After having been inspired by many people, books, experiences, and of course YTT- my curiosity of the chakra system has been expanding A LOT. In an attempt to learn more, I've begun to dedicate each of the next few weeks to each chakra. Each day on my insta-feed I've posted a photo and a little bit of information, which over the week accumulates to a long essay of info. It's mostly a collection of basic research, lines I draw and connect on my own, personal thoughts, and surface understanding, but it's been a really fun way to understand and communicate these pieces of life that I'm finding incredibly interesting.

By doing this I am certainly not claiming to be any sort of guru on the chakra system- and just after one week on the first chakra I've realized that, like many aspects of yoga, the chakras require a lifetime of study. But this is my ground work- my initial layout, of what I hope becomes a beautiful, colorful, home.

Last Monday I began with the first chakra or root chakra, also called the Muladhara (pronounced just like it's spelled).  Here's what I found and also what I shared.

Symbolism:
Color  |  Red Red has a slower vibration than the colors that symbolize the other chakras, therefore sounds much deeper. The color red is said to represent courage, passion, loyalty, and is energizing. It excites the emotions and motivates us to take action. It is also the color of the spectrum most available to the eye, so when looking at a group of people, the person wearing red is going to be seen by the eye first.

Envisioning the color red glowing brightly at the base of the spine is one way to access the energy of this chakra.

Petal Number  |   4 The lotus of the root chakra has four spokes, or petals. Four is the number of the square and foundations. The square is related to being honest, or giving a "square deal", the four energies of earth-earth, air, fire, and water, and the four directions. Four walls, four legs, or four wheels represent a strong foundation. There are some teachings that state the number of petals of each chakra also corresponds to elements of the anatomical- actual spinal arrangements and nerve pairings. Seen symbolically, however, the four petals still apply. The muladhara is our base, our foundation. When it's balanced or imbalanced we feel the repercussions through everything. Imagine a stool with four legs - if one of those legs is off a bit, the whole stool wobbles. It's no wonder that our first chakra, the chakra said to be more developed and influenced in our first stages of life, relates to our most basic survival needs and our sense of belonging- whether to our family or a larger group.

Element  |  Earth  Representing physical and emotional grounding, Earth is also the source of our creation. When we feel connected to the Earth, we feel connected to ourselves.

To quote Alan Watts "We do not 'come into' this world; we come out of it, as leaves from a tree."

Location  |  At the base of the spine, the very floor of the torso. The Muladhara is at the coccyx/perineum. It effects the bones, feet, legs, large intestine, elimination, immune system, adrenals and the sense of smell. To tie in the symbolism of the root chakra, the idea of the balance, strength, and grounding that comes from the earth, as well as the four petal symbolism of the lotus very much relates to the essential structure and stability of our bodies. Our feet through our legs, bones and our nervous system- these are what keep us standing. They are the basis of our physical and sensual experiences. In understanding the color red in relation to the physical location, we can see clearly that the symbolism of red being the source of our action relates to the energy behind the steps with take, and the symbolism of our power relates to the strength in our stance. It being the first color our eye recognizes ties into so many aspects of this chakra- it developing in our first stages of life, it effecting the first level of our anatomy, and it effecting our most basic needs or survival and safety. 

Because the root chakra is directly connected to shelter, survival necessities like food, clean water, and safety, when any of these aspects of our lives are thrown off we experience an imbalance in this area's energy.

Circumstances that pull up our roots include traveling, relocation, feeling fearful, big changes in our body, family, finances, and business. Some people, often those with busy minds and active imaginations, don't need special challenges to become deficient in this chakra; they feel ungrounded most of the time, living more in the head than in the body. If the first chakra is weak, the entire energetic system is at risk. Blockage in this area can cause us to feel anxious and worried. We may have a tendency to hoard things or over indulge causing poor dietary habits and substance abuse. One may feel a lack of energy, resistance to change and the need to slow down.

One of the beautiful things about the body is that everything that happens within it is fused and interconnected. If we provide ourselves with positive energy, we will feel the repercussions throughout. When examine the first chakra we can observe that when it is clear and energy flows through it freely, we feel secure and confident that we can easily fulfill our needs. When it's balanced, we feel “rooted”, secure and that the world is a safe place. There is a calmness, patience, and a willingness to slow down and stay in one place. Likewise, if we are in a place of major change and we find ourselves reacting negatively, our body will sense this and react sympathetically. If one is experiencing chonic lower back pain, rectal and immune disorders, depression, multiple personality disorder, OCD, addictions, sciatica, and/or varicose veins- these are all signs of a root chakra imbalance.

Beginning to examine asana with regard to the first chakra, uttanasana and paschimottanasana are great calf and hamstring stretches which help open and strengthen the lower body and root the attention downward. When our hamstrings are tight, the contraction creates a sense that we're constantly prepared to run away. By opening these areas, we relax and stabilize the flow of energy through our roots.

