Introduction to Muladhara chakra by Rose Dawn Virasanthi! This post is an extremely basic, simplified 'Introduction to Muladhara.' If any interest is expressed, I will post similar 'Intros' to the other chakras. Read the post entitled "Chakrastuff" for general info on the Chakra System if it is your Will. ;> _Muladhara_ is a Sanskrit word which means 'root' and Muladhara is called the 'root' or 'base' chakra. Its location is approximately in the region of the perineum if approached from the 'front' and at the base of the spine, the coccyx, or base of the sacrum, if approached from the 'back.' Muladhara contains the basic *life* energy of every human being, and is the first of the 'higher' or physical/spiritual major chakras. For Qabalists, it can be very easily related to Malkuth. The color of Muladhara is blood-red, and can be adequately and simply visualized as a red wheel whirling in a deosil direction. Muladhara represents *survival*--adrenaline--the 'fight-or-flight' syndrome. It also represents the *beauty* of the earth, the body, humanity. Muladhara is the natural abode of Sakthi, the feminine force, personified as _kundalini_, represented as a serpent. Visualize Muladhara as a lotus flower with four vibrant red petals. The four petals symbolize the four directions, and the traditional Hindu 'Four Aims' of mankind: _artha_ or wealth, financial security; _kama_, desire, erotic love, pleasure, and the fulfillment thereof; _dharma_, a complicated concept which I personally equate with the True Will and exercise thereof; and _moksa_, or Liberation. On each petal is a Sanskrit letter, representing seed-syllables which 'vibrate' in tune with the chakra's energy. They are written in gold in Devanagari script, and are: va, s'a, s.a, and sa. Contained within the center of the Lotus is a yellow square, which represents the element of Earth, symbolizing solidity. Solidity can imply stagnation and inertia, but also cohesion, centering, grounding. Within the yellow square is Muladhara's _bija_, or seed mantra, LAM. When vibrated aloud, this is pronounced 'Lung' with an emphasis on the nasal 'ng' sound; when 'vibrated' silently, it is pronounced 'Lummmmm.' In the center of the square is a downward-pointing triangle, symbolizing Sakthi, the feminine Power. Within the triangle is a black-hued _lingam_ , around which the _kundalini_ serpent is coiled three-and-one-half times. The three coils represent the masculine, feminine, and 'conjoined' energies; the half-coil indicates that kundalini, though quiescent, is always on the verge of changing from static to a kinetic energetic state. Below all this is a creature called _Airavata_, depicted as a white elephant with a black band around his throat, and seven trunks, symbolizing the seven chakras. Airavata is the 'guardian' of the _Brahma Granthi_...or the 'creative knot.' These _granthis_ or knots exist in Muladhara, Anahata, and Ajna chakras, and are in one sense, 'obstacles' to be surmounted by rousing kundalini and assisting Her as she rises and pierces the chakras, subtly transforming the energy therein. These chakras are the places where one is most likely to get 'stuck', similar to being 'stuck' on the level of Malkuth, or Tiphereth, or the edge of the Abyss, from a QBL standpoint. The pranic current governing Muladhara is _Apana_, which has a downward flow, from navel to feet. By *reversing* Apana's downward flow through practices such as _Mulabandha_, kundalini is wakened and begins to 'rise.' When Kundalini activates the Muladhara Chakra, a sound like the chirping of a cricket is commonly 'heard'. After the 'journey' is completed, kundalini returns again to Muladhara, although once She is activated, She doesn't return to sleep, but merely pulses quietly, radiating energy throughout the chakra. When the chakra is activated, the petals of the 'Lotus' will 'bloom' and face upward, when kundalini rises higher, they will close up and face downward again. Muladhara governs the sense of smell, and incenses and perfumes will assist in the energy's activation. The senses, sounds, colors, numbers, etc. all "resonate" in tune with the chakra's energy vibration frequency; the deities associated therewith represent the function of the chakra. The two Deities associated with Muladhara are visualized as hovering above the Lotus, the male to the right and the female to the left. They are: Brahma with five 'faces' rather than the traditional four; he is ruddy in color and shining. He has four arms, which hold the trident, mala and Cup; with his fourth he makes the _Abhaya Mudra_, the palm held up and forward, a traditional gesture which means "Fear not." The Sakthi-manifestation of Muladhara is Dakini, who is pinkish in color, a beautiful slender woman with four arms in which She holds a human