In this post we look at the best methods for achieving balance and promoting root chakra healing. You’ll learn why it is of vital importance that we achieve balance. The Mūlādhārā root chakra is the first of seven chakras or energy centers in the body’s chakra system.
There are many methods for root chakra balancing. From breathing exercises, affirmations and yoga to sun salutations essential oils and guided meditations .
In this post we have used methods that work for all of our chakras, and then modified them to connect you to the energy of the root chakra or Muladhara chakra.
For root chakra development this means our grounding and connecting strongly to the earth. And a focus on ensuring we have our most basic or primal needs met. These consist of survival, support and stability.
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The Root Chakra At A Glance.
Zodiac signs: Capricorn, Aquarius
When In Balance: Grounded, Stable, Calm, Centered, Safe and Secure
Sound Tones: Notes “C”
Sound Frequency: 396 Hz
Bija Mantra: Lam
Chakra symbol:
- the four petals: four mind-states originate within root chakra — mind, intellect, consciousness, and ego.
- the square: represents stability, foundational energy and a rigid structure that supports the entire chakra system.
- the upside-down triangle: A symbol from alchemy representing the earth element and grounded energy of Muladhara.
Root chakra mudra: Muladhara
Coloration: Red – relates to self-awareness, connection of the body and the earth.
Meridians: Circulation, Sex hormones
Location: Base of The Spine
Physical Body and Health Functions of The Chakra include: Bones, Tailbone, Legs, Feet, Large Intestine, Immune System
Associated Glands: Reproductive glands (Testes of Men, Ovaries of Women)
Emotional Energy Component: Trust
Element: Earth
Linked Basic Rights: To have; To be here
Purpose of The Chakra System
Muladhara chakra is located at the base of the spine and encompasses the pelvic floor and the first three spinal vertebrae.
The term Muladhara is formed from 2 Sanskrit words:
- Mula meaning root
- Adhara meaning the base or the support.
It is named due to the functions of Muladhara’s energy. Muladhara chakra, also referred to as the base chakra, controls our sense of security, stability and safety. It is the chakra associated with physical matter. It is said that the root chakra carries our ancestral memories, and these memories are passed through the generations, imprinted in our spiritual energies and the subtle body.
To understand the importance of this chakra and the reasons why you need to dedicate time to balance and and activate its energy, lets use a simple comparison. Think about building and planning. If you were to begin to build your dream home, your perfect house, the ideal home for your family where would you start?
You want to build a home that is safe and sturdy and strong. You want it to stand for generations to come.
To achieve this the first, and most crucial design element, is ensuring you have a home built on firm foundations. The foundations support the entire building and everything that sits on top. Without strong foundations the building would topple or fall.
This same concept can be applied to the energies of Muladhara.
The energies of the root chakra help us maintain strength, and to build the foundations needed for a strong and emotionally healthy life. Just like your house foundations, you need to ensure you have strong balanced Root Chakra before you build or develop any of the others.
Without a healthy root, you will not achieve optimal alignment in the sacral or solar plexus chakra (known as the lower triangle), or within the heart, and the upper triangle (composed of the throat chakra, third eye chakra and crown).
You need to ensure solid energy foundations if you want to stay safe, remain solid and function at optimal health.
Functions and Meaning Of The Root Chakra
Muladhara represents your most basic and fundamental needs. It provides you the energy that provides stability and that grounds you to the earth and human existence. This includes feelings of safety, the need for shelter, for security and all of your basic existential needs i.e. air, food and water.
It also comprises your emotional needs at a base level. This is raw energy such as fight or flight. When your basic needs are met you feel emotionally and physically safe. As you move through childhood and into adulthood your experiences have impact on your root chakra energy and how it functions.
If you were left alone as a young child, or often felt frightened and alone, these feelings may form your concept of personal safety and security in adulthood. You may in fact, be perfectly safe and be in a secure and stable environment but you cannot feel it, comprehend it or accept it.
Most of our current feelings of personal safety and security are programmed into us by the things we experienced at an early age. Balancing the root chakra creates a solid platform that enables the energy required for activating and aligning all of the other six chakras. This is why it is important that you open, align and balance the root chakra first.
