Ever wondered why the area of the first chakra is considered the “root” or “base”? If you consider this area is located at the end of the spine and we take a “seat” or become “grounded,” then it is easy to feel why.
The Balance of Fear and Trust
Muladhara includes the genitals, anus, perineum and coccygeal muscles. When we sit, our organs rest heavily descended on the pelvic floor and our genitals close to the ground. This is a vulnerable position to be in.
Think about this, when people “take a seat,” they assert a steady position, trusting that no harm will come. We are certain and fixed, with our legs crossed and bent under each other, limiting the ability to swiftly run away from danger and toward safety.
Fear and trust go hand in hand. Too much fear is a paralyzing combination. Too much trust is promiscuity. Either way, too much is destructive to self or relationships deemed as close connections.
What Is Muladhara?
Trust. This is the fundamental quality associated with muladhara. Whether trust in physical self and the ability to carry out functions and responsibilities or trust of individuals we are closest to.
If someone has issues with trust, he or she may experience worry, anxiousness, indecisiveness, and isolation due to fear. Physical manifestations can include inflexibility and muscular pain, low back pain, adrenal fatigue, mental disorders, or issues along the spine.
Muladhara and Decision Making
Making big life decisions require a great deal of trust. Sometimes answers come readily and without emotional difficulty. Sometimes in an effort to make the best decision, people can wallow in analysis, seeking a path to the perfect outcome for a long time. Hours to decades, even.
Take for instance, seeking teenage independence. When making a move toward college, away from community, family, and routine, there needs to be trust in the outcome. Trust in the future that everything will go accordingly as planned. Trust in the vehicle to reach the destination, in shelter for protection, in the area that it is safe and secure, and that the new community will be friendly and not hostile. You can extrapolate this to many scenarios in our lives, as we age, grow, and mature.
Building Our Ability to Trust
In order for independence to be gained, we need to have a higher degree of trust that takes over the sense of fear. So, how do you have more trust? It requires boldness, courage, and will.
Visualize your safety net of community as support to hold you steady when you land at your destination. What specifically do you need to feel trust? Make a list of necessary resources and do these steps outlined below.
Connect with muladhara and build trust:
- Find a secure, safe location and sit.
- Breathe in a way that you sincerely feel throughout your body.
- Imagine the people in your present life who validate your passions.
- Imagine the people in your present life who give you sage advice.
- Imagine the people in your present life who have been physically present to help you through a challenging time.
- Imagine the people in your past who modeled wise actions, maybe an action you are needing to take. What have they done that you learned from?
- What resources do you need to make wise decisions? List them out. Write them down.
- What do you trust, right now, in your life, that is steady and shows consistency? List them out. Write them down.
Taking Action Based on Trust
If there is a decision or action you need to take, feel into your groin and genitals. Ask yourself where you need to feel trust to make the decision or take action. Make a list of resources you need and get to it. There is no need to face your fears without first collecting all the tools you need to build a successful outcome. So, get to it.
As I close up the loop of this series on chakras, my hope is you walk away with some gem of wisdom or tool to use in your life. But just as is necessary with tools, it is up to you to decide how to apply them for your own purposes.
If you have specific questions, I would love to hear from you. We all need to know support exists as we continue on this journey of life. Take advantage of that and trust. Ignite inner power and go! Life is short – too short to live small and stifled by fears.
Read about the other chakras:
Chakras Demystified: Sahasrara – The 7th Chakra
Chakras Demystified: Ajna – The 6th Chakra
Chakras Demystified: Vishudda – The 5th Chakra
Chakras Demystified: Anahata – The 4th Chakra
Chakras Demystified: Manipura – The 3rd Chakra
Chakras Demystified: Swadhisthana – The 2nd Chakra
Photos courtesy of Shutterstock.
