As well as being physical in nature, our body is understood (in many traditions) to include subtle energy fields that occupy the same space and extend beyond it—often referred to as the aura. These energy bodies are said to vibrate at different frequencies and interweave with one another.

This brief introduction will give you a simple grounding in the chakras and may open the door to exploring them more deeply. There are many resources available, including books—one of which is listed at the end of this post.

So, what are chakras in simple terms? They are energy centres that influence how energy flows through the body.

They are commonly described as seven energy bodies, moving outward from the physical: Physical, Etheric, Astral (Emotional), Mental, Causal (Spiritual), Monadic, and Divine.

Supporting every activity of the physical body—such as the muscular, skeletal, immune, organ, and nervous systems—this energy system is often described as a kind of blueprint that helps the body maintain and restore balance. Across cultures, this energy has been given many names, including Prana, Chi, Life Force, and Vital Force.

This energy is believed to flow through channels called nadis, which connect to seven main energy centres known as chakras. These are commonly referred to as the Base, Sacral, Solar Plexus, Heart, Throat, Third Eye, and Crown chakras.

What Are Chakras and How Do They Work?

These chakras are linked along the spine by three major energy pathways: ida, pingala, and sushumna. In addition, there are  thousands of smaller energy channels and minor chakras throughout the body.

Chakras are not limited to the physical body—they exist in all energy bodies. They act as focal points for receiving, processing, and distributing subtle energy within and around us.

The word chakra comes from Sanskrit and means “wheel.” These centres are often described as being in constant motion, helping to regulate the flow of energy to the areas of the body they are associated with.

When a chakra is not functioning optimally, the flow of energy may become disrupted. This may be reflected in physical, emotional, or mental symptoms in the areas connected to that chakra.

Our overall well-being is influenced by how harmoniously energy flows through this system. Factors such as nutrition, movement, sunlight, rest, and environment all play a role, and very importantly, our thoughts, attitudes, and emotional patterns.

Holding on to resentment, anger, guilt, or ongoing worry can place strain on the system, while more balanced and positive perspectives encourages a healthier flow of energy.

The chakra system can also serve as a useful framework for self-reflection. When experiencing symptoms, it may be helpful to ask:

“What might my body be drawing my attention to right now?”

This isn’t about blame or guilt, but about developing awareness and taking responsibility for our current state—physically, mentally, and emotionally.

There are times when medical treatment is necessary, and it’s important to recognise and respect that. At the same time, listening to your body and maintaining a balanced lifestyle may support recovery and overall well-being.

Some symptoms may arise from genetic, environmental, or traumatic factors. In these cases, self-awareness and supportive practices can still play a valuable role in helping you achieve the best possible health within your circumstances.

How to Support Healthy Chakra Energy Flow

A wide range of therapies and activities may help support balance in the body and mind, including:

Massage, osteopathy, acupuncture, hypnotherapy, reflexology, yoga, counselling, meditation, mindfulness, exercise, music, time in nature, aromatherapy, and positive affirmations.

These approaches often aim not only to relieve symptoms but also to encourage deeper self-awareness and lasting positive change.

You may also like:
Decluttering – is it time to let go? (A Powerful Physical, Mental & Emotional Release)

For more information, check out my book on Amazon:
‘The Language of the Chakras’ – learn what your body is telling you
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DVWDSPSM

Book cover titled “The Language of the Chakras” by Stephen Canning, focusing on body awareness and energy healing through chakras.

Understanding what chakras are can offer a useful way to explore the connection between body, mind, and energy. By becoming more aware of how energy flows through your system, you can take simple steps toward greater balance and well-being.

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If you are interested in various aspects of ringing in the ears, click this link to one of my other articles: Ringing in the Ears – A Spiritual Perspective

Decluttering (physically, mentally, and emotionally) is an under-estimated personal growth tool! Letting go of and ‘tidying up’ whatever is preventing you from living harmoniously in the present is a valuable tool to aid in your personal growth, spiritual growth and healing.

The amount of clutter we have in our lives is a reflection of our mental and emotional state of mind. Decluttering refers not only to letting go of physical objects and ‘tidying up’ the physical aspects of your life, but it also refers to letting go of and resolving any emotional stress and anxiety associated with the physical things we continually collect and find challenging to let go of.

