Starting at the base of the spine, the root is the first of the seven major chakras.
The Sanskrit word for this chakra is mūlādhāra, which breaks down to mūlā = root and ādhāra = support. The root chakra is the energetic foundation of our body, mind, and spirit and provides links between your energetic systems and physical world. Fundamentally, it’s associated with our needs.
Ruled by the element of earth, the root chakra is the most instinctual of the seven major energy centers. Its function governs our core survival responses of fight, flight, freeze, and fawn and corresponds to the body areas and organs of the feet, hips, legs, back, spine, anus, and large intestines.
The energies of the root chakra are responsible for:
- Ability to overcome fear
- Acceptance of physical reality
- Being present
- Connectedness to community, family and the earth
- Feeling safe in your environment
- Grounding & a sense of safety in the body
- Health
- Stability
- Security
- Strength
Connected to the color red, the element earth, and a masculine essence, this energy center anchors the physical body in the material realm. It is symbolized by a red four-petaled lotus with an inverted triangle inside of a square at its center. The square represents stability, structure, and foundational life energy while the upside-down triangle symbolizes balance and driving energy downward. The four petals are said to represent the four aspects of the human psyche – mind, intellect, consciousness, and ego – though there are various other interpretations.
The first chakra is not just tied to survival instincts, but also our ability to thrive. This energy system is important because without roots, you lack the foundational integrity needed to ensure the health, balance and growth of body, mind, and spirit. Only when you feel your most fundamental needs are met can you truly focus on growth.
Signs your root chakra is balanced
When the root chakra is balanced and open, we experience:
- A healthy survival instinct
- Connectedness to self
- A sense of belonging
- A sense of reliability and responsibility
- Stability
- Security
- Groundedness
- Strength
- Self-confidence
- The ability to care for ourselves
When in open flow, the root chakra provides a clear sense of well-being related to basic physical necessities—food, water, and shelter—as well as our emotional needs of feeling safe and interconnected.
Signs your root chakra is imbalanced
When the first chakra is out of alignment, symptoms can be subtle or overt. They can surface as:
- Anger
- Anxiousness
- Confusion
- Depression
- Fear
- Instability
- Lack of motivation
- Lack of safety
- Living in “survival mode”
- Loss of self-identity
- Negativity
- Feeling ungrounded
The root chakra energies—as well as the body parts governed by the chakra—can become blocked, and therefore, limit one’s ability to experience connection with the body and the earth. For these reasons, it’s important to understand how to support this chakra into its fullest expression.
As the link between the material world and our internal energetic system, a balanced mūlādhāra chakra gives you the motivation to seize opportunities that materialize through out the moments in your day.
How to activate the root chakra
There are many tools available for you to engage and balance the energy of the root.
There is no one-size-fits-all or a single practice that works for everyone. You will be drawn toward specific approaches at different times. Direct your focus towards grounding and earth-related themes. Trust your inner guidance and be open to explore because your system knows what will serve you best.
Energetic tools for the root chakra
Meditation is a dynamic and powerful mindfulness practice that deepens awareness, increases mental clarity, fortifies emotional stability, and reduces stress. There are many types of meditative practices and using one that’s attuned to the energies of the root chakra. Try a walking meditation; it slows you down and brings your awareness to the physical sensations in the body as you move.
While meditating, visualizing the color red, focused at the base of your spine, sparks the root chakra into balancing itself. Give yourself permission to explore a sacred meditation practice that works for you.
The use of root chakra related gemstones during meditation (like garnet, obsidian, onyx, and red jasper) are a powerful, yet simple tool to incorporate into your meditation practice and enhance its benefits. Hold the gemstone(s) in your hand(s) or place them on or around the area of the Root Chakra while meditating.
Incorporate crystals and gems into your altar, sacred space, wear them as jewelry, or use them to create mesmerizing mandalas.
Holding the Mūlādhāra mudra keeps you connected to the earth’s energy.
Thinking, speaking, writing or creating art with the following affirmations can also support bringing your first chakra into alignment and full expression:
- I am safe and grounded
- I am at home in my body
- I am supported and nurtured by Mother Earth
- I am connected and grounded through the earth
- I am rooted in the present moment
- I am exactly where I’m meant to be
- I am healthy, strong, and confident
Physical tools for the root chakra
Activities
Physical exercises targeting the lower body, like squats, lunges, and calf-raises, bring energies downward and ground them in the physical body. Also, a slow, contemplative practice like Tai Chi or Qigong brings your attention to precise movement and therefore roots you in the moment as well as your physical body.
Yoga asanas, or postures, can be used to support root energies, such as
- Arho-mukhshwanasana, Downward-Facing Dog
- Balasana, Child’s Pose
- Malasana, Garland
- Paschimotanasana, Seated Forward Bend
- Tadasana, Mountain
- Utkatasana, Chair
- Virabhadrasana II, Warrior II
- Vrksasana, Tree
Get your hands in the dirt. Gardening literally gives you hands-on exposure to getting and staying immersed in earth energy. Connecting with nature and nurturing a plant from seed to bloom supports accessing a deeper understanding and relationship to life. It will even boost your mood!
Walk or stand barefoot in nature. Earthing or grounding is a therapeutic practice that reconnects you to the electrical charges of the earth through placing your feet which has positive effects on the body. Wearing shoes creates a barrier between us and the earth so if you’re able to be barefoot outdoors, even if only for a few moments, it can fortify your connection with the earth and positively impact your whole-body wellbeing.
Wear red (or incorporate this color into your environment) to boost this chakra’s energy. This color reminds us of the vibrance of life and is the color associated with passion. Go to your favorite red clothing or accessories to easily integrate this grounding energy into the flow of your day.
Foods
The root chakra is supported by eating a variety of foods, especially root vegetables (like carrots, garlic, ginger, horseradish, potatoes, radishes, turnips, and beets. Incorporate some of these grounding foods into your meals and notice if they make your energy shift.
Herbs and essential oils
Ashwagandha is a strengthening root that boosts your immune system, making it one of the most powerful antioxidants. It’s also used for stress, depression, and inflammation.
Cayenne pepper is typically bright red, which ties it to the red Root Chakra. It’s also hot and stimulating, which makes it helpful for opening this energy center and speeding the flow of sluggish life force energy.
Dandelion root helps you connect to your body more consciously by easing your frustrations and making you more focused on your path.
Cedar, frankincense, and myrrh activate the universal grounding energy of the root chakra.
Explore your other chakras:
Chakras: A beginners guide
Sacral Chakra
Solar Plexus Chakra
Heart Chakra
Throat Chakra
Third-Eye Chakra
Crown Chakra