Root chakra: Where the snake lives!
The current Series of articles introduces the twelve physical power centers, each of which is linked to a spiritual power or cognitive ability such as faith, love, steadfastness, discernment, etc. Today I am introducing the last power center in this series. It is located in the area of the female and male reproductive organs, the seat of the power of procreation: prostate, testicles and ovaries. The twelfth power center is also called the “root chakra” in Eastern philosophies, is located at the lowest end of the spine, just above the pelvic floor and is one of the seven main chakras in the Far Eastern chakra teachings. It is symbolized by a red four-petalled lotus with a yellow square in the middle.
The root chakra is the opposite pole to the so-called crown chakra, which is located just above the crown at the top of the head, is also called the crown chakra and is traditionally symbolized by the thousand-petalled lotus. The root chakra is therefore the negative pole, so to speak, and the crown chakra the positive pole. The considerable difference in the number of leaves of the respective lotus symbol already indicates a development from the bottom to the top, a refinement of the energy from the physical to the spiritual. This does not imply any judgment, which is very important. It is more to be understood physically: Without a negative and a positive pole, no electricity can flow. From an energetic point of view, our body should also be viewed in this way. Life energy flows between the negative pole in the root chakra and the positive pole in the crown chakra; the main power cable runs through the spine. In Eastern religions and philosophies, the subtle life energy is imagined as a snake coiled up under the root chakra; yogis use the term “kundalini snake”.
The subtle energy channels are called “nadis” and have their origin in the root chakra, which is called “Muladhara” in Sanskrit. The three main nadis are called “Sushumna, Ida and Pingala”, the latter two are located to the side of the spine. Sushumna is the central channel and is located in the middle of the spinal cord. According to Hatha Yoga, there are around 72,000 nadis, or subtle energy channels, throughout the human body; other yoga systems list an even larger number. In any case, Pingala is located to the right of the spine and transports the sun’s energy downwards and is therefore associated with the male principle or Yang. Ida is therefore located to the left of the spine and is responsible for the moon energy, assigned to the female principle or yin. The channels are controlled e.g. via breath, Pingala via the right nostril and Ida via the left nostril.
According to these philosophies and practices, by covering the nostrils alternately in certain breathing exercises, energy can be directed downwards along the spine. This can stimulate the Kundalini serpent to flow up through the sushumna, the central channel, in the middle of the spine towards the crown chakra. This stream of energy enters the skull at the medulla oblongata, the tenth power center in this series, and flows to the center of the brain. According to the philosophy of Kundalini yoga, the resulting flow pressure activates the first power center in this series, the pineal gland, which stimulates the thousand-petalled lotus in the crown charkra to unfold and thus opens us up to the cosmic energies. From the pineal gland, the Kundalini energy current flows on to power center no. 6 (third eye/pituitary gland) and further up through the two frontal brain power centers no. 7 and 8 (prefrontal cortex) to the crown chakra.
It is important that the Kundalini energy takes this course and does not flow directly past the medulla oblongata via the back of the head to the crown chakra or directly from the pineal gland to the crown chakra. This is the key to understanding the whole series of articles concerning the twelve power centers: all power centers must be activated before the thousand-petalled lotus opens. Otherwise we would not be able to handle the immense energy we receive when the crown chakra is open in a balanced way. Anyone who has followed the series closely knows that the Kundalini serpent also flows through and activates all the other power centers presented here, which of course correspond to the other chakras, on its way from the root chakra to the medulla oblongata at the base of the skull.
Those who skip steps in their development, do not work through their shadow areas properly psychologically and open individual chakras impatiently or even in a targeted manner can suffer serious physical and mental damage. Carl Jung repeatedly warned against “Westerners” carelessly playing around with Far Eastern practices without seriously and disciplined following the “path of individuation” and developing a solid psychological basis. Nothing should be forced or forced in daily meditation practice either. It is primarily about relaxing, letting go and thus recharging the batteries. Further practices should be carried out under guidance. Appropriate teachers appear when the student is ready. The law of attraction is also active here.
What are the direct challenges in dealing with the last power center in the root chakra?
Sexual energy is not intelligent in itself, it must be directed by an intelligent force, otherwise it will direct us and influence our behavior. We then remain at the basic level of reproduction, like the rest of living nature, i.e. animals and plants. This is where the mass consciousness is located, which explains to us that we are nothing but rational mammals whose purpose in life is limited to reproduction. From this point of view, thoughts, feelings and mental impulses of any kind are merely biochemical by-products of the body machine. The reason for this way of thinking lies in the fact that this power center, as the central pole of all physical activity, tends to concentrate all action around its consciousness. This dominance has to do with the necessity of the procreative capacity that is needed to create new bodies that enable psychic experiences. Unfortunately, this also lends itself to identification and creates the illusion that we are individuals separate from each other and from the spiritual creative force, who have to fight for their survival by separating themselves, defending their territory and protecting their offspring; it is also called “blood and soil philosophy”. We can also simply call it “materialism”. The Catholic Church therefore also spoke of the power of procreation as the “adversary” and assigned this power center to Satan or Lucifer, the fallen angel. This is the reason for the celibacy of Catholic priests, the demonization of the feminine and the whole distorted sexual morality of the Christian churches, the root of all church misdeeds, from the burning of witches to child abuse, which is still taking place.
Eastern religions were somewhat more intelligent. Here, too, we find celibacy as a lived practice of monks or yogis. However, with a few exceptions, this is almost never practiced for life, but only until the kundalini serpent has awakened. Eastern philosophies have recognized that the snake in paradise is not the villain, but the redeemer. The root chakra is simply the negative pole to the crown chakra. Physical life can only arise between a positive and negative pole. When this force is released, that is, when we let go of our identification with separateness from divine creation, it rises in the spine, renewing and rejuvenating the body in the process. The body is redeemed, it is the actual Garden of Eden. To achieve this, the material belief in “sex” must be abandoned and it must be recognized that sex is a symbol, an interpretation of our soul’s longing for unity in spiritual life. When body and spirit are one again, the “Lamb of God” emerges, a symbolic expression of the purity, innocence and guilelessness of the redeemed, resurrected human being.
There is therefore a human and a divine version of procreative power and sensuality, which is also closely linked to this power center. Both lead to climax and ecstasy. In the human version, the ecstasy does not last long, it is only intended as a carrot in front of our noses so that we can indulge in procreation and thus keep the store running. In the divine version of the redeemed power of procreation and life, ecstasy is permanent at some point. There are numerous historical as well as contemporary reports of people who have reached this state. However, this state has never been achieved through the suppression of sexuality and sensuality, but only through a phase of sexual abstinence guided by a master. Naturally, celibacy only works through the clean psychological processing of our unconscious, psychological structure, essentially our belief in separation and death. However, anyone who demonizes sexuality and assigns it to the realm of evil – and an astonishing number of people do this who no longer officially assign themselves to any religion – or, conversely, makes sexuality their religion, cannot hope that Kundalini will be awakened and carry out its work of redemption. Mahatma Gandhi’s wife reported that Gandhi needed four attempts in his marriage with her to be able to live a natural celibacy, which transformed him from an instinct-driven husband into an enlightened companion and increased their mutual love and devotion immeasurably. It was only from this point onwards that he was able to really fill the traditional Indian marriage vow, in which the woman accepts the man as her guru and master, with life. He became the living, external expression of her inner, spiritual leader, but the two were on an equal footing, Kasturba Mohandas Gandhi was an extremely emancipated woman and her death was a heavy blow for him.
Joerg Schuber
Non-medical practitioner for psychotherapy
Dipl. -Social Pedagogue (UAS)
Germany