The 12 Chakras
You may be familiar with the 7 major chakras of the human body. But did you know that some chakra systems count 12 or more chakras? In order to enhance your understanding of the energy body, it is essential to know your 12 chakras. Familiarity with the 12 chakra system adds depth, context, and appreciation for your understanding of how chakras work and how to best balance energies in your life.
The idea of a 12 chakra system is considered as relatively new. As much as one may appreciate simplicity in learning about the chakras, there is no unique or unified understanding of the 12-chakra system to this day. The knowledge about the 12 chakras mostly comes from modern perspectives expressed by contemporary healers and energy workers.
Put simply, there are 2 main types of configurations presented in modern healing schools of thoughts: The 12 chakras are located either both inside and outside of the body or all inside:
Despite the numerous variations of 12 chakras configurations, it’s important to note that the most commonly referenced energy centers are two additional chakras above the crown and the Earth chakra (or chakra located below the root chakra and the surface of the earth).
Simply, the 12-chakra system brings forth the vision of our connection to the entire universe.
The premise of the 12 chakra system is that all living beings are part of a whole. Each of us is grounded to the earth and linked to the universe via a thin cable. That cable stretches from roughly three feet below your feet to miles and miles up through the atmosphere and on deep into outer space.
Cyndi Dale, energy healer and author of the “Advanced Chakra Wisdom”, emphasizes the 12-chakra system as a way to use a wider range of energies for healing. Using 12 chakras allows us to draw from powerful energies outside of the human body and get in touch with the whole array of dimensions of our human experience.
Even though contemporary healers mention the existence of additional chakras, it’s said that shamanic traditions have used the extraneous chakras or “power centers” for millennia for their healing practices. In many ancient traditions, earth and sky energies are believed to mix within the human body. The twelve-chakra system is a vivid representation of this belief.
Working on the assertion you are already familiar with what a chakra is and the basic seven energy centers, let’s focus on the remaining five introduced in the 12 chakra system. Similar to the format of standard spiritual chakra charts, each one of the five additional chakra possesses their own location, color, and function.
The traditional chakra colors follow the spectrum of the rainbow, while the extended system may add colors associated with metals or other elements. Among them are gold, platinum, and a combination of colors that are sometimes referred to as “opalescence” or “iridescence” for the highest frequencies.
The 8th and 9th chakras are generally represented above the head, and the 10th chakra slightly under the ground. However, we can find descriptions of the twelve chakra system locating the 8th chakra underground and the remaining higher energy centers above the crown.
To sum it up, the number of additional chakras is the same, but the order in which they are presented is slightly different. Below is a presentation of the two main series of 12 chakras with a slight variation where the 8th chakra is interchanged with the 10th chakra between the first and second system.
The position of chakra #8 et #9 above the crown chakra is a fairly common representation of the higher chakras. The following chakra chart contains 12 energy centers and locates the “underground” earth chakra in 10th position.
The second 12 chakra chart we present will include the following centers:
When properly balanced each of your 7 Chakras work together to create an optimal life. If you are like most of us your energetic ecosystem could use some help. Take this 2-minute chakra test to know which of your chakras may be the weakest.
Lizzy is editor in chief of Chakra Magazine and chakras.info. She is trained in several energy healing modalities including Reiki and Healing Touch. In addition she has spent many years studying ancient traditions such as the chakra system and Tibetan spirituality. She merges this knowledge with her passion for sharing information through journalism. Her mission is to offer accurate, up-to-date, reliable resources about topics that matter to readers with regards to the chakra systems.