Sanskrit - Mūla = Root, Origin, Essence Ādhāra = Basis, Foundation. Based at the lowest point of the spinal column, below the Coccyx and up three vertebrae, the Root Chakra is associated with grounding and present energies. In women, it is often associated with the womb and the pelvis. It is the foundation from which we climb up the ladder of Chakras and for our spiritual development. On a physical level, Muladhara is for grounding, for being or becoming present and true to yourself, for finding steady feet and being comfortable in your body and this planet.
When Muladhara is out of balance you may suffer from anxiety, depression, bouncing from one thing to another without any specific aim or attention. Or completely lethargic and unable to focus, unable do things. And on physical level, an imbalanced Root Chakra may be associated with weight gain and pelvic pain. When this chakra is in healthy balance, you may be physically and emotionally stable, doing things with steady energy and feel completely comfortable and secure in your own body and on this planet amongst other people.
Yoga practices for balancing Muladhara Chakra include (but are not limited to) standing poses, standing balances, wide squats. Or, it could simply be Tadasana (Mountain Pose), taping into your foundations, pelvis and allowing the gravity to take over whilst you're still feeling the pull of standing tall and straight. Feeling your feet and noticing the grounding forces, being absolutely present in your body is often a good start towards re-balancing your Root Chakra.
What prompted me writing about this Chakra was a comment by my dear yogi friend Jo today after our yoga class with our teacher. She said “I leave Mondays for me, I don’t teach as I want to be here”; meaning at the class and doing self-practice.
And this is so true! I love Mondays (not many people can say this, so I feel extremely blessed). I love being able to devote Mondays to my yoga practice, to spending time with friends and like-minded people. Mondays are days for me- when I can truly tap into my graceful stability into my well being and into my body and mind. Whilst I regularly practice in my own studio, I also LOVE going to a yoga class when I’m not a teacher, when I’m not in a teaching-mind mode, when I can completely surrender but also learn something new as there are always new things to learn. And Mondays are these days for me. It's like saying: I HAVE THE RIGHT TO BE HERE. I have the right to be, keep and manifest - as a human being.
Often after the practice, I spend afternoons doing my everyday duties of being a MUM. And this means being truly present and here for my children. Not just physically present but also emotionally. As being a parent, truly tests your ability to be present. On every possible level! Indeed, if my Muladhara Chakra was out of balance, I would be more anxious and running from pillar to post and not ever be able to finish anything (not even dinner for them).
But on Mondays, after my yoga practice, after MY day (meaning few hours) spent grounding my energies, tuning-in, not being a teacher, not being a mum, not being a wife, but being a human being, I am more calm, more grounded and more capable of dealing with all the challenges in front of me.
What days are your yoga practice or your Muladhara Chakra days?
The picture is from my altar in my studio showing red Muladhara Chakra Yantra, a square with four red lotus petals. The square represents the Earth itself, the four dimensions and the four directions. Four allows for completion, and earth embodies the elements and conditions for human completion on all levels. Four feathers and stones are not part of the Yantra itself, but are my representation of being light, receptive but firm and grounded. A healthy balance!