We know that it is highly beneficial to resolve or just let go of past challenges, anger, traumas, resentments, and guilt, as well as any outdated and/or unbalanced thought processes regarding the past, present, and future.

Aim to let go of anything that is:

1. cluttering and ‘messing up’ your life
2. bringing back ‘hurtful’ memories
3. causing tension or conflict in your life
4. holding you back from reaching your full potential
5. contributing to your anxiety and stress
6. making you feel ‘crowded in’ with no room to move and grow
7. stifling, smothering, and stagnating your life
8. hindering you from moving forward
9. letting go of no longer serves you

A significant aspect of decluttering is that you are consciously involved in the process of freeing yourself of anything that you realise you do not need anymore, is unnecessary to keep, and that you feel may be holding you back.

Every time we relive a past event in our minds, our body relives the experience too,
and it impacts our hormones, muscles, organs, and nervous system.

It is much more challenging to move forward unless we can let go of the past! Our destiny is calling us, but if we hold onto the ‘anchor’ of past stresses, anger, and injustices, we will struggle to move forward. It is like having a sore that is trying to heal, and we keep picking at it while wondering why it will not heal. Learn to leave it alone! Let go!

To give you an even better idea, some synonyms for decluttering are: dejunking, unjumbling, organising, tidying up, purging, disentangling, freeing up, and detaching. When you get the ‘junk’ out of your life, everything improves – mentally, physically, emotionally and spiritually. For many people, decluttering at any level leads to a feeling of personal liberation!

The physical act of decluttering our home and/or workplace is extremely symbolic of our willingness and ability to let go, detach, and have a more organised and less cluttered life! We do this without being obsessive about the organisation of our environment or what some call ‘perfectionism’, as that comes with its own set of challenges!

For lots more information my book The Language of the Chakras is available on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DVWDSPSM

How to begin physical decluttering

1. Start slowly. Sometimes our minds can overwhelm us by telling us the task is too big! If this is so, select a single drawer or cupboard for today and start there.
2. You do not need to throw away everything! It is OK and positive to keep some sentimental items.

3. Aim to keep only those things that make you feel good and add to the quality of your life
4. If emotions come up when you are decluttering, it is very wise to speak to a counsellor and/or friend.

Questions to ask yourself when decluttering: (this applies to both physical and emotional aspects of our lives):

1. Why am I keeping it?
2. Do I like it?
3. Do I use it?
4. How does it make me feel?
5. Will I ever fix it?
6. Do I really need it in my life?
7. Is keeping it is holding me back from being in the present?
8. Do I need more organisation in my life?

Specifically related to ‘our story’ from the past:
1. Do I need to hold on to that story from the past, and am I letting that story define who I am now?

2. Am I using that story as an excuse for why I behave a certain way and why I can’t achieve certain things?

This in no way negates past traumas, as they can have a major impact on our whole way of life.
It is a sign of strength to ask for help — counselling can be an important step in healing.

For more information, take a look at my other posts, such as: Karma-Consequences in Action

One of my aims is to help you declutter your life by letting go of the past!

Keep in mind that when we re-arrange our surroundings, it is often synonymous with us rearranging our lives for the better. We hold the key to the ‘prison door’, and we can open it and set ourselves free. Even one step toward the present is progress.

Your environment = a reflection of your inner state.

I am off to clean my car now!-lol

If you are struggling with your thoughts, personal interactions, experiencing a personal crisis or have anxiety or depression, it is highly recommended that you seek help from a doctor, mental health professional, counsellor or therapist. It is a sign of strength to ask for help, not a weakness!

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Are You a Spiritual Explorer? A Seeker of Truth 
by Stephen Canning

Human beings have always ‘grown’ because some of us were willing to step into the unknown and are actually drawn to do so.

Long before maps, borders, or certainty, people moved — out of Africa, across land and sea — not knowing exactly what they would find. Some led. Others followed. And most simply trusted something inside them that said, “There is more.”

