Have you recently gone through any financial troubles? Do you feel distrustful and stressed? Are you finding it hard to keep stable relationships?
If you find yourself struggling in the vicissitudes of misfortune, it indicates that your chakra may be imbalanced.
You can bring your chakra back in balance by making minor adjustments to your schedule and routine. Here, we’ll learn about the root chakra.
We will talk about how the root chakra affects our physical and mental health and the ways to awaken it.
What is a Chakra?
It is a Hindu and Buddhist traditional belief that our spiritual and physical selves meet at a point termed the ‘chakra.’
We all have seven chakras, all of which spin at their specific frequencies as wheels of life force energy at different levels in our bodies.
These seven main chakras are the energy centers of the whole body. When they are in a balanced state, they maintain our physical and mental health and well-being.
The Root Chakra
The root chakra, or the ‘Muladhara,’ comes from two Sanskrit words: Mula, meaning Root, and ‘adhara,’ meaning base. It is our instinctual chakra.
People have all their ancestral memories, like war, natural disasters, famine, etc., recorded in their root chakras.
The Muladhara chakra is situated at the base of the spine near the pelvis and the three vertebrae. That is the tailbone or coccyx.
Root Chakra provides a solid foundation for the entire chakra system. So it is important to keep a healthy root chakra for all the higher chakras to conform to it.
A balanced chakra creates stability and harmony among all the other chakras and our physical bodies.
Characteristics
All seven chakras have distinct characteristics. these include a distinct element, color, stone, and function.
Element: Earth
The Muladhara chakra is associated with the Earth element and radiates red.
So it depicts our strong connection with the Earth and keeps us rooted in our spirits.
Color: Red
Since it is the first chakra of the seven energy centers, it is represented by red. The red color symbolizes strength, survival, vitality, and self-preservation, i.e., our primal needs.
Location: Base of the Spine
The root chakra is located at the base of our spine. That is the pelvic floor, where it meets the first three vertebrae of the column.
First Chakra Stones
Some of the stones or crystals that support a healthy and balanced root chakra are
- Tiger’s eye
- Bloodstone
- Smokey quartz
- Black onyx
- Moss agate
- Red Jasper
- Garnet
- Carnelian
- Hematite, and
- Black Tourmaline
Decorate your home with objects made out of these crystals or stones. You may also wear necklaces, bracelets, etc., made from these stones.
Another thing you can do is meditate on an object made out of these crystals.
Each of these crystals emits energies that resonate with the root chakra and helps restore the balance.
The Function of the Root Chakra Energy
The root chakra supports the entire physical body structure. It also solidifies our connection with the Earth and the physical world.
An open root chakra is responsible for our physical and mental well-being, safety, and the health and balance of all the other six chakras.
A healthy first chakra energy center makes you more trusting, able to take in life’s challenges, and feel secure and confident in your strengths.
Signs of the Balanced Root Chakra
When the Root chakra is balanced, all the chakras abide by their spin frequencies. Hence you feel stable, secure, and safe.
Another thing to note here is that all the other chakras, like the crown chakra, sacral chakra, heart chakra, throat chakra, etc., rest atop the root chakra. Hence, the root chakra needs to be in a balanced state to provide grounding energy to them.
You will notice you feel confident and experience powerful energy, positive thoughts, happiness, and strength whenever your Muladhara Chakra is balanced. These will enable you to succeed and experience personal growth.
What Happens When Muladhara Chakra is Blocked?
You will physically and emotionally face trouble whenever the Root Chakra is blocked or out of a balanced state.
Physical Symptoms of a Blocked Root Chakra
Physically this chakra affects our basic needs and survival instincts. Since it lays the foundation for all chakras, it represents our bones, skin, flesh, and the whole body.
So when there’s any blocked energy, it affects you in the following ways:
- Pain in the legs and feet
- Weight gain or loss
- Binge eating
- Hoarding items
- Digestive troubles
- Unexplained pain and aches
- Issues with the bladder, colon, lower back, etc.
- Reproductive health troubles
- Sleeplessness
- Low self esteem
Mental Signs of Root Chakra Imbalance
The root chakra rests on the factors of stability in your life. These may be water, food, safety, or other emotional needs like living without fear and worries.
So whatever brings stability to you sets the grounds for this chakra’s balance. Whenever the chakra is out of the spin, you experience the following:
- Anxiety disorders
- Fear
- Nightmares
- Feelings of alienation
- Feeling tired and depressed
- Inability to act on intention
- Panic attacks
- An eating disorder
If left unchecked, these symptoms could manifest as greed, overly hoarding items, or eating disorders like bulimia.
Root Chakra Healing
Since the root chakra is the center of survival for all chakras, it is essential to bring it back to balance.
Once you identify the imbalance, you should start working on root chakra balancing. The sooner you act, the chakra heals, and peace prevails.
So here are some techniques for root chakra healing.
