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Muladhara Chakra

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Muladhara means 'root support'.
 
A lotus flower blooms sitting on a long stem, floating on the water but it's roots are in the mud. Muladhara is the mud.​ The root chakra is the foundation for the other chakras so it needs to be strong. To grow to your full potential, you must tend your roots well.​ Roots need to be fed and given good nutrition. I love my plants and to keep them healthy and thriving I fertilize the ground they grow in with manure, manure might not smell great, but without it my plants are stunted. The sense of smell is associated with muladhara. Muladhara anchors us to the earth and the world around us. It is grounding and stabilizing.
 
Muladhara is located at the base of the spine, the tail bone or perineum. It's exact location is two fingers in the back wall of the vagina in women and the perineum in men. But when you are visualizing, it is where you feel the energy.
 
It is the seat of kundalini energy where the snake of kundalini lies dormant coiled three & a half times.
 
The special bija mantra of the earth element is LAM. Chanting the mantra for a few minutes aids in meditation. The sounds of the petals are vam, sam, sam, sam
 
Colours associated with this chakra are red, yellow, and golden. 
 
It could be considered the bliss centre for physical body, it's where orgasms originate after all.
 
Muladhara relates to the physical body, health, survival, fears and family. Also our material needs, our job, shelter, wellness, and security. When you experience problems with weight, sciatica, arthritis and constipation, it may indicate problems arising in Muladhara.
 
Grounding us to the moment with live in our roots help us cope with stress. We can draw up the vitality from the earth
 
I(t is connected to Annamaya kosha, the body. Use Muladhara as a way to understand, accept and heal your body. It is the gateway to our inner world.

Deities instilled in the Chakra

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Deities in Muladhara are Indra, Brahma and Dakini
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Indra is yellow in colour, four-armed, holding the thunderbolt and a blue lotus in his hands, mounted on the white elephant Airawata. He is the Hindu god of lightning, thunder, rains and river flows, and king of the gods and heaven (similar to Zeus or Thor). Indra represents the aspect of our mind that indulges in the five senses and also obtains mastery over the five senses.

Brahma is the Hindu god of creation. Brahma is deep red, young, four-faced, three-eyed, four-armed, holding a staff, a sacred water-pot, and a rosary of rudraksha (sacred seeds coming from the words Rudra [Shiva] and aksha [eyes]). The forth hand makes the gesture of dispelling fear. He is seated on a swan. His four heads represent physical self, rational self, emotional self and intuitive self.
 
Dakini is the feminine principle or ​the activating power and energy. The Dakini is shining red or shining white in colour; she has beautiful face with three eyes; four-armed, holding a trident, a skulled staff, a swan and a drinking vessel; seated on a red lotus​.

Muladhara Symbol Explanation

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  • Red colour petals indicate the colour of Shakti. It means energy, movement, awakening and development. Additionally, it symbolizes awakening the sleeping consciousness to active, alert consciousness.
  • Yellow Square indicates the earth element, representing the beginning of life. When awakened it manifests as a magnetic force within that person.
  • This yellow square has surrounded by eight shining spears; beautiful, like lightning facing the eight directions of the compass. 
  • I found this wonderful Poem by Tibetan master, Gotsangpa Gonpo Dorje  (1189-1258) called ‘ Eight Swirling Spears’   Eight Swirling Spears (wordpress.com) The Eight Spears are: View; Meditation; Conduct; Fruition; Samaya (union of body, speach and mind); Compassion; Interdependence; & Enlightened Activity
  • Inverted red triangle has three meanings; the cosmic energy is pulling in & guided downwards like a funnel, an upward expansion of consciousness, and it indicates  female gender (Shakti).
  • Lingam within the triangle indicates male gender (Shiva). The lingam has three and a half coiled-serpent lying dormant (the state of ignorance). These three coils represent the three gunas: sattva (goodness), rajas (active), & tamas (laziness), half a coil represents human transcendence by kundalini. The serpent's head is laid downward in sleep, showing dormant kundalini.
  • Kundalini, supremely subtle, lightning-like splendor; also shining red, white and black (or dark-green) colour; three and a half coils around Swayambhu-linga
  • Muladhara chakra has a white elephant named Airawata with seven trunks. 7 is a very magical number. It is deeply spiritual, a number of completeness and perfection.

