Chakra Meditation Included Below
Beginner’s Guide to Chakras: Part 1, Root Chakra
Have you ever heard someone mention chakras but never really knew exactly what it meant? Well you’re not alone, many people find them esoteric and elusive, and unfortunately miss out on all the benefits of knowing about chakras and how they work. Chakra literally means wheel, and represents energy “wheels” if you will (no pun intended), along the spinal column. Ultimately the 7 chakra system is a philosophy related to human consciousness, behavior, and enlightenment. Each chakra represents a wheelhouse of propelling life energy (also called pranayama), going in and coming out, focused on 7 different domains of human psyche and existence. Chakra philosophy originates back 4,000 years ago in India, and has been incorporated into many traditions and philosophies including yoga, meditation, Ayurveda, and most recently within western psychology. This blog series serves to give you a beginner’s guide to the 7 main chakras most widely acknowledged.
Chakra One: Muladhara, The Root Chakra
The first chakra is called Muladhara, or The Root Chakra. This energy force is housed at the base of our spines and includes the legs, feet, and the cocygeal plexus. Each chakra is represented by a color, and the root chakra’s color is red. It’s symbolic element is Earth, as it serves as the foundation for any growth within the following chakras.
I like to compare the chakras to Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs, a common concept in the psychology world. Although I am not aware of Maslow crediting his work to the chakra system, however interestingly enough it follows a very similar path as the chakra system and because it is more popular and widely accepted in the West, I like to compare the two philosophies. Related to the concept that we can not have any personal conscious growth until we have our basic needs met (the first stage in Maslow’s Hierarchy) similarly the root chakra is the base of human development and focuses on our basic right to be here. Hence this chakra houses energy focused on survival, self-preservation, fear, security, and stability.
Each wheel can either live in balance or imbalance, and this is reflected by our behaviors, thoughts, emotions, and traumas related to each chakra’s wheelhouse. Take a look at how our lives are affected when the root chakra’s energy is in balance (meaning the energy going into the wheel is balanced by what is coming out) versus when it is imbalanced.
Balancing the Root Chakra
If you find that you identify with some of the qualities of this chakra when it is imbalanced here are some things you can do to bring balance to this chakra:
Chakra Meditation
Yoga Poses
- Mountain Pose (Link to Instructions)
- Chair Pose ((Link to Instructions)
- Goddess Pose (Link to Instructions)
Qigong Movements
- Basic Stance (Link to Instructions)
Psychotherapy
- Processing earliest relationships with caregivers
- Processing trauma to the root chakra such as abandonment, malnourishment, or physical abuse
*** I offer a 8 week Mindfulness Based Therapy Program that addresses such issues, click here for more information
– Tiffany is a holistic psychotherapist providing counseling in Woodland Hills (West Valley). She specializes in women’s empowerment related to self-esteem, self-confidence, and relationship issues. Her writing, public speaking, and teaching endeavors are dedicated to helping others elevate consciousness and well-being. Find out more about Tiffany by clicking here
