Lesson 1

Muladhara - Root Chakra

“The goddess Kundalini dwells within the Muladhara Chakra; She may be roused by pranayama” -Siva Samhita

Mula - root, base, foundation; adhara - support, basis, receptacle

The Root Chakra, or Muladhara, provides the energetic foundation of your body and mind. This center is where it all begins for us energetically. It is where the energy and feeling of survival/safety/security is rooted; it is the seat of the human instincts which have evolved to keep us alive - our animalistic & Instinctual behavior.

Muladhara grounds us, gives us the energy to endure the ups and downs of life, and connects us with Mother Earth. The survival mechanism of “fight or flight” is located here. The Root is where we develop trust vs. mistrust about our place in the world.

1. When Muladhara is balanced and flowing freely, we feel safe and secure.
2. We meet our basic life needs with ease.
3. We can be fully present in the moment and connected to what’s happening around us. We are strong and in good health.
4. Because we are connected to the Earth our physical needs, such as food and shelter, are always provided.

Think of the Root Chakra as an antenna that is always sending and receiving information relating to your physical survival and sense of security. So...if it’s blocked or unbalanced; it’s going to be continually looking for the threats that perhaps aren’t even there! This is where we received most of our primary preconceived notions and perceptions of the world and how we relate to it - not as verbal teachings but rather, energetic imprints from our families!

Benefits of Muladhara

• Connection with the Earth
• Connection with our physical body
• Deeper insights into relationships with people, places & things
• Freedom from disconnection, insecurity (physical), prejudices, intolerance
• Healing & releasing of those pesky self-limited negative beliefs that we inherit
• Grounding
• Accountability and ability to commit and follow through
• Putting down roots and feeling at home wherever you are
• Freedom from deep seated fears
• Stability
• Abundance, faith, prosperity, and gratitude
• Feelings of deep safety and security when there is no actual threat

When to work with Muladhara:

• You feel spaced out and disconnected
• Anxious/fearful
• Fearful and don’t know why
• Feeling stuck in life
• Experience disharmony and difficulties with work or relationships
• Have any unhealed traumas
• You feel ungrounded, blocked, stuck, fearful of change, lazy, or rigid

Excessive Muladhara manifests as:

• Feeling stuck
• Tending towards overweight/obesity/overeating
• Sluggish, overburdened, hoarding
• Rigid ‘for or against’ thinking - black and white extremism
• Depression/laziness
• Obsessive over routines and physical safety
• Fearful of change
• Constipation

Deficient Muladhara manifests as

• Fear
• Lack of discipline
• Need for constant change (ungroundedness)
• Restlessness
• Inability to form a connection with the environment
• Underweight
• Spaciness
• Ungrounded, flaky
• Failure to settle down and commit
• Blockages in meaningful relationships
• Struggles with lasting employment
• Inability to fulfill basic needs
• Financial difficulty

How does balanced Muladhara manifest?

• Good health & vitality
• Connection to Earth/grounded
• Sense of trust in the world
• Security
• Prosperity
• Right livelihood
• Stability
• Ability to relax and be still
• Comfortable in body
  
  
  

Muladhara essential oils mini-class:

Muladhara Yoga Asana Mini Class:

Correspondences of Muladhara

Location: Base of the spine

Color: Red

Element: Earth

Pattern of energy: 4 petal lotus

Mantra: LAM

Shape: Yellow square (represents the 4 corners/directions)

Age: Womb to 1 year

Female energy: Dakini

Male energy: Ganesh

Animal: Black elephant

Sense: Smell

Basic activity: Elimination

Positive emotions: Security, loyalty, sense of community, connection

Negative emotions: Fear, prejudice, blind faith, aggression

Shadow/demon: Fear

Basic right: To be here. To exist.

Principals: Pride and ego

Physical: Skeletal system, auto-immune function, bowles, teeth; Adrenal glands

Consciousness: Being rooted in present moment; unaware of outside world

Musical note: C

Traumas/Abuses that cause Root imbalances: Physical abuse/violations, major surgeries or illnesses, inherited & transgenerational trauma, neglect, abandonment, needs not being met as a child.

Muladhara Yantra Mini-Class

This is the Muladhara Yantra - a visual meditation tool that works on a subconscious and energetic level to bring us to balance. Watch the Muladhara Yantra mini-class to learn how to meditate with yantras.

(There is a downloadable yantra image below if you would like to print out and work with!)

Meditation, Journal, and Affirmations for Muladhara

"I AM"

Right to be here.

Affirmations

• I am safe.
• I am exactly where I need to be.
• I am nurtured by the energy of the Earth.
• My body is strong and it supports me with its strength.
• I am powerful.
• I am abundant.
• I am held and supported in everything that I do.
• I trust in life

Muladhara Chakra Guided Healing Meditation:

Journal Prompts for Muladhara

• What belief patterns and superstitions have I inherited from my family?
• Do I nurture myself properly - both with food AND with healthy ideas and impressions?
• Did I have trauma early in life that taught me that the world is not safe for me?
• Do I often feel as though I don’t “belong”?
• Am I able to maintain healthy relationships? Do I let go of ones that have proved to have a negative impact on me or do I remain involved?
• Do I feel safe and secure in the world?
• Do I trust that my needs will be met or do I fear going hungry or destitute?

Healing Practices for Muladhara

• Physical activity (exercise, dance, yoga)
• Reconnect with body
• Hiking, gardening, camping
• Hatha yoga
• Reclaim right to be here
• Revisit earliest childhood memory/relationship to mother
• Massage
• Walking on the Earth with bare feet
• Time in nature
• Examine and rewrite money/abundance beliefs