First Chakra Root Chakra Muladhara Chakra

The First Chakra, often referred to as the Root Chakra or the Muladhara Chakra is located at the base of the spine in the vicinity of the coccygeal plexus beneath the sacrum.

It is associated with the following:

Deities: Ganesha, Indra, Brahma and Dakini Element: Earth Color: Red Animal: An Elephant with seven trunks. Body Parts: Sexual / Reproductive organs, Vagina, Perineum, Anus, Nose, Hamstrings,

Calves, Feet Planet: Saturn

According to Hinduism within this chakra resides/sleeps the kundalini shakti, the great spiritual potential, waiting to be aroused and brought back up to the source from which it originated, Brahman.

Muladhara is the base from which the 3 main psychic channels, nadis, ida, pingala and sushumna, emerge.

In kundalini yoga, there are various yogic practices held to incite the energy in Muladhara including: asanas (such as Garudasana, Shashankasana and Siddhasana); specific pranayama and importantly the practice of mula bandha which is endemic to appropriate bodymind discipline.

Problem Symptoms

When energy is not flowing freely from this chakra it creates intestinal and stomach gases, constipation, tumors, boils and pimples. The root chakra is responsible for your sense of belonging, safety, and security in the world. It’s main concern is survival of the self. The health of our blood, immune system, bones, joints and spine is dependent on the emotions associated with this chakra. It envelops the body’s basic needs for safety, money, sexuality, groundedness and boundaries. People who have trouble with their first chakra may not have developed a strong identity and have not discovered their life purpose. If they are too yin they may be ungrounded. If they are too yang there might be too much attachment to material things, too much self-indulgence and a preoccupation with satisfaction of their own needs.

If you are not able to deal effectively with the outer social structures of your world, then you tend to live from pay check to pay check in a dog-eat-dog world. This seems to be a very common problem in our Western Culture because we have forgotten how to ground ourselves with the energies of the Earth. People who are “grounded” have a strong sense of who they are. They know how to acquire what they need in order to comfortably survive.

Nervousness and anxiety are conditions that result from not feeling grounded. Psychologically, it indicates that you are operating too much from your head – the ego. Take a deep breath, relax, and look around you. Are you safe where you are at? (First Chakra awareness puts you in the primal mode of “fight or flight”.) If not, then you need to separate yourself from unsafe people and places. First Chakra awareness is a serious energy that requires you to make some tough choices and decisions. Being “indecisive” and depending upon others to take care of you is a First Chakra weakness. Please do not confuse security and your ability to live comfortably with “lots of money”.