COLOR YOUR CHAKRAS – AN INTERACTIVE WAY TO UNDERSTAND THE ENERGY CENTERS OF THE BODY

Color Your Chakras – An Interactive Way to Understand the Energy Centers of the Body, Susan Shumsky, New Page Books, Wayne, NJ, 2016, 120pp, $12.99.

I’ve heard about chakras, and I’ve seen adult coloring books, but I must say that combining the two was a stroke of genius, and Susan Shumsky did an outstanding job of putting this book together.

        Chakra is a Sanskrit word meaning “wheel”, which is an endless circle of energy. Chakras are part of the subtle body, which is comprised of mind, intelligence and ego. Chakras are the non-physical energy channels through which our life force and vital energy flow.

        Each chakra has a color, and I was surprised that the illustration for Chakras Planets and Days listed the colors differently from what I’d been taught. In the coloring book, moving up the spine, the colors are yellow (root chakra at the base of the spine), orange (sacral chakra in the pelvis), red (navel chakra), violet (heart chakra), indigo (throat chakra), blue (brow chakra) and green (crown chakra).

        Another surprise was that, in addition to the seven chakras along our spine, we have an additional seven (for a total of 14) in the brain. My education was growing by leaps and bounds!

        Using my colored pencils and coloring each chakra taught me more than any class or workshop. It was enjoyable, relaxing, and made me feel immensely creative. At one point, I realized I would need a larger collection of colored pencils and made a quick trip to the craft store.

      Color Your Chakras is set up with the name, description and explanation of each chakra or its deity on the left-hand pages and a lovely drawing on the right-hand pages. You can color the “frame” around the explanation as well as the illustration.

        Susan Shumsky adds so much depth to learning about chakras. The Tree of Life explanation/illustration, for example, explains that the Kabbalistic symbol corresponds to the energy field and chakras. The Star Tetrahedron (Merkabah) is a three-dimensional form made up of two pyramids embodying six of the body’s chakras. The key is the Heart chakra.

        The Egyptian Eye of Horus symbolizes the third eye and, as Susan Shumsky explains, “denotes spiritual awakening, protection, power of royalty, and good health.” It “allows us to see with greater awareness, to shed light upon the darkness, and attain true enlightenment.”

        The illustration of the Microcosmic Orbit depicts the “self-winding wheel of the law”. Susan Shumsky explains how microcosmic orbit meditation can prevent the depletion of vital energy.

        The final page covers mantras, sacred sounds used in yoga to raise kundalini (energy).

        I had never used an adult coloring book prior to receiving Color Your Chakras to review. I enjoyed the experience because, as I said, I learned a great deal as I colored each illustration. This would make a wonderful holiday gift for anyone on your list. It is informative, educational, and fun. Children might not understand the information, but teens and adults will surely get a lot out of Color Your Chakras – An Interactive Way to Understand the Energy Centers of the Body.

- Francine Willis