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[post_content] => A couple weeks ago, I wrote an article introducing the Indian concept of
chakras and explained them from a variety of different perspectives. The prevailing classical perspective is that they are distinct centers of the subtle anatomy of the human body, affecting our physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual lives (though, some would say, only in spiritual aspirants who have awakened them).
The prevailing modern perspective is that the locations of the chakras correspond with major neurological centers, and whether or not they also exist as the subtle lotuses or wheels described in ancient scriptures, they function as important stations of mind-body connection, plus they represent a useful system for understanding psycho-spiritual health and evolution.
I want to be reverent of the origins of chakra philosophy (which has often been co-opted in the West without regard for accuracy), however, I believe that some insightful Westerners have contributed to this science in a significant way. If I continue to try to address every perspective while also attempting to avoid ruffling any feathers, I think these articles won't be any fun to read, so I'm going to be a bit looser about mixing the old and the new. If you have questions, feel free to ask in the comments section at the end of the article.
Now, let’s dive into the First Chakra, called Muladhara, which is located in the region of the perineum (halfway between the genitals and anus) and or just in front of the tip of the tailbone (coccyx). In the last article I said this is arguably the most important chakra for the average human, and that’s because it relates to survival. When your survival is threatened, you might reflexively tighten up here, or even lose all control of your eliminatory functions. Your health at this state of being can be experienced as a
fundamental sense of trust about getting your basic needs met, and a feeling of safety, security, and stability.
Muladhara is also known as the
root chakra because it relates to the Earth Element and our sense of groundedness. It’s also the chakra most closely associated with the physical body, the physical world, and our relationship with worldly things and material possessions. It governs the legs and feet – which connect us to the earth – as well as the long, thick sciatic nerves, which, like roots of the nervous system, run from the sacrum all the way down the legs to the feet.
Balance at this state of being can be difficult for modern humans because we are generally more immersed in our thoughts, more surrounded by material goods, less present in our bodies, less on our feet, and less connected to the earth and the natural world than ever before in the history of our species. Meanwhile, although actual crises of survival are much less common than in the past for most people in the developed world, we have learned to fabricate “life or death” feelings about all sorts of everyday occurrences, which taxes the foundation this chakra provides.
It is sometimes said that there’s no reason to work on our upper chakras before the lower ones are in order, and this is especially true of the First Chakra. If, for example, you haven’t sorted out your basic needs; if you look to possessions to provide happiness and belonging; if you haven't yet owned what Anodea Judith calls your “right to be here,” then you’re bound to be undermined in the pursuit of higher personal and spiritual development.
According to Caroline Myss, this is the chakra of “tribal power.” She says it relates to group identity, power, and beliefs. Our sense of belonging to our community “grounds” us in a manner similar to the earth and the security of home. We deeply associate
belonging with survival itself, since our life begins with total dependence on our tribe to supply our basic needs. (They may also supply our deepest fears, limitations, and wounds.) In addition, our tribe teaches us core moral virtues – loyalty, honor, and justice – although, depending on our interpretation, our relationship with these concepts may be harmful rather than fortifying. Myss advises making peace with our culture because resentment toward it (regardless of whether it’s warranted) can impair our power by blocking our awareness of the sacred truth that All is One.
Imbalance at the Muladhara level of being can manifest in a variety of ways, often marked by insecurity and instability. Some examples are given below. (It should be noted, however, that while First Chakra imbalances can manifest in these ways, these symptoms could also result from imbalances of other chakras or from issues unrelated to the chakra system.)
- Anxiety, panic, depression, living in “survival mode,” fear in general, and specifically fear of abandonment, fear of running out of resources, fear of loss of physical order
- Difficulty standing up for oneself
- No sense of home; not knowing where you’ll sleep tonight or where your next meal will come from
- Difficulty making money and/or holding onto it
- Clinging to material possessions
- Self-centeredness
- Inability to perceive one’s self-worth
- Feeling undeserving of having things, of having enough; “poverty consciousness”
- Rectal disorders, sciatica, varicose veins, immune disorders, problems with the bones, legs and feet
Establishing balance in the First Chakra often entails hard work; frequently, it’s the work of an entire lifetime. It’s hard work mostly because it’s
deep work. It requires a willingness to go as deep as possible into one’s belief system and one’s oldest memories, and to challenge, reframe, and heal what you find there. The following strategies may provide additional support:
- Spend time in nature, preferably with your bare feet on the ground.
