Muladhara
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| Tantric chakras |
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Brahmarandhra |
Muladhara is the first primary chakra according to Hindu and Sahaja Yoga tradition.
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[edit] Description
Muladhara is positioned below the tip of the tailbone, just above the anus, and it has four petals that match the vrittis of greatest joy, natural pleasure, delight in controlling passion, and blissfulness in concentration. In Sahaj Yoga the Muladhara is the seat of innocence.
In Samkhya philosophy, the concept of Muladhara is that of moola prakriti, the metaphysical basis of material existence. Muladhara is the chakra that draws down spiritual energy and causes it to assume a physical existence. It is like the negative pole in an electrical circuit, which provides the potential for the evolution of form.
Within this chakra resides/sleeps the kundalini shakti, the great spiritual potential, waiting to be aroused and brought back up to the source from which it originated, Brahman.
Muladhara is the base from which the 3 main psychic channels, nadis, ida, pingala and sushumna, emerge.
It is related to the physical process of excretion, and also to the various fear and guilt complexes associated with them. All a person's Samskaras ( potential karma ), are expressed here, in a physical form.
[edit] Symbolism
It is associated with the following:
- Deities: Ganesha, Indra, Brahma and Dakini
- Element: Earth
- Colour: Red
- Animal: An Elephant with seven trunks.
- Body Parts: Anus, Nose, Hamstrings, Calves, Feet
[edit] Practices
In kundalini yoga, there are various yoga practices said to arouse and balance the energy in Muladhara, including some asanas (such as Garudasana, Shashankasana and Siddhasana) which put pressure on that point, some pranayamas, and importantly the practice of moola bandha.
[edit] Other Associations
In the same way that Muladhara contains a great deal of mental, physical and spiritual potential, as samskaras, waiting to fulfill itself, so does the human DNA. Kundalini is said to lie 'coiled up, like a snake', inside of Muladhara. Our DNA could be said to be the computer program that dictates how our bodies will develop. Equally, Muladhara could be said to contain the computer program dictating what samskaras we have to face in this life.
Many western occultists make the kabbalistic association of Muladhara with the Sephirah Malkuth, whose role in kabbalah as the spiritual principle behind matter is an archetypal idea almost identical to that of Muladhara.
[edit] Alternative names
- Tantra: Adhara, Brahma Padma, Bhumi Chakra, Chaturdala, Chatuhpatra, Muladhara, Mooladhara, Mula Chakra, Mula Padma
- Vedas (late Upanishads): Adhara, Brahma, Muladhara, Mulakanda
- Puranic: Adhara, Muladhara