I was partly inspired to write this after watching a five-part BBC documentary, ‘Human’, which explores the evolutionary story of Homo sapiens. It highlights how early humans survived only because they were willing to seek new environments out of necessity. That same instinct to survive — and to thrive — is clearly visible throughout the animal kingdom.

Only now, the exploration is less about geography and more about self-development and spiritual development….being a spiritual explorer.

In my previous post, I explored how spiritual exploration doesn’t usually begin with beliefs or labels. It begins with a quiet feeling — a sense that the way we’ve been living, thinking, or seeing ourselves no longer quite fits. So we become seekers, seekers of a truth that has so far eluded us, but is also leading us, even ‘pulling’ us in a certain direction! (See my previous post for clarification on this: Outward Signs of Spiritual Growth (Inner Change in Everyday Life).  

Along the way, for me, that exploration led me to many traditions and philosophies, such as Ascended Masters, Buddhism, Christianity, Judaism, Kabbalah, Rosicrucianism, Sant Mat, Scientology, Eckankar, Spiritualism, and The Urantia Book. Some held my attention for a few weeks, some for months, and others for years. In the early stages, this questioning also led me through agnostic and atheist positions. Each offered insights that shaped my understanding in different ways.

Many spiritual traditions also suggest that the Divine is not concerned with religious identity at all, but with sincerity, inner practice, and love

As Charan Singh (a Sant Mat Spiritual Master) reminds us:
“Spirituality does not consist in knowing scriptures or reading books. It consists in knowing ourselves.”

What Spirituality Means to Different People

Are You ready to explore?

Early spirituality was simple and grounded. People respected nature, honoured ancestors, and sensed that life — and death — held meaning beyond what could be seen.

In modern times, spirituality has taken many forms. For some, it centres on God or devotion, for others, philosophy, psychology, or consciousness. Many think about an afterlife. Other philosophies are more focused on how to live this life well.

But beneath all of these approaches is the same question humans have always asked:
What does it mean to live wisely and truthfully, and for some, with a higher purpose?

The Inner Journey

At some point, many of us realise that the most challenging territory isn’t “out there”.

It’s inside. This is where spiritual exploration becomes real — and personal.

You begin to notice your reactions. Your fears. The stories you tell yourself. The ways you protect, defend, or hold on.
You start asking more honest questions:

• Why does this affect me so strongly? 
• What is missing from my life?
• What am I really afraid of?
• Who am I – when I really think about it?
• What am I searching for?
• What is definitely true?

This kind of exploration isn’t always comfortable. In fact, it often brings uncertainty before it brings clarity.

Which is why Susan Jeffers’ book title still resonates: “Feel the fear and do it anyway.”

Many philosophies say:
We must reach Self-Realisation before we can reach God-Realisation.

Self-Realisation Comes First

This is an important point — and one that often gets missed.
Before spiritual realisation comes self-realisation. A spiritual explorer is someone drawn to inner development and self-realisation.
Not in a grand or mystical sense — but in a very human one.
(See my previous post for clarification on this: Outward Signs of Spiritual Growth (Inner Change in Everyday Life).  

It’s the gradual honesty of seeing yourself clearly:
1. noticing your conditioning
2. understanding your emotional patterns
3. recognising ego habits
4. becoming aware of unconscious reactions
5. acknowledging and accepting that we are not meant to be perfect
6. responding to situations rather than reacting
7. less judgemental of others

Without this, spirituality can easily become something we talk about rather than something we live.

As Krishnamurti said: “Self-knowledge is the beginning of wisdom.”

Charan Singh (a Sant Mat Master) echoed this same truth:
“Unless we understand ourselves, we cannot understand anything higher.”

*

What It Means to Be a Spiritual Explorer
A spiritual explorer isn’t someone with all the answers. They are someone willing to stay curious and search for a Truth that genuinely resonates with them.

They don’t rush to conclusions. They don’t cling too tightly to beliefs. Be willing to be uncertain, to be wrong, and to grow slowly.

Over time, you begin to trust inner discernment more than external validation, and you understand that confusion isn’t failure — it’s often part of the process.

As Rumi wrote: “Where there is ruin, there is hope for a treasure.”

