The Mooladhara Chakra is placed at the very base of the spinal column. It has an important role as support for both the subtle body system and Kundalini, and so it is closely related to balance and stability. The Mooladhara Chakra is placed below the Mooladhara which houses the Kundalini. It is the foundation of the psyche, where it is grounded and supports the other centres. Any strong disturbance to its sensitivity throws the individual off-balance and causes mental disturbance.
The qualities of the Mooladhara Chakra are innocence and wisdom and eternal childhood. To awaken these you can use the affirmation, “Mother, please make me the innocence.”
The Mooladhara Chakra is the seat of our grounding force, our connection with Mother Earth. It is made of the Earth element and represents the beginning and primary principle of Life.
In the beginning, gross matter was created using the four-petalled Carbon atom as the first building block. Like Carbon this chakra has four petals, a stable configuration. The Earth is our vehicle for Life and is innocent in this role. She does not judge – matter simply is and supports. In the same way the innocence of a child simply is, without thinking, judgement or concern, and this quality is in concert with the innate pure wisdom of a child. Children often see and speak clearly. “From the mouth of babes”.
When this chakra is awakened its magnetic force starts working. A person whose Mooladhara Chakra is awakened has an inner sense of stability and direction. The qualities of this chakra are those of innocence, wisdom, purity and eternal childhood. These qualities are naturally inherent within each being, but we can through various practices damage this centre. This is the centre that governs the retention, elimination and sexual aspects of human beings.
An awakened and lively Mooladhara chakra brings forth spontaneous wisdom, innocence, dedication, purity and joy. Such a personality is auspicious, and contributes good fortune to his or her surroundings.
The presiding deity or personification of the Mooladhara chakra is Shri Ganesha, the child with the head of an elephant. He is innocent and helps us to remove obstacles in our way.
Clearing the chakras in the Subtle System is an important part of Sahaja Yoga. Sitting on Mother Earth is a very simple technique for clearing the Mooladhara Chakra. If you wish to find out more ways of clearing the chakras, you are very welcome to come to any of the Sahaja Yoga programs held throughout Australia. Please see the main website, www.sahajayoga.com.au, for details about meeting places and times.
(Photograph: www.sahajayogatorino.com)
… and He created life, and from life faith and space and air, light, water and earth, the senses and the mind. He created food and from food strength, austerity, sacred poems, holy actions and even the worlds. And in the worlds, name was created.
As when rivers flowing towards the ocean find there final peace, their name and form disappear, and people speak only of the ocean; even so sixteen forms of the seer all flow towards the Spirit and find there final peace, their name and form disappear and people speak only of Spirit.
Pippalada to his disciple, Sukesa Bharadvaja
From Prasna Upanishad
(Photograph courtesy of geekphilosopher.com)
So we come to the subtler side. And the subtler side of Sahaja Yoga is extremely simple. Is Compassion. Is Forgiveness. Is Love.
But the greatest of all is the Service to God.
We are doing the work of God. How can we be tired?
The dynamic is flowing through us. That Compassion is so fulfilling, that love is so beautifying, that how can we not do it?
We should run to do it.
But have to know that this love has a tremendous urge within itself.
Shri Mataji, 1984
One lady had been to only two or three Sahaja Yoga programs, but she had been meditating and footsoaking and giving her eight-year-old son footsoaks for two weeks. Her son has always had poor behaviour at the Steiner School he attends, and she is in regular communication with his teacher.
The teacher spoke to her recently and said, “I can’t believe the change in your son. What are you doing to bring about such an enormous change?” From being an unruly, disruptive influence in the class he had become a positive influence, even saying to his classmates, “You don’t always want to do things, but sometimes you need to do it, anyway”.
She told the teacher that the only change was that her son was footsoaking, and that she herself was meditating and footsoaking. The teacher was very impressed and asked her to bring some Sahaja Yoga literature along so that she could find out more for herself and for her students.
Footsoaks can also be very positive for the elderly. Some time ago my mother (aged 87) went downhill in her mental capacity. She was so worried about forgetting what to do and who was coming and so on, that she spent most of her time standing in front of the calendar trying to work out what day it was and what she should be doing.
Footsoaking was only part of the changes we put in place for my Mum, but I am convinced that the biggest factor in getting Mum back to “Living in the Present” was the footsoaks. Mum is not a Sahaja Yogi and she doesn’t meditate, but she recognises the benefit of footsoaking. If several days have gone by without our doing a footsoak, she reminds me. It is an amazing and simple tool to get us back in the present, to suck out the negativity that builds up from everyday life and to keep us in balance.
Maxine Whitnell