Root Chakra Flow Class with Kristen Butera Sanskrit Name: Muladhara (translation base of support) Location: Perineum/Tip of the tailbone Associated body parts: Anus, descending colon, bones, feet, legs, tailbone, pelvic floor Color: Red Bija Mantra: LAM Mantra: Om Gum Ganapataye Namah Element: Earth Qualitites: Challenges: 1. Presence 1. Disconnection 2. Grounding 2. Instability 3. Abundance 3. Scarcity 4. Fearlessness 4. Fear Chakra Symbol Bhavanas Affirmations Mudra (Attitudes) Embodiment I am fully present in my body. Groundedness I am fully connected to the earth. Birthright My base of support is stable and solid. Root Chakra Pose Flow Seated • Easy pose, finding the location of the sitz bones with Adhi Mudra • Meditative Awareness: Sit with your spine straight, and bring you attention to your “sit place”, the place where your body intersects the floor. Notice any feelings or sensations in this area. Now imagine roots coming down from your body, strong, beautiful roots that reach all the way down into the rich vital earth. Imagine drawing earth energy up through these roots into your body. As you do this, pay attention to the way gravity keeps you here, refusing to let you float away. Feel the solid comfort of your weight as it rests against the floor. Next, really notice your own aliveness: you are breathing. Your heart is beating. There are processes going on inside you that you don’t even have to think about. Give a moment of gratitude to your body for its wise functioning. Now imagine trusting this universe that brought you forth, that called you hear to take your place in life. Bring your consciousness once more to your “sit place” and your connection to the earth, and to life. • Chanting: LAM • Circular breaths using hands (moving energy up and down) • Neck/Shoulders Warm ups • Side bends with root awareness • Twist with root awareness • Head to Knee (side to side) • Butterfly/Backbend • Staff Pose • Lower Body Joint Freeing (see diagram on last page) Hands and Knees • Cat/Cow (awareness of the tailbone in the movement) • Balancing Table (focus on squaring the pelvis) • Down Dog (with attention to grounding) • Plank (awareness of the pelvic girdle) • Forward Fold • Hara Squats • Mountain Pose foot awareness 1. 5 Parts of the foot: Toes, Pad below the toes, Ball, Outer Edges, Heel (divided into N/S, E/W) 2. Sacred Triangle of the foot 3. The foot is dynamic, not passive • Tennis Balls: to wake up the feet • Mountain Pose: before and after comparison from tennis balls • Mountain Pose: partner up to fine tune the awareness of the feet and their connection to the pelvic floor • Chair Pose: with awareness of the lower half of the body Balancing • Palm Tree to strengthen arches • Eyes Closed • Tree Pose • Dancer • Eagle • Balancing Half Moon • Hand to foot pose Standing Poses • Warrior 1, 2, 3 Flow (repeat on both sides with the breath working the feet) • Goddess Flow (attention to upward and downward movement of energy) • Goddess Twist • Goddess Balance • Triangle, Revolved Triangle, Head to Knee (repeat on both sides with the breath working the feet) • Wide Angle Forward Fold • Wide Angle Forward Fold Twist Squatting Sequence • Regular Squat (with ashwini mudra and root lock) • Knees together • Balancing Squat • Squat Twist • Squat forward fold Floor Work Poses • Seated Wide Angle Forward Fold • Balancing Bear • Boat Pose • Infinity Pose • Pigeon • Frog Reclining • Pelvic Tilting • Lower spinal twist • Happy Baby • Shoulderstand/Plough/Legs Against the Wall • Reclining Goddess Guided Root Chakra Savasana Lie on the floor with the arms at the sides with the palms facing up. Extend the legs, pushing the heels away and then allow the legs to completely relax, feet flopping out to the sides. Allow the shoulders to soften and melt into the floor. Tuck the chin in toward the throat so the back of the neck is long. Unclench the teeth. Allow the tongue to fall from the roof of the mouth. Feel it float in the middle of your mouth. Imagine the eyes sinking back toward the base of the skull. Let the skin on the forehead become smooth. Let the tension release from around the eyes so it feels as if all the tiny lines around the eyes ease away. Bring your attention to the breath and allow it to enter and leave the body freely through the nostrils. As the breath deepens envision a beam of white light. Draw this beam down to the base of the spine. Hold this light in your fist chakra and visualize it turning deep red. As you inhale, focus on the physical nature of you senses. Feel yourself become passionate, strong, physical and filled with courageous energy. As you exhale, emanate the color red and feel it’s strength. Continue this breathing pattern until you enter into the security of the root chakra. Joint Freeing Series taken from Structural Yoga Therapy by Mukunda Stiles .