Muladhara-The Mother Archetype

Muladhara The Mother Archetype-2012

The mother archetype is well known.  She is the lady who nurtures and loves us.  To put a name to this would be to say: Mary the mother of Jesus, Demeter, Freya.  They personify love, safety and nurture, and continuation of the species.   For our study here we are looking at the integration of our mother archetype into our lives.

It is important to integrate this archetype, as this is how we learn to LOVE, to love ourselves, so that we may love others, and ultimately everyone.  As she becomes more active in our lives, we learn to stop projecting our needs, and faults on others and the world at large.  We stop the blaming and finger pointing.  She teaches us that we are responsible for ourselves, and how to look after ourselves.

Many adults become arrested in childhood, and they just haven’t tried to see their ability to take care of themselves.  They are still waiting for someone to come into their lives and fulfill this need.  It is quite possible that our own mother was not able to grow and provide the teaching we need, so we must learn to do this for ourselves.  In this chakra we learn to be our own good mother and heal the inadequacies of our childhood, if any exist. 

We become victims when we lose our grounding in the mother.  She is closely related to the Earth, and when this energy is cut off we lose our ability to sustain ourselves.  “When we are our own good Mother we know our body’s limitations, our emotional strength and fragility, and our mental ability to think clearly.  When we are our own good Mother we know where we stand in life, literally and figuratively.

How to bring the Mother into your life

Take responsibility for yourself, and look after your needs.   Nurture yourself and know what you need to feel safe and secure.  These two things require thought, and practice.  Once we accept that “I am enough”, contemplation/meditation/connecting with our higher self will reveal what we need to do to feel safe and secure.  By bringing the mother into your life one is required to manage their life, to eat well, and care for your physical needs for clothing and shelter.  When you get good at this, the less you depend on others to fill the mother roll.  You stabilize your base that lets you join the world on you own terms knowing there is a safe place for you within; free from strife, stress and interference. 

Exercise

• Recall a time when you felt unable to look after yourself.  Whether it was from illness, tired or emotionally upset, you needed help from someone to regain your strength and stability.  How do you feel about that situation?  Did you feel better after someone else’s cared for you?

• Can you remember how you got the support you needed to recuperate?  Were you patient and understanding with yourself?  Did your family or friends give you the support you needed?  Was it their willingness to stick by you that helped you get better?  Did you know that you had to look after yourself?

• Can you give yourself time off from the stress and strain in your life now?  Do you know when you need some R&R?  Do you know how to protect yourself from the pressures of work or relationships?

• Look at the people in your life now.  Do you feel you could call on them to assist you when you are in need of help?  Do you feel entitled to ask for help when you need it?

• Are you willing to take responsibility for yourself to the best of your ability, and look after your own physical and emotional needs?

• Can you build in the care and nurturing you need for yourself in your life now?  How can you change your life to include your needs in your daily routine?

Meditation

I find this meditation is really nice if you do it outside, standing barefoot in the grass, in a rather quiet spot.  You don’t want distractions.  If I can’t find a quiet spot outside, I just make sure my feet are in contact with the floor.

Use whatever relaxation technique works for you.  I describe one in a previous blog.  Make sure that you are deeply relaxed.  I like to do the relaxing breathing of equal counts of inhalation and exhalation.

Ground yourself by imagining your energy extending into the earth, it goes deep into the core of mother earth.  You feel all the negative energy running from your body into the earth and this is the perfect place for it.  The earth has its own cleansing energy, and will cleanse that energy for its own use.  You feel that negativity replaced by the warm, clean energy of mother earth.  You feel clean energy course through you body cleansing any negative energy that may be left.  You feel safe and warm; wrapped in the energy of the source of all things.  Feel the strength.  Feel the love.  Feel the comfort.

Know that you are a spark of that energy.  You feel it as a rush of pure joy as you realize that you have tapped that energy from which all things are created.  That energy is malleable. You know that you shape your world with this energy.  You know that you can manifest anything that you desire.  You know that you are always in control, and what you want to manifest is already yours.  You feel the satisfaction and joy of having what you need and want.  It is already yours.  You are safe, secure, and have all your needs met. 

Surround yourself in a warm red energy, feel it seep into every inch of your body.  Just feel the energy coursing through your body.  You control that energy.  You are the creative source, imagine what you want.  Know that it is yours, feel the joy of having what you want, and reap the benefits of having it, because it is created.