skull, trident, scythe, and Cup. The guna associated with Muladhara is _Tamas_, inertia in its negative sense, solidity in its positive. Ganesa is often associated with Muladhara as well, but He is *not* the Airavata elephant. Muladhara's vowel-sound is O, as in 'Yo' 'So,' 'No', etc. Muladhara is even more intimately connected with the next chakra, Swadisthan, than usual between the chakras. Many practices and exercises designed to activate Muladhara will be beneficial for Swadisthan as well, and once the 'knot' is surmounted, the energy will flow smoothly and easily from Muladhara to Swadisthan. Many practices associated with Muladhara are actually designed to activate kundalini, but we don't want to do that yet. Before the chakras are 'pierced' and 'transformed,' I personally believe it's important to become familiar with the pure energy of each of them, which also aids in a smoother ascent for the kundalini energy. Recommendations for practices designed to activate Muladhara will follow in the next post. Namah Kalika Lalita. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Namaste. Before attempting any of the practices suggested herein, I would suggest backtracking and reading the posts entitled "Chakrastuff" and "Muladhara Chakra" to get a basic intro to exactly what I'm talking about. These practices do not constitute what's commonly referred to as "kundalini yoga." Rather than rousing the kundalini, I want to present some suggestions for familiarizing onself with the pure energy of Muladhara, with some goals being increased comfort with one's physicality, release of bodily tensions, experiencing adrenaline in a 'safe' manner, and an increased understanding of one's personal 'basic life energy,' and one's 'undifferentiated' sexuality. That said: the 'Middle Pillar Ritual' expounded by Regardie, Kraig, and others, isn't a bad intro, as it involves 'grounding' and 'centering' which are definitely Muladhara functions, however in my personal opinion, the ritual has some moral implications I'm not entirely comfortable with. If one can keep that in mind, though, the ritual itself is a good'un. First, let's find and feel Muladhara. Sit in padmasana , or if that's uncomfortable, in _sukhasana_ , a normal cross-legged posture. Straighten the spine and raise the head, so that head, neck, trunk, and hips are all in a straight line. Inhale and exhale normally and smoothly. Now, focus your concentration on the perineum--area between anus and genitals. Try to move your concentration *inward* from the outer flesh, to "feel" the deeper tissues of the area. Center the consciousness there; then shift the focus from the same base, first forward, then back. Practice until you can isolate and feel these areas--they should be approximately from the base of the spine to the pelvic floor--behind the scrotum for males, behind the clitoris for females. Keeping the spine *straight*, begin to sway slightly to the left, then to the right, then allow the body to turn naturally in a slightly circular motion, while keeping the attention focused on the Muladhara area at all times. If the attention wanders, bring it back. When you are able to maintain constant contact with the Muladhara region for a time, gently remove the attention, relax the body, and take one Complete Breath: inhale, pulling the air down to the abdomen, then filling the chest and lungs next, finally the throat area, and exhale the same way...releasing the throat, then upper lungs, then lower, finally pulling the abdominal muscles in and expelling all vestiges of air from the body. Alternate-nostril pranayama benefits Muladhara by harmonizing the Ida and Pingala Nadis. Take the right hand, and fold the index and third fingers against the palm, with the ring and pinkie, and thumb sticking up. Close the right nostril with the thumb, and exhale through the left. Then inhale through the left, to the count of four. Next, pinch the left nostril closed with the ring & pinkie fingers, and hold for a count of 12. Release the thumb, and exhale through the right nostril to the count of 8. Repeat the process of inhalation-retention-exhalation, keeping a 1:3:2 rhythm, for five to ten 'rounds.' Practice this daily. A Tattwa-Yantra meditation designed for Muladhara involved drawing a yellow square, cutting it out, and placing it in the center of a black background. Sit in a comfortable position, and look at the Yantra, while chanting LAM . Attempt to focus *completely* on the mantra and yantra. Keep this up for a few minutes, gently bringing the attention back to the yantra and mantra when the mind wanders. Several _mudras_ and _bandhas_ <'gestures' and 'seals'> benefit Muladhara. The post entitled _Vajroli Mudra_ contains detailed directions for Vajroli and Mula Bandha. These are very good for energizing