Finally, it can be helpful to look at the ailments associated with each of the chakras. When I was ill with thyroid cancer, my healing ultimately took place when I took a good look at the fifth chakra. I believe all diseases are messages from the body indicating that something is off. In looking at diseases you might be experiencing, you can take a deeper look by knowing which chakra is out of balance. Taking medicine or removing a tumor or even an organ or body part might be necessary to stop the spread of the disease, but it won’t help you get to the root of it. Considering the “why” is important to achieve complete and total healing. Sometimes you don’t get an answer. But often you do. Through chakra balancing you learn to listen to your intuition, that still, small voice inside you, and it will give you an inner knowing of how to heal.
ELEMENT: Earth (Prithivi)
COLOR: Red
MANTRA SOUND: LAM
Our journey begins at the base of the spine with the first chakra, Muladhara. The word Muladhara means “foundation” or “base” and comes from the two Sanskrit words mul, meaning “base,” and adhara, meaning “support” or “foundation.” This is the first of the three elemental or material chakras in the body, and it’s the thickest and densest chakra of the seven. While it’s associated with our being in our most basic state, it’s no less important than the other chakras on our journey. In fact, it’s the primary and fundamental chakra we must balance in order to enjoy our time here on earth.
The element of Muladhara is earth, or prithivi in Sanskrit. We are bound to earth through gravity. Everything we do to remain on earth is found here. Think of the word survival. We must find shelter, eat, sleep, and procreate. We must protect our environment, including nature and Mother Earth. We must find jobs, do work, and make money to fulfill our needs. We must obey the laws of nature, our environment, and society.
In the body, the first chakra is located in the middle of the perineum and includes the coccyx (tailbone), the pelvis, the base of the spine, and the first three vertebrae. The sense associated with the first chakra is smell, and the sense organ is the nose.
The color we attribute to the base chakra is deep red. The mantra, or bija (seed) sound, we vocalize for the first chakra is LAM.
While the earth element rules the first chakra, the ailments that occur with its imbalance resemble the same diseases or imbalances that occur with the Ayurvedic mind-body type Vata, which is governed not by earth but by space and air. As you may deduct, the elements of space and air are polar opposites of the element earth. Therefore, healing can begin when you bring balance back to the earth element through proper grounding to counteract the excessive space and air.
First-chakra blockages may include constipation, hemorrhoids, sciatica pain, degenerative arthritis, knee troubles, obesity, anorexia nervosa or other eating disorders, anxiety disorders, fears, nightmares, and psychosis. Almost all of these symptoms and disorders are directly related to imbalances in the Vata dosha or space and air mind-body type. Obesity would be the only ailment in this list caused by an excessive amount of the Kapha dosha, which is composed of water and earth.
First Chakra Energy: Solid Like a Rock
The energy of the first chakra is vital to our existence. It’s a downward energy that grounds us and gives us stability. In the body, first-chakra energy governs bone structure, feet, legs, and the large intestine to digest food. Everything we eat comes from the earth and its energy. The homes we build and the structures we enjoy, such as libraries, movie theaters, and skyscrapers, all come from first chakra energy. Gravity keeps us in communion with our planet. The art of manifesting emanates from acceptance of our material existence.
Tamas is the type of energy that rules Muladhara. Tamasic energy is slow, dull, inert. The Ayurvedic dosha that dominates the first chakra is Kapha, which is comprised of the elements of water and earth.
An overabundance of tamasic energy can make a person sluggish, lazy, overweight, and complacent. However, tamas is necessary when a pregnant woman grows a baby. She needs to be grounded, slow down, take more naps, reduce her activities, and eat more food. The same goes for the seasons. Winter is a tamasic season when nothing appears to be going on and nature seems dormant. Animals hibernate. Grass and trees stop growing. But this period of rest is necessary for the outburst of activity in the spring.
Kapha energy is similar to tamasic energy. A healthy Kapha person is grounded, slow, methodical, humble, and down-to-earth. Babies go through a Kapha phase to be able to experience life on earth fully and to grow properly. The two sense organs of Kapha are the nose and mouth (tongue: taste). All babies first experience the world by putting things in their mouths. Babies sleep more than older children and adults. They are drawn to and fascinated by nature and the earth’s elements. They are thus perfect expressions of fully embracing earth energy.
Adult Kapha types who are living in balance are peaceful people to be around. They are loving, affectionate, and kind. Their solid foundation gives comfort to others by being the stable pillars to lean on.
Our Societal Relationship with the Earth Element
While we must embrace earth energy to grow, expand, and raise our levels of consciousness, modern society tends to move us in the opposite direction of where we need to go.
Our experience of being on earth and staying grounded requires us to have direct contact with the material. In other words, when we take walks in nature, have picnics on the beach, gather with others for dinner or conversation, and take care of animals, we are directly interacting with the energy that grounds us. Many of our experiences today happen virtually. We are living in the ether without having a solid foundation. While being on our smartphones, computers, and tablets involves touching something material, we engage in a virtual reality through such technology. We talk or text with people out there in any number of places. We play games with people or bots without knowing the difference. We have one-sided conversations as we post on social media, hoping that someone will respond. These experiences keep us ungrounded. In addition, we live in a society that likes to take pills, drugs, and alcohol to transform our state. We seek the transformative ecstasy of spirit without having the proper roots.
As a result, we eat a lot of food to try to ground ourselves. Because the body has an innate intelligence, it tells us we need to do something to bring ourselves down to earth. So we consume loads of calories seeking the grounded, comforting feelings of a loving mother’s warm embrace. Yet too much food and eating the wrong foods does the opposite of making us feel grounded and safe. It disconnects us from the body and our true needs and desires.
In order to experience the earth, you must get back to it. Relearn how to enjoy life without a device in front of your eyes, in your ears, or in your pocket. Meet people face-to-face. Take walks and listen to the sounds of nature. Cook foods from scratch. Let the sunshine penetrate your face. Gaze at the stars. Get comfortable being here rather than somewhere else. Make earth your home again.
Living Life in the Muladhara Chakra: Security
In each of the chakras, there is a difference between embracing and accepting the energy and gifts from that chakra and living solely from that chakra. As