The Root Chakra – The Foundational Roots of Self-Love

The Root Chakra, or Muladhara in Sanskrit, is the base, the foundation, the container of the whole chakra system. Muladhara is actually two words – ‘Mula’, meaning ‘root’, and ‘Adhara’ meaning ‘base’ or ‘support’. It is the Root of our existence; the Root of our I AM.

Our journey to self-love begins with self-awareness, self-connection, and establishing solid foundations. Yes, just like the majestic tall trees we need to plant our roots deeply into the earth so our feet are firmly on the ground. We need to learn to stand on our own two feet, stand up for ourselves, stand for ourselves and stand in the knowledge of who we truly are.

Located at the base of our spine, the Root chakra is the seat of our physical being. This chakra governs our legs and feet, our skeletal system, our adrenal glands and our colon. It forms our energy base and builds our container – our personal inner space. With this chakra our bodies are connected to the earth – it roots us; it grounds us; it anchors us. We decide how deep our roots can go; we decide how big our container can be and what it can hold; we decide what stresses we can withstand and how we weather the storms.

The root chakra governs our survival instincts and our feelings of security, mentally, physically, emotionally and metaphorically. The issues we have with this chakra reflect in all the chakras above it.

In this blog post, we’ll look at the importance of the Root Chakra in our lives, how we can understand whether it’s balanced or unbalanced, and then look at some practical ways that we can work with it.

“And forget not that the earth delights to feel your bare feet and the winds long to play with your hair. ” – Kahlil Gibran

The Role of the Root Chakra in Our Lives

The Root Chakra – Muladhara – is the basis of our entire chakra system, profoundly influencing our physical, emotional and mental stability. It develops in our early infancy and orientates us towards self-preservation and survival instincts that govern our basic needs and our sense of safety and security.

This Chakra is the foundation of self-love. It is basically the ‘root’ of who we are; it defines the scope, the edges, and the boundaries of our “home,” – our bodies – as the home of our spirit. Understanding and balancing this Chakra is essential for structuring our lives and cultivating a deep sense of stability and well-being.

When Muladhara is open and flowing with ease, it connects us to the earth, and encourages us to continually ground our bodies, feel safe in our environment, and confident in our ability to meet our basic needs. It provides us with a sense of stability and security that is key for self-love and self-care.

Associated with the element of earth and the colour red, this chakra has the lowest frequency and vibration of all the chakras – 396hz. The 396 hz frequency is known for its grounding and liberating effects, helping us to let go of the fear and guilt that we store in our Root Chakra and giving us a solid foundation for our overall well-being and self-love. By resonating with this frequency, we can experience a deep sense of stability and security, reinforcing our connection to the earth and our physical body. This helps us to release our negative emotions and energetic blockages, allowing for a more profound sense of safety, grounding, and self-confidence. Here is a link to listen to Om chanting at 396hz and another 396 hz Healing energies.

My Personal Experience – I AM. I Exist. And I have the Divine Right to be here!

I wanted to share with you my personal experience of how learning about the Root Chakra literally changed my life!

All my life I had let people walk over me. I had let them define me, I had let them tell me what I could or could not do, what I could or could not say, where I could or could not go. I had allowed other’s thoughts, beliefs, and perceptions to create my story and I had lived in the shadows of their fears and their pain. I didn’t know who or what I was. I only knew that I was not what they said I was, but I never had the courage to stand up and define myself! Why? Because I had no boundaries. People just walked in and out of “my space”, and my sadness, my shame, my inadequacy would just leak out all over the place and that continuous voice in my head stressed me to exhaustion with “you should, you have to, you must, you can’t, you’re not good enough”. I lived up in my head and believed my body was just there to carry me around.

One morning about nine years ago, a voice woke me up with the words BE – ONE – NOW and STOP! Back then, I had no idea what these words meant but, somehow, I listened to that voice. I got up, went to my local park with my dog and took over a bench. And day after day on that bench, I cried, I listened, I prayed, I wrote poetry and gradually I started to understand the simple words I had heard. I stopped listening to that negative voice in my head and I allowed nature to heal me. I started listening to my inner self, listening to my heart, defining myself, and letting go of what I was not.

One morning after many months, I suddenly jumped up from that bench with such anger and shouted at the top of voice “I AM. I EXIST. AND I HAVE THE DIVINE RIGHT TO BE HERE! I immediately felt such powerful energies – my own powerful energies – flowing round my body. I felt my Being – my I AM – descend from my head and finally land in my body with a bang. I had finally stood up and declared my right to exist and to be here. In that moment my healing truly began. This is the power of the Root Chakra!

A Balanced Root Chakra

Here are some signs of a balanced Root Chakra:

• Sense of Security: You feel safe and secure in your environment and within yourself.
• Groundedness: You have a strong sense of being grounded and connected to the earth leading to greater focus and presence in your daily life.
• Physical Health: You experience good overall health and vitality and have a strong immune system and a balanced body.
• Emotional Stability and Trust: You have a stable life situation and the ability to trust in the process of life.
• Self-Sufficiency: You have confidence in your ability to meet your basic needs and take good care of yourself.
• Financial Stability: You are confident in money matters and have a stable and secure financial situation.

“If we remain humble and grounded in nature’s wisdom, our mind will guide us safely through the confines of unawareness and the blindness of ignorance.” ―Erik Pevernagie

An imbalanced Root Chakra

When the Root Chakra is imbalanced and doesn’t function properly, it reflects on all the other chakras, – the lower chakras – and the higher chakras – leading to various physical, psychological, and emotional issues. Without strong roots, we are not able to draw up from the earth all the energy and nourishment that our body needs. There is a separation of the mind and body. The energy bypasses the body going directly up to our heads and we are not able to ground or fully embody the consciousness of who we are.

