RED
if color is the music of the eyes then red would be the sound of trumpets…
Red is a color rich in symbolism ranging cross culturally from vigor and war to anger and love, from drama and sexuality to power and religious fervor. Red seems to be capable of provoking the most potent emotions, both good and not. It is the color of life, as elemental as blood and fire — the ground. In the man-made world, red is head-turning. It can signal danger or caution in our way-finding but then confidence and authority in our clothing. Red was the first color that humans mastered in order to recreate and produce, the first that was broken down into different, related shades.
We are drawn to it. We are struck by it. In the subtle body it corresponds to our first chakra and is integral to our sense of security and alignment…
SUBTLE BODY
Root Chakra (Mūladhāra)
The first of the Chakras, the root chakra is located at the base of the spine, the pelvic floor, and the first three vertebrae. From the Sanskrit words Mula, meaning “root,” and Adhara, meaning “support” or “base,” the root chakra is the foundation on which all of your other chakras are balanced. The roots that ground us to the earth and anchor us to this physical world, providing the safety and stability needed to withstand life’s challenges.
Location: The base of the spine, the pelvic floor, and the first three vertebrae
Key Concepts: safety, security, stability, physicality, abundance + basic human needs
Energy: Safe. Grounded.
Actions + Mantras: I AM. I BELONG. I AM CONNECTED. I AM SAFE. I AM SUPPORTED.
Sense: Smell
Sensory Organ: Nose
Aromatherapy: ADORAtherapy Chakra 1: click here to purchase (using our code SUBTLE_ARTS_CC for a 10% discount)
SOUND
Musical Key: C
Mūladhāra by Osel (Medicine Buddha Mantra album). Purchase here. Stream here.
Adoratherapy, A Playlist of Songs for your Root Chakra. Listen here on Spotify.
Meditative Mind Root Chakra Sound Bath: bathe in this sound here.
Corresponding Mantra Sound / Chant: LAM - listen to the sound here.
NATURE + MOVEMENT
Physical Element: Earth
Crystal: Red carnelian
Foods: Beets, red berries, radishes, peppers, kidney beans, root vegetables
Activity to balance your Root Chakra: Walk barefoot in the grass, truly grounding your toes into the ground. Close your eyes and envision yourself rooting deeply into the earth that holds and supports you. Feel safe, grounded and secure.
Yoga Postures: Tadasana (tall mountain), Sukhasana (easy seat), Pavanamuktasana (knee to chest pose), Janu Sirsansana (head to knee pose), Padmasana (lotus) Malasana (squatting pose), Warrior I, Triangle and Forward Bend
Spinning by Klaas Hart - find here.
POEM — Child in Red, Rainier Maria Rilke
Sometimes she walks through the village in her
little red dress
all absorbed in restraining herself,
and yet, despite herself, she seems to move
according to the rhythm of her life to come.
She runs a bit, hesitates, stops,
half-turns around...
and, all while dreaming, shakes her head
for or against.
Then she dances a few steps
that she invents and forgets,
no doubt finding out that life
moves on too fast.
It's not so much that she steps out
of the small body enclosing her,
but that all she carries in herself
frolics and ferments.
It's this dress that she'll remember
later in a sweet surrender;
when her whole life is full of risks,
the little red dress will always seem right.