The root chakra is the first chakra. Its energy is based on the earth element. It’s associated with the feeling of safety and grounding. It’s at the base of the chakra system and lays the foundation for expansion in your life. The root chakra enhances spirituality, integrates the emotional, physical, mental & etheric bodies, grounds the physical body energy to the earth and fortifies the will to live in a calm and balanced nature.

The root chakra is comprised of whatever grounds you to stability in your life. This includes your basic needs such as food, water, shelter, and safety, as well as your more emotional needs such as letting go of fear. When these needs are met, you feel grounded and safe, and you tend to worry less day to day.

The root chakra provides the foundation on which we build our life. It supports us in growing and feeling safe into exploring all the aspects of life. It is related to our feeling of safety and security, whether it’s physical or regarding our bodily needs or metaphorical regarding housing and financial safety. To sum it up, the first chakra questions are around the idea of survival and safety. The root chakra is where we ground ourselves into the earth and anchor our energy into the manifest world.

For a person who has imbalance in the first chakra, it might be hard to feel safe in the world and everything looks like a potential risk. The desire for security dominates and can translate into concerns over the job situation, physical safety, shelter, health. A blocked root chakra may turn into behaviors ruled mainly by fear.

The first chakra is associated with the following functions or behavioral characteristics:

• Security, safety
• Survival
• Basic needs (food, sleep, shelter, self-preservation, etc.)
• Physicality, physical identity and aspects of self
• Grounding
• Support and foundation for living our lives

LOCATION: Base of the spine

REPRESENTS: Grounds us into the physical world, Survival/self-preservation

ASSOCIATED ANATOMY: Spine, Legs, Feet, Colon, Adrenal Glands (Fight or Flight Reaction)

BODILY FUNCTIONS: Cell production, Digestive system

PHYSICAL ELEMENT: Earth

COLOR: Red

AFFIRMATION: I AM

Understanding the subtle changes in our physical body and emotions can lead use to understand more about who we are. By paying close attention we can find out throughout self discovery what we need to feel more balanced and harmonious.

Balanced: If the chakra is balanced, you’ll feel grounded, at-ease, healthy, happy, affectionate and whole. You will have abundant health and energy, comfortable in your own body, a sense of security and safety, overall happiness in your career and generally satisfied with life.

Excessive: When this chakra is overactive you might feel nervousness, have dominate behaviors, aggression, angry, paranoid, hoarding, addiction to adrenaline causing activities, and/or crave unhealthy foods. There is a sense of greediness, attachment to materialistic things, indiscriminate, egotistical and nervous behaviors.

Deficient: When this chakra is under active there is a sense of neglecting the self, poor boundaries, depression, lethargy, chronic disorganization, fear of change, and feeling as though you do not belong. Often there are feelings of anxiety, feeling unloved, weak, uninterested, and/or abandoned.

ESSENTIAL OILS & GEMSTONES FOR THE ROOT CHAKRA

Essential oils and gemstones can be a wonderful addition to balancing you chakras.

Apply the essential oils to the bottoms of the feet and/or roll along the base of the spine.

Aromatically: apply the oils to your palms and cup your nose and take deep, long breaths.

Cedarwood strengthens ones connection with the divine & brings all bodies into balance.

Balance Blend is a blend of trees and roots that strengthen the connection with the lower body and the earth. It grounds the emotional, physical, mental bodies and provides a stable, connected and strong inner spirit.

Anchor Blend offers a a steady, calm, present and courageous outlook by reminding you that uncertainty is a symptom of fear. This blends encourages you to be present and aware while encouraging you to step onto the path with faith and courage.

Cypress aids in transition, transformation and renewal while helping to release the need to control and to feel more trusting of life.

Vetiver is nourishing, restoring and connecting as it helps to feel centered, grounded, present and fully aware.

Black Tourmaline activates grounding between the first chakra and the center of the earth. Carry this one in your pocket, purse or on your body. Hematite has very strong grounding energy; you can feel that just by holding the stone in your hand. It also has a cooling and calming effect, as well as helps develop concentration and focus.

YOGA FOR THE ROOT CHAKRA

Cultivate a sense of earthiness and stability through postures that stay focused on the lower body and a little slower and more deliberate pace.

Warrior Two: The root chakra is related to our primal instincts. Our ‘fight or flight’ response. Warrior II helps to ground the energy so that we feel strong, stable and ready to face our fears and doubts.

Standing Forward Fold: This standing forward bend can bring a sense of peace and calm to the busy mind. Physically, the sensation of having tight hamstrings can suggest to the brain that the body is prepared to run away.

Garland Pose: As we rest in this pose, we bring ourselves closer to the earth and breathe slowly to quieten the chattering mind. Physically, the pose strengthens the lower back, ankles and calves while opening the hips.

Easy Pose: Sitting on your mat or a cushion if you need to elevate and tilt your pelvis forward a little to keep the spine long, bend your knees and cross your feet at the ankles or shins.

Head to Knee Forward Bend: This seated pose brings with it a sense of grounding while also developing flexibility in the back, hamstrings, and hips. Sitting tall with a long spine and legs outstretched in front of you, bend your right knee and place the sole of the right foot against the inner left thigh.

Are you curious to learn more? I offer a wonderful chakra series and so much more. Reach out to me!