By Cindy Fulton Carse, MA, NCTMB
According to the Vedic tradition from India, the energy system consists of chakras, nadis, marma points, and the subtle energy field (aura).
The seven main chakras (“wheels of light” in Sanskrit) are specialized energy centers that work as valves to regulate the flow of life force into the body. Each chakra has its own vibration, color and sound that resonate with particular organs, endocrines, life issues, and ways of knowing/sensing.
Life force, or prana, enters the body through the chakras and travels through the nadi system (the energy transport system within the body) to particular cells, organs and tissues that resonate with that chakra’s unique frequency. The nadis act like channels or rivers carrying our life force energy throughout the body.
Marma points, similar to acupuncture or acupressure points in Chinese medicine, are energy points with focused prana that can be used to balance the bodymind complex and treat specific health issues.
Finally, each person is surrounded by a multi-layered subtle energy field that mirrors, and helps us process, our life experience. There are varied systems for describing these layers, but it is generally accepted that there are physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual layers to this subtle energy field.