Muladhara: The Meaning of the Root Chakra

What is Muladhara, the root chakra? Umesh Guruji compares it to the root of a tree: the deeper the root, the stronger the tree. He explains what a weak or strong root means in daily life, and how to clean this chakra and make it grow.

What is the root chakra?

Muladhara, also called the base chakra, is the first of the seven chakras presented in the introduction to the chakras. Umesh Guruji relates it to earth energy, with a dark red color, four petals and the seed sound LAM (a "seed" is a chakra's sound vibration). In his teaching the root carries the physical side of life, and the family too: "Root is our family", he says, and our parents and Mother Earth. A clean, strong root makes it easier to reach higher states of mind.

When the root is weak or too heavy

Umesh describes two imbalances. When the root is weak, fear comes easily, about money and home, of being alone or in the dark, along with quick anger and the urge to escape. When it holds too much dense energy, a person feels heavy, lazy and sleepy, and can become hard, without emotions or love. These are his images for reflection, not a diagnosis.

How to clean and grow the root

His advice is simple: chant LAM, walk or run on green grass, respect Mother Earth, your family and your parents, and above all move your body, half an hour of exercise a day, better early in the morning, whether cycling, yoga or running. He also mentions Reiki and prayer to Mother Kali and Shiva. The course then moves up to Swadhisthana, the second chakra.