June 18, 2018

Exploring Your Root Chakra

Learn to trust your instincts and discover the power of your first chakra.

You may have heard of the seven chakras. Maybe it was in a yoga class or when you were researching holistic healing, but do you know what chakras are or how to work productively with your chakras? Chakras are energy centers in the subtle body that distribute the flow of prana or energy throughout your body. Starting at the base of the spine and working up to the crown of your head, chakras influence your emotional and physical health.

Understanding the role and purpose of each chakra is a crucial first step in balancing your chakras and establishing the harmonious flow of energy. All of the seven chakras are interconnected; balancing one chakra will create change in the others. When beginning your chakra journey, it is important to balance your root chakra first to create the foundation and stability for personal growth through chakra balancing.

The Root Chakra

Located at the base of your spine, the root chakra or muladhara is the first of your seven chakras. The Sanskrit name translates to “root support” or “base”. As the root of your being, this chakra establishes your foundation as well as your sense of security and stability.

The energy of your first chakra extends from the base of the spine downward like a root through the legs and feet. This forms your deepest connections between your physical body, environment, and Mother Earth. The root chakra embodies your relationship with the physical world. This includes your body, aspects of self, sense of security and survival, and your connection to the environment.

The root chakra is related to your basic needs – your survival center. This chakra manifests your primal and ancestral instincts, like your flight-or-fight response. As the foundation of the chakra system, the root chakra function is to respond to any issues concerning your survival such as eating, sleeping, exercising, housing, financial security, sense of safety, and stability.

Providing the foundation you need to build upon, your first chakra is where you ground yourself and anchor your energy. When balanced, the root chakra allows you to harness courage, and resourcefulness, and to expand upon our ancestral instincts while keeping you grounded.

Key Characteristics of the Root Chakra

• Grounding — Anchors our energy into the world and forms our connections with Mother Earth.
• Security and Stability — Responsible for your sense of security and stability in your world.
• Foundation — As the first chakra, it is responsible for the foundation you need to build upon during personal growth. You cannot grow unless you feel safe and secure.
• Physicality — Highly responsive to your physical health.
• Survival — Initiates your fight-or-flight mode and will to live.
• Instincts — Embodies your primal and ancestral instincts.

Root Chakra Imbalance

The chakra system distributes the flow of prana or energy throughout your subtle body. Stress, illness, emotional upset, and conflict can all cause blockages or imbalance in your chakra system. All of the seven chakras are interconnected; when one chakra experiences a blockage or imbalance, it affects all the others. This disruption of energy can cause your mind, body, and spirit to suffer.

When your root chakra is imbalanced, it cracks the foundation of the whole chakra system. If you are just starting your chakra journey, it is important to balance your root chakra first. Imbalance in this chakra can cause you to find yourself coping with threats to your survival. These threats can be moving, changing jobs, reoccurring health problems, weight problems, sense of fear, or insecurity.

Underactive root chakra — When a chakra is underactive, it means that the chakra is experiencing a blockage or is not distributing the flow of energy. When your root chakra is underactive, it can affect your overall health.

Signs of an underactive root chakra:

• Feel Disconnected
• Disorganized
• Lack of Focus
• Feelings of Fear, Anxiousness, or Restlessness
• Lack of Stamina
• Trouble Obtaining Financial Security

Overactive root chakra — When a chakra is overactive, it means that the chakra is distributing too much energy. It is working in overdrive and bringing imbalance to the chakra. When your root chakra is overactive, it affects your overall health.

Signs of an overactive root chakra:

• Anger and Annoyance Towards People and Events in Your Life.
• Greediness
• Dependent on Others’ Security
• Rigid Boundaries
• Difficulty Accepting Change
• Materialistic
• Impulsiveness

How to Balance the Root Chakra

Chakra balancing is the process of restoring the harmonious and balanced flow of prana or energy throughout the body. Your chakras are in constant fluctuation. Practicing chakra balancing and aligning is a regular and sometimes daily activity to explore. But how do you balance your root chakra?

Anchor yourself in your environment — Your root chakra is highly influenced by your feelings of stability and safety. Developing a harmonious relationship with your environment and immediate surroundings helps restore balance to your first chakra.

Connect With the Earth — When balancing your first chakra, it is important to connect directly with Mother Earth. Spend time outside, walk unpaved paths, plant a garden, or keep plants inside your home. These are all ways to form a personal connection with the earth to support a more grounded and sustainable energy flow.

Physical Activity — The root chakra plays an important role in your physicality. Physical activity supports root chakra balancing. Yoga can be particularly helpful in balancing your root chakra. Below are specific movements to help ground and connect you with the energy of your first chakra:

• Mountain Pose | Tadasana
• Warrior One Pose | Virabhadrasana 1
• Bridge Pose | Setu Bhandasana
• Corpse Pose | Savasana

Meditation — Meditation plays a vital role in balancing and opening your chakras. Chakra meditation techniques are very similar to regular mediation techniques, but with a focus on one specific area of the body. Try this simple but effective root chakra meditation:

1. Sit with your shoulders back and spine straight. Relax your muscles as you close your eyes and breathe deeply. Inhale through your nose and exhale through the mouth.
2. Focus your attention on the location of your root chakra, right below the tailbone.
3. Since the root chakra is tied to the color of red, imagine a red glow at the base of your spine. Slowly expand this red glow, making the whole area warm and relaxed. Rest in this sensation for 3-5 minutes.
4. When you are ready, slowly open your eyes. You may follow with positive affirmations.

Affirmations — Affirmations are a positive way to heal negative programming that can be embedded in your subtle body. When balancing your root chakra, practice saying these phrases to yourself:

• I feel deeply rooted
• I am connected to my body
• I feel safe and secure
• I am grounded, stable, and standing on my own two feet
• I trust myself

Aromatherapy — Aromatherapy can be a powerful tool when balancing the root chakra. Essential oils with earthy and grounding aromas can help restore balance to your root chakra. Our Root Chakra Blend is designed to aid in balancing and opening your first chakra. Apply our Root Chakra Blend to the base of spine, legs, and feet when rebalancing your root chakra.

Crystal Healing — Each chakra is influenced by unique stones. The root chakra is highly influenced by Bloodstone. When balancing your root chakra, meditate with bloodstone or even carry the stone with you to let the energetic properties help restore balance to the chakra. Our Root Chakra Blend has a Bloodstone rollerball to aid in balancing your root chakra.

Root Chakra Essential Oil Blend

Help ground your body and mind with our Root Chakra Blend. This blend combines the therapeutic benefits of essential oils with the energetic properties of the root chakra’s complementary gemstone, Bloodstone.

Root Chakra Essential Oil Blend

• Vetiver — Brings a deep sense of belonging, and grounds the body and mind.
• Myrrh— Revitalizes the body and brings emotional strength.
• Frankincense Serrata — A grounding aroma that brings a sense of security.
• Grapefruit — Energizes and rejuvenates the body and mind.
• Pine —A woodsy aroma that is grounding and promotes well being.

Bloodstone Rollerball

Bloodstone is known as the stone of courage. The energetic properties of bloodstone promote self-esteem and repel negativity. The grounding effects of bloodstone guide you to face life’s challenges with resilience and strength.

How to Use the Root Chakra Blend

Our Root Chakra Blend was expertly crafted to open and restore balance to your root chakra. You may use this blend to help aid in your root chakra realignment. Simply apply the Root Chakra Blend to the base of your spine, legs, or bottom of feet.

Purchase the Chakra Blends Kit