Developing an awareness of your body and the subtle energy that flows through it will not only lead to a greater understanding of the chakra system, but to greater overall peace and empowerment. Few people take the time to pay attention to their bodies, beyond the basics of hunger, pleasure, etc.

Throughout your day pause to reflect on how your body feels. Straighten your spine, relax your shoulders and hips, and allow any feelings of flow or presence to arise.

Don’t visualize or force any imagery at this time. Simply pay attention to what is here, in your body.

Holding your hands in front of you, elbows bent, palms facing upward, is often a great way to experience the subtle body. You may feel a sense of presence or warmth in one or both hands; explore this, allowing the sensation to move and change as it will.

Close your eyes and focus on how your body feels. Do you feel or sense a very subtle stirring within?

With practice you will be able to move the sensation from your hands into your arms, chest, and anywhere else you choose. Also you will, with time, be able to feel the warm glow of presence originate from sources other than the palms of your hands.

This simple exercise is highly effective for tuning into your body’s energy meridians. At first don’t try to focus your attention on any specific chakra point or pathway; just allow whatever feelings and presence that occur to be and grow.

This should lead to an increased awareness of your chakra system, and of improved sensory perception like sight and hearing. Also you may become more intuitive as a result of these observation sessions.

Certainly people with eating disorders or smoking habits are very likely to strengthen their resolve to quit by paying sincere attention to the body. Likewise if you are overweight or unwilling to get physical exercise when you begin these sessions, it’s possible you will become spontaneously interested in getting more exercise.

Practice basic body awareness throughout the day whenever you want. Eventually your overall state of alertness will raise to the point where you are always tuned in to what your body is feeling and communicating to you.

Basic meditation actually brings numerous benefits. Reduced tension, improved focus and sensory perception, inner peace, happiness, empowerment, and much more can be achieved with simple meditative practice.

But for purposes of this article, meditation is a great way for increasing your awareness of the chakra points. By engaging in simple breath observation meditation you will begin to sense your body’s subtle energy system.

Over time, simple meditation will still your mind. As this happens you will naturally begin to sense each of your chakra centers.

Some people feel their chakra points as warm areas, while other people simply know they are there. Exactly how you become aware of your subtle energy will depend on your individual personality and the way you normally perceive the world around you.

And once you become more aware of your chakra system you can begin to focus on specific meditations for each chakra, if you desire. It’s not necessary to ever do this, but many people find it a useful practice for remaining in balance or for addressing specific energetic needs.

You can learn to meditate by visiting our basic meditation tutorial here.

The best way to understand the chakra system is to think of it like a network of energy channels and power centers that exist between the physical and spiritual aspects of human health. The actual chakra points are located throughout the body in correspondence with nerve centers and important parts of the endocrine system.

While not yet accepted by Western medicine, the chakra system is an integral part of acupuncture and other proven studies. Chakra knowledge was, according to ancient Vedic texts, discovered thousands of years ago.

Originally, the chakras were thought of as centers of consciousness. Today, most descriptions refer to chakras as points of “power” or “energy”.

Study of this esoteric system continues to this day, and modern theories include discoveries made as recently as the 20th century. There are many schools of thought surrounding the human chakra system, and specific ideals and functionality vary quite a bit from one method of study to another.

However, unlike many other spiritual studies, discrepancies rarely result in bitter disputes. It is commonly accepted that, because human beings continue to evolve, the chakra system can expand and change across the span of generations.

Because the chakra system is very much driven by the powers of thought and consciousness, participants can enjoy tremendous benefit even from minimal exposure. Chakra knowledge can be integrated into any health regimen, any religious practice, and any spiritual study. You don’t need a special ceremony, the permission of any guru, or a college degree to begin reaping the immense rewards this ancient and beautiful knowledge has to offer.

Most Yoga programs will give you a hands-on introduction to the chakras. Additionally, there are a number of breathing and visualization exercises that will help you become acquainted with the chakra system.

Many ancient forms of spirituality embrace the chakra knowledge at some level. You can even experience the flow of chakra energy through the metaphysical study of semi-precious stones and an examination of crystal healing philosophy.

I recommend you explore various informational resources to learn the specifics of the chakra system, and focus on the content that resonates with your intuition. Check out my complete chakra system or chakra points education portal for further research.