Tag: health & wellness

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The 19th Amendment

The right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of sex.
Congress shall have power to enforce this article by appropriate legislation.

Amendment XIX to the US Constitution

Technically this post is off-theme today, but it is important-enough topic that I know you won’t mind.  Today we are celebrating the 19th Amendment to the United States Constitution.

The 19th Amendment prohibits states from restricting voting rights on the basis of sex.

Ah, that’s nice, so what.

Here’s the thing: the 19th Amendment was ratified in 1920!  Yes, 1920, not even 100 years ago.

Oh, well, I’m sure it was just an oversight.  You are?  Well then, why was language removed from the 14th amendment that would have included women’s suffrage?  Do you know when the 19th amendment was introduced to Congress?  1878!  Um yeah, that is 42 years from the time that the legislation was introduced until the time it was ratified.

And this is why, even though I grew up thinking that women were equal citizens with full rights, that women’s legal status is a precious and precarious thing and should not be taken for granted.

In the early days of the republic, voting rights were generally limited by states to “freeholders.”  A freeholder was defined as a person who owned land worth a certain amount of money.  Now, women were denied the right to own property through coverture laws, legal doctrine by which a woman’s legal rights and obligations were subsumed by those of her husband.  So, by default, women would not have the right to vote as they couldn’t be “freeholders”.

As time went on, property restrictions began to be eliminated as a condition for suffrage. In parallel, women’s rights advocates were focused abolishing coverture; however, by this point the two issues were being treated as mutually exclusive.  New York State’s Married Women’s Property Act of 1848 made substantial changes to the existing laws concerning the rights of women to own and control property, influencing other states’ legislation as well as the language of the Homestead Act of 1862, which allowed the applicant for a land grant to be of either gender (it specifically indicates, “he or she….”). 

As women began to gain rights as property holders, they were expected to pay taxes on their assets although they continued to be denied the right to vote.  Now what was that whole American revolution thing about again?  Taxation without representation?  I see…

Opponents of the 19th amendment claimed that giving women the right to vote would harm the institution of marriage as women were already represented in the public sphere through their husbands.  These arguments succeeded in blocking women’s suffrage as part of the 14th amendment in 1868, which specifies that voting rights shall be granted to “male inhabitants.” And the fifteenth amendment, ratified in 1870 to clarify the intent of the 14th, states that voting rights “shall not be denied or abridged…on account of race, color, or previous condition of servitude,” and pointedly does not include sex.

Rather than falling too far down the rabbit hole of the history of women’s legal rights in the United States at this point (don’t worry, there will be more coming down the pipe), let’s celebrate that on August 18, 1920, the 19th Amendment to the US Constitution was ratified.  And let’s plan a big party next year for the centennial.  In the meantime, never forget that women’s inclusion in the public sphere has been hard-fought and piecemeal and that we must be vigilant about defending the status of women as fully vested citizens.

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Vitamin D Therapy

One of my favorite treatments to boost my mood and enhance my overall sense of well-being is Vitamin D Therapy.  I find that with even a brief treatment, I feel much better.

Vitamin D is important for building and maintaining strong and healthy bones because calcium can only be absorbed into bones when vitamin D is present.  I think the most fascinating thing about vitamin D is that your body just creates it.  Not out of the blue, but it is synthesized in the skin when exposed to sunlight.  And then it is used to build strong and healthy bones. It’s like photosynthesis for people!

It turns out that there is also a lot of scientific research on the benefit of vitamin D for treating depression and other psychological conditions.  It starts to get really technical, like this article on the National Institute of Health website, but the gist of what I read was that it seems likely that vitamin D can amplify serotonin in the central nervous system, which may lead to treatments for certain neurological disorders (such as ADHD in children). Serotonin is a neurotransmitter used to convey messages between nerve cells and it contributes to feelings of wellbeing and happiness.

