The Chakras: Root (Muladhara)

Muladhara (mula meaning “root” and adhara meaning “base” or “support” in Sanskrit) is also known as the Root Chakra.

This chakra is the seat of the body, located between the base of the spine and the tailbone. It’s strongly linked to the earth element, and holds your ability to dig deep and firmly root yourself in life. The root chakra is identified on the chakra spectrum by the color red. When energy flows through the root chakra, you feel grounded in yourself, your life, and the world around you.

The root chakra is considered to be the force that encourages the energy to live our lives and accomplish our physical achievements. The energy of the root chakra is often linked to your sense of security, familial relationships, financial stability, and your sense of home. Some believe that the root chakra is the foundation on which the entire chakra spectrum is based, as it’s the foundation on which our physical and energetic body, as well as every other chakra in the spectrum, is based on. All health, well being, and empowerment grows within this realm. It’s your most basic sense of security, safety, and survival.

A balanced root chakra is linked to the following:

• being present in the moment
• healthy survival instincts
• stability and security
• a sense of belonging
• responsibility and dependability
• being focused
• being grounded and connected to others
• being able to care for one’s self
• the will to live.

When the root chakra is imbalanced or becomes blocked, this can hold an impact on the body in a physical, emotional, and spiritual sense. This can provoke feelings of being stuck where you are, or sensations of being ungrounded, unreliable, unmotivated, and unfocused. This may often look like our ability to survive consistently being threatened, which can take away our sense of belonging within the universe and our interest in being a part of the world.

Some physical indicators of a root chakra blockage might include:

• weight loss or weight gain
• weakened immunity
• incontinence
• bowel issues.

Some emotional indicators of a root chakra blockage might include:

• dissociation
• instability
• anxiousness
• depression
• lethargy
• living in survival mode.

Some spiritual indicators of root chakra blockage might include:

• existential crisis
• crisis of faith
• loss of will
• doubt about your place in the universe
• inability to feel secure in the Earth’s ability to support and nourish you.

There are different options to activate and balance the root chakra, including movement, sound, touch, meditation, and breathwork. Simple practices that encourage the ability to ground oneself in nature, like gardening or hiking, are excellent options to begin to unblock and balance the root chakra. The sensation of your bare hands and feet in the earth links you to the natural vibration of the earth and encourages the ability to ground yourself. Mantras that include the seed sound “lam” can activate the root chakra, as well.

Some affirmations to use throughout meditation when working with the root chakra could include:

• I am at home in my body.
• I belong here, in this moment.
• I am safe.
• I am at peace with the here and now.

The connection with the physical body through yoga is another excellent option to work with the root chakra. Some yoga shapes that may help you work with your root chakra include:

• Sukasana (Comfortable Seat)
• Tadasana (Mountain)
• Baddha Konasana (Seated Butterfly)
• Various hip openers such as the Pigeon family and Bhekasana (Frog)
• Malasana (Garland).

Working with your Mula Bandha (Root Lock) could also help you work through realignment and blockages of the root chakra.

Crystals may also be effective in the effort to balance the root chakra. Some of the crystals that resonate most with the root chakra include:

• garnet
• hematite
• black obsidian
• black tourmaline
• red jasper
• bloodstone
• moss agate
• black onyx
• carnelian.

It could be beneficial to balance the root chakra in order to effectively ground the entire chakra system. Your aligned root chakra encourages the free flow of energy throughout the body as a whole. As you ground yourself from a physical, emotional, and spiritual perspective, you may experience an increased attachment to yourself and recognize your position in the world around you. Your effort to balance your root chakra is the most effective method to develop a strong sense of self and a stronger sense of purpose.

While the chakra system has been recognized within spiritual traditions throughout history, it is worth the note that there is no scientific evidence to support any of this information at this time.