What is the Root Chakra and How Healing It Can Fix Your Life
What are the chakras?
The human body is wondrous. Sometimes, what we feel, think, and react to are connected to more than we can explain. And the chakras are one such mystical concept.
Cited in ancient Hindu traditions and tantric Buddhism for centuries, the word chakra literally translates to ‘wheels’. And we have seven main chakras lined across the spine, starting from the base and ending with the crown of the head. In fact, some people believe we have 114 of them. These chakras act like energy gears that control our emotions and feelings.
Think of them like cogs in a complex machinery. When the chakras are running in sync, your body works like a perfectly well-oiled machine. However, if one of these energy wheels gets rusty or stops functioning (what we call a blocked chakra), it manifests in the form of physical, mental, or spiritual ailments.
Sitting at the base of your spine at the pelvic floor, the root chakra is the first of the seven chakras. Also known as Muladhara in Sanskrit, its meaning can be broken down into Mula meaning root, and adhara implying foundation or base. As its name suggests, the root chakra is connected to primal instincts and governs our feelings of safety, security, and relationship with self.
The symbol of the root chakra is illustrated with a four-petaled lotus with its seed mantra (LAM लं) surrounding an inverted triangle. The four lotus petals represent core elements of the human psyche –mind, intellect, ego, and consciousness. The red color of the chakra represents its connection to the soil and roots.
How Does A Blocked Root Chakra Affect You?
The root chakra is the grounding force that forms the basis of your well-being. The core aspects that it guides are safety, survival, sex, and stability. And since it centers around your primal needs, a misalignment of the Muladhara messes up your feelings of stability and existence.
So when your root chakra goes out of whack, you may feel more disconnected, perplexed, anxious, and prone to self-destructive behavior. You may also experience the symptoms of a blocked root chakra in the form of:
- Gaining excessive weight
- Losing weight rapidly
- Problems with your legs, feet, and tailbone
- Lower Immunity
- Issues with bowel movement, colon, and bladder
- Feeling depressed, anxious, and indecisive
- Reproductive issues
- Low esteem and restlessness
- Feeling lost or not connected to anyone or anything
- Feeling low energy, lethargic, and uninspired
How to Open and Heal Root Chakra
Due to its connection to the Earth, any activity that makes you one with nature can balance your root chakra. Here are a few ways you can try to heal your root chakra:
- Walk barefoot in the grass while engaging all your senses
- Wear red gemstones such as bloodstone, Jasper, or garnet, or place them around your root chakra area during massage or Reiki
- Eat more vegetables that grow under the Earth such as potatoes, yams, or tubers
- Move your legs or dance to the sounds of nature
- Perform breathing exercises such as pranayama
- Do regular meditations where you visualize the color red circulating through your body
- Smell the aroma of nature with Cedarwood, myrrh, patchouli, sandalwood, rosewood, clove
- Practice Yoga poses such as the Warrior pose, Uttanasana, Vrksasana or Tree Pose, and Malasana to feel more grounded and aligned
Balancing Root Chakra Through Sound Healing
There are several ways sound vibrations can open and balance your chakras. You can try sound healing instruments such as:
These instruments use specific sound frequencies associated with each chakra to unblock your energy centers.
If videos are more your jam, check out this six-minute sound bath to balance your chakras.
Affirmations for Root Chakra Healing
If you’re unable to perform the above-mentioned activities, there’s another easy way to balance your root chakra – Affirmations.
These are empowering phrases that you keep repeating to yourself to empower your mind through your subconscious. When you repeat phrases that reinforce the ideas of self-sufficiency, security, and calmness, your root chakra blockages can be removed.
So take a deep breath in and out and then repeat the following words:
“I am safe, I am secure”
“I am alive and well”
“I am grounded and connected to this earth”
“I am open to new ideas”
“ I let go of my past”
“My roots are strong”
“I trust the universe and its possibilities”
“I’m in touch with myself”
“I am healthy and strong”
“ I love myself”
And as you say those words, visualize the color red emanating from your root chakra and then circulating through your entire body. Imagine being connected to the earth and releasing all the tension from your body. Feel the energy and let go of all stresses, emotions, and turmoil you feel inside. Surrender to the moment!
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