Chakras



Chakras are nexuses of metaphysical or biophysical energy within the body. There are seven chakras, each situated at a different location in the body, albeit all located on a central vertical axis. It is derived from Hindu sacred texts.

Each chakra has a purpose and deals with a different emotion. As such, each one can be opened and closed depending on a given individual's state of mind. When a chakra is open, energy is free to flow about the body. On the other hand, energy flow is restricted when a chakra is sealed. The chakras must be opened in a specific order, or the energy will not be able to flow.

Guru Pathik used a series of connected pools as an analogy to illustrate the concept of chakras. These pools, representing the chakras, were connected by waterfalls and channels, and were initially blocked by algae or muck, representing an individual's own emotional debris. Due to this, the water, representing energy, stagnated and could no longer pass through the channels. When the clogs of algae were removed, symbolizing the opening of the chakras, it allowed the water to flow through the channels again, streaming through each pool fresh and clear.

History
During the spring of 100 ASC, Avatar Aang attempted, with Guru Pathik's help, to open his chakras so that he could enter and control the Avatar State at will. Pathik warned Aang that the process of opening the chakras cannot be halted once it has begun - it had to be completed or Aang would not be able to enter the Avatar State at all.



Albeit challenging, Aang successfully opened the first six chakras. However, when Pathik told Aang that opening the seventh would mean that he needed to "let go" of his love for Katara, he was reluctant to attempt to open up the chakra. When he saw a vision of Katara in need while opening up the chakra, he promptly chose earthly attachments over cosmic energy, a choice that eventually blocked his chakras, preventing him from entering the Avatar State. Iroh commended Aang for his choice later on, stating that it was not worth sacrificing love for the sake of power.

Nevertheless, when Aang and Katara were attacked by Azula, Zuko, and the Dai Li, Aang made the choice to let Katara go and subsequently opened the seventh chakra. He was able to enter the Avatar State, but was knocked out of it and gravely wounded when Azula struck him in the back with lightning. Although Katara managed to heal his wounds and bring him back to life, Aang believed his seventh chakra to be locked, and he was unable to enter the Avatar State at all.

However, while he was able to access the state for that brief moment, his feelings for Katara remained intact, and although Aang supposedly freed himself of fear, guilt, shame, and similar emotions, he continued to display them during his journey around the Fire Nation. He also exhibited these emotions during the day before the planned Invasion of the Fire Nation, and he suffered sleep deprivation and paranoia as a result.

Aang remained unable to use the Avatar State throughout the entirety of his travels in the Fire Nation archipelago. He eventually regained access to the state during his battle with Ozai, when a protruding rock was pressed hard against the lightning's entry wound on his back, releasing all the blocked energy.

Chakras
These are the chakras in the order one must unlock them.

Connections

 * In real life, the concept of chakras originated in ancient India and forms the basis of many philosophical, spiritual and religious systems.
 * The chakra points, specifically where they are located, to what they refer, and by what they are blocked are somewhat the same according to chakra charts.

Trivia

 * In Hinduism, the second chakra is located in or near the sexual and reproductive organs, as it is related to pleasure. Due to this fact, it is the one chakra whose location is not stated in the show's dialogue.
 * Combustion Man's third eye is located where the Light Chakra would be, at the center of the forehead between his two eyes. While the location makes his abilities quite powerful, it later proves to be his undoing, as the chakra was blocked after being impacted first by a pebble from Toph, then again later by Sokka's boomerang, resulting in Combustion Man's death.
 * Though the flow of energy, otherwise known as chi, within the body is mentioned many times, chakras were not introduced until Avatar Aang's encounter with Guru Pathik at the Eastern Air Temple.
 * The main objective of opening the chakras is to detaching one's soul from the world, so that, in the case of an Avatar, he or she would have free access to the cosmic powers at his or her disposal. However, Avatar Yangchen explained to Aang that the reason why the Avatar is a mortal being each time is that the Avatar must experience human life and emotions in order to understand how precious it is, so he or she will do anything to protect it, meaning that it would be never possible for an Avatar to truly detach him or herself from the world and thus open all the chakras.
 * Guru Pathik stated that in order for the Avatar to control the Avatar Spirit, he/she must let go of every earthly attachment like loving someone. However, it is still possible to love someone while opening the Thought chakra, as evidenced by the fact that both Avatar Kuruk and Avatar Roku demonstrated mastery over the Avatar State while being in love; Kuruk loved Ummi and Roku loved Ta Min.