The External and Internal Kalachakras

According to ancient yogic traditions, two major time wheels called kalachakras are continuously at work maintaining our existence. The external kalachkra represents the macrocosmic forces and is an external zodiac comprised of the planetary zodiac ( the seven planets) , the elementary zodiac (elements, weather, seasons, weeks, sun and moon phases, lunar mansions, etc.) , and the constellation zodiac ( the twelve zodiac signs ). The external kalachakra represents the science of creation-the cosmology and anatomy and physiology of the universe.

The external kalachakra is reflected on the microcosmic level by the internal kalachakra of the human body . This internal zodiac is composed of seven energy centres or chakras which are fed by the universal energy carried in every breath or prana we take in and disseminated throughout our bodies via the system of airways called nadis . The chakra which is Sanskrit for "wheel" is so named as it is said to look like a spinning wheel of color and light. Prana meaning "pra", first and "ana", food is the primordial food. It is the vital food that animates the human body, giving life and activity to all mental, emotional and physical processes. Kirpal Singh describes prana as the "sum total of all energy that is manifest in the universe, the sum total of all the forces in nature." This "life" energy , carried by the specialized energy centres ( chakras ) located throughout the human body, is absorbed and distributed to our cells, organs and body tissues.

Prana

There are seven types of prana which emanate from the solar wind and sunlight . These generate prana cycles in the earth's atmosphere, creating the seven seasons and the seven hours of the day. It is these seven types of prana that are found within the seven chakras in the human body. Each is associated with a particular chakra, organ and tissue layer. The internal kalachakra - the yoga chakras system or the Chakra Tree of Life is turned on and off by interaction with the external kalachakra.

Chakras

The quality of the solar pranas vary hourly, daily, weekly, monthly and yearly and are also influenced by geography, levels of pollution and weather conditions. All these factors are communicated to our seven internal energy centres or seven biological vortex clocks that generate major biocycles. Each major chakra is directly linked to a particular part of the body as well as to a specific hormone-producing gland and system of bodily nerves. These energy centres influence the glandular and organ systems of the body by turning them on and off. The chakras, however, are much more than regulators of physiological functioning in the body's endocrine glands. The chakras are also seen as spiritual and emotional processors of energy. Each chakra records different emotional events and traumas that we are affected by throughout our lives. We store various kinds of "emotional memories" in these wonderous centres. Chakras function as emotional and spiritual energy transformers which input a coded energetic message used by our bodies to pass along biological information that ultimately contributes to wellness or dis-ease. Every moment of every day as we breathe in the energy or gross prana of the universe we remain continuously connected to the macrocosmic energy. When uninterrupted this connection which is carried throughout the body in the form of subtle prana, nourishes and sustains us and we experience good emotional, mental and physical well being. When interfered with, we experience periods of ill health.

The Lotus Flower

The seven chakras are also called the Seven Lotus Flowers of LIfe since the lotus flower is the universal symbol of life, harmony, purity, health and growth. In Buddhism it is a symbol of enlightment. It is further associated with mental and spiritual perfection, love, passion and compassion, the victory of the spirit over the senses and the victory of intelligence, wisdom and knowledge. In fact it is said that the universe itself may be unfolding in the shape of a cosmic lotus flower.The seven chakras or lotus flowers form an integral part of our link with the soul.

Each chakras can be seen as having a composition similar to that of the petals of the lotus flower. The seven chakras together contain fifty-two lotus petals, representing the fifty-two weeks of the year, and the fifty-two days in each of the seven seasons of the year. They represent the fifty-two letters of the Sanskrit alphabet and the sounds of the Sanskrit letters.

Review

Life, according to yogic philosophy can thus be seen as a manifestation of cosmic time cycles, an expression of the macrocosmology within us . The external kalachakra of the universe and the internal kalachakra , the microcosmology of the human body are reflections or mirror images of one another.The position of the sun, moon, stars and planets influence our health by creating varying configurations in atmospheric conditions which we, in turn , breathe in for dissemination throughout the chakra system. The seven chakras which receive the prana are named after the seven planets which directly influence them. Each centre carries the characteristic mental, emotional and physical attributes of one of the planets. It is this process that forms the basis for Yoga medical astrology. Thus within man lies the sum total of the universe. Due to its symbolic association with the Lotus, the system of determining our inherited health predispositions and lifetime health tendencies from the information given through the kalachakras is also referred to as Lotus Medical Astrology.

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