Even though it is not fashionable these days, I still like to get my vitamin D the old-fashioned way – by sitting out in the sun. It can be found in certain foods or taken in supplements, but how cool is it that you can get something so good for your body for free, just by going outside?  Totally not scientific, but I sure feel happy and calm after I spend some time in the sun; I like to think that it’s because all of the vitamin D that I’m making is boosting my serotonin levels.

Now, my style of vitamin D therapy is not for everyone.  I am fortunate that I don’t tend to sunburn and if you do, you should certainly limit your exposure.  The Mayo Clinic indicates that the recommended daily dosage is 600 international units (IU) for pretty much everyone (400 for babies under one year and 800 for adults over 70).  I am not sure what that translates into in terms of sun exposure, but I expect that it is not too much.  The way that it is synthesized in the skin varies depending on location, time of year, and skin color and can be inhibited by use of sunscreen.  Basically, if you are more pale, you need less exposure, which is good news for skin safety.  Negative effects are possible with doses of more than 4,000 IU daily, which seems to me would correspond to a pretty nasty sunburn anyway.  So, don’t overdo it!

But if you needed another reason to get up and go outside, think about the fact that not only is nature is awesome, but that you have the ability to create a chemical reaction in your skin that is designed to help you stay healthy and make you feel better.

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Indoor Cycling, Summer Edition

I have recently made some changes to my indoor cycling schedule. I’ve traded in my Saturday morning class for Sunday.  I know, I’m surprised at myself too!

I’m happy that I am managing to still get in at least two classes a week, even without having an overwhelming amount of grrrr to get out on a daily basis like I used to.  But every time I go to the gym on Sunday morning, I crack myself up.  Here’s the thing:

Yesterday was a beautiful summer day in southern California.  Around 9am I got in my car, drove one mile to the gym, and spent 45 minutes in a dark room taking an indoor cycling class.  There is nothing about doing that which isn’t at least a little ridiculous. It felt like I was living in a scene from LA Story.

First, it’s barely a mile.  And I don’t think that it is too much to expect that I can comfortably and safely walk there during daylight hours (I give myself a pass to drive when it is still dark out).   Also, after 8am parking enforcement is in full effect.  Either drive around for 10-15 minutes looking for a spot or pay to use the metered parking.  If you’re going to spend 10-15 minutes driving around looking for a free parking spot (like I did), you may as well have walked. 

Second, it was a beautiful day but here I was choosing to do my exercising inside.  Not just inside, but in a dark room.  I really can’t get over my own ridiculousness.  If I had decided to go to the 8:30 class instead, I wouldn’t give myself such a hard time because that still counts as first thing in the morning on a Sunday.  By 9:30, you should have already started your day (unless you had a big Saturday night, which I did not).

One important component for getting habits to stick is to make them automatic.  There aren’t options, it is just what you do.  I don’t spend any time thinking about how I’m going to get to the gym on any other day.  But on Sundays I keep considering all the options.  I should walk…maybe I could take my bike…then I have to dig it out of the garage…do I need air in my tires?  And by the time I’ve run through the whole monologue, it’s late.  I need to either decide ahead of time that I’m going to bike and make sure that everything is ready, or I need to take that option off of the table and just know that I’m going to walk.

The bottom line is that I still make it to indoor cycling at least twice a week and that is what really matters.  But I can’t help but laugh at myself about how I get there. 

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An Intro to Chakras – The Thousand-Petaled Lotus

“Here is the supreme sixteenth kala of the moon. She is pure and resembles the young sun. She is as fine a thing as the hundredth part of a fiber in the stalk of a lotus. She is lustrous and soft like ten million lightning flashes and is down turned. From her, whose source is the brahman, flows copiously the continuous stream of nectar.”

Description of the Six Centres, Verse 46

Sahasrara – the crown chakra

We have been talking about the chakras based on the ancient, Tantric text, Description of the Six Centres. We have covered the six: muladhara, svadhisthana, manipura, anahata, visuddha, and ajna.  Last week, I indicated that ajna is the highest corporeal center.  So, what’s the deal with sahasrara?

