Root Chakra Healing Guide | Muladhara Chakra

I think you’ll agree when I say that you can’t build a great house on a weak foundation.

In life, we often have great, creative ideas, and we get really enthusiastic about going after our goals.

But what about completion and grounding these ideas into physical reality?

If you find yourself not starting or finishing projects and searching through the branches just like I was in the past, the energy is not flowing freely through your root chakra.

Here’s why this is so important:

We come to this world through the root chakras of our mothers, and everything we try to create and manifest in life finds completion through the root chakra (Muladhara) energy first.

In this article, I am going to tell you everything you need to know about the power of the Muladhara chakra and show you the importance of having a healthy, well-balanced, fast-spinning, and unobstructed base chakra.

We will then explore some of the best ideas on how to heal your blocked root chakra and restore its balance.

Article Contents:

1. What is The Root Chakra?
2. Root Chakra Location | Where is The Root Chakra?
3. Root Chakra Symbol Meaning | What does the Root Chakra symbolize?
4. Root Chakra Imbalance | What Happens When The First Chakra is Imbalanced?
5. Root Chakra Healing
6. How do I Balance and Heal My Root Chakra?
7. Root Chakra Opening | How do I Open My Root Chakra?
- Root Chakra Meditation
- Root Chakra Affirmations
8. Yoga Poses For Root Chakra
9. Root Chakra Stones | What Crystals and Stones Are Good For Root Chakra?
10. Aromatherapy For Root Chakra. Which Essential Oils Are Good For Root Chakra?
11. Root Chakra Foods | Which Foods Are Good For Root Chakra?
12. References 

What is The Root Chakra?

The Root Chakra, also known as Base Chakra, is the first of the seven chakras associated with survival, grounding, and safety.

Root chakra is the foundation of our entire system on which the other chakras sit, and it is situated at the base of the spine between the coccyx and the pelvic bone, and its color is red.

So, what is the main function of root chakra?

The main function of the root chakra is to keep you grounded in the physical world and to keep you alive.

This chakra is in direct connection with mother Earth, and it relates to the element earth. The Sanskrit name for this chakra is Muladhara, which means “root support”.

The Root Chakra represents the first step into the material world. If we do not balance this chakra before we progress to others, our advancement will lack the stability necessary for true growth.

Do you want to know the best part?

The base chakra is the place where the Kundalini (the life force) sleeps, waiting to be liberated and give you the power to go into the material world.

Kundalini is a universal concept for a powerful and enlightening force, which generates a profound state of consciousness.

Root Chakra Location

In the body, the first chakra is located at the base of the spine, midway between the coccyx bone and the pelvic bone - it is the point you are sitting on right now.

Paths of energy in root chakra extend downward like a root through the legs and feet to contact the Earth.

What’s the best way to visualize the root chakra?

Muladhara chakra is a wheel of light measuring about 3 inches in diameter, which spins to form a light funnel pointing towards the earth from the base of the spine.

Physically, Muladhara relates to denser parts of our body, such as the bones, spine, legs, knees, and colon.

Root Chakra Symbol Meaning

The root chakra symbol is a red lotus flower with 4 petals.

Four petals represent the main aspects of a human psyche: 

- Mind (Manas)
- Intellect (Buddhi)
- Consciousness (Chitta)
- Ego (Ahamkara)

The square depicted within the root chakra symbol represents rigidity, strong foundations, and stability for the rest of the chakras to sit on. 

The four corners symbolize the four directions: north, south, east, and west.
From a strong foundation, we can move in any direction in life.

The downward-pointing triangle in the middle of the root chakra symbol is a symbol of expanding our consciousness.

It is where kundalini shakti stays dormant, waiting to be woken up and brought back up to the source.

Root Chakra Imbalance

When your root chakra is imbalanced, your growth in life will lack stability, and you will be unable to find joy in being alive.

Unbalanced base chakra can threaten your very own survival, making you feel unsafe and insecure.

Since Muladhara is the foundation of the entire chakra system, it needs to be brought to balance before we start working with higher chakras. 

So what are the main signs of imbalanced root chakra?

• Are you trying really hard to manifest things into existence with hundreds of affirmations, but nothing really happens?
• Do you often tend to cling to the tasks of everyday life, unable to see your work as a fun and joyful challenge?
• Are you always worried about changing jobs or having to move to a new place?
• Are you struggling to overcome your fears, social anxiety, insecurity, and depression?
• Do you have problems with maintaining a healthy diet, sleeping well, and exercising regularly?
• Are you questioning the value of life and creation unable to appreciate the wonders of the universe on any level?

