There is a great deal of theory and belief directed at what the etheric body and chakra system is. Generally, each theory states that the etheric body circulates energy. There is the belief that the root cause of all disease is a lack of energy in the etheric body. This energy is vital to our mental, emotional, and biological wellbeing. Almost every eastern healing modality (alternative healing) is built on this belief. Yoga, Thai Chi, Reiki, Qigong, Shiatsu, acupressure, acupuncture—they all work with this energy, stimulating it, unblocking it, and transforming it.
The Chakra System
The etheric body is governed by the chakra system. The human body is made up of several systems that work in cooperation to maintain its homeostasis (balance). The endocrine, digestive, lymphatic, muscular, circulatory, and other systems are not separate; they weave in and out of each other creating one intergraded system. Just as the circulatory system circulates blood through the body, the chakra system circulates energy.
The word “chakra” means “wheel.” Seven primary chakras line up along the spine from the coccyx bone to the top of the skull. There are also several smaller chakras throughout the body. Each of these wheels spins, circulating energy through every cell in every system.
Each chakra governs a major organ or gland. They affect other attributes like emotions, intuition, reproduction, connection to others, self-esteem, self-expression, and so on. Conflict, loss, fear, anxiety, stress, physical issues, medications, traffic, and any number of life’s difficulties can create an imbalance in the chakra system. Also, like the intervertebral discs in our spine, if a chakra goes out, the one above and below it will eventually become dysfunctional as well. Eventually this creates a domino effect through the entire chakra system. This is why it’s a good thing to keep it balanced.
Reiki & The Chakra System
Just as an artery can get clogged or damaged, so can an energy pathway. Just as the heart can become dysfunctional, so can a chakra. The Reiki Method can raise the vibration of the chakra system. Thereby restoring it to homeostasis. This brings balance to the parts of the physical and etheric body with which the chakra is associated. This is why a blocked energy pathway can affect the entire body.
The Reiki Method works on both the “symptom of imbalance” and the “root issue” that is creating the imbalance. While energy work, movement, and mediation repair damaged chakras, they can become imbalanced again after being repaired. The reason for this is that the underling cause of the imbalance has not been addressed. Consider someone who suffers from low self-esteem. Bringing that person’s body to a higher vibration of energy is only one step in the process of repair. Counseling, self-inquiry, life changes, and self-care are also needed. Bringing body back to a state of balance means looking at the body as a whole. Which means all its attributes must be considered, mental, biological, and etheric.
Western Medicine & The Etheric Body
Western medicine does not include the body’s energy system in its account of the human body. Because of this, the chakra system is often treated as if it is separate from the other systems. Chakras are approached from a metaphysical or “New Age” perspective. Easterners see it as just another system in an integrated whole.
Anyone who watches a youtube video on the circulatory system is bound to see a dramatic difference from a video presenting the chakra system. Unfortunately, it is this metaphysical/New Age presentation of the chakra system that keeps it from being accepted by the western medical community. Regardless, women and men throughout the western profession of medicine are beginning to adopt different energetic modalities to assist them in helping others heal.
Given how much our ability to detect energy has grown over the past twenty years, the day may finally come when the chakra system will be listed alongside the body’s other systems by western medicine.