Sahasrara is described as being located above the crown of the head, belonging to the plane of transcendence.  This is the terminus of Kundalini’s journey, when the energy of our lower chakras has allowed her to rise to the point at which she connects us to the divine consciousness of the universe.

When sahasrara is activated, the illusion of the individual dissolves. In this state there is no activity of the mind, no subject or object. The element of sahasrara is “adi tattva,” “adi” meaning “without beginning,” and “tattva” meaning “thatness” or “reality.” Here is only purity, clarity, light, love, and truth.

The sahasrara mandala possesses no special color or quality, its light contains all color vibrations united in pure light. It is described as a lotus flower with 1,000 petals arranged in 20 layers of 50 petals each.

Jung was not particularly interested in sahasrara.  To him this chakra was a philosophical construct, the ineffability of which put it beyond any psychological application.  He saw it as the logical conclusion of preceding chakras, but without practical value from an analytical psychology perspective.

Chakra Wrap-Up

Do you remember when we were just getting started on this topic, I said that there seemed to be something in the air as far as this was a subject that a lot of people were interested in right now? Maybe that has to do with the universality of the fundamental ideas of this concept?

Not to get all Jungian about it, but individuation and the sublimation of ego seems to be very strong in the collective unconscious at this time.  I keep running into the concept in lots of different places.  For example, I just read a book by Michael Pollan called, How to Change Your Mind (stay tuned, book review coming up shortly) about psychedelics as a tool to transcend ego. I also found myself listening to a podcast about meditation and when I stripped away all the jargon, the bottom-line objective of the various styles of Buddhist meditation practice (as I understood it) was to remove the ego from acting as a filter on the practitioner’s perception. When the guy talking finally got to the point, what I heard sounded a lot like what we covered in anahata, visuddha, and ajna.

The bottom line for me is that the chakras are one way of describing some sort of fundamental desire for cultivating a sense of what I would call inner peace and well-being. Kundalini yoga, the various types of Buddhist meditation, psychedelic therapy, or Jungian analysis are all just a few of the different paths that someone can take if they are interested in going on that sort of journey.

Thanks for sticking with me through this little adventure. I’d really love to know what you thought about the chakra series.  Were there any big questions that popped up for you?  Anything that you think that I could have explained better or that you would have liked me to spend some more time on?  Anything that didn’t make sense or that you think that I really got wrong?

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An Intro to Chakras – Ajna

“This is the incomparable and delightful abode of Vishnu. The excellent yogi at the time of death joyfully places his prana here and enters that supreme, eternal, birthless, primeval deva, the purusa, who was before the three worlds, and who is known by the Vedanta.”

Description of the Six Centres, Verse 38

Ajna – the third eye chakra

The highest corporeal center is the ajna chakra.  Commonly referred to as the “third eye chakra,” this chakra is located between our two physical eyes and is considered the location of wisdom and of conscience.  It is considered a sacred spot.

Ajna translates as “command,” “authority,” “perceive,” “knowledge,” or “wisdom.”  Any of these translations relate to our accessing our conscience, our inner guide, our intuition. When our third eye is open, we are in touch with our intuition, we cut through the illusion of perception to access truth. It not only helps us to make good decisions, but at the extreme is said to give us access to psychic powers. With the opening of this chakra, the development of our wisdom and humanity is completed and we reach the bridge to divine consciousness.

The ajna mandala is described as a transparent lotus flower with two white petals, said to represent the nadis (energy channels), Ida (feminine energy) and Pingala (masculine energy). Ida and Pingala converge with the Sushmna nadi (the central energy channel which is the path of Kundalini) at ajna, creating a sense of oneness and unity.

Another way of looking at this is that at the ajna chakra, we become aware that there is no duality (light/dark, male/female, etc.) that these are just expressions of a continuum.  For example, rather than hot and cold, something is described as having more-or-less coldness.  In the same way, something isn’t bad, it is just lacking goodness to whatever degree. This realization creates psychic space where we can experience the bliss of the oneness of the universe.

