Chakra of the week: Muladhara

DISCLAIMER:

I am by no means an expert on each chakra, and I don't know everything. I have read extensively and taken an online course through a Jain instructor. This is just a general outline with a couple tips I've learned from experience. Please do your own research on top of this, because our practices are all different.

What is the Muladhara Chakra?

First things first: A chakra is a sphere of energy in our astral body that is connected to a place in our physical body.

The Muladhara Chakra is located at the base of the spine. Imagine sitting on a chair and feeling the bones that settle on the seat. That's the Muladhara Chakra. It is also called the root chakra, because it is the lowest one.

The symbol is a triangle pointing down inside a square surrounded by a circle. This is surrounded by four lotus petals. The meaning of the petals differs slightly depending on who you ask.

 

Element

The Element surrounding the Muladhara Chakra is Earth. Earth is solid and supportive. We can stand on it and feel secure. It is stable and strong and can withstand the elements.

When I meditate to scan my chakras, I try to visualize the element surrounding it. What I see usually helps me understand what I need to work on. For example, if I felt as if I were standing on a mountain and felt secure in my footing, my chakra was probably balanced. If I felt like I was in sand and I kept slipping I needed to do some balancing work that week. 

Color

The color associated with the Muladhara is red, like red clay. Chakras themselves do not have colors, they only reflect the colors surrounding them. Imagine a deep, red, lava color.

Diet

Foods that help with digestion are best for this chakra. The prana (energy) of excretion is associated with Muladhara, so eating foods that keep you balanced are best. I like yogurt, fresh fruit, chia seeds, and a little granola to start my day.

 

Signs of imbalance

An overactive Muladhara chakra results in greediness and selfishness. An under-active Muladhara results in lonesomeness and feeling victimized.

A balanced chakra

A balanced Muladhara chakra results in a feeling of security, so you don't try to aquire more than you need by being greedy, and you don't feel lonely because you know you are taken care of.

To balance the chakra, meditate chanting the seed sound: Lam (pronounced langm). You can also wear red to help you visually focus on this chakra. Make sure you are eating foods associated with it as well. Lastly, yoga poses can help, including Tree Pose and Mountain pose. Any pose that helps you feel grounded will help here, too.