Being part of the seven energy cores or chakras located along our spine,
… the Root chakra is the first and also the foundation of the seven.
Since the Root chakra is our base, our foundation, I feel like offering
… a bit more information about it and how are they all seven connected.
It is believed that this wonderful human body is comprised out of…
… four bodies – physical, emotional, mental and spiritual.
Here are how the seven chakras correspond to each of these bodies:
- Physical body: Root chakra, Sacral chakra and the Solar Plexus chakra
- Emotional body: Heart chakra
- Mental body: Throat chakra and Third Eye chakra
- Spiritual body: Crown chakra
Having all that information now, you can understand why…
… it is mandatory to always start the chakra healing from the Root up.
Doing so you’ll have a strong foundation to build on.
You first heal your physical body, then you open your heart by healing the Heart chakra.
After that you open your mind by healing the Throat and Third Eye chakras.
And only then you can transcend by opening the Crown chakra.
Ok, now that we have a better understanding of how we can proceed with the healing of our chakras, let’s dive deep into Root chakra opening.
What is the Root Chakra?
The root chakra is the first among the seven chakras within the energy system in our body.
It is one of the three chakras of matter which start at the base of the spine.
As its name states, Muladhara is your foundation. Muladhara in Sanskrit translates in:
- Mula – root, essence, origin;
- Adhara – foundation, basis.
It is associated with the element of earth and the color red.
Due to its earthing association the root chakra color might also…
… be represented as gray, black, or brown.
Muladhara is the chakra of stability, safety, and…
… our fundamental needs (both physical and emotional).
The first chakra is linked with the physical body that…
… consists of kidneys, colon, adrenal glands, bones, muscular tissue,
… and arterial blood that streams through the left chamber of the heart,
… moving oxygen and nutrients to our body cells.
The root chakra is the bridge between our energetic system and…
… the physical world and is the foundation for our vital force energy.
It drives the motivation to sleep, eat, and procreate.
Concerning our emotional and spiritual nature,
… Muladhara aids us to establish our individual integrity,
… self-confidence and the feeling of belonging.
Having a healthy root chakra means you’re imbued with limitless vitality…
… because you are always working from a solid and reliable foundation.
How do I know if my Root chakra is open?
The root chakra is consisted of whatever anchors you to stability in your life.
This involves your essential needs such as water, food,
… safety, shelter, along with your emotional needs of relationship,
… and being without fear.
When all these requirements are satisfied,
… you’ll feel grounded and safe.
You’ll feel like you belong.
Signs of a blocked Root chakra
Having an imbalanced first chakra it might be difficult for you to…
… feel connected with the world around you.
You might also feel disconnected from your own body.
Among the most common symptoms of having a blocked root chakra,
… we can observe the following:
- Chaotic meals. Oscillating between binge eating or starving
- Poor self-confidence
- Low energy/vitality levels
- Owning lots of stuff. Collecting a lot of things which can clutter and limit the living space
- Panic attacks
- Constant nightmares
- Posttraumatic stress
- Anxiety disorders
- Leg pain, swollen feet
- Digestion issues such as constipation or diarrhea
- A general lack of well-being throughout the body
- Fear of losing control
- Not trusting other people and avoiding requesting help (even though, you know you need it)
Root chakra has the highest probability of being blocked because…
… almost everyone has dealt with some sort of trauma at some point in their lives.
Causes for Root chakra blockage
There are numerous things that can cause the root chakra to be blocked.
These might be stressful experiences, trauma during childhood,
… sorrow and loss, physical conditions, sedentarism,
… neglecting personal hygiene, bad nourishment.
Often a single occasion is so extremely stressful,
… it can rattle our whole self-awareness.
Other times an imbalanced root chakra is the outcome of several little things built up inside us until our Muladhara is thrown out of balance and suffers.
Here are 11 ways to open and heal your Root chakra
Chanting “LAM”
By chanting LAM, pronounced “Laahm” you will match the root chakra frequency and therefore reinforce a balancing process.
Make sure you elongate as long as you feel right such as “Laaaaaaaaahmmmmmm”.
Chanting is also a form of meditation; thus you can integrate it into your meditation practice.
Sound healing
Root chakra musical tone is C (Do) and it vibrates at 396Hz.
So, if you’re going to use music or sounds to aid your root chakra meditation, make sure you include deep grounding sounds such as the world’s oldest wind instrument – didgeridoo (aboriginal Australian instrument), the sound of thunder, or Mongolian throat singing.
You know I love listening to binaural beats, so these could also be a good recommendation.
I recommend a beautiful pack of binaural beats specifically crafted for chakra balancing. You can download it from here.
For the ultimate experience, headphones are recommended.
Here are some examples to give you an idea of what binaural beats for root chakra healing are:
Meditation for root chakra
A classic method will be Root chakra visualization.
Sit in your favorite meditation spot and begin by imagining a red glowing orb revolving around its center right in your root chakra position (base of the spine).
