Anahata Chakra

In many schools of yoga and in the
esoteric ritual tradition known as
tantra, the anahata chakra is one of
the six psychic centers (chakras)
believed to exist in the subtle body.
The subtle body is an alternate
physiological system, thought to be on
a different plane of existence than
gross matter but with certain correspondences to the material body. It
is comprised of a set of six psychic
centers, which are envisioned as
multi-petaled lotus flowers running
roughly along the course of the spine,
connected by three vertical channels.
Each of these chakras has important
symbolic associations—with differing
human capacities, different subtle elements (tanmatras), and different seed
syllables (bijaksharas) formed from
the letters of the Sanskrit alphabet,
thus encompassing all sacred sound.
Above and below these centers are,
respectively, Shiva (embodying awareness) and Shakti (embodying power),
the two divine principles through
which the entire universe has come
into being. The underlying assumption behind this concept of the subtle
body is thus the harmony of macrocosm and microcosm, an essential
Hindu idea since the time of the mystical texts known as the Upanishads.
The six chakras are traditionally
listed from the bottom up, and the
anahata chakra is the fourth. It is visualized as a twelve-petaled lotus located in the region of the heart. These
petals each contain a seed syllable
formed from a letter of the Sanskrit
alphabet, in this case the first twelve
consonants. On a symbolic level, the
anahata chakra is associated with the
circulation of blood throughout the
body. It is also identified as the bodily
seat for the subtle element of wind,
the action of which (through the operation of the five vital winds known as
pranas) is believed to be responsible for
circulating things through the body. For
further information see Arthur Avalon
(Sir John Woodroffe), Shakti and Shakta,
1978; and Philip S. Rawson, The Art of
Tantra, 1973.
34
Amritanandamayi