The Root Chakra: An Overview

The Root Chakra is the first chakra in the seven body chakra system. It is located at the base of the spine and is the energy center that ultimately grounds you to both your body and the earth. The root chakra has many qualities and traits to it, so I'll be breaking this post up into easy to read sections (and the format will remain the same for future chakra posts as well!).

General Characteristics: 
The Root Chakra is the first chakra in our subtle energy bodies. Through this energy center, we can feel what it is like to live in a physical body. We become aware of bodily needs, from nutrition, to safety and survival to primal sexuality. Our physicality, and the energetic presence of such in this chakra, allows us to connect to the earth, which means that this chakra governs our physical will (instead of the upper chakras that govern the spiritual will). Through our body connection, the root chakra relates to our material connection to that around us. This chakra is the first chakra that must be worked through to create a stable base for the entire subtle energy body. It has the capability to fully support your safety and keep you grounded (sometimes spiritual practices can make us a little flighty!), so it is ultimately important to understand and heal first.

"Mūlādhāra" is the Sanskrit word for the Root chakra. According to the Chopra Center, this breaks up into two other Sanskrit words meaning "root" and "support." In essence, it supports the root of our being. The Root chakra is like the foundation of our energetic house. It is the very source of our life force, and the resting place for kundalini energy.

A summary of traits related to this chakra are: grounding, protection, safety, security, ancestry, tradition, roots, material/matter, beginning, body, primal, food, sex, shelter, and trust.

The Root chakra develops usually in early childhood, when the ideas of trust and safety are at their peak. Normally, by age 6 or 7, the Root chakra is fully developed and active. People who suffered abuse in their childhood, were neglected by parents, or had an unstable home often have deeply affected root chakras.

Elemental Connection:
Earth

Color:
Red

Physical Places it Governs: 

• Anus, Rectum, Excretory System (including kidneys, though they are also governed by the solar plexus chakra)
• Tailbone to the fourth vertebra in the sacral vertebrae
• Genitalia, Reproductive System (not including the uterus)
• Suprarenal glands (adrenaline/epinephrine, noradrenaline/norepinephrine, cortisol hormones; adrenaline also by the solar plexus)
• Legs and feet
• Quality of blood
• Large intestine
• Senses of taste and smell
• Lower back
• Skeletal System
• Prostate or Vagina

Stones Associated to it:
Stones can be used for healing a chakra, often by meditating while holding or placing the stone/crystal above the chakra. It is often best to keep the stones wrapped in a colored cloth (silk if you can get it) that corresponds to the chakra color of the stone. For instance, keep these stones wrapped in red silk or fabric. It tends to keep their energy less tainted and swaddles them for a little bit of compassion. It's also important to cleanse the crystal before using it. The short version would be to imagine white light around your hands and hold the crystal for a few minutes while the light swirls around it, but I'll go more in depth on crystal meditations in a later post. You can also wash the stone under warm water for a minute.

The more care and attention you put into the subtle details of energy work will never harm you or your practice. 

Here are some stones associated with the Root chakra and how they affect the chakra: 

• Carnelian (Balancing)
• Uncut Sapphire (Calming)
• Garnet (Balancing/Restoring)
• Ruby (Awakening)
• Bloodstone (Balancing/Calming)
• Obsidian (Stabilizing)
• Red Jasper (Awakening)
• Smoky Quartz (Soothing)
• Chiastolite (Balancing)

Scents and Foods Associated to it:

• Dandelion root tea
• Root vegetables (carrots, potatoes, radishes, parsnips, beets)
• Onion
• Garlic
• Tomatoes
• Cherries
• Strawberries
• Apples
• Pomegranate

Scents:

• Cedarwood
• Frankincense
• Myrrh
• Angelica Root
• Smoky scents, burning fires, candles

Things that can Negatively Affect This Chakra:

The universe throws a lot of things at us, sometimes really severe things. Our chakras are sensitive, so they are easily affected. When affected, they can really stop us from fully realizing the joy of being, but often we cannot control everything that happens to us. This is just an explanation of what could have caused Root chakra issues, so that your awareness can be expanded and you can begin a journey towards healing.

Severe or Longterm:

• Past childhood trauma (neglect, abuse, insecurity, near death experiences): You were never able to form a completely stable foundation in your childhood. 
• Sexual abuse: You reject your body or sexuality, or you feel like sexuality is unsafe.
• Financial insecurity: You aren't sure if you can continue to provide necessities for survival, like food, water, and shelter.
• Family: Issues in your familial structure, particularly distrust or dislike of your parents, can cause a rejection of your ancestral roots. This can also go farther into history, like if you reject an ancestor that was a part of Nazi Germany, for example.
• Adoption and Foster Care: Rejection of those who raised you, not having a childhood home.
• Moving a lot in Childhood: Never had a stable home or friend structure as a child.
• Divorce: Seeing a stable structure you were raised with disappear.