- Get connected to your self-worth. Hint: it’s the same worth as everyone else, and it isn’t affected by your looks, your deeds, or your abilities. Believe that you deserve to have your needs met and you have a right to be here.
- Exercise, eat well, and in general, take good care of your body.
- Eat some protein. As the most dense and slow-to-digest component of our diet, it is good for helping to ground us (although excessive amounts can dull our consciousness).
- Retrain your survival mechanisms. Ask yourself, when your adrenaline is flowing, if this is a genuine “fight or flight” situation. Breathe deeply, imagining the breath goes all the way down to the bottom of your pelvic bowl, and anchor yourself. Meanwhile, avoid getting emotionally charged unnecessarily – cut out the horror movies, for instance – and remember that you can be present and fully participating for your boss, your friends, and your family even without taking on their drama.
- Don’t let your mind monopolize your attention. Keep some of your awareness in your body, feeling what comes up throughout the day.
- Establish financial stability. When money comes to you, accept it without guilt. Really receive it with total willingness. If necessary, modify your image of yourself such that you can comfortably see yourself as a person who has enough.
- A wide array of exercises and yoga poses are prescribed for strengthening or balancing Muladhara. Two of my favorites are squatting and mula bandha – “root lock” – one of the locks or bandhas of yoga. You can look up articles on mula bandha - it’s similar to doing Kegel exercises to strengthen the pelvic floor, but a little more subtle.
Often, First Chakra work seems never to be finished. Most of us are “householders” – we live in the physical world, we have piles of stuff, and it’s an incredible challenge to be at peace in the midst of it all. Meanwhile, our animalistic survival instincts, including pleasure seeking and pain avoidance, are wired into our nervous system. It takes real devotion to personal growth to override these instincts and take our own driver’s seat, but I believe it's the work we're all here to do and we all have the ability to succeed at it.
Be well,
Dr. Peter Borten
Sources:
- Johari, H. (1987). Energy Centers of Transformation. Destiny Books.
- Judith, A. (2004). Eastern Body, Western Mind: Psychology and the Chakra System as a Path to the Self. Berkeley, CA: Celestial Arts.
- Judith, A. (1999). Wheels of Life: The Classic Guide to the Chakra System. St. Paul, MN: Llewellyn Publications.
- Khalsa, G. K. (1991). Energy Maps: A Journey Through the Chakras. La Crescenta, CA: CyberScribe.
- Myss, C. M. (1996). Anatomy of the Spirit: The Seven Stages of Power and Healing. New York: Three Rivers Press.
- Svoboda, R. E. (1995). Aghora II: Kundalini. Albuquerque, NM: Brotherhood of Life Publishing.
- White, J. W. (1990). Kundalini, Evolution, and Enlightenment. New York: Paragon House.
- Woodroffe, J. G., & P. (1931). The Serpent Power: Being the Shat-chakra-nirūpana and Pādukā-panchaka; Two Works on Laya yoga. Madras: Ganesh.
[post_title] => Getting to the Root of the Matter: Understanding Your Foundation in Your Root Chakra.
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So much of what we do through The Dragontree – both at our spas and with our products, courses, and articles – is meant to assist people to prioritize self-care. In an age when many people barely take a minute in a day for pure self-care, I’m happy to hear of any way in which someone is making space in their life for wellness. And also . . . if I could be a little nitpicky about it, I’d wish for even more Self in people’s self-care.
From talking about it with my patients, I’ve gathered that most people’s idea of self-care includes things like grooming, bathing, exercise, eating well, and perhaps reading a book in a cozy chair. These are all good and important, but it’s possible to do them without really getting to what the Self needs, and we can perform these activities without any conscious care. I’ve even known people whose die-hard approach to yoga was ultimately more stress-inducing than it was nourishing.
Care implies listening – quieting the mind and being open to understand what is needed. If someone handed you a crying child and said, “Care for this child,” you’d probably drop what you were doing – both physically and mentally – and ask something like, “What’s wrong?” Then you’d just listen. And perhaps you’d next ask, “What do you need?”