The seed syllable of ajna is “om” which is believed to be the supreme sound of the universe and contain all other sounds. “Om” represents the three worlds (past, present, and future) that are accessed through the ajna chakra (the past and present are perceived with our physical eyes and the future is perceived by our third eye).

When we have a blockage at the ajna chakra, it may manifest in physical symptoms such as vision problems, headaches, migraines, and dizziness or in mental symptoms such as confusion and an inability to think clearly.  By opening ajna, we access our ability to see things without the projection and color of ego. We accept ourselves and others and to treat everyone (including our self) with love, understanding, and forgiveness. We have the clarity and wisdom to recognize the truth that is always around us and the knowledge that we can look within for the solutions to our problems.

Jung describes ajna as the pure sphere of detached observation.  Here you become a non-ego reality, a thing not even to be called “self.” The ego disappears completely; the psychical is no longer a content within us but we become contents of it.

And now it’s time to bring Maslow’s hierarchy back because here we can relate ajna to Maslow’s concept of self-actualization.  For Maslow, self-actualization is the level at which an individual is able to maximize their full potential. A self-actualized person is able to resolve the dichotomies inherent in life experiences through creative activity.  Wait, that sounds familiar…in the ajna chakra we realize that there is no duality…

Ok, so we have reached a higher level of consciousness when we no longer interpret the world around us in terms of opposing forces.  This is the detachment that enables us to view our existence without ego – we are not a part of the universe; we are one with the universe.

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An Intro to Chakras – Visuddha

“He who has attained complete knowledge of the atma becomes, by constantly concentrating his mind on this lotus, a great sage, eloquent and wise, and enjoys uninterrupted peace of mind. He sees the three periods and becomes he benefactor of all, free from disease and sorrow and long-lived and like Hamsa, the destroyer of endless dangers.”

Description of the Six Centres, Verse 31

Visuddha – the throat chakra

The next chakra in our journey is visuddha, the throat chakra, also known as the purification center (visuddha translates to “especially pure”). The idea is that this chakra has the ability to process toxins (of both substance and ideas). Associated with self-expression and communication, the visuddha chakra relates to listening as well as speaking.

According to Hindu tradition, the mandala for this chakra is described as having 16 purple or smoke-colored petals, the color of wisdom and spirituality.  These represent 16 of the 25 powers that the practice of yoga can impart.

The center of the mandala contains a white circle, representing the full moon, contained within a sky-blue, downward-pointing triangle.  We learned in manipura that the downward pointing triangle represents the element of fire; however, the element associated with visuddha is ether and the materials that I reviewed neglected to explain the significance of this symbol which was previously associated with fire.  I am going to speculate that it may have something to do with the influence that manipura exerts on visuddha.  Think about ether as vibrations; the air (from anahata) is moved through the throat by the fire of manipura (like smoke rising in a chimney).  In the throat, the rushing air vibrates, creating sounds that are the words we speak.  The ethereal quality of those vibrations means that we also feel them throughout our entire body.

Inside of the mandala’s white circle is a white elephant, a symbol of luck, wealth, power, wisdom, and clarity.  The syllable for visuddha, “ham,” means “I am.”

An imbalance in visuddha may manifest in a fear of speaking, a lack of control over one’s words, lying, gossiping, the tendency to not listen to what others are saying, being verbally aggressive or even mean, or feeling a lack of purpose in one’s life. When blocked, a person may feel insecure, timid, and introverted, and may blame others for their own unhappiness. Think about a time when you realized that someone doesn’t have the faintest idea what they are actually saying, they are literally exhaling their thoughts and feelings with no awareness of what they are doing to other people.

A cause of blockage in this chakra is not speaking up for one’s self.  When we tolerate bad treatment and insults, that external negativity is like a toxin.  Speaking up for ourselves is purifying.  When our visuddha chakra is open, we are able to transform negative experiences into wisdom and learning.  However, we must be careful to not express ourselves with hurtful words, mean thoughts, and bad behavior. Authentic expression is not something that comes easily. One exercise that can be helpful is to pass your words through three gates before speaking: is it true? is it necessary? and is it kind?