Relax, and slowly allow yourself to come back to awareness.  You will take the feeling of your manifestation with you.  Connect to it as often as you want to.

Namaste

The Visitation Meditation for Root Chakra

1.4 Muladhara Root Chakra Guided Meditation

General Guidelines

This is guidance that should be used throughout this class.  Keep track of those methods of relaxation that work best for you, and use them for yourself when doing these meditations. 

The most important thing with meditation is to find a place where you are comfortable, alone, and will not be disturbed.   You may sit in lotus, or cross-legged on the floor; or my favorite is in the recliner with it tipped back.  You may also lie in bed.  Don’t worry if you go to sleep, your subconscious is still active, and this is what you are working on anyway.

The meditation is best done by recording it on a CD, IPOD or other recording device, and playing it back with headphones.  Use a nice relaxed slow manner of speech.  Don’t rush, take your time and pause for nice long times.  It should take 15 to 20 minutes to record.  This gives you an opportunity to complete the visualization. 

The long line of dots means that a long pause is necessary when recording the meditation.  Turn off the phone if you can.  Let’s begin.

The Visitation Meditation--This is the recording

Begin by placing your tongue on the spot where your teeth and gums come together behind you top front teeth. Take a deep breath visualize that you are inhaling cleansing energy through your nose 1…2…3…4… , hold that breath 1…2...3...4...5...6...7 exhale through your mouth with a whooshing sound for a count of 8, visualizing all negativity being expelled with the breath.   This can take as long or as little time as is necessary, the goal is to have the counts equal distances apart.  Repeat this process 3 more times. (not recorded-here is a long pause)  Now that you are finished begin to breathe normally. Now relax your feet.... Feel that nice relaxing feeling moving up your calves....., through your knees.... into the thighs.... Feel your legs grow heavy and sink into their points of contact…… Feel that nice relaxing feeling moving through the muscles of your buttocks..... into your stomach…..feel the muscles relax and the tightness just eases away…….Feel that relaxation moving up your chest and back, feel your shoulder blades press into the points of contact….Feel that nice relaxing feeling moving into your shoulders.... down your arm…. feel it moving into your hands.... A nice tingling feeling in your hands as you let yourself go……Feel the relaxation move up your neck, into your scalp…..down the front of your brow.... Feel the forehead smooth out and lose its creases……feel the relaxation move into your jaw…unclench your teeth…..feel your chin drop……Relax…..Relax   mmmmmmmmmmmm this is so nice…….

Now I am going to take you down a set of stairs, with each step you will move deeper and deeper into relaxation.  Step down.  One, moving deeper into relaxation.  Step two, you feel yourself letting go, and relaxing.  Three, relaxing......Four, moving further into relaxing.....Five, you feel completely relaxed....Six, you feel your body relaxing into the  chair, floor, bed.  Seven, you relax and feel all tension washed away....Eight, relaxing...nine relaxed....Ten, you are at the end of the stairs, totally relaxed.

You find yourself on a beach.  There is no one here.  There is nothing here that can hurt you, and you are completely alone....  There is a breeze that brings the crisp smell of tangy salt air to you….You can see the moonlight shining across the water.  It is so beautiful………….  Just relax and watch the moon rising across the water, and how it shines on the little ripples and waves.  Notice the sound of the lapping water, as it washes into the beach………..(do not record, this is a really long pause.)

You see a person approaching…….. S/he looks familiar and totally non-threatening……. S/he looks down at you benevolently.  S/he is your inner source energy, your spark of God within us all…. S/he is smiling at you, and it cloaks you with comfort and love…… Know that s/he will never let you down.  S/he is part of you, and will always protect you….S/he is always in contact with you, and sends messages in you moments of consciousness……The messages tell you when you are in accord with your inner source…..When you feel good, you are in accord…..When you feel bad you are not in accord with what your inner source knows about who and what you are.

