Opening Your Root Chakra

So you are finally ready to start your spiritual journey. The exploration of “spirituality” is daunting. Where do you start? What comes first? You may have wandered through your local Spiritual shop, wandering through a bunch of weird looking objects, crystals, bowls, herbs and bells. You may have even got up the courage to buy yourself a few things, knowing full well that you haven’t the slightest idea what to do with them. 

At Dream Webs my goal is to provide you with everything you need to start your spiritual journey. The shop is filled with wonderful tools, jewelry and artwork to help you sleep well and live better along with the guidance and information you need to actually USE the items you fall in love with. If you are trying to figure out where to start on your spiritual journey, may I suggest you follow along as we learn about our Chakras; the foundation of understanding our energy. We are starting with the Root Chakra and will dive even deeper than the easy-to-follow guide found in the Muladhara Root Chakra - Spiritual Box, to cover everything you need to know about opening your Root Chakra. 

What is a Chakra?

The first written evidence of Chakras appears in the book of Vedas, an ancient Indian (from India, not America Indigenous) Text that dates back over 6000 years. Knowingly or not, most practices of spirituality, from meditation to reiki to healing crystals, work with the energy of your Chakras. That’s why it is important for anyone embarking on a spiritual journey to have a basic understanding of Chakras. 

Chakras are centres of energy sometimes described as wheels or discs. They are specific places in and outside of our bodies where Nadis (energetic nerve endings) meet. Though we have hundreds of Chakras in our body, we have seven main Chakras that govern our physical and mental health, behaviours and mindset. When balanced and spinning our main Chakras help move our Kundalini (life force) energy through our bodies. The spinning momentum of our Chakras pulls energy up from the Earth and down from the universe to create this intertwining energy flow. When our Kundalini energy flows freely we are said to be spiritually aligned. One unbalanced or blocked chakra will prevent the movement of this ‘snake-like’ Kundalini energy through your body. 

Each Chakra is complex and governs a vast array of your body’s functions, your thoughts, feelings and even how you interact in society. Each Chakra builds upon the previous Chakra below it, and only once all are unlocked can you begin to understand the higher aspects of your spirituality. The Heart Chakra, the centre of your main Chakra chain, is particularly difficult to open. The Heart Chakra is the bridge between the lower Chakras that govern our physical bodies and the higher Chakras that govern our spiritual Self. (Our upper Chakras still govern parts of our physical bodies but they are more centred around spiritual functions.) 

Chakra healing, also referred to as opening or balancing is the practice of connecting with and clearing away blockages from your Chakras allowing them to spin freely. There are several ways of connecting to and healing your Chakras, many of which I will cover below. 

Root Chakra - Muladhara 

The Root Chakra is located at the base of your spine. When you are sitting it can be found where your bottom touches the earth. In Sanskrit (the ancient language in which yoga & its sister-science Ayurveda were first recorded) the Root Chakra is called Muladhara, which breaks down into two words: Mula meaning “root” and Adhara, meaning “base.” The Muladhara Chakra is a glowing disc of bright red energy and it is responsible for your sense of safety and security. Your Root Chakra is governed by your basic needs such as food, water, shelter, and safety, and it governs the health of your lower body including lower back, legs and feet. 

Root Chakra Imbalance 

If you have a Root Chakra imbalance you may feel overwhelmed, worried or stressed which may manifest as anxiety, nightmares or insomnia. Muladhara imbalances may manifest physically as digestion or elimination problems, or aches and pains in the lower back, leg, or feet. Eating disorders, gut health issues and diseases such as IBS & Crohn’s may indicate a Root Chakra imbalance. You may feel fear, lack a sense of belonging, or you may not feel secure in your life or relationship. If one of your basic physical needs isn’t being met, that is most likely the cause of your Muladhara blockage. Maybe you're between homes, in between jobs, or some other dire circumstance that you are currently working to rectify. Once these basic needs are met, your blockage may dissipate. Most of the time, finding the cause of your blockage and remedying it is not this simple. If your Muladhara blockage is caused by how you feel internally, you will have to work through practices to ‘manually’ bring balance to this Chakra. 

When your Root Chakra is balanced you feel grounded, safe and in control of your life. Your digestion is smooth and consistent, and your lower body is free from aches and pains. All of your basic needs are being met. You have food, water, and a safe home. You don’t feel rushed or panicked in your day-to-day life and overall you feel a strong sense of Self. 

Balancing your Root Chakra

Over the years I have tried many different practices for balancing Chakras. My favourite Chakra balancing practices involve meditation, Bija toning, yoga, crystal healing and aromatherapy. Each Chakra requires a different Bija Tone, meditation practice, asana,  crystal and scent. 