“The truth should always be spoken with love and not with knives…”

Shree Mahaprabhuji, Hindu Philosopher

For Jung, in this chakra one steps beyond the empirical world and lands in the world of concepts – of psychology. Here we realize that the external thing that we think that we are reacting to doesn’t exist, it relies on our interpretation of it to have any meaning.  We become aware that everything is subjective. The world that we inhabit, for better and worse, is a reflection of our psyche.

This chakra actually inspired this entire series.  Here’s the story: I was at Consuelo’s and Arvindjeet’s yoga event in February.  We were just starting to get settled in and I began to have a terrible coughing fit.  Unbearable, tickly coughing.  Consuelo mentioned that she had had a cough like that before.  Later, when I asked her about it, she said that it was related to the throat chakra.  And down the rabbit hole I went.

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An Intro to Chakras – Anahata

Above that, in the heart, is the charming lotus of the shining color of the bandhuka flower…It is known by its name of anahata, and is like the celestial wishing-tree, bestowing even more than what one desires…

Description of the Six Centres, Verse 22

Anahata – the heart chakra

When we want to demonstrate that something is meaningful or personal to us, we tend to spontaneously gesture to the center of our chest. Our atma (the essence of our true self) resides here in the anahata chakra, the heart center, much in the same way that the essence of an entire tree resides within one seed.

Anahata in Sanskrit means unhurt, unstruck, or unbeaten. The word is a “sound produced without touching two parts.” This refers to the concept of the sound of the celestial realm described in Vedic texts, the oldest known Hindu scriptures. Rather than two forces coming together in opposition, they co-exist without conflict, there is synergy and cooperation. We are able to experience things with a detached perspective, to “follow our heart,” to make decisions based on our higher self, not karma or emotions.

The location of anahata means that it affects not only the heart but the lungs, chest, arms, and hands. Having a blockage or imbalance in this chakra can manifest itself physically in respiratory or circulatory issues. Mental/behavioral symptoms may include co-dependence, manipulative behaviors, feeling unworthy, people pleasing, and/or antisocial behavior.

When anahata is activated and open, it is associated with love and compassion, charity to others and psychic healing. The more that the heart center opens, the more strongly and deeply we feel. This may reveal some past hurts, but by working through these feelings, we are able to let them go. Then we can access feelings of balance, calmness, and serenity and free ourselves from being bound to our emotions.

Although anahata is commonly represented by the color green these days, it has also been described as light blue, representing spirituality and unity, and symbolizing the purification resulting from the fire of manipura (think the blue center of a flame). The mandala for anahata is said to be surrounded by twelve red lotus petals.

In the middle of the mandala is a six-pointed star, formed by two intersecting triangles, highlighting the inner battle between spirituality and emotion. The center of the star is described as having a smoky color and containing a representation of a new moon, which relates to changeability we experience in this chakra.

The element for anahata is air. Think about how the heart is located within the region of the lungs and how closely the activities of the two organs are associated (for example, you might focus on breathing more slowly to calm your heart rate). Air symbolizes our connection to everything we encounter. It is also a force that has the ability to destroy (like a tornado) or can be utilized in a productive manner (like how the Bernoulli effect enables airplanes to fly).

Relating to the idea of air is the animal symbol for anahata, the black antelope. An antelope is fleet, shy, elusive, and graceful. For Jung the antelope symbolizes the efficiency and the lightness of our thoughts and feelings in the anahata chakra.

The seed syllable of anahata is “yam” which means to let go, to liberate, to give.

Jung describes anahata as the point that we become conscious of something which is not personal. We are able to separate ourselves from our emotions. Anahata serves as a bridge between lower and upper chakras, integrating the manifest with the spiritual. The first step in self-realization, recognizing one’s self in every living being – accessing the atma – happens in anahata.