The Vrittis of Muldhara

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Muladhara has four red or vermilion petals and each petal contains one of the four basic longings in life: 
moksa: Spiritual Emancipation, enlightenment, liberation, and release​
artha: ​ Wealth. The meaning, sense, goal, purpose or essence of life
kama:  Physical. Sensory enjoyment, emotional attraction and aesthetic pleasure such as from arts, dance, music, painting, sculpture and nature.
dharma: Psycho-spiritual. Virtues and "right way of living", ​include duties, rights, laws, conduct, 

Vritti means "whirlpool,"  the contents of mental awareness or disturbances in the medium of consciousness.
The mind is a flow or vibration of energy which is an expression of the dynamic flow of the cosmos. In order to express this flow the mind adopts vrittis, or methods of expression (mental tendencies).
To attain enlightenment a yogi must still the vrittis in meditation to reach Samadi, or bliss. Mind has strengthened when the Vrittis (thought-waves) are calmed; however, it is not easy to calm vrittis.

​Four red petals of Muladhara indicate there are four nadis in this energy center, they are Ida, Pingala and Shushumna Nadi, the fourth represents the downward movement of energy. When you are meditating you can imagine a golden cord connecting Muladhara chakra with a shining sun deep within the earth's core.​

Each petal has one Sanskrit letter: va( वं ), scha ( शं ), sha( षं ), and sa ( सं ) and one specific quality or vritti. 

​The center symbol, or bija mantra of the Earth Element is LAM.
Bija mantras are sounds endowed with great spiritual powers. They work in the unseen planes of the universe and work out miracles in a profound way. Activation of the elements leads to quicker awakening of Kundalini.
The four vrittis associated with Muladhara Chakra

1. va( वं ) Highest Bliss: Paramananda​:  Greatest Joy
pure spiritual yearning, desire for absolute liberation. Bliss of the divine union in meditation. The state of supreme bliss is reached through evenness of the mind with reference to all aspects of one’s life.
​
2. scha ( शं ) Innate bliss: Sahajananda: natural pleasure. Wealth.
   artha: desire for intellectual pleasure, meaning, sense, goal, purpose or essence of life. Wealth brings only temporary satisfaction of worldly desires.

3. sha( षं ) Heroic bliss: Virananda: delight in controlling passion,
    Kama: desire for physical pleasure: there are four basic physical desires or instincts: life (fear of dying), sex,  food and sleep. Kama means all types of physical longings - wealth, opulence, name, fame and social position,
as well as sex. None of these limited things can satisfy our infinite desires, so it is wise to moderate our desires and take the Supreme as our ultimate goal.
 
4. sa ( सं ) Bliss of union: Yogananda 
    dharma: desire for God. psycho-spiritual longing. Blissfulness in concentration
“Divine bliss through union (yoga) with God,” or, “Divine bliss through the practice of yoga techniques for achieving union.” ... The highest state of divine ecstasy is revealed as ineffable bliss—“beyond imagination of expectancy,” [Paramahansa Yogananda]
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New Age meaning and symbolism: 
 "this is Western chakra system, originally appropriated from India but now almost totally divorced from its Indian prototype and revised and elaborated primarily on the basis of the New Age religion."

Muladhara means Root Support
It’s element is Earth
The colour is Red
It is associated with our sense of smell
The bija mantra is LAM - (in fact the bija mantra of the earth element is LAM)
It’s symbol is 4 red petals, a yellow square and a downward pointing triangle
The opposing force of Muladhara chakra is fear -(installed in the chakra by Jung​)

Aptly, this energy center is associated with your root issues, such as your sense of security, satisfying your basic needs, familial relationships, and how at home you feel in your body and on this planet.​

Working with the root chakra will bring to light both our positive, uplifting and negative destructive qualities. Yoga clears our minds so our actions are not directed by how we subconsciously perceive things through past experiences.

The base chakra is all about our physical survival. There are four basic physical desires or instincts: for life (fear of dying), for sex, for food and for sleep. 

Muladhara is connected to the adrenal glands. It initiates our fight, flight or freeze response. 

A balanced root chakra brings emotional stability and the sense of being able to cope with whatever the universe throws your way. It has a feeling of being grounded, yet free as a bird. It gives you compassion and patience towards yourself and others. 

If your Root Chakra needs balancing connect with the earth and those you love. Do gardening, go out in nature, walk through the bush, feel the energy in trees be aware of the pull of gravity grounding you to the earth. Connecting with your environment will help you feel balanced and safe, at peace with who you are and your life.

Let go of the material world and connect with your inner self. Practice meditation and yoga. Let your awareness of what truly matters be your guide when you make decisions without the feelings of restlessness, frustration and aggression. 

​One of the key elements in healing Muladhara chakra is to learn to trust and love yourself and to let go of fear. Nurture your self confidence, believe that you are important and valuable in this world. You can manifest whatever you conceive in your mind.

As you work on balancing Root chakra you will notice a feeling of optimism, trust, confidence and vitality grow stronger day by day. 


  • https://www.epainassist.com/chakra/how-to-open-your-blocked-root-chakra-or-muladhara
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