Your body also plays a very important role in discernment. It often signals when something is out of alignment — through fatigue, tension, anxiety, discomfort, or a general sense of unease. These signals can arise when our thoughts, attitudes, diet, exercise, or wellbeing practices are no longer supporting us.

The body rarely lies. When we learn to listen, it can help fine-tune our lifestyle and guide us back toward balance. I explore this relationship in more depth in The Language of the Chakras – Heal Your Life,  where the body is viewed as a practical guide (often through the chakras) rather than something to override or ignore.

When Growth Becomes Visible
Spiritual exploration doesn’t remove life’s challenges. It changes how you meet them.

Over time, you may notice:
1. less reactivity
2. more emotional steadiness
3. fewer inner battles
4. greater acceptance
5. a quieter confidence
6. it’s easier to meditate
7. acceptance of what is

Not because life becomes easier — but because you become steadier.

As Charan Singh expressed: “Spirituality is a way of living, not something to be talked about.”

Keep Exploring

The early pioneers crossed continents without knowing the outcome. The spiritual explorer does something similar — but inwardly. Guided not by certainty, but by sincerity.

If you feel drawn to look within — not because it’s fashionable or comforting, but because something inside you is gently calling — you are already exploring. You are a seeker.

Not as someone trying to become “spiritual”. But simply as a human being, seeking truth.

For some, this journey may eventually include a teacher, mentor, guru, or guide — someone who resonates with what they are seeking.

As a Zen saying reminds us: “When the student is ready, the teacher appears.”

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If you have any questions or suggestions on how you found your Truth, please share.

Spiritual growth isn’t measured by beliefs, labels, rituals, how you look or spiritual language.
It’s not about what you say you believe — it’s about how you live, day to day.

HOW:
■ you respond to stress and situations
■ you treat people
■ your mind behaves when life gets difficult
■ safe you feel inside yourself
■ much noise, business, stress, you actually need to feel okay
■ you can let go of the negative effects of past grievances, hurts, pains and angers
■ you can let go of regret
■ you respect yourself regarding your eating habits, exercise, and restricting unprescribed drugs.

AND YOU ARE NOT FANATICAL ABOUT ANY OF THIS!

This change can be subtle, and it’s rarely dramatic and initially can be rarely visible to others. And most of the time, it’s not even something you consciously notice at first.

It just starts to feel like: Something is changing… and I’m not fighting life the way I used to.

These signs aren’t things you try to create. They’re natural byproducts of inner development.

They happen quietly. Organically, and seemingly without effort (although ‘behind the scenes’, you have to put in the ‘work’).

Across many traditions, the principle remains the same: ‘we reap what we sow‘.

As Rumi said so simply:
“Yesterday I was clever, so I wanted to change the world. Today I am wise, so I am changing myself.”

1. Outer Life Markers

Changes in everyday living
These show up in normal life — not in spiritual spaces.
■ In conversations.
■ In routines.(eg.what you eat, drink, exercise, meditation, yoga)
■ In what you tolerate.
■ In what you’re drawn to:

• Less attraction to drama, chaos, conspiracy theories and gossip
  You just don’t have the appetite for it anymore.
  Arguments, outrage cycles, emotional noise — they feel draining instead of stimulating.
• More love for silence and simplicity
  Quiet stops feeling awkward.
  Stillness stops feeling empty.
  You don’t feel the need to fill every moment.
• A desire to be in Nature more
• Reduced need for constant stimulation
• ■ Less scrolling.
  ■ Less background noise.
  ■ Less compulsive distraction.
  ■ Less need to “fill the space”.
  ■ not feeling lonely in aloneness
• Natural detachment from excessive social life (not rejection)
  You still care about people, but you don’t need constant interaction to feel whole.
• Desire for truth over entertainment
  Genuine insight starts to matter more than passing fad.
  Meaning matters more than just acting out a part or doing your duty.
• Enjoyment of solitude without loneliness
  Being alone no longer feels like something is missing.
  It feels like rest.

I’ve noticed this one personally — the silence starts to feel like a friend instead of a void.
■ Not empty.
■ Not awkward.
■ Just calm.

2. Mind Markers

Changes in how your mind behaves
This is where growth becomes really obvious. Not in what you think — but in how your thinking works.