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An Intro to Chakras – Manipura

Above it, and at the root of the navel, is the shining lotus of ten petals of the color of heavy-laden rainclouds…Meditate there on the region of fire, triangular in form and shining like the rising sun…

Description of the Six Centres – Verse 19

Manipura – the solar plexus chakra

We have now arrived at the third chakra, manipura.  This chakra is located in the area between the navel and the diaphragm (the solar plexus) and is considered the center of emotions.  Manipura translates to “lustrous gem” or “many precious jewels.”  The “jewels” found when this chakra is aligned include qualities such as clarity, self-confidence, bliss, self-assurance, knowledge, wisdom, and wellbeing.

Think about terms like “go with your gut,” or “having a gut feeling.” These are examples of the intuition and wisdom that can be found within manipura.  But if this chakra is not activated, we may not feel comfortable trusting out gut, or we may react to things emotionally or irrationally.  When manipura is blocked, symptoms can manifest in digestion issues as well as low self-esteem, difficulty making decisions, neediness, or aggressive, rigid, and controlling behavior.

The mandala of manipura is surrounded by ten petals that represent the ten pranas which control the supply of energy to the body.  Prana describes the concept of a universal energy that runs through all things (I guess we could call it “the force”). It also describes the way that energy is received and utilized in the body.

Within the mandala is the shape of an inverted triangle representing energy, growth, and development. The triangle is also the symbol for fire, the element of manipura. Fire has many interesting applications in this context.  In one sense, the fire of manipura is the digestive fire (agni) which acts as the furnace powering the body.  When the energy of this chakra is blocked, the fire causes aggression, passion, and restlessness. When it is activated the fire means purification and refinement, offering us the opportunity to free ourselves from bad qualities and habits.

The syllable associated with manipura is “ram” which also represents fire and purification by burning.  And then, the ram is the animal represented within the mandala (I just love when things are matchy-matchy).  For Jung, the significance of the ram is that it is a sacrificial animal. You have already overcome the worst danger, the danger of being drowned in unconsciousness by the makara of svadhisthana, you don’t need to fear the ram. Sacrificing the ram by activating this chakra is to sacrifice your passions and take control of your inner power.

The thing that I found most interesting about Jung’s interpretation of manipura was the was that he explained it as the rebirth following the symbolic death of svadhisthana.  He linked this chakra, the fire center, to the rebirth of the initiation rites of the ancient Egyptian sun cult, the Greek myth of Apollo, and Christian baptism. So manipura is where one becomes part of the divine substance, having an immortal soul.

Activating manipura only bring Kundalini to the mid-point of her journey to connecting with the universe, but it gives us access to a tremendous amount of personal power.  I’m looking forward to considering what the remaining chakras have in store for us.  I have a gut feeling that it is going to be something good.

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An Intro to Chakras – Svadhisthana

“He who meditates upon this stainless Lotus, which is named Svadhisthana, is freed immediately from all his enemies…and is like the sun illuminating the dense darkness of ignorance.”

Description of the Six Centres, Verse 18

Svadhisthana – the sacral chakra

The next chakra is svadhisthana, the sacral chakra. This is the chakra of emotions and creativity.  Within the body, svadhisthana is located in the region of the sacrum, where the spine connects to the pelvis.

When svadhisthana is not activated, we exist in a psychic state where we just want to live in a carefree and hedonistic way.  Wilhelm Hauer (a Tantric scholar and contemporary of Jung) described it as, “the life we live freely and thoughtlessly, just throwing ourselves into the stream of life and letting ourselves be carried, floating on to all that comes to us.”

In modern descriptions, svadhisthana is assigned the color orange, but in the traditional texts, the six petals of the mandala are described as being of a vermillion (bright red) color.  It is associated with the element of water, symbolized by the silver crescent moon within the mandala.

