Feeling energized and motivated to get your day going is vital. It can be difficult sometimes to keep your energy up throughout the day. Do you find that you are tired quite often? Do you procrastinate, have a hard time setting boundaries or getting motivated? Your root chakra maybe blocked. You might be asking, what is a chakra?
The chakras were first discovered in India thousands of years ago. The word chakra in Sanskrit essentially means “spinning disc”. Chakras are energy wheels within your body. There are seven main chakras: root chakra, sacral chakra, solar plexus charka, heart chakra, throat chakra, third eye chakra, and the crown chakra. They are separate yet connected to the physical and energetic body. These spinning discs support and process energy that flow through you.
Each chakra is associated with different aspects of your life and self, they keep us in balance and aligned. When a chakra is blocked and there are many reasons why a chakra can be blocked, these discs are no long spinning at a healthy capacity. Below gives you a better understanding of the root chakra, what it looks like when it is blocked and how to open it and connect with your power.
Root Chakra (Mūlādhāra)
Meaning: Root and basis of existence
Colour: Red
Symbol: Wisdom and strength
Element: Earth
Energy Type: Male
Animal: Elephant
Mantra: Lam
The first chakra is called the Root Chakra or Mūlādhāra in Sanskrit. It sits at the base of the spine by the tailbone. The root chakra is associated with survival, safety and security. There are two smaller chakras in your feet that feed into the root chakra and bring up the energy from the Earth. Since it is the first chakra of the main seven, it feeds into the other chakras. This is important to have your root chakra spinning properly because it fuels higher chakras and gives you energy. The root chakra is associated with the adrenaline glands, which initiates the fight or flight response. If your root chakra is out of balance, you may have an overactive fight or flight response because you do not feel safe. This can cause apprehension, anxiety, and stress.
Symbol
The symbol of the root chakra is associated with wisdom and strength. The four red lotus petals are associated with these four elements: mind, intellect, consciousness and ego. The upside down triangle represents the funnel of knowledge and as it narrows into the triangular point, it signifies wisdom and spiritual awakening.
Is your root chakra in balance?
When you have a healthy root chakra you feel stable and grounded. Here are some questions you can ask yourself:
· Do you feel connected with nature?
· Are you financially stable?
· Do you have a healthy family dynamic?
· Are you energetic and vibrant during your day?
· Do you find it easy to let go and forgive others?
· Are you assertive and comfortable with conflict?
· Can you set healthy boundaries with others?
· Do you feel empowered?
If you answered, “yes” to these questions then you have a healthy root chakra. If you are unsure and perhaps answered, “no” to the majority of these questions, then you may have some work to do with opening your root chakra.
Do you have an overactive root chakra?
When you have an overactive root chakra, this means the chakra could be blown open. Some symptoms of an overactive root chakra can include quick to anger, stubborn, overly aggressive, often picks fights and argues with others. Other symptoms include extreme sense of insecurity and obsessive attachment to material things and wealth.
Do you have an unhealthy root chakra?
When your root chakra is out of balance or blocked, you may be fearful, anxious or feel ungrounded. You may feel exhausted with a lack of energy and/or you may also feel unworthy.
Financial burdens: You may worry about your finances and stability. Ask yourself, “What is my relationship with money? Was there a lack of financial security growing up? Did I feel safe?” These associations and experiences shape your attitude toward finances and feeling secure in your environment. It is hard not to worry about finances if you cannot make ends meet and you are living pay cheque to pay cheque. Couple this with not feeling worthy of success can be a detrimental downfall. These negative thoughts can have a powerful pull on the energy around you and can start manifesting against you. This is where you can help to manifest wealth and focus on positive energy to draw positive experiences towards you. The concept of manifesting is simple enough, however our minds naturally have a tendency to focus on negative thoughts over positive ones. This is where you have to retrain your mind and become highly aware of your thoughts. This will help you to start working on changing these thoughts into a positive light. Another aspect that is extremely important for you to be able to manifest, is in believing in yourself. You need to believe that you are worthy of success. Holding financial success on a pedestal that is out of reach from
you will keep it there instead of drawing these experiences towards you. Do you want financial abundance in your life? If so, you can read more on manifesting with best practices to help you succeed. Also, you can read more on the solar plexus chakra, which is associated with abundance and success. Opening this chakra will help to assist you on your manifesting abundance journey.