Approach your inner source.  Hug, kiss and/or link arms… Enjoy the feeling….. Take time to get to know one another……… Enjoy the sensation of re-acquaintance and trust…Be still and know that you are God, the creator of your universe…Through the power of  I am, you can create what you want.  I am safe, I am unafraid, I am the creator.................(you guessed it, a long, long pause)

Look at the cloak that s/he enfolded you in it.  Examine it.  Feel it. Smell it.  It is a clear cloak of shelter.  It can be put on when you feel the need of extra strength and protection.  It enfolds you in the arms of your loving inner source….. Thank your source energy for the cloak….. You can use it anytime…. All you need do is recall it, and throw it over your shoulders….. It will envelope you with security and love…. S/he is always there for you….. The cloak is yours to recall anytime you feel abandoned, victimized or anxious…….

As you put on your cloak, feel the energy of security and love channel to your root chakra……. Imagine this chakra as a 4 petal lotus rotating like a wheel…… 

Focus on the rotation of the chakra…… smooth out the rotation….. ask source energy to spin it at the proper vibration………. Connect your mind to the chakra……. You can feel its motion…. Now that you have connected, you can influence its motion.……. Feel it balancing……….

Feel the smooth motion of the chakra, and the warm red glow that fills your root chakra…….  Let that glow flow down you legs and into the ground…….  Feel it connect with the earth……. Enjoy the reassuring feeling of groundedness, security, and stability……. Bask in the power of security, groundedness and stability that this connection gives you……. Know that this connection is always there to ground, stabilize, and secure you…All you need to is think or say, I am safe, I am secure, I am grounded…Feel that red energy flow back up and through your legs and up your sushumna, and flow out of the top of your head.  See it flow down like a clear red shield around your body…….  I am protected, I am safe, I am secure…...(This pause should be nice and long, 3-5 minutes where nice soft music is playing and you are just relaxing in your visualization)

Now as I count from one to five, you will feel yourself  becoming more conscious of your surroundings.  One, you feel nice and relaxed.  Two, you will take this feeling with you for the rest of the day.  Three, you are becoming more aware of your surroundings.  Four, I am protected, secure and safe.  Five, you are grounded in your source energy which is pure love.  Now open your eyes, stretch and feel the tingle of good clean energy throughout your body.  Welcome to a more secure world.  I am loved, I am filled with the creative energy of the universe, and I am ALWAYS tapped into it. You can get this feeling simply by visualizing the invisible cloak of creation and security.

Namaste,

Shatril

Muladhara Exercises & Activities

General Instruction

The yogic exercises should be performed regardless of the activity level of the chakra, and to help balance and keep Muladhara balanced.  If your chakra is under-active then use the "Bring more Earth" and "Stimulate Muladhara" activities.  If your chakra is over-active then use the "Lessen the Earth" and "Calm the Muladhara" activities.

Yogic Exercises

**Caution**Follow the instructions given to the letter.  Do not try to perform poses that hurt, or are difficult.  Just skip those that bother you.  Remember, read the precautions given on the website.  If the poses are difficult look at the possible modifications to help make them easier, but still have the effect needed.  No one is expected to do any of these asana.  Do not perform exercises without consulting your physician.  You proceed with these at your own risk.

Anjali Mudra (SalutationSeal)

Padmasana (LotusPose) or Sukhasana (Easy Pose)

Baddha Konasana(Bound Angle Pose)

Knee to Chest Pose Apasana

I do this pose every morning before getting out of bed to wake up my spine after that long immobility period.  I used to get lots of lower back pain, but since doing this pose in the morning that doesn’t happen unless I do something to actively aggravate it.

Ardha Shalabhasana (Half-Locust Pose) 

This is a really good video on performing the asana.  However, I do not recommend holding your breath the entire time that you hold the pose.  Raise the leg as you inhale, and breath normally while you hold, lower the leg on and exhale.  Follow all other instructions as given, listen to the precautions, and always start with the left leg.

More advanced poses

Setu Bandha Sarvangasana(Bridge Pose)

Salabhasana(Locust Pose)

Paschimottanasana (Seated Forward Bend)

Grounding Techniques

These are quick techniques to use when you can't use the meditation.

• Do the meditation in the other posts.
• Stomp you feet, first one and then the other.  This wakes up the minor chakras in you feet and makes a great connection to the Earth.
• Shake and kick your leg to release the energy.
• Jog or walk this stimulates the sciatic nerve and energizes the lower body.
• Jump around on the ground.
• Eat something good for you.
• Take your shoe off and put your foot in direct contact with the earth.

