When the first Muladhara chakra (also known as the root chakra ) is balanced, we find ourselves in the ideal conditions for cultivating serenity and inner peace, as well as having more compassion and patience both in ourselves and in those of others.
A balanced root chakra brings with it emotional stability and makes us enjoy the incredible feeling of being able to face any challenge the universe holds.
We have all met people like that, who simply exude serenity. They smile and the world around them smiles. Their calm is contagious and is a cure-all for the soul.
When the energy of the root chakra flows smoothly, you feel grounded, but free like a bird.
At the other extreme, you may have met people with a first unbalanced chakra who rebound from one project to another, from one thought to another, without paying adequate attention to their care. This behavior is extremely harmful to physical and mental health and in the long run, leads to a nervous breakdown. Alternatively, people whose first chakra is blocked may be lethargic, feel defeated and have no motivation to carry out their tasks.
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Why is the first chakra blocked?
The root chakra, as its name suggests, is associated precisely with our roots, vitality, and stability. It acts on our survival instinct, our desire for safety and protection and our basic needs, such as food and shelter. Associated with the root chakra are also emotional needs and functions, such as family loyalty, beliefs, and values.
When the above needs are met the root chakra is balanced, resulting in a stable individual, with a solid base of values and self-confident.
If these needs are not met and the first chakra is blocked, external symptoms may include:
- Lethargy and feeling of being “stuck”
- Impossibility to perform actions and/or express intentions
- Depression or anxiety disorders
- Disconnection and alienation from those around us
The first chakra can also have an excess imbalance, when we receive too many stimuli associated with its needs, overloading it with energy. Symptoms include:
- Stress
- Panic attacks
- Nightmares
- Problems with the colon, bladder, and lower back
- Financial problems
- Unexplained pains throughout the body
Exercises to unlock the first chakra
Working on our chakras to restore balance is an exercise that is mainly based on balancing energy, releasing excess energy if a chakra is too stimulated or working on accumulating it. The yoga asanas that we propose below are suitable for both purposes and report the Muladhara chakra to its ideal state, to encourage our personal growth. We recommend that you maintain each position for at least five deep breaths.
1. Sukhasana
Cross your legs, spread your knees and slide each foot under the opposite leg, trying to stretch your knees towards the ground as much as possible.
Relax your feet so that their outer edges rest comfortably on the floor and the inner arches lie just below the opposite shin. The perfect pose for the Sukhasana is reached when you look down and see a triangle whose three sides are formed by the two thighs and the crossed shins. In Sukhasana there should always be a space between the feet and the pelvis.
Here are some concepts you can focus on while doing this asana:
- Trust yourself
- Free yourself from fear
- Create a personal balance
- To let go
Recommended duration: 5 minutes
2. Malasana
Catch on the ground keeping your feet as close as possible to each other. Keep your heels on the floor if you can, or place them on a folded mat. Separate the thighs so that they are slightly wider than your torso. Exhale, tilt your torso forward and slide it comfortably between your thighs, joining the palms of your hands to achieve balance.
This pose brings you closer to the earth and helps to calm the mind and spirit, strengthening the lower back and ankles and opening the hips.
Our feet are our roots and through them, we perceive the energy of the earth. Keep the pose for a minute and repeat it three times.
Recommended duration: 1 minute
3. Balasana
Kneel on the floor. Have the toes of your feet touch each other and place your buttocks on your heels, then separate your knees enough for your hips to rest on them. Exhale and lay your upper body between your thighs. Place your hands on the floor with your palms facing down and let your shoulders go to the floor. Feel how the weight of the shoulders widens the shoulder blades of the back.
Notice how it feels to be fully supported by the ground beneath you and welcome this feeling of support.
Recommended duration: 30 seconds or 10 breaths
4. Urdhva Mukha Svanasana
Lie down on the floor, with your feet relaxed on the ground resting on your back. Inhale and press your palms against the floor, as if you are trying to crawl forward. Then straighten your arms and at the same time lift your torso a few inches from the floor as you inhale. Keep the thighs firmly and slightly facing inwards, arms still and head up.
You will feel a slow but constant heat that pervades you from within, and a sense of power and concentration that intensifies with each breath. In the end, you will notice how your mind surrenders at the present time letting go of worries.
Recommended duration: 30 seconds
5. Virabhadrasana (Warrior II)
You are standing with your arms relaxed at your sides and your legs parallel. As you exhale, slowly open your legs by bringing your feet to a distance of about one meter from each other. Raise your arms parallel to the floor and stretch them out as far as possible, keeping the shoulder blades wide and the palms facing down. Slightly rotate the right foot to the right and fold the left 90 degrees. Align the left heel with the right heel. Bend the right knee so that the shin is perpendicular to the floor and looks in the direction towards which the folded leg is stretched.
Virabhadrasana means “fierce warrior”, so what better pose to help you face your fears and doubts? This asana uses the body’s natural energy flow to stimulate it while both feet are firmly on the ground, helping you to dig deeper into your inner reserves of strength and determination.
Recommended duration: 1 minute
6. Bridge Pose
Lie on your back on the floor and, if necessary, place a thick blanket folded under your shoulders to protect your neck. Bend your knees and place your feet on the floor, the heels parallel to each other. Exhale and push the feet and arms towards the floor, push the coccyx upwards, firming (but not hardening) the buttocks and lifting them off the floor. Keep your thighs and feet parallel. Grab your ankles with your hands and adjust your balance to help you stay on your shoulders.
This pose allows the feet to be firmly rooted to the ground. At the same time, the vertebral column releases the excess energy accumulated by the first chakra.
Recommended duration: 1 minute
7. Prasarita Padottanasana
Starting from the position of the mountain (standing with the arms outstretched along the sides), exhale and slowly tilt the torso forward. As your torso slowly approaches the ground, press your fingertips on the floor. Bend your elbows as you continue to lower yourself and at the same time bend your fingers so you can lean on your knuckles. The legs and arms should be perpendicular to the floor and parallel to each other. Make sure your back is bent in a slightly concave angle from the coccyx to the base of the skull. If you can, lean your head on the ground.
This asana opens the muscles of the groin and lower back, giving the root chakra the opportunity to release its vitality in your body.
Recommended duration: 30 seconds
8. Savasana
Let yourself be completely supported by the earth beneath you and let go of all the tensions in your body. Repeat to yourself “I’m sure, I’m supported” with each inhalation and exhalation.
When our body is in a state of relaxation we manifest inner peace, approaching life from a calmer perspective, and it is at that moment that the first chakra is perfectly balanced. Happiness is, after all, an inner work, and once we feel firmly rooted and strong in our beliefs, then we begin to attract other like-minded people to our world.
Recommended duration: 30 seconds
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Learn chakra balancing techniques so you’ll be able to heal your chakras into perfect alignment and attract wealth and abundance into your life.
