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A Sanskrit concept passed down orally for approximately 1,000 years before being written for the first time in the Upanishads in 1200-1900 BCE, the word “Chakra” means “wheel” or “turning,” for the wheel-like vortices which, according to traditional East Indian medicine, exist in the etheric double of humans. Chakras are depicted as flowers or wheels; in both cases a certain number of petals or spokes divide each chakra circle into segments.  Part of many different therapies and disciplines—aromatherapy, mantras, Reiki, hands-on healing, flower essences, radionics, and sound/color/light/crystal/gem therapies–acupuncture, shiatsu, tai chi and chi kung focus on balancing the energetic meridians that are part of the chakra system.

Chakras are force centers, whorls of bioenergetic energy, emanating from the major nerve ganglia, branching forward from the spinal column. Focal points for the reception and transmission of energies, six of these wheels are stacked in a column from the base of the spine to the middle of the forehead; and the seventh is beyond the physical realm. Hindus and New Age spiritualists believe the chakras interact with the body’s ductless endocrine glands and lymphatic systems to correlate with basic states of consciousness.

What do chakras have to do with belly dancing? Belly dancing alone, with its undulations and shimmies, engages all the chakras at once. Each one of the seven chakras is related to a given color and crystal/gem. Intentionally wearing a certain color of costume with beads and crystals will affect the dancer and the dancer’s audience. Let us examine each one separately:

Shagasrara: The Crown Chakra
Symbolized by a 1,000-petal lotus flower; located at the crown of the head; represents pure consciousness, similar to the pituitary gland. Violet symbolizes inner wisdom, bodily death; release of karma; physical action with meditation; mental action with universal consciousness and unity; and emotional action with beingness. Gems: Amethyst and clear quartz. The dancer choreographing these concepts will dance with shamadan and purple candles, meditating before/during her show.

Ajna: Brow Chakra
Symbolized by two-petal lotus, corresponds to white, indigo or deep blue. Also Bindu or third-eye chakra, linked to pineal gland, a light sensitive gland that produces melatonin, regulating sleep and awakening. Issues are balancing higher/lower selves, trusting inner guidance; access to intuition. Deals with clarity on an intuitive level; kundalini serpent power. Gems: Amethyst/Aquamarine/Lapis Lazuli/Clear Quartz The Ajna dancer is the snake dancer, wearing a bindi between her eyebrows, snake tattoos, and watered silk tie-dye fabric.

Vishuddhi: Throat Chakra
Symbolized by 16 petal lotus, related to communiction and expression; parallels the thyroid hormone, responsible for growth/maturation; light/pale blue/turquoise. Independence, fluent thought, spirituality, sense of security. Gems: Amethyst/Aquamarine/Lapis Lazuli/Clear Quartz. This dancer may teach formally or unconsciously through her performances; a writer or speaker, she will really feel all the cymbals’ rhythms.

Anahata: Heart Chakra
Symbolized by 12 petal lotus; related to thymus in the chest; immune/endocrine systems, site of T-cell production for disease resistance; affected by stress. Green or pink colors. Key issues are complex emotions, compassion, tenderness, unconditional love, equilibrium, rejection and well-being. Governs circulation, unconditional love for self and others, passion and devotion. Gems: Rose Quartz/Ruby. The dancer who loves all forms of Middle Eastern dance will be love-power based, passionately performing folkloric/ethnic/cabaret/ATS and gothique.

Manipura: Solar Plexus Chakra
Symbolized by 10 petal lotus, color yellow. Related to metabolic, digestive systems, pancreas, outer adrenal glands/cortex–conversion of food into energy. Key issues: personal power, fear, anxiety, opinion formation, introversion and emotional transformations—all matters of growth. Gem: Citrine. She feels good in all shades of gold and yellow, good troupe leader and understanding friend. Her favorite dances would be historically correct, traditional expressions of women in all cultures through history; Persian, Uzbek, Gawazee, Felaheen, heiroglyphic.

Svadhisthana: Sacral Chakra
Symbolized by a lotus with six petals, color orange; the ovaries, genitourinary system and adrenals. Key issues: relationships, violence, addictions, basic emotions and pleasure, reproduction, creativity, joy and enthusiasm. Gem: Carnelian. The ultra-sexy dancer, undulating in ways that move everyone around her; feels alive in orange and expresses that livingness in her dancing, very happy doing floorwork and balancing dances.

Muladhara: The Base Chakra
Symbolized by a lotus with four petals; related to instinct, security, survival and basic human potential, this center is located between the genitals and the anus, relates to fight-or-flight response; kundalini snake and red. Key issues involve sexuality, lust and obsession, governs stability, emotionality and security. Gems: black onyx, obsidian. She dances with verve and exotic abandon, the dancer who can do layering shimmies, with a sword on her head, and look you in the eye.

If you want to determine what your chakra balance is; take the test at http://www.eclecticenergies.com/chakras/chakratest.php/chakradotest.php and learn more about yourself and your abilities to shake your chakras! Consider wearing a rainbow costume and dance with all the chakras at once… “Shimmy from the Heart.” Comments? jherico@cox.net

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