If you answered yes to any of these questions, it’s time to lay the groundwork and build a solid foundation for your entire chakra system.

Root Chakra Healing

Balancing and healing the root chakra can transform all of your fears into courage and negative energy into positive, creative energy.

Inappropriate levels of fear can be one of the first major signs that the first chakra foundation is damaged and require healing.

When your Muladhara chakra is balanced and healthy, you will feel relaxed and grounded.

How do I balance and heal my root chakra?

Balancing the root chakra means restoring a balance to the body's prana energy supply. Healing the first chakra involves healing the physical body by learning to embrace it, feel it, and enjoy it.

Your body is the manifestation of your life, so you must become its suffering, its fear, its pleasure, and its joy.

One of the best methods for healing this chakra is getting in touch with your body through the process of grounding.

Here is what I mean by grounding:

Grounding is the building of a foundation that puts you in touch with your body and allows you to be completely present here and now.

It is a process of dynamic contact with Earth that occurs through your legs and feet.

Through grounding, your consciousness completes the manifesting current, because that which has ground and substance, will find its way to manifestation.

When you are grounded, you live in a state of grace, uncovering the truths buried within your body. 

At the end of the day, we are all spiritual beings in human form, and we do need to remain rooted in the earth.

Unfortunately, many people who embark on their spiritual journey very often forget this and become very ethereal, as if they were floating on some higher plane.

Try not to make the same mistake on your path because it will leave you being very vulnerable and insecure.

People who are grounded and down to earth are never afraid to take action and get things done in the physical world.

Overloaded root chakra might become difficult to open, and grounding is the best way to discharge this excess tension.

• Stand upright (you can take off your shoes if you want) with your feet a shoulder-width apart and toes slightly turned in.
• Close your eyes and take a few nice, deep breaths allowing yourself to relax.
• Now, take your attention to your feet and feel the connection to the floor.
• As you exhale, bend your knees slightly and imagine sending down a root from the sole of each foot and your root chakra.
• Discharge anything you no longer need into the earth with a single thought.
• As you inhale, begin slowly drawing the energy up through your roots and feel it as it flows through your feet, your knees, pelvis, and into your belly.
• Hold this posture for a few breath cycles and feel the wonderful earth energy revitalizing your entire system and filling you up.
• Repeat for a few cycles - try to imagine yourself pushing against the floor as you exhale.
• Finish the exercise with words of gratitude for being alive in the physical body.

One session of grounding might give you some results, but the real benefits will come only with repetition over time.

If your root chakra needs balancing, this easy exercise is really worth your time.
It is a perfect practice to incorporate when you’re out in nature, park, or any other quiet place.

Root Chakra Opening

Accepting the body and the fact that your body expresses your life is a number one step on your journey to opening the root chakra.

Your spirit lives in a physical body in this dimension, and through that body, you can fully experience all of the spiritual and emotional parts of yourself.

Root chakra can be thought of as open and activated if all principles of this chakra have been accepted as a lesson in everyday life.

Once you understand all of the lessons and consciousness of the root chakra, you can start looking into using some of the chakra opening tools and adding new, healthy habits into your daily life.
Grounding is a great start and foundation, which can help you with opening the root chakra.

Other useful methods to work with this chakra include meditation, yoga, affirmations, crystals, stones, essential oils, and an appropriate diet.

1. Root Chakra Meditation

Meditation practice will develop your connection to the Earth and help you to create a greater sense of grounding. 

The most effective root chakra meditation is very similar to a concentration meditation, where you focus your attention on the location of the root chakra.

Here’s how to do it:

Sit down with your legs crossed, relax your shoulders, close your eyes and begin with taking few deep breaths in through your nose and out through your mouth.

Expand your belly with every breath you take in and let your breath flow to all parts of your body. Gently start bringing your attention towards the base of your spine, imagining it becoming warm and relaxed.

As you concentrate in the coccyx center, start visualizing a red, glowing circle at this part of your body and begin to expand it with every breath cycle.

Be still and feel the pulse of the earth under your body. When you are ready, take a deep breath and slowly open your eyes.

End this meditation with few words of gratitude for all of the blessings you received. Practice this meditation for a minimum of 10 minutes every day.

2. Root Chakra Affirmations

Here are a few of the best root chakra affirmations for healing your Muladhara. 