Muladhara. I won't repeat at length here, as the post was recent enough to go back and read thru. _Aswini Mudra_ is especially beneficial for females, and is sort of a combo of Vajroli and Mulabandha, in which the anal sphincter muscle is contracted then released, and then the vaginal sphincter/levator are contracted and released immediately after. This is pretty much identical with 'kegel exercises' often prescribed by western docs after childbirth to tighten slack vaginal muscles. _MahaMudra_ is very powerful. Sit straight, with the legs stretched out straight in front, then bend the left knee, and place the left heel against the perineum. Keeping the spine straight, gently bend forward from the hips and grasp the right foot. Exhale *completely* and pull the abdominal muscles in and up, as if attempting to draw the abs back to the spine, then up under the ribs. Hold for a few seconds, relax, release, and repeat on the opposite side. Similar is _Siddhasana_, the "Adept's Pose." Sit on the floor, spine straight, legs straight out in front. Contract the anal sphincter muscles, then bend left leg, place left heel at perineum. Next, bend the right knee and align the right ankle atop the left ankle, right ankle gently pressing against the genital area. Place the 'lesser toes' of the right foot into the crease between left thigh and calf. Place the fingers in the _Jnana Mudra_..with thumb and index finger touching, forming a circle, other three fingers extended. Normally, Jnana Mudra is made with the hands placed upright on the knees or thighs, but in Siddhasana, press the three extended fingers into the ground at the dides of your thighs, maintaining contact with the 'earth.' Hold comfortably...stop before you're in agony! A few seconds to a minute or two. Then repeat to the opposite side. All seated balancing postures benefit Muladhara. The "Arrow" series consists of sitting on the floor, then drawing the knees up to the chest, arms wrapped around them. Next, release first one arm, then the other, and maintain the balance. Finally, grasp the ankles, and stretch the legs out straight upward toward the ceiling, maintaining the balance. If you lose the balance at any point, stop and practice until you've got it. Finally, keeping hold of the ankles, move into _Tarasana_, the 'star posture'..bend the knees with legs still raised and lower them to the floor. Gently pull the ankles, with feet together, soles touching, inward, stretching the pelvic region. Now lace the fingers and place the hands around the toes, lowering your elbows to the ground. Finally, touch the forehead to the sides of feet. This position will look like a star or pentagram, when done properly, and has the added benefit of working on Muladhara and Ajna simultaneously, which some schools recommend. Virasana/Gomukhasana combination has the same Muladhara/Ajna effect. Sit with legs stretched out, then bend the left knee over the right thigh, then bend the right knee. Now, raise the left arm and bend the elbow as if you were going to scratch your back, and bend the right elbow behind back, and lace the fingers of both hands together. Hold for about 30 seconds to begin, then release and repeat to the opposite side. _Ardha-Salabhasana_, or the half-locust is another good one. Lie on your stomach, with your chin against the floor, face raised. Turn the arms palms-down and slide them under the body--the inner elbows should rest on the floor, the thighs and pelvis atop the arms. Raise one leg as high as possible, knees straight, and hold for 10-30 seconds. Inhale as you raise the leg, then exhale and lower it smoothly to the floor, repeat on the opposite side. _Vajrasana_, thunderbolt pose, is very easy. Kneel, with your knees and feet together, then sit back on your heels, straighten the spine, and place palms down flat on the knees or thighs. You can perform Vajroli, Aswini, Maha Mudra, etc., in this posture. _Yogini Asana_ is especially beneficial for females, though males can benefit from it as well. From a standing position, squat, then place the heels together, feet turned outward, knees turned out to the sides, as widely separated as is possible. Make the Anjali mudra above your head. The 'meditation' that goes with this asana is "Though I am open to all, none but the Aethyrs possess me." A bit inelegant looking, but very effective! Halasana and Garudasana are two highly recommended Muladhara asanas, but they're fairly advanced. Yoga Mudra is also excellent, and involves sitting in full-lotus, linking hands behind back, then raising arms straight up backward as far as possible, then with arms held at that point, lowering forehead to touch the ground. There are more...but that should be enuff to give just about anybody a start! ;> Please let me know if you want more! Namaskarams.