Understanding Muladhara

Today I will share a bit of an extract from “Tantric Sexuality” (coming out this summer). Muladhara is the first chakra and its awakening is very important because it is the seat of Kundalini and it is the seat of huge tamas. All passions and desires are stored in Muladhara, as well as all guilt, all fears and every agony we feel we experience has its root there.

This chakra is physiologically related to the excretory and sexual organs. Because of the intense emotions and energy stored there, it is very important to awaken it but also to purify it. Our life, likes, desires, actions and achievements are controlled by unconscious desires; whatever we do in life is an expression of this lower chakra.

Tantrism believes our lower karmas and samskaras are stored there, our entire being is grounded in this sexual energy…why? because sexual energy is one of the most powerful creative energies; however, if not channeled properly (abusing self or repressing) this creative energy can turn destructive. Sigmund Freud tried to teach us this; however, people in their ignorance or desire to discredit many of his teachings, chose to only highlight parts of his teachings or to misconstrued them when explaining them to others.

People who have a rigid way of thinking about sexuality and cage love (all 6 types) and relationships to fit a box in order to be “good”, are usually people who have not been able to draw and raise the shakti energy beyond this chakra; as a result their lives are not balanced. One can experience more than one type of love, with romantic love being one of the most basic ones–but all 6 are beautiful and sacred. When it comes to relationships one can be in a monogamous relationship and be just as happy or unhappy and destructive as the person who is in a promiscuous one and vice versa. As Tantra & Gnosticism have already tried to explain time and time again…it all comes down to motivation–what is in your heart. This means, there are people in same gender relationships or polyamory relationships who can be just as happy as a those in a monogamous relationship or as those involve in a lovers relationship-

Lovers by Tantric and original definition are not side sex buddies nor are there to use one another–it is not a mundane transaction; as such one does not have various lovers but a lover; if both people so wish. Over time, the term lover was used to describe someone to have mundane affairs with or to use for sex-money transaction; however choosing to change its terminology, does not change its actual etymology and pure meaning. In Tantra and by its original definition, a lover is a true friend who is deeply connected through love to another person and they have rapport; which means they know their good and bad sides, their joys and sadness–unlike friends with benefits or promiscuous people, they are not seeking to just have sex, score or escape their loneliness or wounds. A lover, like a twin flame, is indeed very hard to meet and develop. They are not people who are just willing to be there for “fun”, they are people who encourage one another. So if you are thinking of being or finding a lover, please know patience is required for they are rare to find. Also, honesty about who you really are, is required. You can find a lover within a monogamous, same gender or polyamory relationship. These are Tantric beliefs, you don’t have to agree nor believe in them. This article is informational; you either resonate or you don’t. I am not trying to convert you and as always say, if at the end of the day your beliefs make you a better person in your core then all the more power to you.

Sexual satisfaction or sexual frustrations can control our lives. Unless this chakra is purified, the brain runs the risk of remaining stagnant /tamasic. Sexual experiences are not a sin and should be enjoyed deeply; allowing this creative energy to recharge and awaken you. However, this requires for conscience to be awakened and not just looking to release with anyone willing. Empty or casual sexuality defeats the purpose of the sexual union, which is to transmute energies in order to expand and heal.

Tantra specifies that the purpose of the sexual union can have 3 components which depend on the mental and spiritual frequency of the individual. Some practice it for procreation, others only for empty pleasure–because that is their level of mind and spirit; as such the powerful energy is wasted. Level 3 is what Tantrics are concerned with… Tantrics practice it to open the window to samadhi. We do not care about using it only for procreation; when we do choose to procreate, like old Gnostics, we pick the right alignment of mental, physical, spiritual and external energies (I will explain this in future articles). We also don’t care about empty satisfaction or fake passion because we know sexuality very well; we cherish and honor it, so we live in passion not seeking mundane moments of it. There would be no point mindlessly sharing oneself with another mindless person; if desired a Tantric can self love with consciousness–no need to use someone else. We only care about awakening, expanding and sublimating the sexual union with a partner or lover; taking it to another level, a level of ecstasy and spirituality. Through such experience the upper chakras are opened.

**Anyone who believes Tantra is just about sexual techniques or denigration of self and spirit, is NOT a Tantric. As I mentioned before, Tantra is very rare to learn, takes years, and traditionally your mentor finds you, not the other way around. These days there are less than 5 Tantric schools worldwide which actually teach real Tantra–for Tantra was meant to be taught one on one and its teachings guarded, which is why mentors used to choose one or two pupils at a time. Although Tantrism shares some of the same components with sexology, they are vastly different.

Those who practice the ordinary sexual act must first awaken muladhara through different styles of yoga, meditation, mind expansion, etc. Through sexual intercourse a woman can awaken muladhara and swadhisthana; if her partner is a tantric yogi or deeply connected. To unite with a real Tantric or genuine lover in a Tantric union–not just intimate union (beautiful sexuality)– is to exchange deep energies. That is why in Tantra we say, be picky about whom you share your energy with, it can help heal or destroy you. To awaken this chakra, a man would have to practice Kriya Yoga and techniques such as vajroli mudra (I am talking about swadhisthana).

Sexuality, spirituality or yoga were never meant to be a path of “renunciation” and denial or abuse. Old prophets, sages and masters tried to teach us this; however, the problem rose when institutionalized centers chose to teach only half of the whole because the other half seemed unpalatable or took away control from them. The biggest mistake the human race has made for thousands of years has been to fight against itself. Some are taught to see sex as evil, others as something so “sacred” one cannot enjoy it, yet sacred never meant to be out of reach or restricted; it meant “with venerance”.

Sexuality is sacred and human beings are part of divinity, of course you should enjoy it. If you are with someone you are genuinely connected by all means let go…enjoy to the fullest–awaken…heal!