The root chakra, or Muladhara chakra, is the first of the seven main chakras in the body. It is located at the base of the spine and is associated with feeling grounded, stable, and secure. When the root chakra is blocked or imbalanced, you may experience a lack of energy, feel ungrounded, or have issues with finances, physical health, or feeling safe in the world. Unblocking this chakra can help create feelings of stability and allow energy to flow freely through your body. In this article, we will explore what the root chakra does, signs it may be blocked, and provide tips on how to unblock and heal this chakra.
What Does the Root Chakra Do?
The root chakra represents our foundation and feeling of being grounded. It is associated with the following:
- Safety and security
- Survival needs like food, water and shelter
- Feeling stable and grounded
- Physical health and vitality
- Right to be here
- Tribe or family
- Finances and financial security
- Ability to provide for material needs
When this chakra is open and balanced, you feel safe and confident in yourself and your needs being met. You trust in the world to provide and feel connected to those around you. An open root chakra allows energy from Mother Earth to flow freely up through the rest of the chakras.
Signs Your Root Chakra May Be Blocked
If your root chakra is blocked, you may experience physical and emotional issues related to feeling safe, grounded and secure. Signs your root chakra is blocked include:
- Lacking energy or feeling chronically fatigued
- Feeling spaced out or ungrounded
- Experiencing lower back, leg or feet issues
- Having a hard time feeling safe or trusting people
- Struggling financially or with finances despite effort
- Having an unhealthy relationship with money
- Feeling anxious about basic survival needs
- Poor immune system or frequently getting sick
- Feeling disconnected from your body
- Experiencing frequent nightmares
If several of these signs resonate with you, your root chakra may be blocked and needs healing. Focusing energy here can help create feelings of stability once more.
Tips to Unblock the Root Chakra
If your root is blocked, don’t worry – with focus and intention it can be healed. Here are some tips for unblocking and bringing balance back to your root chakra:
1. Connect with the Earth
Since the root chakra represents our connection to the earth, spending time outside and in nature can help unblock this chakra. Take your shoes off and stand, sit or lie down on the grass, dirt or sand. Visualize yourself grounded like a tree, with roots growing from your spine down into the Earth. Go hiking, gardening or camping. Walking barefoot can also help you feel connected.
2. Practice Grounding Techniques
There are many grounding techniques that can bring your awareness back to your body and help heal your root chakra. Here are a few to try:
- Imagery – Picture roots growing from your tailbone down into the earth.
- Body scans – Slowly scan your body from head to toe, bringing awareness to each part.
- Breath focus – Focus on taking slow, deep belly breaths.
- Cool water – Splash cool water on your face and hands.
Use these whenever you feel spaced out or overwhelmed to ground yourself again.
3. Eat Grounding Foods
Certain foods are considered grounding for the root chakra. Eating more of these foods can support this chakra:
- Root vegetables – potatoes, carrots, radishes, beets
- Proteins – meat, eggs, beans
- Spices – cinnamon, turmeric, cumin
- Nuts and seeds
- Bone broths
Try cooking hearty stews, soups or chilis incorporating root veggies, beans and spices. You can also add in herbal teas like chamomile, licorice root or turmeric.
4. Explore Fear and Financial Blocks
The root chakra represents our basic needs for survival being met. If you have fear around finances or struggle with money despite effort, this points to blocks in the root. journal to explore your beliefs and emotions around money and look for areas needing healing. Seek support around these topics if needed.
5. Clear Your Space
Our external space impacts our internal state. Clutter or mess can make us feel scattered. Clearing clutter and cleaning your home can help purify stagnant root chakra energy. Organize your papers, finances and possessions. Donate or toss what you no longer need and do a sage cleansing ritual.
6. Practice Yoga Poses for Root Chakra
Certain yoga poses help activate and align the root chakra. Here are some good poses to incorporate:
- Mountain pose
- Tree pose
- Warrior pose
- Bridge pose
- Child’s pose
Hold these poses for 5 full breath cycles, focusing energy and intention on your root.
7. Use Crystals and Essential Oils
Certain crystals and essential oils are beneficial for healing the root chakra. Try using:
- Red jasper, hematite, garnet, black tourmaline
- Patchouli, cedarwood, myrrh, ginger
You can place crystals over the sacral area, use the oils in a diffuser or diluted on the skin, or add them to your bath.
8. Chant the Root Mantra: LAM
Each chakra has a corresponding Sanskrit seed mantra or sound. For the root, this sound is LAM. Chant it aloud or internally to resonate with this chakra:
LAMMMMMMM
You can chant for a few minutes daily or longer during meditation. Feel the vibration activating your root.
9. Seek Bodywork and Energy Healing
Massage, acupuncture, reiki and other hands-on healing can help unblock chakra energy. If you are comfortable, ask practitioners to focus specifically on your root chakra. You may feel sensations like tingling or pulsing.
10. Keep a Gratitude Practice
When we focus on gratitude for what we DO have, it helps heal root fears over survival and lack. Keep a daily gratitude journal or practice giving thanks before meals and at bedtime. Notice all the basic needs being met.
Conclusion
Our root chakra provides our foundation for feeling safe, grounded and secure. When out of balance we can experience emotional and physical disturbances. Using a combination of lifestyle adjustments, yoga poses, foods, mantras, crystals and energy healing can help unblock a congested root chakra. With time and focus, you can realign this chakra and feel stable once more. Listen to your body’s needs and give your root chakra plenty of nurturing care.
| Root Chakra Healing Tips | Benefits |
|---|---|
| Spend time in nature | Connects you with the grounding energy of the earth |
| Practice grounding techniques | Brings awareness back to your body |
| Eat root veggies and proteins | Provides physical nourishment |
| Explore financial and survival fears | Resolves emotional blocks |
| Clear clutter and clean your space | Purifies stagnant energy |
| Do yoga poses | Activates and aligns the root chakra |
| Use crystals and essential oils | Provides vibrational healing |
| Chant the LAM mantra | Resonates the root chakra |
| Try massage and energy work | Unblocks energy through touch |
| Cultivate gratitude | Counters fears and lack mentality |