If you’ve been to a yoga class, chances are you heard or saw something about chakras while you were in the studio. Now, the better question is, do you know what the heck chakras are? Don’t worry if you didn’t. Most people don’t really learn about them until they decide to go through a 200 hour yoga teacher training.
Chakra is a Sanskrit word that directly translates to wheel in English. Chakras are thought of like these little wheels of energy residing all throughout our bodies. And depending on the location of each energy center, there are also different qualities and needs associated with it.
Although we’re believed to have chakras all over the physical body, we often only focus on 7 chakras in yoga classes. These 7 chakras are essentially located up and down the entire length of the spine. From the tailbone, all the way to the crown of the head.
Chakra healing and chakra balancing is a great way to feel as good in your body, mind, and heart as possible. All chakras play an important role in our ability to express ourselves, connect with others, and our perspective of reality at large. As you can imagine, when we’re out of balance- then our lives might be seriously impacted as a result.
How To Unblock Your Root Chakra
Today’s post is all about the Root Chakra. I’ll share practical ways in which you can work on unblocking your Root Chakra all on your own. You might also be wondering why you should even care about your Root Chakra, and what the point of unblocking it is. I get it.
The point is so that you this energy center can be in harmony, rather than too open, or too closed. When the root chakra is blocked, oftentimes it’s thought to cause stress, restlessnesses, a feeling of stuckness, or lack of direction. And, let’s be real, no one wants that!
Plus, working on balancing the Root Chakra will get you feeling grounded, more present, more stable, and nourished from the inside out.
What is Root Chakra
The Root Chakra is otherwise known as the Muladhara Chakra. This is the first chakra of the 7 chakras in yoga. As I already mentioned, it’s located at the base of the spine. Which can help you think of it like a foundation from which you can build on. The color red correlates with this first chakra. And when you’re in balance here you feel safe and secure.
The element associated with the Root Chakra is the Earth element. I like to mention this, because whether you “believe” in chakras or not, you can certainly admit that the Earth is very real, right? Now, close your eyes and think about the qualities of the Earth element. Oftentimes, words that come to mind are strong, sturdy, stable, nurturing, consistent, structured. The Earth is very tangible, it’s physical to the touch.
Guess what? These are all qualities of the Root Chakra, as well! Which is why the functions of the root chakra make sense. Remember, it’s your foundation. So, having a strong connection to your root chakra also means being connected to your body, and your ability to be present in the physical world. A healthy root chakra is all about grounding and stabilization within the material world- our bodies, finances, and housing.
Which means if your Root Chakra is blocked, these areas of your life are likely a little out of whack.
Sometimes a blocked Root Chakra shows up in a case of excess, meaning you have too much Earth energy. This results in sluggishness, feeling stuck, low motivation, a loss of zest for life, not feeling connected at all.
While other times an out of balance Root Chakra shows up as a deficiency, or not enough energy flow to the area. This usually means there’s an excess of another element (often Air, as it’s the opposite of Earth), which can show up as no longer connected to the earth, spacy, unorganized, unstable in your relationships, job, finances, and housing. In this case, you need to add that Earth energy in to find a more balanced way of being.
How To Open Root Chakra
In this post we’re specifically discussing how to open the Root Chakra. This means that your Root Chakra is deficient, because you don’t have enough Earth energy. If your Root Chakra is out of balance because it’s in excess, then you have too much Earth energy- and these tips won’t actually be helpful for you, because we’re adding Earth energy in, whereas you’d want to reduce it.
Remember, like all forms of healing, chakra healing isn’t linear. In fact, it comes with a constant check in, and will likely have ebbs and flows in the process. One day, you might feel like you have a healthy root chakra, and you’re incredibly connected to your open root chakra. While other days, you might feel disconnected, and all over the place.
Ride the waves. Be compassionate with yourself, and allow the changes to occur as they do.
Yoga
The Root Chakra governs the lowest parts of the body: the feet, ankles, calves, thighs, hamstrings. We don’t want to travel too far up the legs into the hips, because that’s for the Sacral Chakra. This means, if you’re working on opening your Root Chakra in a yoga class, you’d want to choose poses that focus on the feet and legs, as well as postures that are lower to the ground.
Remember, we’re working on Earthy energy. That means the class will likely have a lot of standing balancing postures, strong lunges, and groundwork. Poses like Tree Pose, Warrior 1, Warrior 2, Crescent Lunge, Toe Stand, and Baby Cobra are all Root Chakra poses.
Naturally, backbend shapes work more into the Heart Chakra. However, because we’re cultivating a lot of strength in the legs to safely open the chest, backbends can also be great shapes to add in. Check out my post on 9 backbends for your yoga practice to get a better idea of what I mean.
Pranayama
Pranayama is controlled breathing. While many breathing exercise techniques are grounding by nature, there are a few that are a must for balancing the Root Chakra.
The most simple place to start is with equal breath in and out through the nose. From there, you can add box breathing, by inhaling for the count of 5, holding for the count of 5, exhaling for the count of 5, holding for the count of 5, and starting over again.
Lastly, alternate nostril breathing is a soothing breathing technique that totally chills out the nervous system in a gentle way. You can also add equal breathing to your alternate nostril breath. Or, you can add box breathing in with it, as well.
Affirmations
Positive affirmations can go a long way if we let them. Do you set an intention for your yoga practice before you start? If you don’t, today is a great day to start! Or, maybe you just want to set an intention for your day, your week, or your month. This can be something super simple- like one word. Or, it can be a little longer, like a full phrase.
When we use affirmations for the Root Chakra, we want to use words that have Earth energy. A few examples:
I am strong
I am powerful
I am connected
I am in my body
I am stable
I am unwavering
I am grounded
Meditation
You can always carry your affirmation with you into your meditation, as well. Some people like to work with the chakra system in their meditations by adding crystals, essential oils, or certain chants, as well. Red jasper is a great crystal to work with for the Root Chakra. Earthy scents are perfect for essential oils, and the seed mantra of the Root Chakra is LAM.
Otherwise, you can work on sitting in stillness. Notice your connection to the Earth in your meditation. Perhaps use a visualization to guide you deeper.
Check out my 21 Day Chakra Reset series for movement and meditation.
Food
When we want to ground down with our diet, the best way to start is with cooked foods. Think of that warm cozy feeling when you have a home cooked meal. Or perhaps something comforting from childhood that your mom made you. These have an Earthy quality to them.
If you want to get a little more particular, focus on root veggies (sweet potatoes, beets, carrots, turnips, etc). And make sure that you’re cooking everything, rather than eating raw food. Stews, soups, and roasts are a great option when you need to balance your Root Chakra as these foods help us to get into the body.
Habits
Lastly, you’ll want to work on your habits. How are you embodying the Earth with what you do? This means you’ll want to look at the structure in your life, as well as your consistency.
For tips on creating more structure, check out my post on morning routines. And for tips on cultivating consistency with our habits, read about habit stacking as a method to try. Remember, ritual Earthy, because there’s a predictability and sameness to it that’s nourishing and reliable. These are characteristics you need to work on embodying when you’re working on unblocking your Root Chakra.
Enjoy the process, my friends. I can’t wait to hear how this journey goes for you!
xx,
K