Getting in Touch with the Muladhara

Bring More Earth Energy

Since Muladhara corresponds with the earth element, activities which bring you in contact with the earth are good activities to help balance this chakra.  Increase your contact with nature by gardening, or hiking in natural earth spaces.  Dig in the dirt; make mud pies with your children or little siblings.  Make something out of wood or clay. Have contact with nature at least once a day.

Lessen the Earth Energy

Eat less, sleep less, work less, do less. Play more, laugh more, move more.  Stimulate some of the other energies in your life.  Go swimming to simulate water.  Sit in front of a fire and gaze at it to stimulate fire.  Take a walk on a nice windy day to stimulate air.

Stimulate Muladhara

Sit in the lotus position and breathe deeply. Burn a scent that stimulates the Muladhara, for example patchouli, cedar wood or sandalwood.  Close your eyes and meditate for a few minutes. Feel your connection with the earth beneath you. As you breathe in, draw up energy from the earth below through your feet chakras, and feel it flow up through your legs to your base chakra, stimulating it.

Wear red, like a scarf, shirt or shoes.

Calming Muladhara

Stand holding a piece of rose quartz to Muladhara, at the base of your spine, burn marjoram essential oil for its calming effects.  As you stand, meditate and visualize yourself surrounded by a cool pink glow, and feel the calming energy of the rose quartz permeating your Base chakra and balancing the energy.

Wear blue, beige or other neutral color.

Muladhara—Root Chakra Correspondences

Color—Red

Element—Earth

Function—Survival, grounding

Rights—Right to be here, right to have

Symbol— Four Petal Lotus

Life lessons—Patience, structure, stability, security, manifest your dreams. Standing up for oneself

Main Issues— Survival, physical needs

Area of body governed—Bones, skeletal structure

Gland—Adrenals

Physical Ailments—Osteoarthritis, weight problems, hemorrhoids, constipation, sciatica, degenerative arthritis, knee trouble

Crystals—Agate, Bloodstone, Tiger’s eye, Garnet, Ruby, Hematite, Onyx, Rose Quartz, Smoky quarts

Musical Note—C

Seed Sound—LAM pronounced lang

Ruling Planet—Saturn, Earth

Incense/Aromatherapy—Cedar wood, sandalwood, patchouli, myrrh, musk, lavender and other earthy scents.

Tarot Suit—Pentacles

Tree of Life Sephiroth—Malkuth

Hindu Deities—Brahma, Dakini, Ganesha, Lakshmi

Other Deities—Gaia, Demeter, Erda, Anat, Ceridwen, Geb, Hades

Archangel—Auriel

Affirmations

• I am perfect as I am, my deity does not make inferior beings.
• I am taking responsibility for my life.  I can cope with any situation.
• My body is becoming more important to me, I nurture it constantly.
• My inner source is always here guiding me.
• I deserve the best in life, my needs are always met.
• I can create my reality in any way that I choose to channel my energy and thoughts.
• I am the creator of my reality.
• I can manifest everything I need and want just by placing my mind on it.

Assignment

Using things around the house create a vignette  to help balance this chakra.  Remember the correspondences.  Use red pieces, and crystals if you have them handy, otherwise pieces of clothing, towels, scarves, pictures, candles all have a place in the design.  Some things to consider are things that make you feel safe, secure, and abundant. Another option is to collect things on Pinterest, that are indicative of what you think of as representative of Muladhara.  We are using this vignette or other design as a focus point during meditation to balance this chakra.  You may want to use just a little TV tray, night stand or patio table for this.  I will be using type of set-up for each chakra.  I leave the vignette up until I have done all the work necessary to clear and balance my chakra.  I will set one up whenever I feel the need.  I generally have a vignette that represents all chakras, unless I need work on one in particular.

Now that you have the items together, it is time to do a quick meditation.  Relax and quiet your mind.  Follow your breath as it flow in and out of your nose, feel the movement against your skin…  Feel the rise and fall of your chest and solar plexus…  Feel the pull of gravity locking you to the Earth…  Now visualize the chakra spinning… Chant LAM as you visualize the chakra spin…  Feel its rhythmic turning…  See the red spread through your lower perineum and  into your gentiles…. Feel the healing energy  ease and heal any aches and pains you may have in the area…..Continue to breath, and be still.  When you are ready conclude the meditation.