I don’t mean to imply that grooming can’t be self-care. But let’s think of self-care as comprising multiple layers. On the surface there are the things you do to maintain your appearance, your general health, your ability to function in society, and your composure – bathing, eating, sleeping, haircuts, etc. The next layer contains the deeper (or higher, if you prefer) measures of maintenance that enable you to manage your challenges and thrive. Perhaps this means taking time to forgive, to process your relationship challenges, work on your communication skills, clean up interpersonal conflicts, deactivate your buttons, define and pursue your (worldly) dreams, discipline your mind, etc. Most of this falls within the realm of “self-help.”
And then there’s an even deeper (or higher) layer of self-care that’s could be described as making space for your Essence. That is, letting your Self (AKA the Consciousness that you are, your Divine nature, Spirit, God, your Highest Self) be recognized and listening to it. (By the way, I make no promise that there are only three layers. There might be seventeen layers. My point is that self-care can address the form or the essence or both.)
Take a break from giving your attention to your mind, your emotions, your pain, your grievances, or any of the other content of your life. Instead, notice the container that holds it all. Or, as Adyashanti says, “Turn your attention upon itself.” Your attention – whose attention is that? Turn the focus of your attention around to notice the source of that attention.
The container that holds all the contents of life – all the thoughts, feelings, events, all the objects of your attention – that container itself, the Space, is You. Many spiritual teachers assert that it’s actually much more your true Essence than any of its contents. The contents are fleeting. The container – Consciousness itself – is eternal. The deepest self-care is the practice of trusting in it. Surrendering to it. Relinquishing everything to it. Even if only for the duration of a single breath.
If you need help integrating self-care into your routine and you live near Portland or Boulder, consider getting a membership with us so that you’ll have a structure that you can designate for care of your Self. Leave everything at the door and be present to each moment for its own sake.
If you don’t live near us – and even if you do – a daily practice is likely to yield the greatest transformation, and you don’t really need to make time for it. You just need to make Space for it. Several times a day, give the whole of your awareness to a single breath (or a couple breaths). Once in a while you might ask yourself, how much of my awareness did I give to that breath? I just took a breath between that sentence and this one, and I’d say I gave 83% of my awareness to it. Notice that. Does it change over time?
Sometimes, try doing it without stopping whatever else you’re doing. Watch your breath while you are in conversation, while eating, while showering, while driving, and especially while doing the other forms of self-care. Although getting a pedicure might be a relatively superficial form of self-care, if you are completely present to it, it becomes true Self-care.
Little by little, your Essence will be a growing presence in your everyday life. You won’t get wrapped up as easily in drama. Jiddu Krishnamurti said, “My secret is . . . I don’t mind what happens.” This is the case when Essence, rather than ego, is in the driver’s seat.
Be well,
Peter
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Over the past several weeks, I’ve been discussing the 14 primary themes in our book, Rituals for Transformation. It’s a 108-day process with a short lesson each day, designed to help people release baggage, pain, and stories, and welcome a life of greater freedom, joy, peace, and connection. Today we’ll look at the last four of these “avenues for awakening.”
Courage
Courage may seem like one of those virtues you read about in fairy tales that seems to have little to do with being happy or successful in today’s world. In actuality, the presence or absence of courage can have a massive impact on our quality of life. It takes courage to choose a path that differs from what others expect of us. It takes courage to make hard communications. It takes courage to stand up for the truth. It takes courage to challenge our own thoughts. It takes courage to willingly be uncomfortable. It takes courage to enter the unknown.
And it takes choosing our own path, making hard communications, standing up for the truth, challenging our own thoughts, willingly being uncomfortable, and entering the unknown to have a life of true freedom and unrestrained potential.
The lessons in this theme deal with working through fear, forgiving ourselves for not always being strong, trusting in the Universe, tapping into our power, and accessing an experience of safety that transcends the impermanence of this human life.
Vision and Perspective
Vision and perspective are two facets of inner seeing that give us great power. When we speak of vision in the book, we mean the ability to see the truth (beyond all stories and interpretations) and the ability to envision as part of our creative power. And when we speak of perspective we mean the ability to choose where we place our focus and how we interpret what happens. Many of the happiest people we’ve met are great at continually seeing through the drama and holding an inner image of a good life. As we see it, optimists are just people who are in the habit of choosing positive interpretations (and anyone can learn to do this).
