Yoga allows you to be YOU. To be who you are at your core and to have the strength to express that. Do not let other people’s judgment and expectations DEFINE you. You have the choice to take someone’s opinion of you and let it affect you or not.
The Muladhara Chakra, or root Chakra, is the energy that keeps you grounded and in your body. The roots of your being that keep you strong and independent within yourself.
1. Connect with your Muladhara Chakra
Find yourself in Vajrasana, the Thunderbolt pose. Bring the knees together and sit back on your heels. If you have sensitive knees or tightness in the hips, I like to stack one or two blocks underneath my sit bones. This takes the pressure off your knees, is easier for the spine to grow tall and gives the belly lots of room allowing space to take in long, deep breaths.
* Close your eyes and place your palms on your knees. Take a few moments to find your breath. Inhale, Release the belly, open the mid chest then upper chest to fully expand your lungs and with the exhale, starting from the belly then mid-chest and lastly your upper chest, squeeze out the breath, letting everything go. Repeat this for a few moments until you notice your mind calming down.
* Continue this breath pattern and now imagine a big red ball of energy in your perineum, the area between your genitals and your anus. This is your root center where the Muladhara Chakra resides. With each inhale imagine the red ball glowing and growing. With each exhale, squeeze at your root center and imagine this red ball acting like gravity. It pulls all the energy around you into your body, giving you vitality and making you stronger within yourself.
* As you continue connecting with your Muladhara Chakra and gathering the energy that makes you feel solid within yourself and independent, begin a gentle mantra: I am strong. I am awesome. I am secure. I am free.
2. Your own personal Salutation
Having a strong foundation means you have a good sense of self without letting others actions sway your thinking or action in another direction. Facing west, begin your own personal Salutation. ‘Down’ is the directional energy of Muladhara. Just like gravity, it pulls everything in and down towards the core of your being. West has a similar energy. The sun sets west, ending the day, completely the cycle of energy for that day and allows everything to settle back down so come morning we are rejuvenated for another day of life.
* Sun salutation: Facing west, stand at the front of your mat, feet hip width distance apart. Inhale, open up the arms wide, sweeping them up overhead. Exhale, swan dive into a forward forward. Inhale, lengthen the spine to come half way up, exhale release everything back down into a forward fold. Place the hands beside your feet and step back into plank pose. Bend the elbows and come all the way down onto your mat. Inhale, roll the shoulders down and back, opening the chest for Cobra. Exhale release back down. Inhale, tuck your toes. Exhale push up through plank and then send the hips back for downward facing dog.
* Begin your personal Salutation: Finding a strong foundation, move however you like. Feel free to flow in any way you want and however long you want. I invite you to close your eyes and continue building your Muladhara energy in your root center by focusing your attention at the perineum, imagining your red ball pulse and glow as you move on your mat.
* After you have completed your own personal salutation, end with one last ‘sun salutation’ before you find yourself in child’s pose for a well-deserved rest.
3. Tadasana, Mountain Pose
* Stand at the top of your mat. Feet are hip width distance apart.
* Stand tall, shoulders fall away from your ears and your head floats up towards the sky away from your body to lengthen your neck.
* Keep the eyes soft and happy. Relax your jaw.
* Palms facing forward, inviting anything to come your way. You can handle it. You are a mountain. No one can move you from your spot.
* Imagine yourself glowing red with Muladhara Energy
4. Vrksasana, Tree Pose
* From Tadasana, place your hands on your helps and bring all the weight onto your right foot
* Slowly lift the left foot and bring it to your ankle, shin or right inner thigh.
* Bring your hands to prayer or feel free to sway your branches, allowing the arms to move freely, working on your core and balance.
* Repeat on the other side
* Imagine roots shooting down into the ground from your standing foot, visualize red leaves and flowers sprouting from your hands and from the top of your head. You are grounded. You belong here.
5. Sukha Kapotasana, easy Pigeon
* Come into table top. Shoulders over wrists, hips over knees.
* Slide your right knee to your right wrist.
* Bring your shin parallel with the front of the mat. If this is too much for your knees, keep a bend in the knee. Bring your right heel towards the midline of your body.
* Stretch the left leg long behind you
* Slowly walk your hands forward and bring your forehead to the ground, on a block or create a pillow with your hands.
* Repeat other side
This is a great stretch for your spine, knees and quadriceps and stimulates the Muladhara Chakra. Begin the same deep breathing you did in the beginning of this sequence. Imagine your red Muladhara energy at your root center. Growing with each inhale and pulling in all the energy around you with your exhale, growing strong within yourself.
6. Savasana, Corpse Pose
Feel free to do any last movements before you find yourself in Savasana.
If you ever feel lost, ungrounded or need to get back to your sense of self, I invite you to practice this sequence which stimulates your Muladhara, the Root Chakra, and helps you bring everything back in to yourself, allowing you to reconnect with the core of your being. Be happy with your practice. Feel how strong and grounded you are within yourself. Be proud of your individuality, your strength and your foundation of self.
By: Jenna Davi
Jenna is a yoga teacher, world traveler and has a surfboard for a boyfriend. She is YA Certified with 500HR Chakra Yoga & Healing, 200HR Hatha Yoga and is also certified in Restorative, Thai Yoga Massage and Cardio Barre. Other than movement, Jenna loves the art of expression and is an active blogger/writer as well as an actress and loves music. She holds a degree in Vocal Performance and has been seen on stage, film and television in numerous genres and roles. Feel free to contact Jenna if you are interested in her articles, would like to arrange a Chakra Reading/Life Coaching, would like her to teach at your studio/resort, or to simply say hi! She'd love to hear from you!
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