• Thoughts slow down more easily.
  Stress cycles/thoughts aren’t as intense or as long-lasting.
  Overthinking doesn’t spiral the way it used to.
• Gaps between thoughts appear.
  You experience moments of quiet in your own mind — even during busy days.
• Less compulsive thinking and catastrophising
  The mind stops constantly predicting disaster.
• More witnessing, less reacting.
  You notice thoughts and emotions instead of being swallowed by them.
• Less complaining.
  Even mentally, and less trying to change others
• The ego softens
  Less defensiveness
  Less proving
  Less needing to be right
  Less comparison
  Less internal pressure to perform, especially to others’ expectations
• Emotional responses become gentler
  You still feel — but you don’t explode or collapse as easily.
• Acceptance replaces constant complaint.
  You work with reality instead of fighting it all the time.
• More warrior, less worrier
  Strength starts replacing anxiety.
  Calm starts replacing panic.

The biggest shift is this:
Your mind stops feeling like your enemy and starts feeling like something you can actually live and work with. Your mind becomes your instrument instead of your master. You listen to ‘Soul Urges’ rather than to mainly physical-sense urges.

3. Identity Markers

Subtle shifts in how you experience yourself
This is the deepest change — and the quietest.

You don’t suddenly become “spiritual.” LOL      You just feel… different inside yourself.

• Less identification with the body, more connection to spirit
  You still live in your body — but you don’t define yourself by it.
• Less fear of death
  Not in a morbid way — just a quieter relationship with impermanence.
• Less obsession with outcomes
  You still care — but you’re not controlled by results.
• Feeling like a witness to life
  You experience life without being crushed by it.
• Deep inner safety
  A calm sense of stability that doesn’t depend on circumstances.
• Quiet joy without cause
  Not necessarily excitement or pleasure.
  Just contentment — for no particular reason.

This one is hard to explain — but when it happens, you know it.
Life feels less threatening, Less fragile. Less overwhelming. Less out of your control.

What This Really Means

Spiritual growth isn’t mystical or dramatic, it’s:

• emotional regulation
• nervous system stability
• ego softening
• psychological coherence
• inner safety
• identity maturity

It’s not escape from life — it’s clarity within life.

The Real Marker of Growth
■ Not what you experience.
■ Not what you believe.
■ Not what you say.
■ Not what you claim.

But:
■ You suffer less
■ You react less
■ You fear less
■ You understand more
■ You forgive more
■ You feel safer inside yourself
■ You love more quietly
■ You need less validation
■ You feel more at home in your own skin
■ You recognise that some days are much more challenging than others, and the ‘growth’ is in how you respond to these challenges.

That’s real growth.

Rumi put it perfectly: “Why are you so busy with this or that or good or bad — pay attention to how things blend.”

Final Reflection

Spiritual growth isn’t loud. It isn’t dramatic. It isn’t performative. It isn’t something you announce.
It’s quiet, Subtle, Stabilising, and Grounding.

It makes you:
■ calmer, not louder
■ softer, not sharper
■ deeper, not busier
■ simpler, not more complex
■ freer, not more complicated

You don’t become more “spiritual”, you become more human.

Happy face with motivational message about the power of a smile for emotional health.

■ More present.
■ More peaceful.
■ More grounded.
■ More real.

And often, the only people who notice are the ones who feel safe, calm, and settled around you.

View my other post: Karma-Consequences in Action

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Karma is often described simply as cause and effect, but spiritually it goes far deeper than that. Every thought, word, and action sets something in motion — not just in our outer life, but in our inner life as well. In every tradition, karma is really about consequences: how our choices shape our present reality and our future unfolding.

Christianity expresses this principle in the well-known verse: “Whatever a man sows, that he will also reap.”

Buddhism teaches that actions leave “imprints” on the mind that ripen later. Across cultures, the message is the same: your life is shaped by the seeds you plant — knowingly or unknowingly.

In Sant Mat philosophy, this universal law is described with great clarity through three categories of karma: Sanchit, Prarabdh, and Kriyaman. Together they explain why we are born where we are, why certain events unfold, and why spiritual growth is ultimately a journey of unwinding and rising above the karmic web

1. Sanchit Karma — The Accumulated Storehouse of Karmas

Sanchit karma is like the entire field of seeds we have sown throughout countless lifetimes.
Nothing is lost; every moment of intention, every action, every thought leaves a subtle impression on the soul.

