What is the Root Chakra?
The root chakra, or the Muladhara chakra, is the first energy center in the larger seven chakra system found within the human body. It is often considered the foundation upon which all the other chakras and aspects of embodied human experience are built.
Located at the base of the spine, this chakra plays a vital role in establishing a sense of security, stability, and connection to the physical world.
In this post, you’ll learn the essence of the root chakra, its associations, healthy expressions, and the benefits of its balanced expressions.
You’ll also find 50 positive root chakra affirmations to practice at the end of the post to support a healthy and balanced expression of this energy center.
Associations and Characteristics of the Root Chakra
The root chakra is associated with themes of physical security, safety, grounding, and the primal instinct of self-protection. It’s associated with having your basic physical needs met.
The root chakra is often associated with the color red, representing vitality, strength, and life force (prana, chi, qi). Its element is Earth, reflecting the stability and grounding it offers.
The 1st chakra is associated with the physical body and the spinal nerve bundles, including the legs, feet, ankles, arches, toes, bones, sciatic nerve, and spine. The root chakra is also related to kundalini energy, the latent or dormant energy associated with higher states of consciousness.
The root chakra acts as an energetic anchor that connects you to the grounding frequencies of the Earth's energy. A grounded individual can feel a deep sense of belonging and stability in the physical world with a balanced connection to the Earth's frequencies.
Just as a strong tree requires deep roots to withstand changing seasons, a balanced root chakra provides the strong foundation necessary for a well-rounded and harmonious life.
Healthy Harmonic Expression of the Root Chakra
A well-balanced root chakra manifests in various healthy expressions, including:
Physical Vitality: A balanced root chakra contributes to a strong physical body, presence, and immune system. Individuals with a healthy root chakra tend to have good stamina, energy, and a solid overall constitution.
Feeling Grounded: Those with a balanced root chakra typically feel securely rooted to the Earth and the present moment. They navigate life's challenges with a sense of calm and stability, even during times of uncertainty.
Sense of Safety: A balanced root chakra can foster a feeling of safety and security, enabling individuals to trust themselves and the world around them. This felt sense of security is not solely based on external circumstances but comes from within. A balanced root chakra can allow for a stable feeling of trust in life.
Financial Stability: A balanced root chakra can help an individual exert the necessary effort to achieve and maintain financial success, and so can contribute to healthy financial habits and a sense of abundance.
Grounded Confidence: Individuals with balanced root chakras can exude a quiet confidence that comes from their deep-rooted connection to themselves and the world and can make decisions with clarity and conviction.
Healthy Boundaries: A balanced root chakra can help individuals understand their worth, prioritize self-respect, and assert themselves in healthy ways so it can help individuals establish and maintain healthy relationship boundaries.
Resilience: When faced with challenges, those with balanced root chakras can exhibit resilience and adaptability. They can weather life's changes while staying firmly anchored.
Physical Well-being: Balanced expressions of the root chakra can contribute to physical well-being. This includes a strong immune system, healthy digestion, physical strength, and an overall sense of healthy vitality.
Yoga Poses for Balancing the Root Chakra
You can practice various yoga postures regularly to help you balance your root chakra. Any yoga pose that connects you to the earth element can be a supporting resource for balancing your root chakra and promoting its healthy expression.
The following three poses can promote grounding, stability, and a sense of security when practiced regularly.
Malasana, or the garland pose is a deep squat pose that you can hold for about a minute. When done correctly, the garland pose can help stretch the hips and groins, and promote flexibility and mobility in the ankles and knees. These are all areas related to the root chakra.
Vriksasana, or tree pose, is a standing yoga posture that helps with stability and balance.
Balasana, or child’s pose, can help you feel centered while giving you the experience of letting the earth fully support you. Trying resting your weight fully on the ground while holding the pose for a few minutes. Allow yourself to feel the strong support of the ground beneath you.
If you’re new to yoga, consider practicing these postures under the guidance of a certified yoga instructor who can ensure safe alignment and offer modified poses to support your experience level.
Yoga Mudras that Support Healthy Expression of the Root Chakra
While several different mudras can help you balance your root chakra, try starting with the following three that focus on centering, stability, and trust.
