What is the Root Chakra?

The Root Chakra is the first chakra and the root of the chakra system. The Sanskrit meaning is "root support" which refers to our inner strength and stability, as well as the support of the earth. This is the first of the chakras to form, between birth and the age of two and is a reflection of our base survival needs. It is at this tender age that we first develop trust and where we first learn about belonging and protection. When our basic needs are perhaps not met, and when we are unable to trust our caregivers, this creates imbalances in the root chakra, which are often carried into adulthood.

During a reiki session, the information I pick up most frequently pick up relating to the Root Chakra is around safety and security. How safe you feel in your body, how safe you feel in your relationships. It is also the chakra where fear resides.

Root Chakra Basics

Colour: Red

Element: Earth

Crystals: Red jasper, Onyx, Hematite, Bloodstone, Red Carnelian, Obsidian

Location: Base of spine, tailbone, pelvic floor

What does the Root Chakra control?

  • Basic survival instincts (money, food, water)

  • Financial stability

  • Mental, physical and spiritual stability

How to know when your Root Chakra is blocked?

  • Unstable, unsupported or threatened

  • Scattered, stressed or anxious

  • Overcome with fear

  • Lazy or sluggish

  • Needy or codependent

  • Ungrounded or disconnected

How to know when your Root Chakra is balanced?

  • Fully supported and strong

  • Willpower and resilience 

  • Self-trust and trust of others

  • Connected to the earth and nature 

  • Feeling financially, mentally, physically and spiritually stable

What to do when your Root Chakra is blocked?

  • Reiki is an amazing way to shift this energy

  • Wear the colour red

  • Hold, wear or sleep with crystals associated with this chakra

  • Burn incense or use essential oils such as Myrrh, Vetiver or Cedarwood

  • Eat foods such as raspberries, strawberries, tomatoes, red apples or root vegetables such as carrots, potatoes, parsnips, radishes or beets

  • Connect with nature to feel more grounded, walk barefoot on the earth, sit on grass or on the beach and feel the support of the earth beneath you

  • Practice meditation and visualise the colour red

  • Move your body! Dance, run or walk to feel the blood running through your body

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Chakras

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What is the Sacral Chakra?