What is the Root Chakra?

The root chakra is the first chakra and is located at the base of your spine. It is the root of your being and establishes the deepest connections with your physical body, your environment, and the earth. It’s responsible for your sense of safety and security on this earthly journey.

The word Muladhara breaks down into two Sanskrit words: Mula meaning “root” and Adhara, which means “support” or “base.”

The root chakra is the most instinctual of all chakras – it’s your survival center. Your fight and flight response is initiated from this chakra. This is your primal, animal nature.

The energy of the root chakra allows you to harness courage, resourcefulness, and the will to live during trying times. It connects you with the spiritual energies of your ancestors, their challenges, and their triumphs. Since the root chakra carries your ancestral memories, basically everyone experiences challenges or blockages within it.

War, famine, natural disasters, unstable childhoods, and any event that threatens your basic survival, are all recorded within the energies of the first chakra. These memories are imprinted in the subtle body and are passed down from generation to generation creating unconscious generational patterns.

As spiritually aware people, we know to take responsibility for our own lives, to bring to light that which is unconscious, mindfully improve old patterns and create our current circumstances the way we want them to be, instead of being held hostage to the past.

Since the root chakra is the first of the physical chakras, balancing it creates a solid foundation for opening the upper chakras. It is imperative you feel safe and grounded – and that your physical needs are met before developing your spiritual senses.

Imbalances In the Root Chakra

When there is an imbalance in the root chakra, you may experience fear, feelings of lack or poverty, disconnection, anxiety, loneliness, guilt, or greed. Physical imbalances may manifest as lower back pain (feeling unsupported), elimination issues (holding on), and stiffness in the legs, knees, or feet (fear of moving forward). Hoarding and eating disorders (control) are signs of an imbalanced root chakra.

Signs of a Balanced Root Chakra

• You’re full of vitality and passion and it shows in your work, your relationships, and your health.
• You have a sense of satisfaction with your basic needs and enjoy meeting them.
• You’re connected with your core values and live by them since you feel safe doing so.
• You are mostly fearless because you trust that everything works out and you have resources to help when you’re feeling off-centered.

Root Chakra Snapshot:

• Sanskrit name: Muladhara – root support
• Element: Earth
• Color: Red
• Frequency: 396 Hz
• Shape: Square (balance)
• Petals of the lotus: Four
• Rights: To have
• Endocrine gland: Adrenal cortex
• Physical association: The skeletal structure, teeth, large intestine, kidneys, blood
• Psychological function: Survival and self-preservation
• Challenge: Fear
• Plane: Physical plane
• Planets: Saturn, Earth
• Sense organ: Nose
• Predominant sense: Smell
• Incense: Cedar
• Herb: Sage
• Tarot suite: Pentacles

How to Balance Your Root Chakra

While meditation connects you to a higher spiritual plane, it also serves to ground you. You may not always be able to trust that the world will give you what you need to survive, but the connection to your higher self and trust in a power higher than yourself will give you what you need to feel safe.

It doesn’t matter if you call that higher power Consciousness, Mother Nature, God, Source or Spirit. Connection to universal energy will bring you a sense of peace and stability. The animals in the forest have no idea if and when they will find food each day, yet somehow they intrinsically trust in nature to provide for them.

Essential Oils for the Root Chakra

Essential oils embody the frequencies and healing properties of plants. Not only do they deliver certain properties to the physical body, but they also work on the mental, emotional and spiritual levels. Choose oils that are rich and earthy. Make sure to get high-quality essential oils for their plant magic (not cheap artificial fragrances). I trust and shop Mountain Rose Herbs.

Diffuse them throughout your home for ongoing aromatherapy. 

The following are the most commonly used root chakra essential oils:

• Sandalwood
• Cedarwood
• Myrrh
• Frankincense
• Juniper
• Vetiver
• Cinnamon
• Patchouli
• Ginger
• Cypress
• Carrot Seed
• Clove

Healing Exercises for the Root Chakra

• Grounding – walk barefoot or sit on the ground, grass, or sand to soak up the earth’s energy while getting a dose of vitamin D from the sun’s energy.
• Hiking in nature connects your entire being to earth’s energy and is a wonderful moving meditation.
• Practicing yoga can open up your lower spine and center you.
• Gardening is another moving meditation that connects you directly to earth, plants, and life in general.
• Playing with your pet is grounding in that they keep you lifted in the present moment so easily.
• Drumming, speaking, or listening to chakra chants or meditative music with a deep base.
• Giving food away or making financial donations keeps the cycle of give-and-take going. It tells your root chakra there is always more.
• Keep red items like a bowl of red apples on your kitchen counter to remind you of your abundance.

Healing Foods

• Red-colored foods
• Green, fresh vegetables from the earth
• Hot spices and peppers
• Root vegetables
• Animal protein
• Stews and hearty soups
• Comfort foods in moderation

Grounding Stones & Crystals

Since ALL stones come from the earth, you really can’t go wrong in choosing one that grounds you. These are the most popular stones to balance the root chakra:

• Red Jasper
• Garnet
• Bloodstone (my favorite)
• Red Carnelian
• Black Obsidian
• Smoky Quartz

But honestly, any stone will do!

Root Chakra Affirmations

All of my needs are met.
I feel deeply rooted.
I am connected to my body.
I feel safe and secure.
I have a right to be here.
I stand for my values, truth, and for justice.
I am grounded, stable, and standing on my own two feet.
There’s plenty to go around for everyone.
I nurture my body with healthy food, clean water, exercise, relaxation, and connection with nature.
I am open to possibilities.
I am grateful for all the challenges that help me grow and transform.
I trust in the goodness of life.
Abundance is the order of the day.
I make choices that are healthy and good for me.
I trust myself.
Money comes easily and frequently.
I love life.

If you’re ready to experience peace of mind, body, and spirit on the regular, managing your chakras is fundamental. Learn how to self-regulate and self-heal. Read about your other chakras here.

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