The lessons in this category are intended to help readers access their vision and actively choose their perspective. There are a number of invitations to “try out” certain perspectives, applying them as often as possible to daily life to experience what happens – such as “Every hardship is an opportunity,” and “I choose to focus on the blessings in my life,” and “Who would I be if I had no resistance?” and “My flexibility allows me to respond with grace to what life brings.” We also practice seeing reality beyond the mind and remaining conscious of the vision we’re holding of ourselves and the world.
Receiving
The creative power I mentioned above is something that’s received a lot of attention in books and videos over the past several decades – such as those on the Law of Attraction (e.g., The Secret) and Conversations with God. The recognition and conscious exercise of this power enables us to play, to turn our vision into reality, and to create something different if we don’t like the current story.
However, we felt there’s been too little emphasis on the other half of the equation: receiving. The ancient text called the I Ching or Book of Changes is an exploration of the fundamental forces and dynamics of nature – and how they also pertain to all aspects of humans’ lives. The 64 chapters of the book, with names like Peace, Stagnation, Conflict, Temptation, Adaptation, Danger, Attraction, and Retreat, are presented in a deliberate order. The book starts with The Creative or Creative Power – it’s the expression of pure yang. And chapter two is called The Receptive or Receiving, the expression of pure yin. Each needs the other. The remaining 62 qualities all follow from these two.
What good is it to set a creation into motion if we can’t recognize and receive it when it manifests? It seems silly to think that someone would do this, yet it happens all the time. It’s so common to focus excessively on what’s wrong that we frequently fail to notice that what we’ve asked for has come to us. Receiving is more vital than one might think. If we fail to receive, it’s not merely that we’re walking away from the vending machine before the candy drops down; what’s more detrimental is that we don’t get to see that our creative power works.
You might think as you’re reading this, “If I asked for money and money came to me, you can bet I would receive it!” But receiving goes beyond putting it in your pocket. Another interpretation of this dynamic in the I Ching is Yielding or Responding. It’s like you’re both the lead and the follower in a partner dance. When you utilize your creative power, you’re the lead. Being the follower entails responding, yielding, changing even, based on what transpires next. It means not just that you accept your gift, but that you become the person who is the natural and grateful recipient of that gift – and any feeling of lack associated with the original request ceases.
Expansion and Contraction
Our final theme, and really the whole gist of the book, is to encourage expansion of consciousness. For most people, our everyday consciousness is occupied almost entirely by our thoughts and emotions, often about the past and future. Our sense of who we are is a concept constructed from the history of what has happened to us, the roles we’ve adopted, and our redundant thoughts about all of this. As such, we’re immersed in something other than the truth and depth of reality, which is always happening right now.
When we allow some space into the picture (as through meditation and spiritual practice) so that our ego doesn’t dominate the whole of our awareness, we begin to recognize that consciousness is bigger than our thoughts and feelings. It contains them and it allows us to witness them. It’s always present, it’s always now, it’s always still, it’s beyond conflict, and it’s eternal. And it’s more who we really are than the short-lived character we tend to get wrapped up in playing.
Expansion of consciousness also occurs spontaneously at times, when we witness great beauty, or tremendous kindness, hear an inspiring story, or through another form of grace. Usually we return to our contracted state – often the moment we reach for our phone – but these peeks into expanded consciousness can change us in a lasting way. We never forget what we’ve experienced, and that glimpse of awakening yearns to awaken us even more.
Along the way, we’ll also have times of intense contraction – especially when a period of expansion takes us out of the ego’s comfort zone. Sometimes it occurs right after a spiritual experience or a profound healing. Then suddenly we’re fabulously unenlightened. We’re starting fights, we’re depressed, we’re cranky, we’re petty. “Why is this happening?!” we may think, “I thought I had come so far!”
The lessons in this section address how to recognize a contracted state, stop fighting it, and move through it gracefully. Primarily, though, they speak to how we can expand. Some of these lessons are: When I expand my consciousness the world is freed; I can exchange my burdens for grace; I awaken to my true identity; and Everything I see is the play of Divine Love. Wouldn't it be lovely to embody these sentiments?