Root Chakra Meditation 
When meditating on your Root Chakra there are two things to keep in mind: location & colour. Find a comfortable seated position and close your eyes. Take a few deep cleansing breaths then allow your breath to settle into its natural rhythm. Bring your awareness to the location of your Root Chakra, where your seat connects with the earth. Feel the Earth below you, solid and strong; supporting you with ease. While focusing your attention to this area, begin to envision the color red. You may choose to see with your mind’s eye, a ball of red glowing light circling this area, growing brighter as you continue to concentrate your awareness. Once you have established connection with this red ball of light and can see it clearly in your mind, you may choose to add in a mantra to help you maintain focus. A mantra is a set phrase that you repeat to yourself in your mind as you meditate. It is used as an anchor to keep you focused and it helps to prevent the mind from straying away to other random thoughts. Your mantra does not have to match the rhythm of your breath, instead allow it to flow naturally through your mind. The Root Chakra mantra is “I Am.” This mantra relates to everything that governs and is governed by the Root Chakra. 

Root Chakra Bija Toning
Bija toning is the process of bringing energy to the Chakras using vocal vibrations. I have found Bija Toning to be one of the most effective & efficient means of balancing your Chakras. You may be familiar with the Crown Charka Bija tone of ‘OOOOOMMMMM.’ You may have seen movies and tv shows where someone is chanting ‘Om' while meditating, though you probably didn’t know why.  

The Bija tone for the Root Chakra is ‘LAM’

‘LAAAAAAMMMMMMM’

To Bija tone your Root Chakra, sit up nice and tall. Take one cleansing breath and let it out. Inhale for the count of four, filling your lungs to max, pause for one moment holding your breath, then on the exhale chant aloud the Bija tone ‘LAM.’ Chant loudly and with intention. Repeat the four-count inhale, hold, then chant again. Repeat as many times as you like. As you chant, focus on feeling the vibrations in the area of your Root Chakra. 

Root Chakra Yoga Poses (Asanas)
To help bring balance to your Root Chakra try incorporating these two yoga poses into your day. You do not have to complete a full yoga practice if that is not part of your daily ritual. Simply perform 30 seconds to a minute of each pose when you wake up in the morning, before going to bed at night, or in the kitchen while you’re waiting for the kettle to boil.

Deep Squat - Malasana 

• Step your feet slightly wider than shoulders distance apart.
• Point your toes out on 45° angles, standing up tall as if you were being pulled upward by a string through the crown of your head.

• lower yourself slowly into a deep squatted position, hips below your knees. Focus on opening of the hips, knees pressing open towards the back of the room. 
• You may rest your forearms on your thighs as you bring your palms together. Focus on maintaining proper posture, rolling the shoulders back and sending your heart up to the sky.

Easy Seated Pose - Sukhasana

• Simply sit on the ground crossed legged. Sit up nice and tall. (This too is yoga, and is also the position we sit in during meditation.)

Root Chakra Crystals 
Crystals relating to the Root Chakra are often shades of red or black and they all have different healing properties that correlate to the Chakra like grounding, protection, and security. 

Red Jasper - Red Jasper crystal relates to our Root Charka. It is a crystal of endurance, empowerment and purpose. Its grounding energy will help you feel safe, secure and strong. 

Hematite - ​​Hematite crystal is heavy and grounding​​. It empowers you to find your inner courage, strength and purpose while providing physical protection.

Mahogany Obsidian - ​​Mahogany Obsidian activates our lower 3 Chakras and stimulates growth, sexuality, strength, creativity, passion, and protection.

Lavastone - ​​Lavastone is a grounding stone. It is calming and earthy. Use it to hold your favourite essential oil.

Along with natural sandalwood, I used these stones to create the Muladhara Healing Bracelet available to you in the Muladhara Root Chakra - Spiritual Box.

Root Chakra Aromatherapy 
Scents that relate to Muladhara Chakra are grounding, heavy and earthy. These include the fragrances of Sandalwood, Patchouli, Lavender, Black Pepper and Vetiver. These fragrances work to balance the Chakra by stimulating smell receptors which in turn send signals to the limbic system which controls our emotions. In the form of essential oils, these plant medicines can be used topically and absorbed through the skin. (Please do your research if you plan to use your own essential oils). 

Of course I created a Muladhara Balancing Blend for you as well. It incorporates Patchouli, Sandalwood and Lavender. You can wear this Balancing Blend on the insides of your wrists or neck, then on occasion throughout the day you will catch the lightest waft of the deep, calming, earthy scent and it will help to calm and ground your energy. Aromatherapy is both a science and an art; I hope you enjoy this Dream Webs signature Balancing Blend along with the handmade Muladhara bath bomb by Bare Baths which has a surprise in it! 

I hope this helped clear up any questions you may have had about your Root Chakra. I’ll be back soon with a blog on our next Chakra - Svadisthana which just launched in the shop this month!

Sending love & light,

Kelsie