Muladhara Chakra

As I prepare for my  Chakra Healing and Reiki Training Workshop, I’ve found myself thinking even more of the energies contained within our chakras.  The chakras are such an elegant way to think about the energy that is constantly in motion in our bodies.

The center line of energy in the human bodies is referred to as the Shushumna.  This strong concentration of prana runs through the mid-line of the body.  Centered on the shushmna line of energy are spinning vortexes known as the chakras.  Each chakra contains different properties associated with our health, thoughts, emotions, stages of life, and different parts of our bodies.

Yoga provides us with one tool to access the energy of the chakras.  Pranayama, or breath control, and meditation provide other tools for balancing this energy.  If we find that our chakras are not in balance, we can also make changes through our diet, excercises, lifestyle changes, aromatherapy, or bodywork.  The possibilities for finding balance are endless.  The key is identifying when one or more of your chakras might be out of balance.

Today we’ll be focusing on the qualities of the Muladhara Chakra, or the Root Chakra.

The Muladhara Chakra is the first chakra and is located at the base of the spine.  This chakra is associated with the color red and with issues of security.  If you find yourself plagued by worries about money, your home, supporting yourself, or deep-rooted family issues, than you might be experiencing an imbalance of the first chakra.

Alternatively, if you find yourself preoccupied with material acquisition and feeling greedy or you notice that you are overweight, you may be holding too much energy in the first chakra.

The demon associated with the first chakra is fear.  The fear that you won’t have enough, fear that you can’t be enough, fear that you are not worthy.  This fear is best conquered through facing it head on.  When you are able to muster your courage and face your fear, you realize that the fear was only a mind projection that evaporated when you faced it.

To strengthen the first chakra, practice yoga asanas that focus on rooting down into the earth.  I especially enjoy practicing Utkatasana, or chair pose, to balance my first chakra.

To practice this pose, begin standing in samasthiti.  Inhale as you raise your arms over your head and exhale to soften your heart forward into uttanasana, standing forward fold.  Bend your knees enough here to connect your fingertips to the earth.  Then, with your fingertips still maintaining a connection with the earth, continue to bend your knees as you reach your sit bones behind you.  Make sure that your knees don’t knock together here.  As your hips lower, raise your heart as your arms come up parallel to your ears.  If your shoulders feel tight, you can bend your elbows creating the shape of a cactus with your arms.  Stay here and focus on rooting down through your feet into the earth.  After a few breaths, straighten your legs as your lower your heart and hands, returning to uttanasana.

You can also practice a meditation for the first chakra.  While sitting in sukhasana, or easy seated pose, chant the bij mantra “lang.”  Allow the sound to linger within your body and take note of where the sound vibration sits within you.