A home needs a good foundation to withstand storms, and all that Mother Nature brings to us. Our bodies are the same way, and the root chakra is our foundation.
We require good, solid foundations to carry us through life, and sometimes we need a bit of help when we are experiencing shifts in our life, or the world around us.
Your root chakra is a stabilizer that supports all energy that springs upward. It provides focus, discipline and a sturdy base. It’s a reminder of who we really are and prevents us from scattering our energies by bringing the validation to our existence.
The root chakra is location of life and survival – food, air water, shelter – the basics of life. It is your core; it defines the core of you. In Sanskrit, the name is Muladhara, which literally means root.
The reason that yogis traditionally sit in the familiar cross-legged position is so that the root chakra touches the earth as they meditate – not figuratively or symbolically, but physically touching the ground.
The root chakra is about survival. People who have open root chakras love their lives – love their physical incarnation in their present bodies. People who pine away for heaven, future happiness, moksha; people who wish they were somewhere else (be it physically or in some allegorical way) have a root chakra malfunction. So do people who are angry, fearful, cynical, distrustful, frustrated, envious, jealous, stingy – the list goes on.
The ultimate root chakra success is empowerment and love of life. Various common daily exercises help our root chakra to stay healthy, such as jumping up and down, kicking, jogging, stamping your feet, resting, eating (don’t overdo it!), and sleeping.
Being in nature is extremely helpful. Working with soil helps your root chakra, as does viewing sunrises and sunsets, walking in nature, generally being outside.
Scents can also support this chakra, specifically cedar and clove.
Yoga postures that support the root chakra are Apanasana (knee to chest), Setu Bhandasana (bridge pose), Shalabhasana (half locust and full locust) and Janus Sirsasana (head to knee pose).
Stones and crystals can help support this chakra, too, and you can find tumbled stones, specimens and jewelry on at crystal-life.com in all these areas – just type in the name in our search bar: agate, bloodstone, carnelian, garnet, hematite, red jasper, obsidian, black onyx, red coral, rhodonite, ruby, smokey quartz, black tourmaline, & clear quartz. These stones all have attributes that assist you in staying grounded in your “root.”
The benefits of keeping this chakra healthy radiates through every aspect of your life. Belief in oneself, feeling safe, assurance that your choices are right for you, and having a belief that all will work as needed. A healthy root chakra enables you to successfully maneuver through your world.