Chakra (Sanskrit, "wheel") refers to the ancient Hindu concept of seven vortices of energy located on the spine from the tailbone to the crown of the head. These centers define the physical and spiritual contact points in the human body. In yoga they are bridges to higher consciousness symbolizing the journey from the material world to the divine. Alternative-medicine healers recognize them as a dynamic resource for health. First published in 1927, this pioneering book by famed clairvoyant C. W. Leadbeater was the first to introduce the chakras to the West. With great clarity, he explains what each chakra means regarding our well-being, insight, and personal power, his color illustrations showing the chakras as they actually appear to those who can see them. Anyone can perceive the chakras, he says. We must merely become sensitive to vibrations finer than those to which we normally respond The book has sold hundreds of thousands of copies and remains a classic. The new material by Anodea Judith and Kurt Leland emphasizes its relevance for today. Charles Webster Leadbeater (1847-1934) was a Church of England clergyman until he joined the Theosophical Society in 1883. He spent some years in Sri Lanka working for the revival of Buddhism, and later became the Presiding Bishop of the Liberal Catholic Church, which seeks to combine the preservation of the Catholic sacraments with the widest measure of freedom of thought and interpretation of the scriptures. He was a highly developed clairvoyant and the author of over thirty books on the spiritual life and on the psychic nature of man. He unfolded and perfected his own psychic faculties under the guidance of his Adept teacher and in 1893 began his clairvoyant investigations, on occasion collaborating with Annie Besant, the second President of the Theosophical Society. His worldwide lectures presented a new viewpoint to thousands of people.