Try to perform this meditation once per day at the beginning of your day.  Share your experience here if you wish.

Muladhara The Root Chakra

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What& Where

The Sanskrit name is called Muladhara, which is means “root support”. This chakra is the foundation of the entire chakra system. It is located at the perineum, which is the fleshy area between the anus and the genitals on both men and women. This chakra is associated with the adrenal glands that control the fight or flight response, which are also the seat of our ancestral energy. It also supplies the pelvic region with energy.

This chakra is associated with the adrenal glands, which secrete a number of steroid hormones, one of which is adrenaline. It is associated with our skeletal structure, which gives us stability, and also our legs and feet through which serves as conduit straight to the grounding effects of Earth through the sciatic nerve.

The sciatic nerve is the largest nerve in our body. It begins in the sacral plexus, which is the seat of this chakra, runs down our leg and branches into our feet. This is our energetic connection to the Earth which is the element of this chakra.

This chakra has the lowest vibration of all the chakras. The chakras are like funnels that pull in the cosmic energy through the swirling cone, and release the spent energy back into the cosmos through the center eye of the funnel. This red root chakra vortex spins the slowest of all the chakras.

Main Function

This is the beginning of our chakra journey. The root chakra is the base of the chakra system. It is important that this chakra be opened and balanced to assure a firm foundation. This is the chakra that roots us in this world and generates our comfort zone. This is where Shakti Kundalini lies coiled, ready to move up the sushumna and pierce each chakra on her trip. However, we must first be grounded and balanced in this chakra before the Kundalini snake will even begin the journey. See link below for an explanation of the Sushumna Nadi, and the other two nadis that we will be exploring in later lessons.

Grounding is like plugging yourself into the Earth. When you are rooted, you feel comfortable, and are capable. If you are not grounded, some things may send you spinning off into depression, self loathing or some other self-deprecating behavior. We need to ground ourselves, and firm up our support system, and that is what we’ll be working on in this lesson.

I would like to quote Anodea Judith, PhD “Many people experience difficulty because their upper chakras are too open, while their lower chakras are not stable enough to support the barrage of psychic energy they pick up around them. At its extreme, this creates serious mental disorders, such as psychosis.” Now you have to notice the word extreme here, so this does not mean that everyone who has an imbalance between the upper and lower chakras is a psychotic. What it does mean is that we need to give sufficient attention to grounding, and to balancing the first chakra. Through grounding we can channel psychic overload into the ground. Many people on MW are in this position. I plan to spend more time here in this chakra, and the other lower Chakras, before moving onto the upper Chakras.

In this first chakra we a concerned with survival. We must first see that our basic needs for food, clothing and shelter are met in a way that assures healthy existence. Once these needs are seen to, we are free to move to the higher levels of consciousness, without being yanked back by the tether of worry about survival. Those who are constantly struggling with health issues or finances tend to be trapped in the first chakra. These issues need to be resolved before progress will be made. This is especially true for those people who worry about things that have no grounding in reality. We need to come to grips with our right to be here, and to be happy. The balanced individual will find that they live simply, and the things they need flow to them.

The goal here in this life is to be happy and learn. Undue attachment to things becomes a trap that can hide our goal. The physical world is a tool to be used to learn lessons, but that also is not “WHO” we are. This isn’t to say that you can’t have nice things; it is just that undue attachment to stuff is a trap. It keeps us locked into the belief that we are what we have, and that the more you have the better you are. When some people lose their stuff they feel inferior. Some people feel inferior if they don’t have as much stuff as someone else. It is a huge vicious circle of lack, desire, and disappointment. This is the trap that materialistic existences create. You are not the things that you own. You are not a better or worse person if you don’t have many things or you have lots of things. You are the same person in either case, the perception is what has changed. I call this stinkin’ thinkin’.

There are many good books that provide some good down to Earth ways to find balance in this Charka. These books aren't specifically designed for the balancing of Chakras, but will aid in understanding things that will get your mind focused in areas that will directly affect the Root Chakra. If either of these books give you trouble, you should spend lots of time on balancing this Chakra.

· A New Earth by Eckhart Tolle Eckhart did a web teaching with Ophra Winfrey on this book, and it is worth the time to do that along with reading the book. It answered all the questions I had floating in my mind at first reading. Some concepts were different, and the help was wonderful.

