The Muladhara chakra is the first chakra in the body. The words mula and adhara are sanskrit for “root” and “base”. Hence the root chakra which is located at the base of the spine. This chakra is strongly connected with the element of earth, often considered as a rooting and grounding element. 

Rooting Your Energy

As we have seen in my previous article, What is a Chakra, we already know that chakras are wheels of energy that are found in the body. The muladhara is  situated at the bottom of all the other six chakras. It’s essentially step 1 in the chakra ladder. Located in the pelvis (in the cervix for women and in the perineum for men). It connects you to your roots, the earth and this is the chakra that helps keep you most grounded. Think of it like this: if you were a tree, the muladhara would be where your stem grows, connecting you with tiny roots into the ground as a seedling, and eventually making you grow tall and sturdy (like your legs). 

Your muladhara is your centre of personal security. It’s where your basic needs begin. These needs could be things such as: nourishment, the need for food;  friends, the need to be around people when you are lonely, or money,  the need to economically provide for yourself or others. This energy wheel can sometimes connect you with “need” for material objects, yet is also connected with courage, resilience and feeling safe and secure. Often your muladhara chakra also connects you to your animal instincts and your sense of survival. A sense of innocence and purity are also born in this first chakra.

An Open Muladhara

If this chakra is balanced and open it creates a solid foundation for all the other chakras that lie above it. It is the first pillar in creating equilibrium within your life. It is often easier if you think about building a house within your soul. Start constructing your building at ground level. If your first structure is solid, it will permit all the others that follow to be equally as sturdy. It is the basis for your spiritual balance.

If this chakra is open and free of blockages it could make you feel stable minded. Loyal, centred, responsable and independent are a few other traits of a clear and happy muladhara chakra. However if this chakra is blocked for some reason or the energy is not flowing so steadily, you might feel anxiety, insecurity, instability or (brace yourself) sexual perversion.

Earth in Muladhara

The earth element, like the muladhara, is connected with the sense of smell. Through yoga, an earth element practise will most likely favor a great deal of movement within the legs (again, returning to the “if you were a tree” metaphor).  If we’re talking about Ayurveda, then the earth element in the body can be found through all the solid structures, such as the bones, cartilage, muscles, nails and skin. Because the earth element is related to the nose and the sense of smell, it is also connected to the function of the anus and excretion. Often, people who have problems with constipation or unclean colons can also suffer from bad breath and little sense of smell.

The colour or the muladhara chakra is: Red. The crystal most connected with this chakra is Ruby, but also Red Jasper, Black Tourmaline, and Garnet. 

The bija mantra for the muladhara chakra is Lam. Singing or humming the word Lam could help unblock this chakra through the power of sound therapy. Scientific research has proven that singing mantras repeatedly taps into the alpha state of the brain, originating in the occipital lobe . These brain waves are predominantly present when the mind is quiet and the eyes are closed. Alpha was are where the mind “rests”in the here and now, ultimately aiding with mental coordination and calmness. 

Be sure to check out the video below for Bhumi Namaskar, the salute to the earth.