Signs Of Root Chakra Imbalance
Some common signs of Muladhara imbalance are:
- Chronic fatigue, low energy, or weakness
- Anxiety, fear, or insecurity
- Lack of trust or belonging
- Financial difficulties or a poverty mindset
- Lower back pain, sciatica, or leg problems
- Constipation, hemorrhoids, or digestive issues
- Sexual dysfunction or reproductive disorders
- Isolation from family, friends and community
- Inability to comprehend reality of situations
Physical Issues Of The First Chakra
When the root chakra is out of balance, it can cause physical issues such as:
- lower back pain
- sciatica
- constipation
- fatigue
- insomnia
- oversleeping
- digestive disorders
- panic attacks
As well as problems with the legs, feet, bones, or adrenal glands
Emotional Issues If The Chakra Is Blocked
The root chakra may, when out of balance, be most harmful to our emotional state. It can make us feel insecure, anxious, fearful, or even lead to trouble controlling our anger. This may also manifest as difficulty trusting yourself or others. Other common signs linked to the emotional state are:
- Hoarding (objects)
- Greed (money or material wealth)
- Lack of ambition
- Insecurity
- Isolation
- Anxiety
- Depression
- Self pity
This can cause issues for our basic needs, like making enough money, eating heathy food, or even having decent shelter. You might feel that you are disconnected from your body, not feel stable and not feel safe.
Spiritual Issues With A Blocked Root Chakra
In terms of the spiritual when Muladhara is out of balance you may be unable to differentiate between your connection to the physical world, the spiritual world and even lose your sense of reality
This has impact for your sense of belonging and can isolate you from family, friends and community.
Steps To Take When The Root Chakra Is Blocked Or Unbalanced
Regardless of Muladhara’s programming you can resolve blockages and imbalance. You can activate your root chakras energy and bring it back to a pure and balanced energy.
When reconnected with balanced energy you are able to reconnect with your true self, feel secure and confident of your place in the world as well as being able to cleanse and balance the rest of your chakra centers
Once in alignment and balanced your levels of anxiety lessen, your feelings of security and safety strengthen and you are able to trust more readily.
1. Movement to balance your root chakra
One of the ways to heal a blocked root chakra is to engage in movements that connect you to your physical body and the earth. When balanced, we feel safe, confident, supported and rooted in our life.
Some of the movement practices that can help are physical exercises and chakra yoga poses that strengthen the legs, feet, hips and lower back.
Walking, jogging or Running:
These activities help with grounding and assist your connection to the earth . They also stimulate blood circulation and oxygen flow in the lower body.
Root chakra Exercises: Squats, lunges or leg lifts
These exercises build muscle mass as well as the endurance of the muscles in the legs and hips. They activate the pelvic floor muscles, which supports the root chakra as well as energy connections to the sacral chakra.
2. Yoga Poses To Balance The Root Chakra
Mountain pose, warrior pose or tree pose help to improve posture, balance and alignment. They also foster a sense of stability and confidence.
Bridge pose, Cobra pose, Garland pose or Locust pose stretch and strengthen the lower back and spine. They also open the chest area, so support the heart chakra, which helps to release any fear and anxiety that may be blocking the red root chakra.
You may wish to consult with a yoga teacher before beginning any of the more complex root chakra poses.
3. Chakra Colors – Healing With The Color Red
One method for aligning and balancing the chakras is by using their color. The root chakra is associated with the color red, therefore if you need to realign this chakra an easy method is by incorporating the root chakra color into your life.
Wearing red clothing or accessories helps us resonate with the energies of the root chakra energy center, enhancing our feelings of security, grounding and stability. In the same way, visualizing the color in chakra meditation and yoga can support you and ensure the chakra is balanced. Simply envisioning a vibrant red light at the base of your spin will stimulate and harmonize this energy center.
Another way to support a healthy root chakra is by incorporating red foods into our diet. Foods such as red apples, red peppers, and tomatoes all help align the root. Consuming food that corresponds to the root chakra provides our physical body with nourishment and ensures our root chakra is balanced.
4. Healing Sounds For Imbalance In The Root Chakra
Another method to heal and balance the root chakra is through sound therapy . Sound therapy uses specific frequencies and vibrations to stimulate and harmonize the energy flow in the body.
For the root chakra, you can use the sound frequency of 396 Hz, which corresponds to the musical note G. This frequency helps to release fear and guilt, as well as enhancing your self-esteem and build your courage.
There are different ways you can use sound healing for the root chakra. The most simple is to listen to music that contains the 396 Hz frequency. You can also use a tuning fork or a singing bowl that produces the same frequency, or that produces the note of G.
