the heart in the head

I am fascinated with traditional concepts, philosophies and practices that have informed lives and cultures for thousands of years, but continue to remain outside the measurable realm of modern western science. It is one of the reasons I love the ancient wisdom tradition of yoga. In western science there is a tendency to ignore or disparage any modality or path to healing that doesn't fit into the narrowly defined parameters of modern knowledge. In the same way that electricity existed before there were tools to measure it, there are also powerful energetic and etheric aspects to the body, mind and psyche that exist, whether they can be accurately measured by western science, or not.

Chakras, the seven wheels of spinning energy believed to be found in the subtle human body are worth examining as an example of my blog musings today. Can chakras be proven to exist using modern tools of discovery? Umm..no. Can chakras be discovered in an MRI, x-ray or CT scan? Again...unh-unh. Can chakras be biopsied, or examined in an autopsy? That would be a big N-O. Some might suggest that because Chakras can't be explored using any of our typical, standard scientific methods, it follows that they do not actually exist. Seems a bit closed minded to me, especially when I think about all the cultures and people who believe they exist, and utilize the knowledge of Chakras to support and sustain health and well being. Is it perhaps a bit like faith? For many, a belief in God or a higher power gives comfort and relief, regardless of whether there is any proof of existence.

There was a long period of time in my life where if a concept, system or mode of healing didn't fit into western science's protocol, I believed it was of less value, even if I experienced it as helpful and successful with myself or my massage therapy clients! I somehow dismissed it as less valuable than something that could fit neatly into our limited understanding of the world around us. Or, I found myself wishing there was an appropriate tool available to measure and catagorize it's power to prove that it was valuable--as if seeing, feeling and experiencing it's value just wasn't enough.

Over the last several years I've noticed a softening and acceptance around my need to comprehend everything through the lens of western understanding. The very questions I ask myself about something's value are intrinsically different than they were before. Instead of asking myself how something fits into the accepted format of science as I used to do, now some of my questions are, "Is this helpful?", "Does this support tolerance, acceptance and compassion?" , and, "Does this bring me from the darkness to the light?".

Perhaps one day western science will discover methods to measure etheric and subtle energy, including chakras, or perhaps it won't. In the meantime, I will focus my attention on my brow chakra--the third eye--and remember that the third eye is sometimes called the heart in the head, because it brings the sweetness and understanding of the heart upward to the thinking center of the mind-- combining the two to support open minded thought with love and compassion.