The root chakra (muladhara) is the first chakra located at the base of your spine, the pelvic floor, and the first three vertebrae, and its energy is based on the earth element. If your root chakra is open and balanced, you will have the feeling of safety, stability, and grounding. It will also provide support and foundation in your life.

What happens if your root chakra is not balanced?

An imbalance in root chakra can cause anxiety, fear, pain in the feet and legs, weight gain in the bottom half of the body, vulnerability, and feeling of isolation. The root chakra is believed to be your survival center, making it the most instinctual of all chakras. The primary energy of root chakra is the source of our survival instinct. 

If your root chakra is open and balanced, you will have the feeling of safety, stability, and grounding.

The characteristics of root chakra

• The root chakra is instinctual: The main focus of our root chakra is to satisfy our primary needs, which include food, water, shelter, and survival. Overeating, hoarding of material items, and greed for money are a few of negative expressions of our need for survival, and these are the signs of an unbalanced root chakra. When our basic survival needs are not met, our root chakra becomes dysfunctional, causing us to disconnect from the earth. 
• The root chakra provides the foundation of our emotional, mental, and physical health: The root chakra also provides the foundation for your mental and emotional health, as well as your physical well-being. A balanced root chakra can provide your emotional needs like letting go of fear and anxiety, and you will feel grounded and secure. An imbalance in root chakra can cause a variety of mental illnesses and stress which can also affect your overall physical wellness.

Signs of a blocked root chakra

When the root chakra is blocked and not balanced, it can cause mental stress which is visible through one’s physicality. A person may be suffering from a blocked root chakra if he shows signs of spinal issues, such as slouching, and other skeletal problems that arise from the lack of support and grounding. 

Others suffer from digestion disorders because they are unable to recycle emotional waste. Lack of confidence and insecurity when dealing with others is also another sign that a person’s root chakra is not balanced.

Some people encounter reproductive issues because their subconscious feels like they cannot build a strong foundation for a family life. Insomnia and difficulty to stay asleep are signs of anxiety, which is also an indication that the root chakra may not be in good condition.

How to unblock your root chakra

There are several ways to unblock your root chakra, such as doing meditation that is focused on grounding, doing yoga poses that encourage stability, using crystals and aromatherapy that have healing properties, and so much more. 

Let go of your worries and cares. Invite, with each breath, stability and balance into your life.

Here are some ways to help unblock your root chakra:

• Meditate on positive affirmations about stability and security

Meditating on and repeating positive affirmations can help set intentions for breaking old habits and creating new ones. Positive affirmations that relate to meeting your needs, staying present, and being safe can help open your root chakra. 

Some positive affirmations that can help strengthen your root chakra include:

• I am centered and grounded.
• I am safe and stable.
• I am confident in all that I do.
• I have self-love and I take care of my well-being.
• I am open to all possibilities.

• Practice yoga poses that help stabilize the root chakra

The practice of yoga asanas helps connect the body, mind, and spirit, making them one and united. Grounding vinayasas contain a series of grounding yoga poses that focus to stimulate the root chakra. 

Some yoga poses that can help you become rooted and grounded include the following:

• Warrior 1, 2, and 3 (virabhadrasana 1, 2, 3)
• Child’s pose (balasana)
• Mountain pose (tadasana)
• Tree pose (vrksasana)
• Full squat (malasana)

• Use crystals and aromatherapy

Using the right crystals and aromatherapy is believed to have healing properties that can help unblock the root chakra and heal the subconscious mind from unpleasant past experiences. These ancient therapeutic techniques have powerful healing properties that can awaken feelings of safety and security.

The scent of earthly essential oils, such as the following, can help activate the root chakra:

• Cedarwood
• Patchouli
• Sandalwood
• Myrrh
• Vetiver

You can also open your root chakra by keeping certain crystals and stones handy, including:

• Carnelian
• Bloodstone
• Red Jasper
• Obsidian
• Hermatite

• Reconnect with the earth

Sometimes the cause of our anxiety, lack of self-confidence, and blocked root chakra is our lack of connection to the earth.

Nature therapy is one of the most effective ways of healing — not only the root chakra, but mostly all parts of our being. Because most of us have become more indoor creatures, sometimes the cause of our anxiety, lack of self-confidence, and blocked root chakra is our lack of connection to the earth. Human beings are not — and should not be — separated from our environment. 

Lack of exposure to nature can be toxic and mentally draining. Sometimes, the only therapy that we need is the feel of the grass beneath our feet, the smell of the ocean breeze, the sound of the chirping birds, and a moment of solitude underneath the shade of a tree.

Stay grounded

Reconnecting with your root is essential in maintaining balance and harmony in your life. If you encounter symptoms of a blocked root chakra, or if you feel like your root chakra is not balanced, it’s important to do something about it right away so healing won’t be too difficult to achieve. Try the above tips on how to unblock your root chakra and see which one works best for you. Stay grounded, and stay healthy!

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