Another way is to chant, or sing, the seed mantra for the root chakra, which is LAM. This mantra activates and energizes the root, and creates resonance between your voice and your body. Chant or sing LAM aloud or silently, what is important is that you focus on the vibration and intention of the sound.
5. Guided Meditation For Root Chakra Healing
Below is a guided script.
To start make sure you are settled in a comfortable position. Ideally cross legged on the floor, maintaining an upright spine. If this isn’t possible you can sit on a chair, but ensure your spine remains straight and that you will not slouch.
You may also meditate lying flat on your back. This is a very comfortable position, and importantly ensures your spine remains straight, however when laying down it is easy to over-relax and fall asleep!
Make sure you find somewhere you will not be interrupted and are free from distraction (as much as is possible).
Perform any ritual or routine which supports feelings of peace and calm. This may be the lighting of incense, a vase of fresh flowers, or diffusing essential oils.
Once you are settled and in position you can proceed. This is written as a script so you may wish to record it or have someone else record it, and play it back. I have also attached a video version below the script.
If you are an experienced practitioner and already have your own, you may wish to go directly to the video.
Script For Root Chakra Meditation
This script can be downloaded as a PDF at the bottom of this section
First, begin by taking long and deep breaths. As you breathe in see your body fill with the purest of white, silvery light.
As you exhale feel all the tensions and stress of the day leave your body and melt away.
See a funnel of pure white light descend from the heavens and enter your body through the top of your head. As you inhale your body fills with this silvery, white, pure light. As you exhale your body feels relaxed, heavy, and free from anxiety.
Continue to see this column of pure energy fill your body as you inhale and feel your stress and tension leave your body as you exhale.
When your body is filled with the purest of silvery, white light you can see the light begin to encase you, wrapping around you, filling your aura, and protecting you in a cocoon of pure, white, silvery light.
Once you are enveloped in this pure white light you notice a small and soft glow at the base of your spine.
Gently move your focus to this area. You see Muladhara is beginning to open. See her as a lotus bud, a flower, her petals slowly folding back and opening to greet the sun.
As Muladhara opens you see a rich, ruby, red hue which is becoming stronger and glowing brightly.
Muladhara is now fully open and you can see the rich red color emanating from her. This makes you feel safe, serene, and secure.
Take some time to enjoy these sensations. Bask in Muladhara’s vibrant red. Feel secure. Feel safe. Feel serene. You feel totally grounded. You feel strong as if you were a huge and unshakable bolder cradled deep inside the earth.
Rest in this sense of solid security as the healing takes place.
Now imagine you are in a beautiful field, you can feel the wind on your face, you can hear the birds singing, and can feel the rays of the sun on your skin.
It is a beautiful day and standing in the field you feel the warmth, strength, and protection of Mother Earth radiating up through the soles of your feet.
You look out across the field and see a huge snow-capped mountain. You are drawn to the mountain as if it is calling to you. Start walking towards it, all the while feeling the warmth of the sun and the strength of the earth as your feet connect grass and soil with each step forward.
As you approach the mountain you notice there are groves of trees with bright red blooms. They are growing along the path that leads to the base of the mountain.
As you walk through the trees you can smell the fragrance of the blooms and you are amazed at the vibrancy of their red color.
As you arrive at the base of the mountain you see an entrance, a small opening, as though the path was leading you to a doorway. You notice that the entrance is open and wide, and when you see a red hint of light you know you must explore further.
You step forward and enter the opening of the mountain. The red light within seems to beckon you. You know instinctually that nothing can harm you and you know that only positive and welcoming energy awaits.
Walk into the mountain, follow the cavern’s path, and follow the glow of the red light.
After some time walking you suddenly enter a vast chamber in the mountain. The chamber is cool and tranquil. Its walls are high and glassy and you notice the space is almost perfectly circular and rises to a sharp peak where a hint of sunlight enters through a small gap.
Your eyes follow that single ray of light pouring in from the ceiling. It shines down with brilliant red radiance lighting a large flat rock in the center of the chamber.
Walk over to the rock. Notice it is smooth and flat and has just enough room for you to sit or lie on. You climb the rock and sit on top of it. Sitting cross-legged comes effortlessly to you.
As you sit you can feel the red radiance of the sunlight pouring onto the top of your head. It feels as if this red light is entering the top of your head and penetrating deep into your body.