I hope I’ve conveyed just how much intention and love we put into this book. We want nothing more than for people to read it, practice it, and experience greater freedom, joy, and connection. Please check it out and share your experience with us.
Love,
Peter
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[post_content] => A couple weeks ago, I wrote an article introducing the Indian concept of
chakras and explained them from a variety of different perspectives. The prevailing classical perspective is that they are distinct centers of the subtle anatomy of the human body, affecting our physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual lives (though, some would say, only in spiritual aspirants who have awakened them).
The prevailing modern perspective is that the locations of the chakras correspond with major neurological centers, and whether or not they also exist as the subtle lotuses or wheels described in ancient scriptures, they function as important stations of mind-body connection, plus they represent a useful system for understanding psycho-spiritual health and evolution.
I want to be reverent of the origins of chakra philosophy (which has often been co-opted in the West without regard for accuracy), however, I believe that some insightful Westerners have contributed to this science in a significant way. If I continue to try to address every perspective while also attempting to avoid ruffling any feathers, I think these articles won't be any fun to read, so I'm going to be a bit looser about mixing the old and the new. If you have questions, feel free to ask in the comments section at the end of the article.
Now, let’s dive into the First Chakra, called Muladhara, which is located in the region of the perineum (halfway between the genitals and anus) and or just in front of the tip of the tailbone (coccyx). In the last article I said this is arguably the most important chakra for the average human, and that’s because it relates to survival. When your survival is threatened, you might reflexively tighten up here, or even lose all control of your eliminatory functions. Your health at this state of being can be experienced as a
fundamental sense of trust about getting your basic needs met, and a feeling of safety, security, and stability.
Muladhara is also known as the
root chakra because it relates to the Earth Element and our sense of groundedness. It’s also the chakra most closely associated with the physical body, the physical world, and our relationship with worldly things and material possessions. It governs the legs and feet – which connect us to the earth – as well as the long, thick sciatic nerves, which, like roots of the nervous system, run from the sacrum all the way down the legs to the feet.
Balance at this state of being can be difficult for modern humans because we are generally more immersed in our thoughts, more surrounded by material goods, less present in our bodies, less on our feet, and less connected to the earth and the natural world than ever before in the history of our species. Meanwhile, although actual crises of survival are much less common than in the past for most people in the developed world, we have learned to fabricate “life or death” feelings about all sorts of everyday occurrences, which taxes the foundation this chakra provides.
It is sometimes said that there’s no reason to work on our upper chakras before the lower ones are in order, and this is especially true of the First Chakra. If, for example, you haven’t sorted out your basic needs; if you look to possessions to provide happiness and belonging; if you haven't yet owned what Anodea Judith calls your “right to be here,” then you’re bound to be undermined in the pursuit of higher personal and spiritual development.
According to Caroline Myss, this is the chakra of “tribal power.” She says it relates to group identity, power, and beliefs. Our sense of belonging to our community “grounds” us in a manner similar to the earth and the security of home. We deeply associate
belonging with survival itself, since our life begins with total dependence on our tribe to supply our basic needs. (They may also supply our deepest fears, limitations, and wounds.) In addition, our tribe teaches us core moral virtues – loyalty, honor, and justice – although, depending on our interpretation, our relationship with these concepts may be harmful rather than fortifying. Myss advises making peace with our culture because resentment toward it (regardless of whether it’s warranted) can impair our power by blocking our awareness of the sacred truth that All is One.
Imbalance at the Muladhara level of being can manifest in a variety of ways, often marked by insecurity and instability. Some examples are given below. (It should be noted, however, that while First Chakra imbalances can manifest in these ways, these symptoms could also result from imbalances of other chakras or from issues unrelated to the chakra system.)
- Anxiety, panic, depression, living in “survival mode,” fear in general, and specifically fear of abandonment, fear of running out of resources, fear of loss of physical order
- Difficulty standing up for oneself
- No sense of home; not knowing where you’ll sleep tonight or where your next meal will come from
- Difficulty making money and/or holding onto it
- Clinging to material possessions
- Self-centeredness
- Inability to perceive one’s self-worth
- Feeling undeserving of having things, of having enough; “poverty consciousness”
- Rectal disorders, sciatica, varicose veins, immune disorders, problems with the bones, legs and feet
Establishing balance in the First Chakra often entails hard work; frequently, it’s the work of an entire lifetime. It’s hard work mostly because it’s
deep work. It requires a willingness to go as deep as possible into one’s belief system and one’s oldest memories, and to challenge, reframe, and heal what you find there. The following strategies may provide additional support:
- Spend time in nature, preferably with your bare feet on the ground.