Tadasana and parsvakonasana are two other asana that are fantastic for reconnection to the muladhara. When standing in tadasana, take a moment to really feel the feet press into the ground. Sensing the weight of the body, and the strength of the legs pressing into and pulling upward, giving the body complete support. Tadasana is one of the most important of all asana because it provides our truest foundation, key alignment, and is a reflection of how we interact with the world. Parsvakonasana, being a pose that requires a lot of stability, is a great practice in feeling the root of the soles finding their power through the earth. Likewise, it also strengthens the legs, feeding more power into the root chakra.

With an imbalance in the root chakra other issues may come up with physical family, social and familial law and order, confusions around the feeling of home, group safety, and security. There may be a focus on an need to prove for life's necessities and stand up for yourself. There may be fear of abandonment, and or/ difficulty with family bonding, identity, tribal honor code, support and loyalty. Two wonderful asana that are great when experiencing these feelings are balasana and utkatasana. When in childs pose make sure to have your forehead touching the ground. Allow yourself to completely surrender, relaxing all the muscles in your hips, down your back, in your neck and arms. This experience will help to settle an overactive mind and encourage you to give into the support of the earth. Child's pose becomes a huge relief and a feeling of safety can overwhelm the practitioner. The effects of chair pose are similar to side angle in that there is a balance and stability required that comes directly from the feet and strength of the lower body. The beautiful thing about chair is that there comes a trust in the lower half of the body to not fall. From the force of the feet downward and squeezing of the legs and hips inward, the strength moves upwards through the body allowing a weightlessness to develop in the upper half of the body. This again gives the sensation of trust throughout the connections of the muladhara.

If you feel you have deficiency in this energy point, the first and most important thing to do is acknowledge that deficiency and make a conscious choice to actively balance the energy. Asana is a fantastic way to reconnect to the physical energy points within the body, but there are of course many other options. Here are few more I've found:

EAT: root vegetables, mushrooms, red colored foods such as apples, strawberries and pomegranates. Maybe make a completely red meal and while eating it focus on the feeling of being grounded, being safe, and being connected.

WEAR: red! Just seeing the color and clothing yourself in it can remind you of the attention and energy your choosing to direct.

ADD: a pinch of sea salt to your water once a day. It is a fast and effective grounding technique, and it gives you a daily dose of electrolytes, and trace minerals.

SMELL & FEEL: the essential oils of sandalwood, cypress, elemi, cedarwood, and rosewood - all trees that have roots deep into the earth. Other oils that help with issues of fear, depression and anxiety are frankincense, clary sage, geranium, rose, melissa, vetiver, and patchouli. These oils help reverse a sense of isolation from the group culture and they support the root chakra by aligning us with our connection to our physical bodies and the earth’s body. They help us to feel secure about being on this earth, being part of society and being centered in ourselves.

GIVE: love & attention on your feet by rolling a tennis ball underneath eat foot. Or get a foot massage! We have A TON of nerve endings in the feet and stimulating them, even just for a little bit each day, will help bring us back to balance.

For meditation practice:

Mudra In short mudra is small hand asana. There are over 100 mudras in the tantric yoga tradition, each having a different importance and effect on the energy within the body. There is an incredible amount of energy moving through our hands, and by focusing the position of the hands in a certain way we can directly effect that energy. Most mudra is suggested to be held for a fair amount of time, 15 minutes is a minimum I would suggest.

Mudras can be used in or out of meditation, but are most effective in accessing the chakra when in meditation while using a bija mantra. The guyan mudra is used for the root chakra. The tip of the thumb and the tip of the index finder come together while the other fingers rest open. This is the most commonly used mudra in yoga and when active it stimulates and acknowledges knowledge and ability and imparts receptivity and calm.



Lam is the bija mantra associated with the root chakra. Bring your attention to the root chakra. Take several seconds to allow your attention to find the space, and to get settled into it. Allow the mantra Lam to arise repeatedly in your mind silently. Allow it to repeat at its own natural speed. You may find that it comes 5-10 times and wants to pause, or you might find it wants to come continuously. If it pauses, allow it to return in its own time. The mantra may move quickly or slowly. In any case, keep your attention on that space. That space might be tiny, such as a pinpoint, or it might be several inches across. Follow your own inclination about the size of the space. Allow your mind to naturally be aware of earth, solidity, or form. That awareness may come a little or a lot; either way is okay. Allow to come through your mind the awareness of release, and the connection of all things. Draw yourself into that connection - connection of all smells, the earth, oceans and rivers, the air, your friends and family. Visualize your strength and the energetic circuitry connecting you to all life. Breathe.


The bija Sat Nam is highly recommended for the first chakra, but can be used for all prana. When using: Breath in Sat. Breath out Nam. Breath in Sat. Breath out Nam. This mantra is probably the most widely used mantra in the practice of Kundalini Yoga. Sat means truth—the reality of one’s existence. Naam means the identity. It is a bija (or seed) mantra. Within the seed is contained all the knowledge of the fully grown tree. The essence or seed is the identity of truth embodied in condensed form, chanting this mantra awakens the soul and balances the five elements.

And that concludes the first week of my chakra study! A part of me feels like this is just a lot of technical information about such subtle energy points in the body that are anything but technical. However, I know information like this will not only help me, but will hopefully help others as well.

Next week I'll be diving into the incredible and complex second chakra. Woohoo!!