They can be used along with grounding and concentration meditation practice:

• I am safe.
• I am grounded.
• I belong to the world.
• I am a beloved child of the universe, and I deserve love, peace, and security.
• I am exactly where I need to be.
• I always have plenty of money to meet all of my needs.
• I am at peace with the world and others.
• I trust more, and I fear less.
• I open myself to receive the abundance of the universe.
• I am open to receive and accept love.
• I am open to receive and be nurtured by the powerful energy of the earth.
• I am a physical being and value my physical presence.
• I resolve to take care of my body and accept it as it is today.

3. Root Chakra Yoga

Some of the best yoga exercises which work on stimulating and releasing energy from root chakra come from hatha yoga.

Hatha yoga practice is an old system of yoga, also known as conscious relaxation.

The reason it is great for the root chakra is that it involves grounding and relaxing each part of the body through the practice of asanas (body poses) as well as breathing exercises (pranayama).

How long to hold each hatha posture?

It is recommended to hold Hatha yoga postures 45 to 60 seconds or for about 10-12 deep breaths.

• Knee to Chest (Apanasana) - this is a beginner level yoga posture where you lie flat on your back and bend one of the knees towards the chest, and hold it with your arms.
  So how do you make the most out of this yoga posture?
  
  Breathe deeply while you hold the stretch and imagine your root chakra expanding and getting warmer. You can try to slightly tighten the grip around your leg while you hold this posture. Allow your groin and shoulders to relax. After you are done with one leg, do the same thing with the other, and lastly, grab both of your legs and bend them into your chest.

• Bridge Pose (Setu Bhandasana) - lie flat on your back, bend your knees and place your arms straight with palms facing down.
  Start pressing your feet into the ground without lifting your body and imagine earth energy flowing through your legs, making them strong and solid.
  
  Keep your legs firmly planted on the floor, take a deep breath, and start lifting your body up, pressing the chest upward.If you have some previous experience with yoga clasp your hands under your back and move your shoulders closer to each other. Feel the strong support of your legs and hold this posture for a minimum of 3 breath cycles. 

• Half-Locust and Full Locust (Shalabhasana) - lie flat on your tummy with your arms and legs straight. Your palms are facing up and touching the front of your thighs.
  Begin to lift one of the legs off the floor and start to feel your root chakra activating, as you breathe deeply into your belly. Repeat with the other leg and if you feel strong, try going for the Full Locust posture by lifting both legs up off the floor. 

• Head-to-Knee Pose (Janus Sirasana) - this simple and amazing posture will help you to release lots of tension around your root chakra.
  You will feel lots of relief all the way down from your lower back to your hamstrings. Sit up straight with your legs extended out in front of you and your back straight. Take a deep breath, and with an exhale, stretch your arms forward, reaching out for your feet.
  
  If you’re not flexible enough to reach your feet and feel too much tension in your hamstrings, don’t worry! You can just bend your knees to the point where you feel comfortable and hold this posture for at least 30 seconds.

4. Root Chakra Stones

Each chakra can be balanced and healed by using unique stones and crystals. 

It is common to use stones that have certain vibrational frequencies such as red jasper, bloodstone, black obsidian, red carnelian, or black tourmaline to speed up the root chakra healing process.

You can use any of these powerful root chakra stones and crystals by holding them, wearing them in the form of jewelry, or simply having them around your house.

Red Jasper - it is a magic stone of grounding and stability, providing you with comfort, security, strength, and balance. Red Jasper will help you to reconnect with Earth’s grounding energies by creating a stable frequency that matches Muladhara. Red Jasper is also one of the best crystals to assist you with awakening your Kundalini serpent, which lies at the base of your spine, in the center of the root chakra.

Red Carnelian - comes in beautiful shades of red and orange, and it is one of the best stones to help you overcome your deepest fears and increase your courage and strength levels. Red Carnelian will allow you to overcome procrastination and increase your self-confidence levels.

Black Obsidian - it is a powerful cleansing stone that has an amazing grounding and protective properties. Black Obsidian can help you to release any negative emotions such as fear, stress, and anger, which are very often trapped inside your root chakra.

Bloodstone - beautiful, earthy green stone with blood-like, red spots. It is a powerful protection and grounding stone, helpful in boosting your energy, courage, and determination. If you need more endurance during any of your physical activities and work on the awakening of your root chakra through exercises, bloodstone is a great choice. 

