Eastern Insights
Questions & Answers
Seymour Koblin
"Eastern Insights" is a question and answer forum to show how to integrate Eastern health philosophies into Western lifestyle. Seymour Koblin has been practicing the Eastern Healing Arts since 1979. He apprenticed with Master C. K. Chu of the Tai Chi Chuan Center of New York. He graduated from the Shiatsu Education Center of America. He is certified by the Kushi Institute and is a senior member and state-coordinator for the American Shiatsu Association. Seymour practices and teaches Shiatsu/ Acupressure, Tai Chi Chuan and nutrition at the Institute of Health Sciences in Pacific Beach (619)581-9429.
What is the Chakra?
For thousands of years in traditional cultures the "Life Force" or "electromagnetic energy" of the human body has played an important role in medicinal and spiritual practices. In the western world, with its analytical orientation, acknowledgment of this Life Force has been very limited. In fact, western perception of its existence is limited to extreme states, e.g., feeling "wired" from too much coffee, "sugar highs" and feeling "buzzed" from drugs or alcohol. However, more people understand the importance of increased sensitivity to the energies of the Universe. Consequently, more are discovering the body's energetic nature.
The Chakra is seven major centers that lie along the body's central energetic core (also called the primary channel), from the crown of the head to the groin. These centers are the source of vibration and energy for all body mechanisms.
The first chakrum serves as the entrance point of the earth's upward centrifugal force/yin energy. This chakrum governs our physical, instinctual nature, e.g., our sexual, procreative drive. The seventh chakrum serves as the entrance point of heaven's downward, centripetal force/yang energy. This chakrum governs our conscious universal integration, e.g., spiritual understanding. Heaven's force and earth's force are attracted to each other. They seek each other along the primary channel, collide and express themselves at the remaining five chakra centers.
Each of these five centers manifests the outward characteristics of our ever-changing condition. For example, our second (hara) chakrum governs physical movement, balance, and vitality and plays a great role in influencing our elimination and reproductive functions. This area is also a reservoir for chi (internal energy). If our reservoir is filled with good quality energy, it will flow into the higher centers.
The third chakrum (solar plexus) governs our desires, our "hunger for life." It influences our stomach, pancreas, spleen, liver, gallbladder—the assimilative functions.
The fourth chakrum (heart) governs our emotions and influences heart and lung functions. Its position (midpoint on the primary channel) determines its role as bridge between physical and spiritual experience. So often people feel frustration, anger or sadness because a physical or mechanical problem prevents them from experiencing their higher spiritual selves. This drains the heart chakrum.
The fifth chakrum (throat) governs our ability to communicate. The sixth chakrum (third eye) governs mental balance and foresight. Many are trying to achieve "health, happiness and harmony." They would like to experience a sense of freedom in their lives. If we clear the primary channel and cultivate the charge in these energetic centers, we will be able to clearly see and feel the unity of physical and spiritual balance.
How do we attend to the chakra? Each person manifests his own unique energetic expression; thus each must find his own path. For instance, two people may have emotional anxiety and chest pains (heart chakrum imbalance). One overeats, thus keeping all her energy in the lower chakra. Her body has no chance to channel energy upwards for it is constantly digesting. The other person is intellectual, but he is frustrated because he cannot ground his ideas. For the first person, diet is the major fulcrum for change. With the second person, spending some time in the garden could prove to be the catalyst for change.
Also, one emotion may stem from different energetic imbalances. Anger, for instance, may come from the frustration of failing to communicate with others (throat chakrum). Anger could also stem from the frustration associated with feeling mentally imbalanced or being out of tune with one's surroundings (third eye chakrum). Because the possibilities are endless, diagnosis is very important. The following are some practical ways to observe our condition. As with any form of diagnosis, remember that it is the difficulties caused by weakness or imbalance, which create growth, change and future strength. So be grateful for any imbalances you may detect.
I) Go through each chakrum's governing function and ask yourself or a partner what your energy is like in that area. E.g., fifth chakrum: "How well do I communicate?" "Are there things I would like to say, yet don't know how to say them?" Compare yourself to others.
II) Lie flat on your back and place your hand on each chakrum, breathe slowly and experience what each center feels like. There may be excess or absence of vibrational motion, cold or heat, or pain. Which area felt the best to touch?
III) Observe body structure and language. Is your chest open or closed (heart/emotion indicator)? Do you cross your arms over your solar plexus when you stand? Maybe you find yourself commonly holding your palms arms down covering (protecting?) your sexual organs.
IV) The chakras vibrate at different frequencies that correspond to color wavelength. Is there a color you never or always wear? What chakrum does it correspond to? (See chart) What about the way you decorate your home? What do these signs tell you?
All of us have imbalances. It can be a good experience to recognize and work on these imbalances. This way we can better tune ourselves and thus receive and project high quality vibrations.
Tools for Transformation:
Diet: The foundation for our blood and all body cells! Root vegetables influence which chakra? How about greens?
Exercise: Yoga? Gardening? Aerobics? Trampoline jumping? Which chakra would each of these influence most?
Meditation: Sunset meditation or meditation at high noon? Chanting low or high frequency syllables? Channeling sexual energy or tantric meditation compared to third eye rapid breathing meditation? Which energetic centers would benefit from the different practices?
Activities: Working at a desk or working as a landscaper? Going to the movies or dancing? Which chakra would each of these activate?Everything we do will emphasize the activation of our different energy centers. It only remains for us to decide how to use our daily activities to influence the quality and rate of our growth.
Use your judgment to decide how you would like to change and the rate you are comfortable with. Above all, always accompany your knowledge with <MIS>compassion for yourself and those around you.
Address questions for Seymour Koblin to Eastern Insights c/o Mystic Moon, 8818 Troy St., Spring Valley, Ca 92077 | 
