The seven primary chakra systems are an illustration of ancient wisdom universalized across different spiritual and philosophical platforms. 50,000 years ago dolls were found in caves with beads representing the location of each of these primary chakras. They play a crucial role in the mind, body, spirit connection and through understanding them and working with them we awaken a power within that cannot be sustained in any other physical entity outside of ourselves.
What is a chakra?
Chakras are focal points of our energetic body that vibrate at specific frequencies and are constantly in flux bringing in and putting out energy into our auric field. For this reason they are referred to as vortexes of energy.
We are familiar with the fact we have a physical body but as energetic beings we go far beyond which can only be experienced with the 5 senses, experiencing emotional range is proof of this. The state of our chakras are a window into the emotional body and the link between emotional and physical wellbeing.
The energy involvement of the seven primary chakras can be visualized as a tree that runs vertically along the spine. Starting below at the dark, deep roots and growing upward to the area of the heart where branches begin to spread outward growing up into the heavens above the crown of the head.
The observation, healing and opening of the chakras are part of what is called, Tantric practice. Tantric practices in the most general sense, are ways of opening to spiritual self-healing. They are theories based around attaining physical and spiritual awareness with an aim towards enlightenment. They involve esoteric practice (practice not understood by all) and sacred ritual (valued uniquely by the person participating in it).
Muladhara: The Root Chakra
The naming of the chakra system is Sanskrit, an ancient Indian language which migrated to different parts of the world finding itself across several different ancient teachings including Hinduism and Buddhism. Every chakra has a respectable Sanskrit name and symbol associated with it. It also has a color and sound frequency it vibrates at and other unique qualities that are not defined to limit the complexity of the energy.
Location: Lowest point of the spine
Element: Earth
Seed-Mantra: LAM
(Seed Mantras also known as Bija (seed in Sanskrit) Mantras are one syllable phrases chanted to cleanse the specific energetic point for healing.)
Mudra: Touching the forefinger to the thumb
(Mudra in Sanskrit means ‘gesture’, they are specific hand positions that bring intentional energy to a particular energy vortex/chakra during meditation.)
Endocrine Gland: Adrenal Cortex (dysfunction causing chronic fatigue etc.)
Each of the chakras interact with a gland from the endocrine system, this is the communication with the physical body. Messages are passed through hormones secreted by the glands and communication with the nervous system.
Sacred Symbol: Red 4 Pedal Lotus
The number 4 symbolizes stability and grounding while red is the awakening of energy and vitality.
The Root Chakra/First Chakra houses our nutritional energetic supply that we need to survive and feel we belong here amongst our ‘tribe’ and here on planet Earth.
It is from this base of our being that we are able to expand our consciousness upwards to living an enriched, vital, and connected life. This is our ‘life force energy’ and it has a multitude of names through different ancient dogmas. Some examples are, but not limited to, prana, chi, bio-energy, source energy, ki, and spiritual energy.
At the root chakra in particular this energy lays dormant until acted upon. It is in each and every one of us, this vitality lying dormant is known as Kundalini energy. Kundalini in Sanskrit means coiled snake.
The root chakra also houses the memories of our ancestors similar to the fourth house in astrology that functions as the root of the natal chart. It also houses memories in general whether they are past lives, pre-birth conditions and our early childhood. This chakra deals primarily with unconscious and karmic energies, it is these unconscious seeds of our being that produce the physical fruits of our lives.
We all have ancestors who have experienced some impact from war, famine, loss, and scarcity. Some impending force that compromised their inherent survival. At the root chakra these memories are stored and for this reason we can learn through healing how ones’ pain does not out hurt another’s and in our suffering we are also one.
When the root is blocked we deny that we are a part of everything here on Earth. We deny our belonging, power and birthright of thriving. We suffer from a deep wound of trusting others and even ourselves. This manifests into a lack of feeling secure whether it is physically in our body or materially in our lives, we struggle to stay present and have an unconscious pull to control situations out of fear.
When this chakra is open you feel secure in taking up space. You hold a place for yourself in the world and trust the physical reality of that fact. You feel at home in your body and therefore feel a sense of home wherever you are. You are resourceful with what you have and believe what you have is enough. You also know you will always be given just what you need. Because you are not doubting your ability to survive you are not locked into fight/flight/freeze responses and are able to transcend into the other chakras, particularly the bonding chakra located directly above.
