Feeling good about yourself, looking forward to the future, and feeling secure with who you are. Where does it all begin, and how do you achieve it? Knowing about the root chakra helps.
This week, our chakra series gives the basics on the first chakra in the widely-known seven chakra system. If you want to double back and read a few of our previous entries on the individual chakras, feel free - but be advised that a healthy chakra system begins with a balanced root.
Let’s learn all about the root chakra.
An Introduction to the Root Chakra
The root chakra is the root of your spine, sitting near your tailbone in your pelvic region. As such, you can regard it as the first critical step of a balanced, open chakra column. It is red, making it easy to visualize as a small fire alight in the pelvic floor muscles.
The root chakra’s Sanskrit name is Mūlādhāra and it is depicted as a red lotus with four petals. Sometimes, the center of this crimson bloom will be pink. The sound associated with the root chakra is LAM.
The root chakra is a thermometer for our sense of security, whether or not we feel grounded, and more. It is essentially the energy center that covers all of the personal basics of our emotional wellbeing. It is only once we address the root chakra that we can ascend the chakra column to enlightenment (or something like it).
Is my root chakra blocked?
Unlike some others, a shaky root chakra is pretty plain to identify. Here are some signs you should invest in root chakra work:
- You consistently suffer from anxiety or panic attacks.
- You often feel threatened and insecure about your place in the world.
- You frequently feel fuzzy or surreal, having trouble staying grounded.
- You worry and overthink a lot.
- You’re prone to lash out in anger when you are feeling defensive.
How can I strengthen my root chakra?
Finding balance with the root chakra can mean overcoming some pretty big challenges. Essentially, anything you can do to practice acceptance and increase courage and compassion is beneficial. Here are some more chakra-specific practices to try as well:
- More than any other chakra, mantras and affirmations are key to working with the root chakra. You must actively counter negativity and insecurity every moment you can. Affirmations about security, support, and having your needs met (as if they already are) are important.
- Grounding poses and calming forward bends are good for the root chakra-centered yoga practice. Practice garland pose (yogic squat) as well as sitting and standing forward bends.
- In crystal healing, stones like red jasper and carnelian are commonly recommended to increase balance and bravery. Consider adding black obsidian as well as it is a protection stone.
- Meditate every day using your affirmations. Add in a chakra singing bowl for enhanced grounding.
If you suspect that things will never go your way or that danger lurks around every corner, you’re not likely to get far or grow very much. In many cases, clearing the root chakra can mean learning to take a lot of little leaps of faith.
The root chakra encourages us to face a lot of fears, but every single one is worth the time and effort it takes to overcome. Some even believe the root chakra holds our ancestral wounds and anxieties. That means that when we do address such a blockage, the path forward is where we finally come to know and grow the Self.
If you have any insights or tips to share about the root chakra, kindly leave them in the comments.
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