The animal contained within the mandala is a makara (crocodile or sea monster).  This is the only chakra whose mandala contains a scary animal.  To Jung the svadhisthana chakra contains the idea of a symbolic death complete with confronting the danger of being drowned or devoured by the makara.  He relates this not only to the act of baptism but also to the sun myth found in ancient cultures such as the Egyptians and the Greeks.  I found his equating the whole baptismal story to the sun myth very enlightening.  Here is how he explains it,

“…the sun in the afternoon is getting old and weak, and therefore he is drowned; he goes down into the western sea, travels underneath the waters (the night sea journey) and comes up in the morning reborn in the East.  So, one would call the second chakra, the chakra of baptism, or of rebirth, or of destruction – whatever the consensus of the baptism may be.”

– Carl Jung, The Psychology of Kundalini Yoga

Jung’s interpretation is even more interesting if considered with regard to creativity.  Think about the fear that can accompany your desire to express yourself creatively.  For example, I have a lot of fear concerning writing these posts about chakras.  I have fear every time I get ready to start a new creative project. Is this going to be too hard?  Am I going to be able to make something good enough? Do I have what I need (either the experience or the materials) to complete this?  The fear keeps me from starting.  But at some point, I have to take a deep breath and dive in.  Face the monster and come out the other side with the satisfaction of knowing that the idea inside of me has been released into the world. 

Think about it like going for a swim in the ocean.  You can stand near the shore and keep getting pounded by the break or you can take a deep breath and dive in, and when you come out on the back side of the waves, you realize how much easier it was to act than to let your fear keep you stuck where you were.

Next week we will talk about manipura – where you arrive when you are reborn after your symbolic death.

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An Intro to Chakras – Muladhara

“By meditating thus on her who shines within the muladhara chakra, with the luster of ten million suns, a man becomes lord of speech and king among men, and an adept in all kinds of learning.  He becomes ever free from all diseases, and his inmost spirit becomes full of great gladness. Pure of disposition by his deep and musical words, he serves the foremost of the devas (divine beings).”

Description of the Six Centres, Verse 13

Muladhara – The Root Chakra

The first chakra, the lowest chakra, is muladhara – the root.  Think about it like you are sitting on the ground, cross-legged, like the guy in the picture.  You can feel your “sit” bones (the official name for these bones are the ischium) against the ground.  Muladhara is not in contact with the ground (also remember that it doesn’t physically exist) but energetically, it is creating a connection to the earth.  You are “grounded.”

For Jung all of the chakras are symbols, right?  So muladhara, being the root, is a symbolic representation of our conscious world, of our everyday existence.  The mandala of muladhara contains multiple symbols of earth: the yellow square symbolizes the four corners of this earth, the Sanskrit syllable “LAM” relates to the earth, and the elephant is the largest land animal.

The Chopra Center describes muladhara as the chakra that relates to the things that ground you and create stability for you in your daily life, things like food, water, and shelter.  These are also the elements of the first level of Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs – the physiological needs.

For Maslow, the needs of one level must be met for an individual to have the motivation to pursue the elements of the next level much in the same way that Kundalini ascends sequentially as the chakras are activated and aligned.

According to Jung, we all exist within muladhara, although we may not be conscious of it.  What does that mean?  Here’s what I think it means: there was a period of time where I was existing in the world and going about my life, but in a very unconscious way.  I would go to work, come home late, go to bed and then wake up the next day and do it again.  I was “busy” and tended to react to things around me.  I was so busy doing that I didn’t take time for learning (research, reading, whatever) or physical activity, much less reflection.  I felt like things were happening to me.  I didn’t exist beyond being busy doing.  A Kundalini practitioner might say that I had a blockage in muladhara.

In Kundalini lingo, when muladhara is “activated” you become aware of yourself as an entity distinct from the world around you.  You become aware that things are happening around you, not to you. You have some psychical distance between yourself and your environment.  It is the first, baby step toward individuation, the attainment of self-realization that is the goal of Jungian psychology.  To me, another parallel of muladhara being activated, is this fundamental tenant of Stoic philosophy: you cannot control what happens, you can only control how you react. 

I realize that today’s post is a bit of a potpourri of philosophy, but I find the parallels fascinating.  Maybe it just reinforces Jung’s concept of the collective unconscious.