Big apologies, chakras too

photo from Unsplash.com 

The Universe and I were definitely NOT in sync.

To cut it all short - dastardly worldwide virus, computer not working, and phone not co-operating, so I was unable to film my talk on the chakras. I was totally gutted over this. 

To my utter amazement, there were heaps of friends awaiting at the appointed time, to hear it. Aroha mai - apologies. Biggest of apologies, actually.

I would like to blame something psychic on all of this, but yeah, no. I'm quite sure that if I had asked astrologer daughter the big question: why!? She would have told me what was happening in the heavens. And when it would lift. But I didn't do that. Saturn, the planet of hard lessons, was obviously in full swing. Best just to lay low until it passed.

Chakras

I am quite eager to dispel some myths about chakras. In my short intro talk with the panel of Global Unity Festival, I mentioned how a lot of the accepted modern information about chakras was from Carl Jung. One of my yoga clients who was interested in learning the deeply spiritual practices of yoga, was a psychiatrist. She was 100% unimpressed when I told her this. She told me that Jung had psychotic episodes, and in those times would lock himself in a tower. Now, I don't know if that was actually true, but I took it on board, anyway. 

Jung culled bits of chakra and kundalini information, from ancient Tantrik texts, as translated by Arthur Avalon (Sir John Woodroffe). In particular, Mahanirvana Tantra, The Great Liberation. Jung used a book by the same author, The Serpent Power, as well. Plus another translation of ancient teachings, of which I've forgotten the name.  Sir John was English, and a Judge during the era of The Raj, in India. British Imperialism. 

The two sources - Jung, and the Mahanirvana Tantra translated, were merged by a large yoga ashram decades ago, and became part of The Normal for chakras. A groundbreaking book was written in the mid 1980s, called Kundalini Tantra, from said ashram. I still have a copy from then. But to be honest, it's been years since I looked at it. It cost $99 USA back then. It was a very beautiful book. Parts of it are good, but some... (!) The practices for the chakras are very good, though. Yoga teachers got hold of it, and started "teaching" from it. I used to say to them: "you need to practice what's in the book to have any real authority about chakras". But no, read it and then one becomes a bloody expert. 

Let's read anything and then start "being" a font of knowledge about whatever. So dishonest. Sounds like what Carl Jung may have done ..... 

I've been rereading the Mahanirvana Tantra, and Carl Jung's explanation of the chakras. I'm quite gobsmacked at the Jungian influence, though. He put forth his view of the psychological influence of the chakras, which are, to put it politely - just plain weird. And added other "spiritual" "explanations" to the chakras. Honestly, I recommend to ignore supposition such as this, as they almost always are wrong. But people do keep doing this. 

It's against some of the main principles of yoga, in particular truth, and also constant practice. Yoga is to be practised, not theorised. And this is how we gain our own invaluable knowledge.

Another old book source was also used as a major chakra source by said Ashram. Kundalini Tantra by Swami Sivananda Saraswati. I have this book! It's one of my most prized possessions. It is fantastic. You might be able to find it in full online, as Sivananda Ashram in Rishikesha frequently has released wonderful yoga teachings online, for free. Other of Swami Sivananda's books may also have been used. I really don't know, though. 

Quite fascinating how things come to be accepted as The Authority. I was quite wary during my ashram days, as I knew that at spiritual discourse times, we were often being subjected to our teachers point of view. I'm sure that this is so, worldwide.

I'll let you know when my chakra talk is online.

** link to a post about the heart chakras, here 

** another post on chakras, here

** post about everyday hints for living in truth, here