Black Tourmaline - a powerful stone of protection and one of the best shields against negative energies. Black tourmaline is also a great grounding and empowerment stone, which can help you to overcome challenging situations in life and establish a better connection with Earth's energy. This stone is very often used in cleansing and purification rituals.

5. Root Chakra Essential Oils

Aromatherapy and essential oils with earthy aroma can be great tools for restoring the balance within your blocked root chakra because it is directly connected to your sense of smell.

Some of the best essential oils for healing the root chakra include sandalwood, myrrh, rosemary oil, lavender, frankincense, ylang-ylang, vetiver, cinnamon, cypress seed, and cedar atlas.

What’s the best way of using essential oils for blocked chakra?

One of the best ways of making the most of your essential oil is using a diffuser or aroma humidifier, which will also create a soothing smell in your room and help you resolve any dry skin issues.

Another great way of using any root chakra essential oils is to apply them directly onto your skin and having a relaxing foot massage.

6. Root Chakra Foods

The best foods for grounding and protection of our root chakra are:
- Red foods: strawberries, cherries, tomatoes, red peppers, pomegranate, watermelon
- Root vegetables: beets, carrots, celery, ginger root, garlic, onion, potatoes, leek, radish, turnip, parsnips, shallots, yam
- Foods that are rooted in physical form: beef, chicken, pork, fish

Foods from animal origin are probably the most physically-oriented foods you can eat.

They are great sources of protein and iron, which is necessary for healthy red blood cell formation.

Protein is the main nutrient that gives us your body its structure and the best raw material to build your bones, muscles, and organs, which are directly linked to our root chakra.

Physiologically, our bodies take much longer to digest flesh foods because they are dense and create a full feeling in your gut.

However, if you are vegetarian or vegan, it is not necessary to eat meat to be grounded.

Foods such as root vegetables, dark leafy greens, beans, chickpeas, tofu, nuts, and eggs are great sources of grounding proteins and essential minerals.

There are a few more key things to remember when it comes to healing root chakra with foods:

Eating primarily protein-rich foods without a healthy balance of other macronutrients can have the opposite effect on your root chakra.

• Your root chakra contains the vibration of healthy physical hunger, and you want to be able to distinguish it from emotional hunger. 
• It is vital to create a healthy relationship between you and the food that you consume. In other words, try to eat only when you are really hungry.
• On the other hand, neglecting your body needs to consume food by self-inflicted starvation or extended fasting can have detrimental effects on our root chakra too.

When we talk about food, let’s not forget about bringing some gratitude to the table.

I personally like to use affirmations, but I think it is enough to be thankful before all of your meals.

Here are some of my favorite affirmations. Feel free to come up with your own:

• Root vegetables ground me to the Earth.
• I give gratitude to the plants and animals that support me with their presence and gifts.
• The core of my being is nourished by nutritious, organic foods.

References:

1. Judith, A. (1990). The Truth About Chakras, St. Paul, MN: Llewellyn Publications.
2. Judith, A. (1999). Wheels of Life - A User’s Guide to The Chakra System, St. Paul, MN: Llewellyn Publications.
3. Minich, D.M. (2009). Chakra Foods For Optimum Health, San Francisco, CA: Conari Press.
4. Simpson, S. (2002). Chakras for Starters, Nevada City, CA: Crystal Clarity Publishers.
5. Shola Arewa, C. (2001). Way of The Chakras, London: Thorsons.
6. Davies, B. (2000). The 7 Healing Chakras, Berkeley, CA: Ulysses Press.
7. Vollmar, K. (1987). Journey through the Chakras, Wellow, Bath: Gateway Books.
8. Motoyama, H. (1981). Theories of The Chakras, New Delhi: New Age Books .

Would you like to take your chakra healing knowledge to the next level and learn more from some of these wonderful authors?

We have created a comprehensive list of Top 10 Chakra Healing Books Available To Buy Right Now.

7 Chakras Healing Guides

If you enjoyed this article and would like to learn how balance and heal your other chakras, feel free to check out some of our other chakra healing guides:

• Sacral Chakra Healing Guide | Svadhisthana Chakra | 2^nd Chakra
• Solar Plexus Chakra Healing Guide | Manipura Chakra | 3^rd Chakra
• Heart Chakra Healing Guide | Anahata Chakra | 4^th Chakra
• Throat Chakra Healing Guide | Vishuddha Chakra | 5^th Chakra
• Third Eye Chakra Healing Guide | Ajna Chakra | 6^th Chakra
• Crown Chakra Healing Guide | Sahasrara Chakra | 7^th Chakra