- Get connected to your self-worth. Hint: it’s the same worth as everyone else, and it isn’t affected by your looks, your deeds, or your abilities. Believe that you deserve to have your needs met and you have a right to be here.
- Exercise, eat well, and in general, take good care of your body.
- Eat some protein. As the most dense and slow-to-digest component of our diet, it is good for helping to ground us (although excessive amounts can dull our consciousness).
- Retrain your survival mechanisms. Ask yourself, when your adrenaline is flowing, if this is a genuine “fight or flight” situation. Breathe deeply, imagining the breath goes all the way down to the bottom of your pelvic bowl, and anchor yourself. Meanwhile, avoid getting emotionally charged unnecessarily – cut out the horror movies, for instance – and remember that you can be present and fully participating for your boss, your friends, and your family even without taking on their drama.
- Don’t let your mind monopolize your attention. Keep some of your awareness in your body, feeling what comes up throughout the day.
- Establish financial stability. When money comes to you, accept it without guilt. Really receive it with total willingness. If necessary, modify your image of yourself such that you can comfortably see yourself as a person who has enough.
- A wide array of exercises and yoga poses are prescribed for strengthening or balancing Muladhara. Two of my favorites are squatting and mula bandha – “root lock” – one of the locks or bandhas of yoga. You can look up articles on mula bandha - it’s similar to doing Kegel exercises to strengthen the pelvic floor, but a little more subtle.
Often, First Chakra work seems never to be finished. Most of us are “householders” – we live in the physical world, we have piles of stuff, and it’s an incredible challenge to be at peace in the midst of it all. Meanwhile, our animalistic survival instincts, including pleasure seeking and pain avoidance, are wired into our nervous system. It takes real devotion to personal growth to override these instincts and take our own driver’s seat, but I believe it's the work we're all here to do and we all have the ability to succeed at it.
Be well,
Dr. Peter Borten
Sources:
- Johari, H. (1987). Energy Centers of Transformation. Destiny Books.
- Judith, A. (2004). Eastern Body, Western Mind: Psychology and the Chakra System as a Path to the Self. Berkeley, CA: Celestial Arts.
- Judith, A. (1999). Wheels of Life: The Classic Guide to the Chakra System. St. Paul, MN: Llewellyn Publications.
- Khalsa, G. K. (1991). Energy Maps: A Journey Through the Chakras. La Crescenta, CA: CyberScribe.
- Myss, C. M. (1996). Anatomy of the Spirit: The Seven Stages of Power and Healing. New York: Three Rivers Press.
- Svoboda, R. E. (1995). Aghora II: Kundalini. Albuquerque, NM: Brotherhood of Life Publishing.
- White, J. W. (1990). Kundalini, Evolution, and Enlightenment. New York: Paragon House.
- Woodroffe, J. G., & P. (1931). The Serpent Power: Being the Shat-chakra-nirūpana and Pādukā-panchaka; Two Works on Laya yoga. Madras: Ganesh.
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Thank You 🙏🏻 💜
You’re welcome!
This article came on the same day I got together with my best friend. We haven’t talked in a while. Life gets in the way. I am truly embarking on a short trip next week that addresses everything you just wrote about. My friend commented that I prefer trees over the ocean. I have always been rejuvenated after being in the forest. For her, it’s the ocean.
I have the Rituals of Transformation, I haven’t started yet.. life you know. Will the new additions be available for previous purchases?? Downloads or inserts?
Thanks for sharing, Amanda. Have a great trip!
As for the revisions, the bulk of it is corrections and minor clarifications to the wording, and because they’re scattered throughout the text, it would be difficult to supply owners of the previous version with a download that will point out each of the words we changed. But we didn’t replace any lessons entirely – the substance of the text remains about 95% the same.
Be well.
When is it coming out .. your books make the best gifts❤️