Awakening the root chakra
If you can sense that your energy is off- feeling blocked, disconnected, and not in alignment- but you’re not sure where to start, the Root chakra is the energy center to check in with first!
Make sure you check out my “Demystifying the Chakras” post first for some pertinent background on our western view of the chakras. It’s important that we not remove yoga from its cultural roots, and understand where the information below is drawn from. In knowing its history we honor all the great yogis and scholars who came before us and made this practice more accessible, while also understanding that this is just one perspective. As with everything in spirituality, these are loose suggestions, and it’s really about engaging with texts and finding the ‘true’ meaning of the root chakra for yourself.
What is the essence of the root chakra?
Our first chakra is the Muladhara, or Root chakra, which can be visualized as a spinning orb or lotus flower at the base of the spine, extending into the hips & legs, rooting us into the earth. Expressed as a color, it’s one of the longer wavelengths: red. Take a moment to really get a visual of this spinning, glowing, orb of deep red energy between the sit bones. You can tap into the Root chakra energy at any time by simply returning to this image and sending your breath here.
Being the first chakra, it is our most primal and instinctual, the primordial streak that first develops as an embryo. It represents both the ego’s and the physical infantile state, related to our needs for survival like health & safety. The instinctual energy of the Root chakra also includes the body’s autonomic function like breathing and moving, which means this energy center is deeply connected to breath work and movement medicine.
More symbolically, the Root chakra is associated with the energy of the Earth element, creation, birth & death. As a result, it is often the energy center with the most stored trauma- from this life time & previous- which drives many subconscious thoughts and behaviors. The kundalini serpent is stored in our root chakra, waiting to rise and evolve through the trauma and other chakras.
A balanced root chakra is secure, stable, and confident with all of its perceived needs met. It is continuously peeling back deeper layers of the ego, stepping out of habitual thoughts and actions. It is connected to the Earth and all the beautiful things and beings around it, feeling all senses deeply.
How can I work with the root chakra?
The opposite of rooted is uprooted, ungrounded. So connecting to the Root chakra is all about grounding, dropping into the body, connecting with your physical vessel and the physical Earth. Because the root chakra often carries stored trauma, ancestor and inner child healing along with shadow work are all big, heavy, topics to look into. This is the chakra active in deep healing, a process that will look different to everyone but will always be best supported by having an array of tools to rely on. Here are just a few broad ways to connect to and stabilize the energy of the root chakra:
create structure & stability in your routines, relationships, and environment
evaluate your reliance on unhealthy external vices like food, drugs, consumerism, social media (addiction is often part of an unstable Root chakra)
dance, especially to something with rhythmic beats and lots of percussion to tap into the heartbeat of Mother Earth
pranayama (breath work) & meditation, in nature if possible
movement medicine like yoga, flow arts, Qigong & Tai Chi
spend time in nature, really connecting to your surroundings
connect to nature in some other way if you can’t get outdoors: working with house plants, flowers or herbs
connect to your ancestors, living or passed, in whatever way feels good to you
kundalini practices
cook with & eat grounding foods (see below)
journal prompts
when do I feel most grounded? (or ungrounded)
what is my relationship to structure and schedule? Could I use more? Or am I being too rigid with my schedule?
what are some examples of times I’ve been codependent on others? Do I place unrealistic expectations on others to fulfill my needs/happiness?
does my inner child feel safe and secure? Why or why not? If not, how can I ‘go back in time’ and reassure them?
how can I connect more deeply to nature, the cycles of the earth, and my physical surroundings?
when do I feel connected to my ancestors?
At a glance:
Color: red ~650 nanometers
Physical vessel: base of spine, hips, knees, primordial hindbrain that controls autonomic function
Bija mantra: “LAM” (rhymes with thumb)
Element: earth
Ayurvedic dosha: Kapha
Crystals: garnet, hematite, obsidian, smoky quartz, red jasper
Foods: nuts & seeds, root vegetables (potatoes, carrots, beets), root herbs (ginger, cumin, ginseng)
Planet: Earth, Mars
BLESSED BE BEAUTIFUL SOULS, EYE LOVE & THANK YOU SO DEEPLY FOR READING
-MEKENSY
