Nurture Your Foundation: All About the Root Chakra

Your root chakra is known to be the foundation of your chakra system. It's associated with the Earth element, which symbolizes stability, physicality, grounding, and survival instincts. Just as the earth supports life, the root chakra supports our energy and establishes a stable foundation for our energetic well-being.

I think we can all agree that a strong foundation leads to good things all around. For this reason, I think the root chakra is a great place to start in your chakra studies. If you make sure this chakra is happy, the rest of your chakras will most certainly benefit as well.

The root chakra has a powerful influence on well-being...

When exploring the root chakra more deeply, it's a good idea to understand its powerful influence on our well-being.

What do we have to learn from the root chakra?

Root chakra lessons are all about learning to establish a secure foundation within your self and the physical world as well as cultivating a deep sense of belonging and the ability to meet basic survival needs.

Physical Dysfunction.

Physically, when there are imbalances in the root chakra, the body may develop such issues as sciatica, lower back pain, issues with the legs and feet as well as problems with the muscles, skeletal structure, adrenal glands, bones, and blood. Imbalances can also manifest as issues with elimination and overall energy and vitality.

Mental/Emotional Issues.

Root chakra imbalances cause feelings of insecurity and a variety of chronic anxieties, fears and worries. Common sources of worry include things such as physical safety, housing, money and basic needs.

Spiritual Issues.

Spiritual issues may include disconnection from the body, disconnection from one's surroundings, a lack of motivation, purpose and/or meaning in life and a difficult time feeling grounded and present in the moment.

Some people will feel unavoidably disconnected from others, often family, community and society in general. They may feel devoid of fulfillment and life purpose and incredibly stuck in their suffering.

Possible causes for energy blocks

All trauma, especially childhood experiences of instability and/or a lack of safety can create blockages. Often generational trauma has a part to play as well, whether witnessed, handed down or inherited through the energy body.

Other causes of energy blockages include chronic stress and constant "fight or flight", a lack of grounding and nutritious foods, a sedentary lifestyle, sleep deprivation and overuse of drugs, alcohol and/or caffeine.

Your environment can also contribute to disruptions to your root chakra. Spending too much time indoors and not enough time out in nature can most definitely cause disturbances to this foundational chakra.

Healing your root chakra

There is no magic exercise that will immediately and fully heal a chakra. I recommend treating each chakra like a very good friend. Start by deliberately creating a relationship with each chakra. Set the intention to listen, get to know and appreciate this chakra on a deeper level than ever before.

Ask your root chakra questions like, "What do you want me to know?" and any of the following:

Questions about Security and Stability:

• "Do I feel safe and secure in my current environment?"
• "What are my basic needs, and are they being met?"
• "Where do I feel most grounded and stable?"
• "Do I feel a sense of belonging in my community or family?"
• "How secure do I feel regarding my finances and resources?"

Questions about Connection to the Physical Body and Earth:

• "How connected do I feel to my physical body?"
• "Do I engage in activities that ground me, such as spending time in nature?"
• "What is my relationship with the physical world around me?"
• "How do I feel about my physical health?"

Questions about Fears and Anxieties:

• "What are my deepest fears related to survival and security?"
• "Do I experience feelings of anxiety or instability?"
• "What past experiences may be contributing to feelings of insecurity?"
• "How do I react when I feel threatened or unsafe?"

Questions about Foundational Beliefs:

• "What are my core beliefs about my right to exist and thrive?"
• "Do I believe I am worthy of having my basic needs met?"
• "What belief patterns have I inherited from my family regarding security and stability?"

By giving these questions some thought and attention, you can start to get to know your root chakra and determine where you may have issues that need attention.

To heal and balance the Root Chakra, I recommend practices such as grounding, yoga, meditation, and spending time in nature.

Below are a few other things you can do to support the health and balance of your root chakra.

Grounding.

Get outside! Put your bare feet on the earth... this could be dirt, grass or sand - any natural surface of the earth. You can simply sit with your bare feet on the earth or you can stand, walk or play. As long as your feet are on the earth, you will be grounding your energy field.

There are also ways that you can use your hands to ground yourself through energy techniques. For a more thorough understanding of how you can ground yourself, please visit this page on grounding techniques.

Nature.

Spending time in nature is grounding and healthy for your root chakra.

Red Foods.

You can also consume more red foods, such as red potatoes (potatoes are very grounding as well), beets, tomatoes, red peppers, radishes, red apples, cherries, cranberries, raspberries, pomegranates, watermelon and strawberries. I like to put a few of these foods together to make nourishing smoothies and juices.

One way to do this is to spend a few days focusing on getting plenty of foods of one color to support the corresponding chakra. Another option is to alternate color day by day, strengthening a different chakra each day through this color focused nourishment.

Root Vegetables.

Root vegetables are also incredibly grounding to your root chakra. Eat as many root vegetables as you would like.

Crystal Healing.

Grounding crystals such as black tourmaline, red jasper and hematite (see above for the full list), can support healing and balancing of the root chakra.

Some ways to use crystals to help heal a chakra include, wearing your chosen chakra crystal as jewelry or carrying it in your pocket or clothes. You can also place it by your bed, in your work space or throughout your home.

Healing and balancing your root chakra will have everything to do with grounding. You can hold a grounding crystal in your hand as you walk barefoot on the earth and imagine the crystal flows throughout your entire body and out your feet and from your tail bone, creating beautiful roots that go deeply into the ground and hold firm, once set. Imagine no matter how hard you tug, these roots won't budge.

You can focus and enhance the energy of any cryatal by placing it in a crystal grid. This is where you arrange several crystals in a geometic pattern and focus deeply on an intention. You can even put an affirmation or photo in the center of the grid, if you choose.

A crystal grid can be done all on it's own or along with a meditation, such as the one below. Any type of meditation along with your chosen healing crystal can be incredibly balancing and healing to the root chakra.

Here is a basic crystal meditation that foucuses on your root chakra:

Basic Crystal Meditation for Root Chakra Healing. Sit or lye down in a quiet, comfortable place, where you won't be interrupted. Take a few slow, deep breaths. Set your intentions by repeated one or more affirmations such as, "I am safe. I am grounded. I am deeply connected to the Earth. I am present in my body" Holding the crystal in your hand or placing it on your root chakra, imagine its energy flowing into the base of your spine. Visualize the energy enveloping your root chakra and then sending roots deep down into the ground. Imagine the roots flow from the base of your spine, through your legs and feet, and keep growing and reaching deeper and deeper until arriving at the crystaline center of the earth. Once you feel deeply rooted, image tugging on the roots and they remain firm. Meditate like this for 10 to 15 minutes.