• This karma is dormant, not yet ready to manifest.
• It is vast, stretching back over many incarnations.
• It forms the reservoir from which the karmas of any given lifetime are selected.

Sanchit karma are the library of your past experiences — everything you’ve ever done or caused, waiting quietly in storage.

In other spiritual traditions:

• Buddhism refers to this as the karmic storehouse consciousness (alaya vijnana).
• In Christianity, it echoes the idea that God “remembers the heart and deeds,” even across a lifetime.

2. Prarabdh Karma — The Karma Playing Out Now

Prarabdh karma is the slice of Sanchit that ripens and becomes your current life’s circumstances.

It includes:

• The family you are born into
• Your body, health, and temperament
• Major relationships
• Turning points
• Opportunities and challenges
• The general blueprint of your life

This is the karma that has already “sprouted.” It is in motion, and according to Sant Mat, it must be lived out — like an arrow already released from a bow.

You cannot erase Prarabdh, but you can change the way you respond to it. A spiritual life helps you rise above its effects, even if the events themselves must unfold.

Christianity has a similar understanding:

“You will by no means get out until you have paid the last penny.”
This reflects the idea that certain debts must be settled before moving on.

3. Kriyaman Karma — The Karma You Create Today

Kriyaman is the most important category because this is the karma you’re creating right now.

It includes:

• Your daily actions
  

  Book cover titled “The Language of the Chakras” by Stephen Canning, focusing on body awareness and energy healing through chakras. Available via Amazon:https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DVWDSPSM

• Your speech
• Your thoughts and attitudes
• The way you respond to life
• The intentions behind your choices

This is the only karma you truly control.
It’s the seed you’re planting in real time.

Kriyaman karma determines:

• Your future circumstances
• Future incarnations
• Whether you create more chains or loosen the ones you already carry

It is here that the principle from Christianity rings loudest:
“You reap what you sow.”
Your choices today become your experiences tomorrow.

This is also the idea behind the Buddhist teaching:
“Intention is karma.

How the Three Types of Karma Work Together

A simple way to understand it:

• Sanchit = the seeds in storage
• Prarabdh = the seeds already sprouting this lifetime
• Kriyaman = the seeds you plant today

A person may have thousands of karmic seeds stored (Sanchit), only a selected bundle will be lived out this lifetime (Prarabdh), and each choice creates brand-new seeds (Kriyaman).

Karma as a Living System of Accountability

Karma is not punishment — it is education.
It’s the universe showing us the consequences of our inner state.

If we act with anger, we experience suffering.
If we act with love, we experience clarity and expansion.

Karma is life’s way of saying:
“Here is what this choice creates. Do you want more of it?”

Transcending Karma in Sant Mat

In Sant Mat, the goal is not to endlessly accumulate better karma, but to go beyond the entire karmic cycle.

How?

Through Surat Shabd Yoga, the practice of withdrawing attention inward and connecting with the inner Sound Current (Shabd). When the soul rises above the physical and subtle realms, it rises above the field where karma operates. This is the philosophy of Sant Mat. Link to Sant Mat: https://rssb.org/

Under the guidance of a true living Master:

• Sanchit karma is gradually burned away
• Kriyaman karma is purified
• The disciple learns to remain detached even while living through Prarabdh
• The soul slowly separates from the karmic machine, just as a bird rises above a storm

The ultimate goal is liberation — returning to the soul’s divine origin where karma no longer applies.

Karma as Consequences in Motion

In daily life, karma is very simple:

• Your thoughts create your mindset.
• Your words influence your relationships.
• Your actions carve out your path.
• Every choice leaves a footprint.

Karma is not “later.” Karma is now.

It’s the subtle shaping of your life moment by moment — consequences in continuous motion.

And the most empowering truth is this:

You can’t change the past, but you can absolutely change what you plant today.
And what you plant today transforms your tomorrow.

Link to other information on this website: Go Through your Karma with Grace and Ease with Mindfulness

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