Without a solid form, our boundaries are wide open, and anyone can just walk in and take advantage of us. Unearthed and constantly needing others to support and reassure us, we feel fearful, anxious and helpless and find ourselves shifting into fight, flight, or freeze stress response.

Here are some signs of an imbalanced Root Chakra:

• Insecurity: You never feel good enough and you experience persistent feelings of fear, anxiety, or insecurity.
• Disconnection: You feel disconnected from your body and the physical world. Your ‘doors’ are wide open; you have no boundaries.
• Physical Ailments: You have issues related to your legs, feet, lower back, immune system and weight issues.
• Instability: You often experience unstable life circumstances. You have difficulty managing money, leading to financial instability.
• Lack of Grounding: You feel scattered, unfocused, or ungrounded in your daily life and have a tendency to fall over a lot.

Activities to Balance the Root Chakra

When our Root Chakra is healthy, we feel connected and supported by the earth and life itself. Let’s not forget that the element associated with the Root Chakra is Earth. Balancing the Root Chakra involves activities that connect us with our physical body, enhancing our sense of security, grounding, and connection to the earth. This helps us to ground our energies in the present moment and immediately brings us out of our headspace.

Here are some simple grounding practices to help you to nurture your root centre, experience more harmony and feel safer and more grounded in your physical body.

1. Reclaim your right to be here: – Stand up straight and tall, feet firmly on the ground. Stamp your feet and repeat with fervour – “I AM.” – “I Exist.” – “And I have the Divine Right to be here!
2. Nature Connection: Spend as much time as you can outdoors, in nature – connecting with the earth. Walking, gardening, or simply sitting outside can help you feel more grounded and present.
3. Grounding Exercises: Engage in physical activities that connect you to your body and the earth, such as walking barefoot on the grass or the beach, running, dancing, foot massage.
4. Mind-Body Practices: Engage in activities that promote mind-body connection, such as Yoga – standing Yoga poses – Mountain Pose (Tadasana); Tree Pose (Vrksasana); Warrior 1 Pose (Virabhadrasana); Chair Pose (Utkatasana); Tai Chi, or Qigong.
5. Mindfulness: Practice Mindfulness to stay present and connected to your body and in the present moment.
6. Emotional Healing: Work on recognising, acknowledging and healing past traumas or emotional wounds that may be affecting your sense of security.
7. Nutrition: Eat grounding foods that nourish your body, such as root vegetables (e.g. carrots, potatoes, beets, onions), proteins (e.g. meat, beans, pulses, nuts, eggs), red foods (e.g. tomatoes, all berries, peppers, cabbage, apples), spices (hot paprika, chillies, cayenne pepper, chives).
8. Affirmations: Use positive affirmations to reinforce your sense of security and grounding, such as “I AM safe and I AM secure.” – “The Universe supports me and I have everything I need.” – “I am grounded and connected to the earth.” – “I AM stable and standing on my own two feet.” – “I love my body and trust in its wisdom.”
9. Meditation: Practice meditation focused on the Root Chakra. Visualize a red light at the base of your spine, growing brighter and more vibrant with each breath you inhale. As you exhale, release any tension or fear. A Brief meditation to download???
10. Muladhara Mudra: As if in prayer, bring your palms together in front of your heart. Interlace your little fingers with the ring fingers inside the palms of your hand. Extend your middle fingers so their tips touch and then interlace your thumbs and index fingers so they form rings around each other, with the fingertips touching.
11. Sound frequency: This chakra vibrates at a very low frequency – 396hz. Listen often to music or meditations with this frequency.
12. Colour Red: Wear or surround yourself with the colour red.

“Walk as if you are kissing the Earth with your feet.” ― Thich Nhat Hanh

Journaling Prompts for the Root Chakra

Journaling is a powerful tool for self-reflection and grounding. Here are some prompts to help you connect with and balance your Root Chakra:

1. Sense of Safety: Write about a place or situation where you feel completely safe and secure. What makes you feel that way?
2. Grounding Practices: What activities make you feel grounded and connected to the earth? How can you incorporate more of these into your life?
3. Basic Needs: Are your basic needs being met (e.g., food, shelter, rest)? How can you ensure you take care of these essential aspects of your life?
4. Foundation and Stability: Reflect on your sense of stability in life. What aspects of your life make you feel secure, and what areas need more attention?
5. Root Beliefs: What beliefs about yourself do you hold that stem from childhood? How do they impact your sense of safety and self-worth today?

Embrace the journey of grounding and building a strong foundation for a balanced and fulfilling life. By integrating these practices and insights into your daily routine, you nurture your Root Chakra and enhance your overall sense of self-love and stability.

“It was when I stopped searching for home within others and lifted the foundations of home within myself, I found there were no roots more intimate than those between a mind and body that have decided to be whole.” ―Rupi Kaur  

 “Just like the majestic trees, we need to plant our roots deeply into the earth so our feet are firmly on the ground. We need to learn to stand on our own two feet, stand up for ourselves, stand for ourselves and stand in the knowledge of who we truly are.” – Fiona Elizabeth Campbell

Final Thoughts…

The Root Chakra is the seat of our physical being; the root of our existence and our physical, emotional, and spiritual well-being. It is the foundation of self-love. By focusing on balancing this chakra, we create a solid foundation for opening and aligning all the chakras.

Embracing self-love through the Root Chakra involves learning how to ground ourselves, meet our basic needs, and cultivate a deep sense of security, stability and resilience. This foundational work allows us to build ourselves a life of presence, confidence, and well-being, that paves the way for further growth and self-love through the higher chakras.

Just like a tree, health blossoms when roots are nourished. So, we need to keep our feet firmly planted on the ground, stay present with ourselves and allow the healing journey of the chakras to awaken our body and deepen our connection to spirit.​​​​​​​

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