Throughout this session, I am using Anodea Judith & Selene Vega's wonderful book, "The Sevenfold Journey" as a reference for this chakra information. The Guna info is 100% Rod Stryker.
Location: Base of the Spine; Specifically the perineum (for men) and the cervix (for women)
Basic Right: The Right to Have
Bija Mantra: LAM
Celestial Body: Saturn
Color: Red
Developmentally: 2nd Trimester to 9 Months
Element: Earth (heavy, solid, dense)
Goals: Stability, grounding, prosperity, right livelihood, physical health
Guna: Tamas
Major Psychological Life Area: Survival
Malfunction: Obesity, hemorrhoids, constipation, sciatica, eating disorders, knee troubles, bone disorders, frequent illness, frequent, fears, inability to focus, spaciness and restlessness.
Plane: judgement, delusion, dislikes and materialism.
Secondary Chakra: The Feet
Yantra: Fiery Red Petals. A yellow square with a red triangle and a coiled serpent within.
This week I'll be sequencing the classes to cultivate a connection to a guna combo called tamasic sattwa (stable clarity) because this is the energy we want to have moving through us to be lined up with the best of the first chakra. Out of balance, first chakra carries the energy of tamas -- dark, inert, stagnant. But in balance, the first chakra is dominated by tamasic sattwa. This combination has a particular quality -- it makes us more steady and established in rhythms and perspectives that are helpful to us; improves our endurance and groundedness; and even increases our ability to eliminate -- to forgive and let go so we can move on.
Key pieces to this are Forward Bends, Balancing Poses, Standing Poses (for strength and stability), twists; longer holds; and restorative poses. Poses to avoid for this are inversions. Last week, we focused on breathing that had a 1:1 inhale:exhale ratio (with circular breathing) so that we would cultivate the steady clarity of sattwa. This week we want to go deeper into tamasic sattwa -- so we'll shift it to a 1:2 ratio (In 4 counts; Out 8 counts), possibly even holding after exhale.
To contain this energy at the root chakra, you can do mulubandha (lift the pelvic floor by gently drawing the tailbone in and up) on the exhale only.
And for meditation we'll meditate below the heart, on the breath with a dharana -- one pointedness -- a visualization perhaps that grounds the experience (as opposed to meditating on space which is the 7th chakra). We'll be doing a very ancient meditation to close class this week and next week that focuses the energy around stability and connectedness to earth.
A practice very strong in tamasic sattwa has profound effects -- one student of Rod's slept through the night for the first time in 23 years after doing a 2 hour practice focused on cultivating this.
Be aware of what comes up for you in your dreams this week after class and what else plays out in your day after 90 minutes of awareness and energy cultivation around this first chakra. This one is a challenge -- it is the seat of most of our "stuff" -- our insecurities and worries in a time that is full of uncertainty according to the newspapers. Remember, we can count on change -- our job is to be steady in the face of change; see the most choices and have the most freedom in choosing with awareness.
Thanks for reading and for coming to class this session. All three classes are running and a great group of people are signed up. Awesome!
xoxo,
Kathy
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