You can practice any of these mudras while seated comfortably, with your back straight and shoulders relaxed for 5 to 15 minutes, and release the gesture after taking a few deep breaths.
Prithvi Mudra — Centering
To practice Prithvi mudra, gently touch the tips of your ring finger (earth element) and thumb (fire element) together on both hands, while keeping the other fingers extended. Close your eyes, take deep breaths, and envision grounding yourself like the stable earth. You can try repeating a grounding affirmation like “I am connected to the earth.”
Apana Mudra — Stability
To practice Apana mudra, fold down your middle and ring fingers to touch the tip of your thumb while keeping your index and little fingers extended. Rest your hands on your thighs, and take slow, deep breaths while focusing on grounding.
Chinmaya Mudra — Trust
To practice Chinmaya mudra, bring your hands to your lap, palms facing downwards toward the ground, and touch the tips of your index fingers to the tips of your thumbs, forming a circle. Curl your middle, ring, and little fingers toward your palms (inward like you’re forming a fist).
If you’re new to mudra practice, consult additional material for more background information and guidance.
50 Root Chakra Affirmations to Promote Balance, Inner Stability, and Vitality
Positive affirmations can be an effective way to internalize new beliefs. With repeated and consistent practice, you may be able to reshape neural pathways in the brain in support of reinforcing the new positive thought patterns.
Practicing positive affirmations can also evoke your body's relaxation response and encourage mindfulness and self-awareness, which are key to creating lasting change in the brain. The key to the effectiveness of affirmations is consistent use over a period of time, at least 60 to 90 days to start.
Try using the following root chakra affirmations to promote healthy thought patterns and emotions related to the healthy characteristics and associations of the root chakra.
My base chakra is balanced, and I have all the red frequencies I need.
I have all the physical energy I need.
I feel my connection to the earth from the soles of my feet.
I make a strong impression in the physical world.
My will to live is strong and powerful.
I am here now. I feel my strong presence in the world.
I have an empowered presence and vitality.
I am grounded to mother earth.
I am strong and highly adaptable.
The passion for life and being alive is ignited within me.
I am confident, motivated, and passionate.
It is safe for me to be here.
I am cared for, attended to, and safe.
Mother Earth supports me and meets my needs.
The grounding frequencies of the Earth are powerful and beneficial.
I love my body and trust its wisdom.
I am fully established in my body.
I connect with the Earth and am grounded in the biological reality of my existence.
I have a strong-rooted foundation.
I dig deep into the Earth from my root chakra and have strong root support.
My strong foundation gives me solidity allowing me to be firm and make healthy boundaries.
I remain anchored in my truths in the face of challenges and remain calm and secure.
I am attentive to the ground I create around me.
Being grounded through my legs and feet gives me a source of strength through connection to my body and the Earth.
I know to send my energy downward as well as upward.
I am establishing a healthy ground all around me.
I have a strong foundation for my body and my life.
I am present, focused, and dynamic.
My attention is concentrated on the here and now.
I bring a dynamic intensity to the way I present and assert myself.
I am confident yet contained, connected with my own source of support.
I attend to my need for nourishment.
I am connected and receptive to fresh replenishing energy from the Earth.
I have solid contact with my own body.
My root chakra is solidly grounded and dynamically alive.
I am at ease with both activity and rest.
I have a feeling of bodily comfort and a healthy distribution of energy throughout all of my energy centers.
I have a sense of inner security, good self-care, an affirmed right to be here, and a strong sense of presence.
I solidify the ground level from which all else grows.
I am safe and secure.
I tend to my personal needs.
My needs are taken care of.
I embrace my body.
I am rooted in my deepest truth.
I trust myself.
I trust life.
I release what I no longer need with ease and grace.
I take my steps forward with ease and grace.
I feel good about where I am going and what I'm moving toward.
I am grateful for the blessings in my life.
Growth starts from the ground up. A healthy balanced expression of the root chakra can serve as a strong foundation for creating a well-balanced and harmonious life experience.
Kidest OM is a manifestation and consciousness expansion author and teacher with indispensable books and online courses designed to help you attract and manifest what you want. Her books include "Anything You Want" and "Nothing in the Way: Clearing the Paths to Success & Fulfilment" which are available globally in eBook and print through online book retailers.