Yoga
Yoga asana is vital for your emotional and mental strength.
Root Chakra yoga connects the physical body with the mind and spirit. It provides a deep connection between the body’s internal circulation and the chakra energy center.
With these circulations, powerful energy is released, which helps restore balance to our blocked chakras and brings them to harmony.
Here are a few yoga poses you can make part of your health routine and do them daily. Getting a yoga teacher to help you may be best, but you can also do these yourself.
Yoga awakens your chakra by stimulating your energy centers and taking you on a higher spiritual plane. It allows positive energy to flow freely through your body.
Standing Forward Fold
Put your feet together and stand tall on the ground. Then, slowly bend your knees and push forward in a forward fold pose.
Then put your hands on the ground or behind your legs and breathe in and out slowly.
Garland Pose
Place your feet wide apart and sit in a squat position. Exhale as you go downwards.
Use your elbows and push your knees backward. Then, slowly lift your torso forward and lengthen your back.
In this pose, all your weight should fall on your heels. Stay in the same pose for five breaths or longer.
Tree Pose
Stand tall on your feet (like a tree), then bend one leg and place your foot on the inner thigh of the other leg.
Like in a prayer position, bring your arms forward, holding them in front of your chest. Hold the pose for several breaths and repeat the same using the other foot.
Corpse Pose
In this pose, you will support the entire body with the ground. It is helpful to release all stress and tension from the body through the yoga flow
It’s a simple inhale and exhale pose. Here’s how you can do it the correct way.
Sun Salutations
Sun salutations are also great ways to find inner strength and connect with the world. other yoga poses you can work on include:
- Child’s Pose
- Half Bridge Pose
- Easy monkey pose
- Garland pose
- Forward bend
- Fierce warrior pose
- Mountain pose
Repeat Positive Affirmations
Repeating positive affirmations every day helps break out old habits and negative feelings. In addition, they strengthen the root chakra.
Make it a daily habit to repeat these affirmations every day. You can do these in front of a mirror or wherever you feel comfortable.
You can make your own list, but here are a few that can help:
- I am safe.
- I love my body.
- I have found inner peace.
- I am fearless.
- I am open to possibilities.
Nature Therapy
Try to spend time close to nature when you can. Establishing a connection with our natural surroundings impacts root chakra healing and our bodies and mind.
Take a walk, hang out in the woods, or camp out. With our fast-paced lives, it’s easy to lose connection with nature. We spend countless hours every month in front of the screens and at home or the office, losing touch with our primal selves.
Hence we feel anxious, mentally drained, stressed, and lack confidence in ourselves.
Reestablish that connection. At times just sitting by the shade of a tree watching the kids play or the birds fly by gives much-needed peace and relaxation to our minds and souls.
Walk bare feet on the grass and connect with mother earth. These simple techniques promote a healthy flow of spiritual energies from the feet and legs right up to the spine.
Meditate
Meditation is a powerful practice that restores the balance of chakras and allows the free flow of energies through our minds and souls.
Meditation is a form of inner spiritual awakening. It connects you with the supreme or higher power. The higher power is usually associated with God, mother nature, or awakened consciousness.
Now there are two forms of Muladhara chakra meditation that are particularly helpful for awakening your root chakra.
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Body Scan Meditation technique
Lie on your back in a comfortable place. Take a few deep breaths and relax.
Make note of any physical sensations you feel like pain and breathe through them.
Visualize the pain and grief leaving your body from each part of your body. Start from the feet and go all the way up to the head.
Then, breathe in slowly and let go of all the pain.
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Focused Meditation
Sit in a comfortable position and pick a target or focus. Then, relax by taking a few deep breaths and focusing all energies and thoughts toward the object of your focus. As you breathe, pay attention to all the sensations you feel, both emotional and physical.
As your chakra opens up, you may feel a warm tingly feeling at the base of your spine. This signifies the opening of the Root chakra.
Use Sound and Music
Traditionally people used singing bowls, gongs, and mantras to reawaken their chakras. Each chakra is associated with a different frequency and sound. The seed mantra for the root chakra is the lam.
Rituals to Restore Balance of the Root Chakra
Everyday rituals like wearing red and decorating your surroundings with the color or red stones associated with the chakra can profoundly impact their balance.
You may even carry a red scarf, wear red lipstick, or a red hair clip to experience the energy shift.
Moreover, crystals and stones have a much more significant impact on the energies of the root chakra than on any other chakra.
Since the root chakra is all about connecting with the Earth (and rocks come from the Earth), the stones are powerful elements to support and balance the root chakra.
Conclusion
When energy flows freely through our bodies, it brings a positive shift in our lives. Since the balance of all chakras rests on the root chakra, it is important to keep it balanced.
Incorporating yoga, positive affirmations, essential oils, and positive attitudes toward life can help restore balance and keep us connected with our earthly instincts.
The 7 Chakras
Discover everything you want to know about the 7 Chakras.