Milder, More Common, Self-induced:

• Volatile emotions, especially stress induced: Uncontrolled energy, makes the chakra unstable.
• Lust: Overactive chakra, seeking too much sexual release.
• Addiction to sex, pornography, or masturbation: Also seeking too much sexual release, over-expending energy.
• Intentionally getting into unsafe relationships: Consciously ruining stability, especially if it's an egoic call for attention by intentionally getting hurt (Granted, unsafe relationships that you are in are not always in your control, this isn't speaking about that type).
• Excessive risk taking: Overactive production of adrenaline, exhausting the root chakra (or can make it overactive).
• Distrusting friends and family, despite no actual breaking of trust: Rejecting a fundamental feeling of the root chakra, trust.
• Breaking promises: Ruins your own self trust and the trust others have in you.
• Materialism/Hoarding: Overcompensation, placing a sense of security in things other than yourself.
• Processed food, Preservatives, Food additives: Toxic for all chakras.
• Skipping breakfast: Doesn't give you a metabolic foundation to start your day, weakens your energy level and in turn, you root chakra and life force.

Health Issues Associated to this Chakra:

• Osteoporosis 
• Allergic reactions
• Some autoimmune conditions: Lupus, Rheumatoid Arthritis 
• Digestive disorders (especially Diverticulitis, Crohn's Disease, and constipation)
• Hemorrhoids
• Varicose Veins
• Sciatica
• Warts and Fungus on feet
• Anemia, Hemophilia, Blood Disorders
• Pain disorders (Fibromyalgia)

Affects of an Overactive Root Chakra:

• Restlessness
• Need/dependence on material objects
• Over-obsessing over a material object
• Selfishness
• Overexercising
• Uncontrolled sex drive
• Aches on tailbone, legs, feet
• Wanting to manipulate or deceive others
• Being untrustworthy
• Feeling like you're constantly watching your back
• Body image struggles

Affects of an Underactive Root Chakra:

• Lack of energy
• Loss of interest in the physical world or being in your body
• Dissociation and outer body experiences (that aren't intended)
• Aches on tailbone, legs, feet
• Inability to sexually perform
• Low sex drive, relative to you normally
• Apathy to the world, your goals, future, and other people
• Not identifying anyone as your family or community
• Unclear of your life's purpose
• Confusion
• Feeling unsafe or violated
• Inability to stand up for yourself
• Laziness
• Body image struggles

Ways of Healing This Chakra: 

Habitual Healing:

• Rebuilding a foundation: This is particularly good for ancestral rejection, family issues, adoption, or childhood trauma. Sometimes it's impossible or unhealthy to reconnect with what you should traditionally feel stable by, like your birth family, so you need to rebuild a structure that you feel safe in. Perhaps this means a new home, seeing your friends as family, marriage, living alone...perhaps this means seeing your body as a home you always dwell in and are safe within. 

One Time or Specific Method Healing:

• Color: Surround yourself with everything red! Red food, red clothes, red flowers, red paintings, red red red. You'll be shocked at how aware of your root it makes you, and how quickly your root chakra heals as a result. 
• Crystal healing meditation: Using the crystals listed above and meditating while holding them or having them secured against your tailbone. 
• Yoga: Specific asanas for the root chakra include: Lotus, Tree pose, Squatting poses. Check out this link here!
• With the food you eat: Red, fresh foods and root vegetables are great for this chakra. There's a list of great foods earlier in this post!
• Mantras and affirmations: Just say these as many times as you feel you need throughout the day, or for many days. 
• Chanting: Sing a long "LAM" sound, usually in repetition for a whole slow exhale (then a slow in breath). It's pronounced "Lah-m." Do it loud enough to feel it vibrate in your chest! You might even feel it at the base of your tailbone. 

Mantras and Affirmations for the Root Chakra:

• "I love my body. I honor that this is the form my spirit chose to inhabit in this lifetime."
• "I trust in you, universe, and that you will guide me towards my life's purpose and provide for me at all times."
• "I am firm and stable. In every step, my feet are well connected to the earth."
• "I honor you, earth, for providing me with all I need to survive."
• "I know all I am is safe within my body."
• "I am one with my body."

Image source here