Best books to learn about the human energy/chakra system?

Big Chungus, modified 3 Years ago at 11/27/20 3:50 AM
Created 3 Years ago at 11/27/20 3:50 AM

Best books to learn about the human energy/chakra system?

Posts: 19 Join Date: 3/10/20 Recent Posts
This is something I want to learn more about in-depth. I'm fond of technical books that explain the details and how things work logically, without being watered down. A good example of a spiritual book I like that has these qualities is The Mind Illuminated.

If anyone has any suggestions, please let me know.
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Linda ”Polly Ester” Ö, modified 3 Years ago at 11/27/20 5:31 AM
Created 3 Years ago at 11/27/20 5:31 AM

RE: Best books to learn about the human energy/chakra system?

Posts: 7134 Join Date: 12/8/18 Recent Posts
Which one of the various different systems are you interested in? 

For the seven chakra system I can recommend Kundalini Vidya: The Science of Spiritual Transformation by Joan Shivarpita Harrigan. 

For the Tibetan system of five chakras I would start with Awakening the Sacred Body: Tibetan Yogas of Breath and Movement by Tenzin Wangyal Rinpoche. It's a small and thin book, so less detailed, but the Rinpoche definitely knows his stuff. 
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Helen Pohl, modified 3 Years ago at 11/27/20 6:47 AM
Created 3 Years ago at 11/27/20 6:46 AM

RE: Best books to learn about the human energy/chakra system?

Posts: 101 Join Date: 8/10/20 Recent Posts
It was a long time since I read it so I don't know if it's what you're looking for but perhaps check out The Chakra Handbook by Bodo Baginski and Shalila Sharamon? =)
Z , modified 3 Years ago at 11/27/20 10:47 AM
Created 3 Years ago at 11/27/20 9:06 AM

RE: Best books to learn about the human energy/chakra system?

Posts: 201 Join Date: 3/16/18 Recent Posts
You might want to take a look at Barbara Brennan's books Light Emerging and Hands of Light. Lots of pragmatic, detailed information as well as interesting diagrams and techniques for working with the various parts of the subtle body. Good stuff in there about the chakra system and the human energy field, laid out in a way that expands on the work of psychologists such as Alexander Lowen and Wilhelm Reich. Brennan comes from a science background and I think some of that orientation comes through in her writing. 

Have heard good things about Cyndi Dale's book, The Subtle Body, but have only flipped around through it myself. 
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Linda ”Polly Ester” Ö, modified 3 Years ago at 11/27/20 12:01 PM
Created 3 Years ago at 11/27/20 12:01 PM

RE: Best books to learn about the human energy/chakra system?

Posts: 7134 Join Date: 12/8/18 Recent Posts
I was just recommended this book: https://www.skypressbooks.com/nejang, Nejang: Tibetan Self-Healing Yoga by Dr. Nida Chenagtsang.
George S, modified 3 Years ago at 11/27/20 3:36 PM
Created 3 Years ago at 11/27/20 3:24 PM

RE: Best books to learn about the human energy/chakra system?

Posts: 2722 Join Date: 2/26/19 Recent Posts
I like the 5 element system, which is the following chakra - reactivity -> transformation pattern:

earth - abdomen - rigidity -> stability
water - solar plexus - anger -> clarity
fire - heart - consuming -> compassion
air - throat - busyness -> effectiveness
space - head - overwhelmed -> totality awareness

The two sources I use are Ken McLeod's Wake up to Your Life (Chapter 5) and Spectrum of Ecstasy by Ngakpa Chogyam and Khandro Dechen. I like this system because it's primarily about patterns of emotional and psychological reactivity which you can easily observe and work with in your daily life (and meditation as well). It's also based somewhat in dependent origination (namarupa thru clinging) and fits together nicely with the 6 realms practice which is the end result of DO (becoming thru death). It's been quite transformational for me. The basic principle is that patterns of emotional repression and reactivity get stored as tension in certain parts of the body and you need to learn to identify-relax-release-transform them.

I started out using Joan Harrigan's Kundalini Vidya but I found it really complicated. There is some good stuff in there about general principles of transformation and cleaning out emotional toxins, but all the scores of chakra subdivisions I found really arcane. Once you get beyond 5-7 chakras I suspect you might be more in the physical yoga realm rather than basic emotional work. 

There are only a few emotions you need to work with and I found that focusing first on the physical side of things wasn't nearly so effective as starting with the emotional awareness and psychological understanding and then watching how that flows through to the body.
Helena, modified 3 Years ago at 12/2/20 7:56 AM
Created 3 Years ago at 12/2/20 7:56 AM

RE: Best books to learn about the human energy/chakra system?

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I am very fond of the energy system explanation in the book What's Next? On Post Awakening Practice.

It covers the energy system inside and outside of our body, and builds a more comprehensive picture of the whole than what is usually written about (ie. the 7 "main" chacras in our body).

I like that it is written in a straight forward way without any mystic-spiritual-align-your-chackras-to-the-tune-of-the-moon-mumbo-jumbo emoticon

You can download it here.
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Balint P, modified 3 Years ago at 12/2/20 8:35 AM
Created 3 Years ago at 12/2/20 8:35 AM

RE: Best books to learn about the human energy/chakra system?

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Lovely cover!

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