As it does it brings warmth and comfort and peace. You also feel the warmth of Mother Earth, her strength and serenity flowing into you from the rock on which you sit.
As you sit you realize you have the universe connecting to your head and the earth connecting to your base. You feel as if you are part of the rock, part of the mountain, part of the earth, and part of the universe.
You feel deeply anchored and rooted to the earth. You feel strongly connected to space, time, and the divine. You feel safe. You feel supported and you feel the energy of the mountain is nourishing your entire being.
As you sit connected to the earth bring your focus gently back to Muladhara. You notice the energy is now spinning clockwise, growing faster and brighter. The pure red light and energy continue to grow stronger and spin faster.
As the red light of the chakra grows you see, and feel, her red energy filling your entire being. See it filling you, surrounding you, and note the sense of happiness, contentedness, and security that envelopes you.
Take some deep breaths. As you breathe in see the energy center sending bright red, pure energy, up your spine
As you exhale see the sunlight from the ceiling pouring down your spine and into Muladhara, nourishing and replenishing her.
Now take time to rest in this awareness, the awareness that all is good, and right, and safe, and as it should be.
All is secure and balance is being restored. Know that you are strong and connected to both the earth and the universe. Know that your chakra is open and alignment taking place.
Once you feel the time is right you rise from your rocky platform and walk out of the cavern.
As you leave the mountain pause for a moment and take a look back. You can see that the red-rich ruby energy of Muladhara is still flowing and forming a path, a stream, a wave of energy back into the cavern, into the earth, and into the universe.
As you walk away you see the trail of light and energy fade from view, but you are aware the link remains unbroken. You know you are one with the earth and the mountain and the universe and it is a connection that can never be severed.
Now take 3 long deep slow breaths, in and out, and when you are ready open your eyes and bring yourself back to full consciousness.
6. Essential Oils For Opening the Root Chakra
Essential oils can benefit the root chakra by connecting us with the energies of stability, security, and by helping us feel grounded. The essential oils that best suit the root and help align its energy are patchouli, vetiver, cedarwood, and black pepper.
- Patchouli oil is particularly effective in promoting relaxation and grounding.
- Vetiver oil for the root chakra is believed to reduce the excess energy associated with an overactive chakra, bringing calm and a sense of stability.
- Cedarwood oil for the root chakra allows us to establish a firm connection to the earth’s energy.
- Black Pepper calms stress and instills a sense of empowerment and security.
These essential oils can be used in a variety of ways, including diffusing, inhaling, or applying them topically. Creating a blend with these oils and massaging it onto the soles of the feet or lower back can help restore the root chakra, bringing stability and connection.
7. Root Chakra Affirmations
Affirmations are positive statements that help us develop a healthy mindset and remove negative self views. Affirmations for the root chakra do this as well as boosting energetic harmony for all aspects this chakra governs.
- I have everything I need
- I am worthy of respect.
- The universe always provides.
- I am independent.
- At this moment I am stable and grounded.
- I deserve to be safe and secure at all times
- Mother Earth supports me at all times
- I have a right to be here
- I am always connected to and feel at home in my body
- I nurture my body and provide everything it needs to flourish
- I release all fears and doubts
- I am supported by those around me
- I am happy
- I am worthy of love and care
8. Muladhara Crystals To Unblock A Chakra
The top 10 crystals for healing an imbalanced root chakra are:
- Hematite
- Smoky Quartz
- Onyx
- Black Obsidian
- Bloodstone
- Red Jasper
- Black Tourmaline
- Carnelian
- Red Tigers Eye
- Garnet
These stones help with grounding, stability, courage, energy flow, cleansing, protection, decision-making, and self-esteem. All of the aspects that the root chakra is responsible for providing, You can use these crystals in many ways. Carry them in your pocket, wear them as jewelry, hold them when you meditate or place them on, or near, the chakra while lying down.
The Root Chakras Energy Conclusion
Ram Jain, of Arhantayoga and chakra healer says “the root chakra brings positivity in all aspects of our lives”. A balanced root chakra creates the optimal condition of energy from the base to the crown chakra.
With regular use, these techniques will help bring balance back to the root chakra, align the energy of all seven chakras and ensure the any excess root chakra energy is rectified.
Should you wish to ask questions or make comments about please do so in the thread below and I will reply ASAP.
Love and Light