The Root Chakra and its meaning for the human body
The Root Chakra or sometimes referred to as the Red Chakra is the first primary chakra of the human body. It is located at the base of the spine at the bottom of the central channel and comprises the counterpart to the crown chakra, which is located at the top of the central channel. While the letter connects us with the higher, heavenly energies, the root chakra is energetically connected to the earth with its energy vortex pointing downwards through the perineum. The lower frequency of the root chakra grounds us into matter and is regarded as the consciousness border to the animal kingdom. The Red Chakra governs vital body processes and acts as our survival and preservation center.
In Sanskrit this first chakra is called Muladhara (mula= root, origin, essence; adhara=base, foundation) not only to emphasize its importance as a foundation for spiritual upwards development through the higher chakras; with its instinctual nature the root chakra further carries our own karmic as well as ancestral memories.
On a physical level the root chakra is associated with the skeletal structure, the legs, the anus, the prostate, the large intestines and the blood pressure. With regard to our endocrine nervous system the root chakra governs the hormone production in the adrenal glands. These two glands (adrenal cortex and adrenal medulla) produce many essential hormones for internal processes concerning our metabolism, immune system, blood pressure and the fight-or-flight response.
On a psychological level a balanced root chakra will facilitate a feeling of security and faith in life, a healthy connection to all material things like money, power, career, etc., a grounded stability and inner strength. People with an open root chakra feel content in their bodies and are able to easily flow with life and to adjust to the always changing outer reality. Difficulties that may arise are merely seen as experiences that always bear the potential of further growth. A balanced root chakra lets us closely connect to the creations of mother earth and further enables us to enjoy our bodily experiences and to emanate a life-affirming positive attitude.
Root Chakra imbalances
A root chakra imbalance is usually caused by difficulties in early childhood. If parents fail to provide a loving and caring environment in which children feel nurtured and protected, they can neither develop a healthy self-esteem nor trust in the world around them. Some imbalances may have karmic or ancestral reasons that need to be worked on over the third eye chakra.
On a physical level a root chakra imbalance can show in a number of conditions:
- joint ache
- lower back pain
- pain in legs and feet
- osteoporosis
- gastric disease
- constipation/diarrhea
- haemorrhoids
- high blood pressure
- anorexia/obesity
At a psychological level the imbalance may show in an existential fear of bodily life experiences, fear of loss and adhesion to material things. Some people may fear even minor changes to their routine life where others may feel restless without being capable of affiliating themselves to other humans and societies. An overactive root chakra may show in an uncontrolled rage and anger or an animalistic sexuality.
Root Chakra healing
Healing the root chakra should be of major interest as only with an intact foundation we will be able to raise our energy and to fully develop the higher chakras as well.
A root chakra healing will be facilitated by any grounding activity especially in nature, like hiking or gardening. Other powerful tools are appropriate affirmations, chakra mediations and visualizations as well as energy or crystal healing work. Generally, all red and black stones and crystals can be considered root chakra stones as they vibrate on a similar a frequency and will benefit the activating and balancing of this chakra.
The Root Chakra symbol
The root chakra symbol is most commonly depicted as a four pedaled stylized red lotus flower that contains a downward-pointing triangle and the seed syllable LAM. In Hindu tradition, the downward-pointing triangle is a symbol of spirit connecting with matter, grounding on the earth and in our bodies. In Sanskrit depictions the petals have written the syllables वं vaṃ, शं śaṃ, षं ṣaṃ and सं saṃ inscribed which represent mind, intellect, consciousness and ego. These are all functions of the psyche that originate in the root chakra and separate humans from animals.But the four pedals can be interpreted on different levels: The number four is also the number of earth and matter, so one may regard it as the four cardinal directions or the four dimensions that comprise the room for our earthly human experience.
Root chakra meditation
Sit down comfortably with your spine straight and start breathing deeply into your lower abdomen. Slow down your thoughts by focusing solely on your breath. Inhale deeply through the nose, exhale through your mouth. When you have calmed your mind, bring all your awareness to the base of the spine. Visualize the red chakra spinning or pulsating vibrantly. It is not important how exactly you visualize the first chakra, whether as a wheel or a lotus, with or without the sound syllable LAM. Just go with your feelings while you concentrate on the area of the chakra and develop a sense for its vitality and strength. Try to “inhale” the nourishing earth energies through your bright red chakra and to “exhale” the exit energy your body doesn’t need any more.
You can also perform a grounding meditation to strengthen your first chakra: Again, start by sitting down and solely focussing on deep and rhythmic breaths. Imagine now how your central channel extends deep into the earth like tree roots that anchor you. Absorb the nurturing earthly energies through your vibrant first chakra while releasing the exit energy back into the earth.
Below you find a 15min video with beautiful sounds that will be beneficial for your root chakra meditation as the sounds vibrate on the same frequencies as the root chakra:
If you rather prefer a guided meditation which further root chakra affirmations you may use the 15min video below: