Root Chakra- muladhara
Survival and Safety
Called the base chakra or the root chakra because it’s your connection to the earth as well as the support beam for all the chakras above it. Governing principle is foundation. When energy flows freely through this chakra, it keeps you feeling safe, secure, grounded and present. Relates to the element of earth and builds the structure that supports and sustains your life. The sciatic nerve, which even looks like a root system, starts near the first chakra and goes down to your feet, connecting your nervous system to the ground beneath you. It’s the constant tug of gravity that keeps us grounded. Roots have both masculine and feminine powers.
Biggest Obstacle
Fear is the biggest obstacle to free flowing energy in the first chakra. You don’t feel secure, you don’t feel like you belong here on earth, you are disconnected from your physical body and the natural world. Fear about your personal safety, not fitting in with your friends or family and where you live, about your job or money issues, about being alone, and even death.
Healthy Root Chakra
A healthy root chakra is red, vibrant, humming and open. It has volcanic energy from Mother Earth, coming from the earth up through the souls of your foot and up your left and right into this first chakra. It makes you want to stay here on earth. It’s your connection to the physical body and your health. You know you have a balanced first chakra if you are centred and grounded, you take care of your body, you have a sense of being fully alive. When your energy if flowing easily through your root chakra, you have a powerful will to live a healthy life. The earth element nourishes your bones, blood, muscles, and even the hair on your body. Earth is the densest of all the elements and provides stability and security for your existence. The nose is the sense organ for this chakra, since the sense of smell is related to the element of earth.
Problems in the root chakra originate in the womb, with the fetus absorbing the fear and anxiety of the mother, or during the birth process itself, especially if it was a difficult one. Lack of bonding with your mother for any reason can also create a very shaky foundation. Key issues revolve around trust, nourishment, health, home, family and friends. When something is going wrong in one of these areas of your life, it can affect your root chakra. Situations that can wreak havoc on your root chakra include any kind of abuse, surgeries, major illnesses or accidents, natural disasters, violence, job loss, a change in housing or abandonment by a parent, parter or caregiver. Problems in this chakra arise at the base of your spine, in your legs and feet, in your bones, or in your immune system. They may also manifest as eating disorders, adrenal insufficiency, or rectal or colon cancer. The governing glands of the root chakra are the adrenals, even though they aren’t located anywhere near the base of the body. When your survival is threatened, your food, shelter, safety, or sleep, your adrenal glands kick in to give you the first of the energy you need to escape the situation.
Archetypes
Negative: The dysfunctional archetype for the root chakra is the victim. The victim is a low level of consciousness and energy. Victims are sure that someone or something external causes everything that happens in their lives; therefore; their fate is not in their control. You can become a victim when you lose your grounding and everything seems to be a struggle. You can’t connect with your inner core, so your spirit can’t fly high. With no sense of personal empowerment, you get stick in fear of what will come at you from the outside.
Positive: The functional archetype is the Earth Mother, representing your ability to be in charge of your own life force. The earth mother, rooted as she is in the energy of the earth, is a reliable source of nourishment that can provide you with whatever you need. When you can mother yourself, your life will be in balance.
Spiritual Aspects
The root chakra is the resting place of kundalini, the energy of consciousness, which is represented as a snake that is coiled and sleeping at the base of the spine. Before this energy can awaken, you have to open and clear the first chakra. All the other chakras can receive only as much energy as the flow generated in the root chakra.
The seed sound is Lam. Repeating this sound as a mantra gives you a greater connection to the element of earth and great inner strength.
The symbol for the first chakra is a four-petal lotus, just a Brahma is depicted as having four heads representing the four aspects of human consciousness— physical, emotional, rational, intuitive.
Astrologically, the planets of Saturn and Earth are connected to the base chakra. Saturn has a bad rap for causing relays and for the hard work needed to surmount the challenges it brings, but it is also a strict but wise teacher that will advance you along your spiritual path.
Chakra Blockage:
Even if you are not currently experiencing negative health effects, it is a good idea to periodically check your first chakra to make sure it is healthy. To do this, answer these questions honestly:
- Do you have a hard time staying focused?
- Are you excessively fearful?
- Do you have any phobias?
- Are you taking medication for anxiety?
- Are your desk, household, or finances disorganized?
- Do you feel too weak for sustained physical activity?
- Are you very uncomfortable when things change?
- Are you often doing one thing while thinking about another?
If you answered yes to three or more of these questions, give your root chakra a tune-up.
Clearing Blockages:
There are multiple ways that you can help heal your first chakra. Symbolizing red, the blood of life, vitality, or physical nature. When trying to heal your first chakra, you should try to eat lots of green protein because it’s good for grounding When you feel weak or out of touch with your body in the physical world, eat root vegetables. Healing can take place in the first chakra when you establish a connection to physical reality, whether through spending time outside in nature with Mother Earth or through any practice that puts you more in touch with your body. To balance your root chakra, use gender incense, or essential oils. Other simple ways to clear your first chakra are walking barefoot, hiking in the park or in mountains, dancing, belly breathing, walking, gardening, creating order and structures in your house, wearing the colour red, and repeating I have a right to be here and I am safe
Meditation:
Live in the present, where you will find yourself much calmer and happier. Living in the moment is the best way to sustain your first chakra.