Lack of boundaries: If you have challenges with boundaries, this can also affect your root chakra. Is it hard for you to say no to others? Do you find it difficult to put your own needs above others? This is an area that you need to start evaluating your boundaries with others. Try to focus on setting healthy boundaries. You can be assertive and have critical conversations without being confrontational.
Physical symptoms: Feeling lethargic with little energy, cold hands or feet, problems with the colon or the bladder, pain in the legs or cramping, and/or lower back pain.
How do you clear a blocked root chakra?
Exercising: The root chakra is the most physical of the chakras. Since this chakra focuses on your physical and basic needs, it is also the most primal. One of the ways to help unblock your root chakra is through physical exercise focusing on strengthening your legs and stability.
Below is a list of exercising reps that can help you strengthen the root chakra:
Sumo squats x 20 reps
Sumo sidekicks x 20 reps
Side left toe touch squat x 20 reps
Side right toe touch squat x 20 reps
Squat jump x 20 reps
Lunge left leg to reverse kick x 20 reps
Lunge right leg to reverse kick x 20 reps
Sumo squat front left leg kick x 20 reps
Sumo squat front right leg kick x 20 reps
Yoga for Your Root Chakra
Yoga can play an important role in helping to strengthen chakras. As with meditating, yoga helps to calm your mind and open up your body through breathing. The following yoga poses focus on strengthening your legs and grounding them into the earth to help ignite the root chakra.
· Tadasana (Mountain pose)
· Utkatasana (Chair pose)
· Virabhadrasana II (Warrior II)
· Padmasana (Lotus flexion)
· Mālāsana (Garland pose)
Crystals
Crystals can be used to help clear blockages within chakras. The crystals below are associated with the root chakra and can assist in removing blockages. Most crystals associated with the root chakra help to release negative energy, give protection and help with grounding. When you are using crystals to clear chakras, you will need to meditate to become in a state of high vibrations to help move the blockages. This is also the same for affirmations, if you are not in a high vibrational state when repeating affirmations, there will be little affect because it is these high vibrations that affect the energy around you. For the root chakra, use the following crystals by your feet or on your root chakra to help with grounding yourself.
Obsidian: Is a deep black crystal created from volcanic glass. This powerful stone creates a shield of protection. It helps to release stress and tension. This is a grounding stone and is useful for reigning in scattered energies or when you are spreading yourself too thin. Obsidian helps to absorb electromagnetic radiation.
Hematite: Is an iron oxide with enhanced grounding properties. It is a shiny metallic grey crystal that absorbs negative energy and helps to calm tension and anxiety. Hematite enhances confidence and strength during challenging times. It is also considered a protection stone to shield against negative energy.
Black Tourmaline: Shields and protects against negative energy and transforms dense energy into light. Promotes confidence and helps to diminish fear and anxiety.
Breathwork
In my experience, breathwork has been very beneficial for healing the chakras. Conscious connected breath is an active breathing technique. It over oxygenates the body to start releasing stagnant energy that could be in your body for years lying dormant. It helps energy to flow throughout the body. It has been used to help with ailments within the body. During a session, I had set the intention to release negative energy and open my root chakra. I had pressure building up in my legs as I was releasing. I realized it was fear I was holding on to and not feeling secure in who I was, that I was not good enough. Once I let go of this fear and reassured myself, the pressure released from my legs. It felt like my legs were sinking into the earth becoming one with the ground and I had hot sensations that vibrated through my body.
Meditation
Combining meditation with visualization is a powerful way to open your chakras. The more your imagination can use its creative imagery to paint a world of possibilities, the more you become fully immersed in the meditation. Listen to the free guided audio meditation to assist in opening your root chakra.
Affirmations
“I am safe and secure”
“The universe will always support me”
“I keep healthy boundaries”
“I am worthy”
“I am grounded and supported”
“I am assertive”
“My roots grow deep into the earth”
“I am connected to nature”
“I am one with the earth”
“I’m worth it!”
Opening Sensations
When your chakras start opening, they affect people in different ways. You may be asking yourself, “What does it feel like when my root chakra opens?” There are different feelings and sensations associated with the root chakra opening. Some of them may include a vibrational or tingling feeling in your legs and at the base of the spine. There may also be intense sensations of feeling heat in certain parts of your body. Your feet may start to become highly sensitive or your body may feel heavy and grounded to the earth.