge of traditional Indian sciences. Visit his tantra online guide for Tantra Lessons from this young Tantra Master.