The First Chakra – Muladhara – The Base Chakra
Introduction to Chakras / Chakras Diagram / Muladhara / Swadhisthana / Manipura / Anahata / Vishuddha / Ajña / Sahasrara
It is called the base chakra, the root chakra, and it is the first chakra, located at the base of the spinal cord, where, according to some yogic philosophies, kundalini resides. Kundalini is the latent vital energy found at the base of the spinal cord. Through the techniques of yoga, this female energy, kundalini, is awakened and it rises, touching each chakra. For reference, it is located in the perineum, between the anus and the sexual organs.
The Base Chakra Muladhara is the chakra which connects us to nature, to the animal, to our mammalian nature, to the spirit of survival of our ancestors, the fight or flight response. It is the chakra that gives us our Homo sapiens life energy. This chakra is strong in small children and becomes scarcer as a person becomes older. When muladhara is open, you feel connected to the earth, stable, and secure. You feel present in this time and space and connected to your physical body.
If you are frightened, nervous, or feel confused, your root chakra is probably unbalanced, you need a “tune up”. If Muladhara is too active you could be too materialistic or greedy. You could also feel obsessed with feeling secure, resisting change, or fixated with lifting weights and developing muscles when your muladhara is unbalanced. Hercules, the hero of brute force, utilized by those in power, represents Muladhara. It is muscle, but nothing else.
Muladhara is highly present in aboriginal lives, since their members have a more direct and deeper connection with nature. Music with lots of drumming, which leads to a primitive nature, connects us with this chakra. Muladhara connects us to the Earth. Walking barefoot is recommended for increasing Muladhara.
The animal which represents Muladhara is the elephant. A large, heavy, strong animal connected to Earth. The square is the geometric shape of Muladhara, it has four petals, and Earth is its element.