Connect With Muladhara (Root) Chakra
We’ve been exploring muladhara chakra in class. As a Jungian concept, the root chakra encompasses our base level needs for food, shelter and safety, and centers around the base of the tailbone. The pelvic floor, or mula bandha, engages during our yoga practice to help us find ground and balance, even when we’re on two feet.
In class, we’ve been playing with variations of grounding poses paired with shapes that challenge your stability. Give it a try. Invite the body locks — mula and uddiyana bandhas — to show up for you.
MALASANA
Settle in, and spend the three minutes connecting with your root. Each exhale connects you to mula bandha, the pelvic floor tone and uddiyana bandha, low belly engagement. Hold these body locks with breath.
UTTANASANA: FORWARD FOLD WITH ELBOWS CLASPED
Drop the work in the neck.
5-8 BREATHS IN EACH SHAPE
Start in UTKATASANA: CHAIR before lifting the left leg and float back to VIRABHADRASANA THREE: WARRIOR THREE.
Land the foot into ASHTA CHANDRASANA: HIGH CRESCENT LUNGE. Once you feel steady, add an open arm twist, toward the front leg (left hand reaches forward in first side). Hook the left elbow and bring palms together into PARIVRTTA ASHTA CHANDRASANA: REVOLVED HIGH CRESCENT.
Gaze down, untwist, and come into STANDING SPLITS. Release the leg into UTTANASANA: FORWARD FOLD.
Newsletter subscribers get a sweet little chart of each sequence, easy for saving, sharing and inspiring your own practice and/or teaching. Subscribe to get the next one.
