Chakra

A chakra is, in the yogic and tantric traditions of India, a center of subtle energy located along the axis of the body. The Sanskrit word means “wheel.” The system of seven main chakras, from the base of the spine to the top of the head, was popularized in the West in the twentieth century, notably by Arthur Avalon's book The Serpent Power (1919); the association of each chakra with a color of the rainbow is a more recent Western addition. Chakra work belongs to wellness and is no substitute for medical advice.