Synchronize the orb glow and pulsation with your breath and as you exhale imagine the orb clearing out any root chakra blockage.
Focusing on the root chakra symbol is also a good meditation practice.
Another quick meditation is to try practicing 30 seconds mindfulness every day.
Stop whatever you do and observe your breath. Slowly inhale and slowly exhale three times.
This could help you get grounded.
Yoga poses to balance your root chakra
It could be a good idea to stretch your body with some easy asanas.
Try practicing postures such as warrior I and II, mountain, forward fold, and garland pose (squat).
Include grounding foods into your diet
By grounding foods, I mean root vegetables such as potatoes, beets, carrots, parsnips, turnips, onions, garlic, radishes and/or any other root-like eatable plant.
To spice it up a little bit you could use paprika, or cayenne pepper.
To make sure you don’t exclude a protein source from your diet include red beans and lentils.
If you must eat meat think of red meat. Be sure that you’re consuming organic, grass-fed, no growth hormone meat.
Also avoid artificial carbohydrates and sugar.
To add another source of natural carbs (besides potatoes) also a good source of fiber, you could consume grains like buckwheat or whole oats.
If you feel the need for something sweet go for watermelon, pomegranates, strawberries or raspberries.
For any chakra and for better health and a sense of wellbeing you should be more careful of what you eat and drink.
Avoid artificial foods, basically anything that did not grow in or on this earth.
Food affects your mood, so eat healthy!
Herbs to support healing the root chakra
Since we talked about food, I believe it’s a good time to talk about the benefits of herbs and plants.
Here are some herbs beneficial to healing the root chakra:
- Dandelion root
- Sage
- Burdock root
- Ginger
- Horseradish
- Cloves
- Chives
- Ashwagandha
The latter is a good adaptogen, and if used consistently, supports the adrenal, pituitary and hypothalamic glands.
I prefer brewing herbs in teas that I drink regularly.
You can make a good soothing tea by brewing herbs such as ashwagandha, dandelion root, cloves.
I recommend a good tea mix specially made for the root chakra by the guys at Buddha Teas – 100% organic root chakra tea.
Tip – Do not consume fire
When preparing your favorite tea, try not to use boiling hot water.
In fact, it is recommended that you don’t apply more heat than the sun would normally deliver to the plants you’re brewing.
I always heat the water for my teas to about 60-70 degrees Celsius, which is 140-158 degrees Fahrenheit.
You could also brew tea by leaving the plants in water overnight.
The process it’s called cold maceration. Here’s how to do it:
- Take one teaspoon of your favorite plant mix
- Grind them manually or electrical, your choice
- Place that fine plant powder into room temperature water
- Leave the mix overnight
- Or place it in a cool, dark place. Usually between 6 to 8 hours
And that’s it!
Make sure to filter it, and do not leave the plants in if you brew more than one portion.
This might take longer, but this is the best way to take advantage of all the healing properties of those plants.
Use essential oils
Here are some of the most utilized essential oils to support balancing the Muladhara: myrrh, cedarwood, patchouli, frankincense, cypress.
You can also use these during your meditation because of their calming properties.
There are two main ways you can use essential oils, aromatherapy and direct application on key points of your body.
Aromatherapy can be done either with the help of a diffuser or by incense (if you’re using raw frankincense).
Do “earthing” walks
As simple as it may sound it is as powerful.
Earthing is walking barefooted on green grass or earth.
The purpose of earthing is to allow the earth’s energy to flow into your body and recharge your energy field.
Spend more time in nature. It can be a long walk in the park or a mountain hike.
If you’re choosing the latter be sure to spend as much time as possible in the woods, among trees.
Color therapy
Red is the root chakra color, so if you want to cultivate that grounding feeling you could have some red in your environment.
I don’t know about you but painting the walls in red is a no-go for me.
That’s why I’ll always choose some sort of art to hang on the walls or simply wear my favorite red t-shirt.
I use abstract pictures printed in multi-piece or a single painting.
Gems and stones for root chakra healing
Depending on the type of gem or stone you’re using it can be worn to cleanse and balance the root chakra, to give you courage, strength, to promote self-esteem and repel negative energy.
Use them in their raw form or processed into fine jewelry like bracelets or rings.
You could wear these gems and stones, or you could have them placed in your home and in your special meditation spot.
Here are some of the most powerful stones for the root chakra: hematite, red carnelian, red jasper, bloodstone.
If you want to know more about which crystal or stone to use for root chakra healing make sure you read this post:
Your own Muladhara affirmations
I strongly believe that you should use only the affirmations that you identify with.
If not, improve and adapt them to be your own or craft new ones.
Here are a couple of root chakra affirmations to get you inspired:
- I am rooted, strong, and at peace
- I am safe, guided and protected on this Earth
- I am grounded
- I am financially secure
- I will release all my doubts and worries
- I am supported by those around me
- I let the earth’s energy flow through me
- I let go of my past
Stay well, stay healthy, fly high!
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