Root Chakra in Pregnancy
Muladhara is the name of the first chakra, found at the base of the spine and related to the pelvic floor and cervix in pregnancy.
The chakras are psychophysical energy centres in the body which are like communication hubs between our individual self and the world around. They respond to our inner emotional state and they also respond to our environment in a two way conversation. Each one has a different tone or vibration and is related to different physical and emotional aspects of our whole experience as a human.
Muladhara is connected to our basic needs, such as feeling safe, having a connection to our friends and family (essentially belonging to a tribe which ensures our survival), having enough food, shelter, money. If we don’t have these then there will be dissonance in the first chakra, and if there is dissonance in a chakra then this continues to manifest in the world too.
Connecting to muladhara offers an invitation to keep our feet on the ground during the emotional, physical, hormonal, spiritual, relational, status, often financial upheaval of pregnancy. It helps us to anchor in the body even though the body looks and behaves differently every single day.
It offers a connection to the portal of the pelvis through which most babies arrive on this Earth.
It talks to us of our deep need for emotional support as well as privacy through birth and our need to be part of a tribe as we become parents.
It reminds us that our bodies are vessels through which we manifest, in seemingly solid form, souls from other less tangible realms into this one.
Five Ways to Help Muladhara
Here are 5 ways to help improve your sense of connection to muladhara and optimise its grounding potential during the changes of your pregnancy:
1) Try yoga, massage, reflexology or any bodywork you enjoy. This will help bring you from your mind into your body as you feel your way through the changes. Being connected to your body will also help you to respond to the messages its giving you during the birth of your baby.
2) Conscious breathing into the pelvic floor, squeezing up with an inhale and releasing with an exhale (during pregnancy) will help to bring blood flow and also a good balance of tone and release in this area ready for birth. It’s also great to imagine your out breath flowing down through the bones of your pelvis and creating a connection to the channel through which your baby will be born.
3) Eating wholesome delicious organic food is incredibly grounding. Spend some time after a good meal enjoying the feeling of being sated.
4) Spending time with people you love who fuel your soul, don’t sap it.
5) Gardening, being in nature and immersion in water whether that’s the sea, a swimming pool or a lovely warm bath are also beautiful ways to anchor frenetic energy and literally bring you back to earth. If you can’t get out into nature, then simply listening to the sounds of nature such as water or birdsong and looking at pictures of nature has also been shown to reduce stress.