Arguably the most important chakra. The safety center. The survival zone. Muladhara in Sanskrit, meaning “root support”, our first chakra is our root chakra. Without balance in this energy center, we are without a strong foundation. All of the other chakras are knocked out of alignment, unable to flourish without our basic needs being met. When our root chakra is balanced, we feel a sense of security and belonging in this world. We feel connected to mother Earth, peaceful and supported. By grounding ourselves we have the power to call upon a feeling of serenity at a moments notice. This power can get us through any of life’s trials, and greatly improve our lives!
The root chakra emanates the color red. The color of power, the color of courage, love, and desire. The root chakra is located in between the ovaries in women, and at the base of the spine in men. It is the chakra that connects us to Earth. The more we energetically root ourselves into this planet, the more centered, balanced, and peaceful we become. When we are grounded we feel the full support of the universe taking care of us. A foundation of grounding gives us a way to center ourselves and find support no matter what situation we are experiencing.
CONNECTION TO MOTHER EARTH
What we ground ourselves to is key in keeping a balanced root chakra. It is easy to fall into the trap of grounding ourselves to our work or our relationships. However, these things are temporal and have the ability to change or be taken from us, leaving us without support. Grounding to Earth is the goal, as Earth is ever present. What you believe about the planet will affect your root chakra. If you believe we are here as punishment, how can you trust in the support of the Universe? Trusting in a higher power, supreme being, God, or whatever name resonates with you, will bring a feeling of reassurance and peace. Allow yourself to feel whatever translation you connect with, and find your own way in grounding to Earth. Earth’s gravity gives us constant support to feel whenever we need it.
SURVIVAL
The root chakra is in balance when all of our basic necessities are being met. This includes having food, shelter, money, healthy sexuality, and feeling safe in our environment. Survival can be threatened by natural disasters, war or famine, to name a few. Feeling a loss of control in our physical environment will affect our root chakra.
Our childhood experience can greatly impact our feelings of security. If we grew up moving a lot or were without a stable home environment, our root chakra can be affected. Additionally, parental influence at a young age can cause feelings of insecurity such as parental divorce, abuse, or codependence.
MONEY
Money has become a powerful source in our world today. Whether we are living in lack, excess, or abundance, the name we associate with our money situation affects our root chakra. We need money to survive and live comfortably, but it can become a source of pain and guilt when not aligned. When we make money doing things that fulfill us and give us purpose, we can live a life of abundance and gratitude. It is when we begin to think of money as a terrible thing and dread the workday that it can become adverse to our spiritual growth. Being balanced with money is having enough and feeling gratitude.
FOOD
Food plays part in our basic needs for survival. What we are taught about food can affect our relationship with eating. Some eat food as a sedative, to feel temporary satisfaction. Food no longer becomes a sacred resource when gluttony is present. On the other hand extreme dieting, binging, purging, and fasting create unhealthy relationships with food. To be grounded we need healthy bodies, allowing ourselves enough nutrition and gratitude with every bite.
ILLNESS
When the root chakra is out of balance we feel a lack of support which can translate to physical symptoms such as chronic lower back pain. Feelings of guilt or inability to let go can lead to rectal tumors or cancer. Additionally, varicose veins and sciatica can be indicators of an unbalanced root chakra.
HEALING THE ROOT CHAKRA
Grounding ourselves to Mother Earth can be done in a variety of ways. Walking barefoot on grass or in nature and feeling the full support of the planet’s gravity is a great way to start. Envision yourself connecting to the center of the Earth with chords or vines that connect your chakras all the way to the center. There is such a peace that comes when you feel the full love and support of Earth’s energy center.
Wearing red or eating red foods can help balance the root chakra. Grounding crystals include obsidian, pyrite, hematite, garnet, ruby, smoky quartz, and black tourmaline.
Reiki Healing from a Reiki practitioner will assist in clearing negative blockages to the root chakra that may be difficult to recognize on your own. Sometimes there are things from our pasts that affect our chakras without us even knowing it. Reiki is a great tool to use in healing and aligning to become who we truly are.
