How to Activate the Root Chakra – The First of the Seven Chakras

Are you fearful, anxious, and worried? Do you feel unstable and insecure? Do you feel lost and unconnected, as if you do not know where you belong? If so, your Root Chakra is blocked, and we are here to help you unblock it.

What is Root Chakra?

In our last article, we explained the seven Chakras and its significance in our life. The Root Chakra is the first of our energy centers. It is associated with the first task we undertake after birth, and that is to determine “Do I belong here?” This question is instinctual, and it has to do with our survival instinct.

Power of the Root Chakra

The energies of the Root Chakra help us feel grounded and connected to this Earth. Balanced Root Chakra makes us feel safe, stable, and secure.  It makes us feel stable during a crisis and trust our survival instinct. It helps us remain calm, confident and fight against all odds.  

What happens when we ignore the Root Chakra?

To ignore Root Chakra is to threaten our very survival. We experience fear.

Fear is the demon of the Root Chakra as it counteracts the sense of safety and security that this Chakra ideally brings.

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When these energies are stuck, stagnant, imbalanced, or blocked, our enthusiasm for life is also compromised. We start questioning our sense of belonging in the world, leaving us with a feeling of insecurity and instability.

There is not a single reason for feeling insure in life – there are many.

It could be because of health problems, a financial crisis, traumatic experiences, or unresolved conflicts, particularly from our childhood. It could be as simple as being confused and not understanding where life is taking you at this moment.

As long as these situations remain unresolved, we remain trapped in this first Chakra, and we find difficulties opening up a higher level of Chakras.

And so, it is vital to continuously focus on stabilizing our Root Chakra as it is responsible for holding up all the Chakras.

Fear is natural, isn’t it?

It is! Fear is hardwired in our brains.

In his book Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind, author Yuval Noah Harari suggests our ancestors, while living in the wild, were not on top of the food chain. Fear was quite useful in that context as it enabled them to survive. Then in a blink of an eye, we created agriculture and arrived on the very top of the food chain.

From an evolutionary standpoint, we evolved so fast that our nervous system did not get time to adapt to our new circumstances. And so, even though we have progressed, our nervous system is still in that jungle-era. We are always fearful that something terrible would happen to us.

Nonetheless, fear is problematic

French philosopher Mechel de Montaigne said, “He who fears he shall  suffer, already suffers he fears.”

How true it is!

We treat our fear as boundaries beyond which we do not dare to venture. It is a pity because only through taking our concerns head-on, we can access the moments of life where the magic truly happens.

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And thus, inappropriate levels of fear and insecurities can be a sign that our Root Chakra foundation is damaged. And the only way to wake up Root Chakra is by facing our fear.

What is the mantra for activating our Root Chakra?

The mantra is simple – only through grounding and going back to our roots; we gain nourishment, power, stability, and growth.

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Grounding is a process of dynamic contact with the Earth, with its edges, boundaries, and limitations. Here are a few simple techniques of grounding (in case if you want to explore more )

• Get in touch with your close friends and family members who care for you. They will make you think you belong here, and you are loved.  
• Even a simple physical touch, such as a hug, can help you.
• Physical exercise is the must. Since the element of the Root Chakra is Earth, it is essential that you focus on physical exercises.  Even in a simple physical exercise, such as walking, you will experience stillness and calmness, and you will feel grounded.
• Making something with your hands – for example, gardening, painting, cooking, can be soothing.

Recommended Simple Yoga Poses

All the standing poses and sun salutations are great for the Root Chakra. These poses increase your stamina and vitality and keep you grounded to the Earth.

We recommend a few simple yoga poses that you can practice at home.

• Find a quiet place.
• If possible, play any soothing music.
• Try to stay in each pose for 2-5 minutes (depending upon the complexity of the Asana).
• Take a deep breath, and feel the first Chakra expanding all along with the place where your leg meets your torso.
• Learn to accept your body, feel it, validate it, and love it.

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The more you feel grounded and connected to the Earth, the more you can embrace stillness, solidity, and clarity.

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Here is the magic of the color Red

Remember the STOP SIGN. What color is it? Red. And that is the color of the Root Chakra as it commands ATTENTION.

Red is the most stimulating color, and it is the color of the life force. Do you know red is the first color that we come into contact with when we are born?

In short, red carries our connection with the Earth.

• Wear more red color clothes. We have found doing Yoga wearing a red color top helpful too.
• Surround yourself with red paintings.
• Use a red cup for your coffee, or tea.
• Staring at a red color screen might help you.

What can you eat?

Dr. Judith, in her book Wheels of Life: A user’s guide to the Chakras recommends meat and proteins the right foods for grounding. Meat takes longer to digest than most other foods and, therefore, stays in the digestive tract longer.

Nonetheless, she recommends, it is not necessary to eat meat to be grounded. It is the protein that is most important for the structural tissue associated with the first Chakra.

A vegetarian diet such as tofu, beans, nuts, eggs, and dairy products are recommended.

Deep Relaxation Exercise for Root Chakra

We have created a guided mediation for you to open up the Root Chakra. Please note that we have used the same script, as suggested in the book Wheels of Life: A user’s guide to the Chakras by Dr. Judth.

This exercise is also called conscious relaxation. We have recorded it so you can hear the instruction. But it is also easy to do at your rhythm without any guidance.

Before you get into this deep relaxation exercise, lie flat on your back and get comfortable. Make sure you are warm enough. You may need a light blanket.

Short Meditation Exercise for Root Chakra

Once again, we have used the same script, as suggested in the book Wheels of Life: A user’s guide to the Chakras by Dr. Judith.

Before you get into this 5-minute meditation, find a comfortable chair and sit with your back straight—plant both the feet on the floor. Once you are ready with it, listen to this audio.

Mantra for Root Chakra

The Bīja Mantra (Seed Mantra) of the Root Chakra is LĀM, the sound of spiritual awakening.  It releases tensions and removes blockages in this Chakra and activates its energy. Here is a video that we have found helpful.

And lastly, do not forget forget to save this positive Root Chakra Affirmation

Summarizing Root Chakra

Sanskrit Name	Muladhara
Meaning	Root Support
Location	Perineum, Base of Spine
Element	Earth
Function	Survival, Grounding
Inner State	Stillness, Security, Stability
Rights	Right to be here, Right to have
Outer Manifestation	Solid
Glands	Adrenals
Other Body parts	Legs, feet, bones, large intestine, teeth
Malfunction	Weight problems, constipation, arthritis, knee troubles
Color	Red
Sense	Smell
Seed Sound	Lam
Petals	Four
Foods	Proteins
Guna	Tamas

This is a part of the Chakra Series blog. We will write about the different Chakras and what Asanas you can practice to stimulate them.

Stay tuned, and do not forget to subscribe if you want to receive our blogs or bi-weekly newsletter (stories influenced by the eastern philosophy) directly in the inbox.