Mostly, location of chakras as shown on various websites is along the spine.
But in Ananda, these are shown as some where along centre of Body (astral spine).
even on some kriya yoga sites, chakras are shown along physical spine.
which one is correct? It will be better if some correlation from authentic texts is given.
—SRKinra, India
Dear SRKinra,
Perhaps the confusion comes with the word “spine.” The chakras, according to Paramhansa Yogananda and his direct disciple, Swami Kriyananda are definitely located along the astral spine, or sushumna, which is centrally located in the astral body, and also, in a sense, perceived as being located along the central axis of the physical body.
This astral spine or sushumna is NOT located in the same place as the physical spinal column, which is located along the backbone.
The sushumna or astral spine not a material thing as is the physical spine. It is a river of prana (life-force or conscious, cosmic energy).
The physical spine is curved, following the natural curves of our backs. The astral spine is in front of the physical spine and runs straight up and down in our bodies, rather than curving. It is also called the “deep spine.”
For further in-depth information about our astral anatomy and the sushumna, I would refer you to The Essence of the Bhagavad Gita and The Art and Science of Raja Yoga, both by Swami Kriyananda. Or you might enjoy my book, Chakras for Starters also.
There are many books and websites which say many things about the chakras and their locations, and they often differ from each other.
My humble suggestion would be that if you follow Yogananda’s path of Kriya Yoga, you would be wise to stick closely with his teachings on this and all other matters.
