The literal meaning for the Sanskrit word chakra is spinning wheel or lotus flower; both are circular and have segments. Chakras also have segments often referred to as vortices. This article may clarify exactly what we are talking about and help dispel some of the confusion around definitions in the new age area of teaching and also in both new and old written works. I will avoid new or fancy names for the chakras and will name them by their location and sometimes a common name or title used in the literature. This article is limited to the major chakras. The seven major chakras create and maintain the auric field. They supply the energy, physical, emotional, mental, to maintain the human existence within the physical realms. They exist at the auric level and, through working with them, people can start to become aware of and remove the limitations imposed on their lives through past traumas and erroneously based belief systems. The chakras are the store house, the receptor, and the sender of many levels of energy. The energy in the chakras are not governed by the laws of three dimensional reality or of linear time. The levels of energy include all memories and associated emotions from the past, both this life and others. Some of these levels of energy are at the levels of consciousness, including belief systems and habitual thought patterns. For those who either were taught a different view or read other information, understand that the information I am passing along is derived from my own personal experience and has worked consistently for me and others in the healing arena. Other views showing different  locations or a different number of chakras have either not worked at all or have been of limited utility in my healing practice. This is important from a foundational place to build a solid healing practice from. Where are the chakras? To the non clairvoyant they are totally invisible, although some can perceive them kinesthetically. Although they have been written about and referred to for centuries, the direct visual evidence has been missing. I believe our technology is beginning to being able to provide some visual evidence with the work that has been done to expand kirlian photography, but so far the work is in its infancy. The major chakras are generally on the center line of the body, extending from a center point within the body to about arms length beyond the body on both the front and back and interpenetrating inside the body. They have a definite energy structure and are repairable. In alignment with the dual nature of this reality, chakras two through five, have two aspects or openings, which are located directly opposite each other. Some, like myself, consider chakras one and seven to be two aspects of a single chakra. From an energy place, they are the essence of spirituality, for they are both dualistic and non-dualistic. The base contains the connection to the dense reality within the earth, whereas the seventh contains the connection to the divinity from above. The seven major chakras First chakra The root or first chakra it is located at the perineum at the lowest part of the trunk. This chakra resonates at a rudimentary level below ordinary consciousness. It reaches down into the earth, which aligns with a frequency within the earth, and provides one of the fundamental energies to power the physical body. Virtually all energy we utilize for physical life is imparted to us by the earth, most of which has been converted to energy by the sun. This is especially true of the food products we eat and the air we breath. Of course we have all experienced the benefits of deriving energy directly from the sun as well. Second chakra The second or sacral chakra is located just above and is paired with the first chakra. The frequencies from the root must be of sufficient quality or they will not be properly accepted by the second chakra. The second chakra has two aspects: the front one located just above the pubic bone and over the bladder; and the rear aspect located at the lower end of the spine. This chakra has a limited consciousness that is of direct action, without reasoning or thought. The drive to accomplish things is a feature of the rear aspect. Fight or flight, a survival activity too often attributed to the first chakra, is a feature of the front aspect of the second chakra. Again, no thinking is involved. The rear aspect is also an energy pump to force the energy upward. Unfortunately, it is very common by writers and speakers who provide discourses on this subject to attribute many if not most of the characteristics of the second chakra to the first chakra. It is important to have the proper understanding of the characteristics of these two chakras as a basis for consistent and effective healing. Third chakra The front aspect of the third chakra is located at the level of the solar plexus, which is just below the sternum, below and between the ribs. The rear aspect is directly opposite the front aspect, approximately in the middle of the back. The consciousness of this chakra is thinking. This is the level of secular humanism. At this level, ordinary thinking and reasoning occurs. In broad terms, this is the level the western world operates at. It is the level of normal social activity and interaction, of logic, inductive thinking, organizational structures, etc. For many people, this chakra is the center of their lives, just as it is approximately the center of the body. Fourth chakra The fourth or heart chakra is where things become more complex. For purposes of healing work, the location of the front aspect of the 4th chakra is directly over the physical heart about one inch to the left of center line of the body. The rear aspect is located in the center of the back between the shoulder blades. The consciousness of this chakra is love. For this chakra, the energy structure directly correlates to the physical characteristics of the heart. The front aspect is about the quality of love in relationship with others and with God. The rear aspect is our will, either in conflict or agreement with divine love. Fifth chakra The front aspect of the fifth or throat chakra is located in the space just above where the collar bones come together. The rear aspect is located at the base of the neck where one of the vertebra protrudes. The fifth chakra does not have its own consciousness. It utilizes the consciousness of the chakras two through four to create a life for the individual. The front aspect is the action or the doing aspect of the chakra.  The fifth chakra directs the force behind the action to create.  The rear aspect is the will to create the life of the person and it seems to operate out of the center point of the fifth chakra. Sixth chakra The front aspect of the sixth chakra or third eye is located between and just above the eyes in the front. The rear aspect is located at the back of the head where, for some, there is a protrusion of the skull. The sixth chakra consists of the brain functions and the glands within the brain as well the brain stem. Depending on the work being done, it may also include the spinal cord. The consciousness of the sixth chakra can often include abstract thought, mathematics being an excellent example. Because there is a synchronicity and order to the dualistic universe, it can be largely mathematically expressed. The problem is that the breadth of the explanation is beyond the comprehension of the limited human mind. As a result, the seventh level must be accessed to have a complete understanding. This understanding cannot be communicated to those who are not at the seventh level. So mathematics and abstract thought can approach but not fully understand our dualistic nature. Our full understanding is an experience, not just abstract thought. Seventh chakra The seventh chakra or crown is located at the top of the head, and is located where, at about age 7, the junction of three cranial bones fuse together. It is also sometimes referred to as the Bindu point in the Vedic sciences or the aperture of Brahma. The frequency of the crown chakra is beyond normal human consciousness, It may be experienced through training, normally prayer/meditation. The sixth chakra, while close, has a lower frequency than the seventh. Much like the first and second chakras are paired, so is the sixth and seventh. You can access the seventh chakra through the sixth through prayer/meditaion, which happens in the sixth, but can move you into the seventh. The frequencies induced by the prayer/meditation in the brain cells convert the brain cells to receive the frequencies of the seventh chakra, thus the seventh chakra can be experienced in this way. For most, this is a temporary conversion. For those with a long history of prayer/meditation, some which may have occurred in past lives, this may be an almost continuous activity. Many people experience their root chakra through their second chakra because that is as far down as they can reach. In a similar manner, many people experience their seventh chakra through their sixth chakra because that is as far up as they can reach. As a result of these normal and limiting experiences, part of the training I offer is to directly access the crown and the root chakra, which is also an essential part of the healing work I teach. There are other views of the chakras. This one is primarily agrees with the Yogic view particularly one system of East Indian Yoga. They are derived ultimately from Vedic Science, which when well translated from Sanskrit ,is a fairly clear basis of spiritual knowledge for mankind.