· The Law of Attraction by Esther and Jerry Hicks- There are lots of video teachings from Abraham; all you need to do is type in Abraham Hicks in your search engine. This is a channeled teaching so if you have a problem with that, then skip it. Despite the origin, it is still good teaching. I have learned not to question the source, as long as it rings true for me, I accept it.

The balance of this chakra comes from our realization that we are here to be happy and learn. We can manifest good things in our life if we allow them to come. We know that the universe will provide for us. In this knowing we set up the vibration that will attract all things that we need and want. Spend time in meditation with this paragraph. You are loved by the source energy, as that is all that it knows how to do. You are here to be happy and learn. Relax and let the universe take its course.

We act out of this chakra when we, our loved ones or our way of life is threatened. The adrenal gland is associated with this chakra are it triggers our fight or flight response. This is a critical function for us, and the changes that occur in our body are designed to give us the best possible chance to survive a challenge. However, many people in our society have developed a need to live like the Jones’ and they constantly feel anxious that someone or something is threatening their stuff, which causes their adrenal glands to always pump them full of adrenaline. This is not a healthy way to live. We need to get a grip on the reality of this situation; all we really need to survive is food, clothing and shelter, everything else falls into the realm of wants.

Related Dysfunctions

The common physical dysfunctions are sciatica and osteoarthritis, conditions that affect the knees, feet, hips; constipation or diarrhea. Other conditions include kidney stones, osteoporosis, and autoimmune dysfunction. Emotional dysfunctions are lethargy, spaciness, trouble concentrating, trouble achieving goals, and trouble being still.

Overactive
Bully, over materialistic, self-centered to a fault, restless.

Under active

Emotionally needy, low self-esteem, self-destructive behavior, fearful.

Balanced

Self-mastery, high physical energy, grounded, healthy

Recommended Methods to help balance the Root Chakra

PART 1

Make an abundance list. What are you grateful for in your life? These need not be material things. Make a list of your wealth; again these need not be material. They can be people, places you like to go, things you like to do and can do.

PART 2

Stand on the ground outside barefoot. Now take 4 breaths in this manner: inhale through the nose for a count of 4, hold for a count of 8 and exhale through the mouth with a whooshing sound for the count of 7. It does not matter the length of the count as long as it is even. While doing the breath place the tip of the tongue at the conjunction of your upper teeth and gums.

After the breathing, imagine that your nervous system’s sciatic nerve system (dark yellow orange in the legs and feet) is extending into the earth. Feel it extend into the Earth clear to the magnetic core. Feel the magnetic energy pull and extend the nerve into the Earth, and fasten you there safe and secure. Feel that energy move up those roots you have planted into the earth, like water through the roots of a plant. Feel that clean energy course through your body and ground you in the earth energy. Feel the red light of the Earths core enfold you in the secure knowledge that you have everything you need; food, clothing and shelter. Secure in the knowledge that the Source within is not going to let you starve, and that everything else is just “Stuff”. You are perfect just the way you are; Source does not make mistakes.

Now release the roots, come up out of the meditation. Feel how strong and secure you feel. When you need to release that adrenaline energy again, release it to the Earth that is very able to handle and dissipate it.

I would love your feedback on this meditation. You may share the Part 1 if you wish.

"The person who experiences the activation of this center of force easily succeeds in overcoming the attachment for earthly matters and becoming highly courageous, defeats for good his/her fear of death. The concentration and meditation on Muladhara chakra leads to the knowledge of this chakra and of the means of awakening it." (Swami Shivananda)

Extra Reading

·A New Earth by Eckhart TolleEckhart did a web teaching with Ophra Winfrey on this book, and it is worth the time to do that along with reading the book.It answered all the questions I had floating in my mind at first reading.Some concepts were different, and the help was wonderful.

·The Law of Attraction by Esther and Jerry Hicks- There are lots of video teachings from Abraham; all you need to do is type in Abraham Hicks in your search engine.This is a channeled teaching so if you have a problem with that, then skip it.Despite the origin, it is still good teaching.I have learned not to question the source, as long as it rings true for me, I accept it.

For an explanation of the Nadis go to this website.

http://www.tantra-kundalini.com/nadis.htm