Picture by Catherine G. McElroy

Root Chakra – Balancing & Healing
Researched & Written by Carol Gallegos (8.8.14)

First, let’s discuss what the root chakra is all about. The root chakra is the foundation of all the other chakras. All of the chakras are important but the root is the base for all the others to operate and function well. The root chakra is our physical being. The “I AM” statement directly affects the root. When we feel those horrible words “I wish I were never born.” It is a direct sign that our root chakra is out of balance and not functioning properly. When you root chakra is in balance and operating good then you have a strong sense of security in your world. Tasks will be easy, you will have no doubts about your place in this world, and things will work well for you whether it’s relationships, money, or your career. You will feel as though you are working with the world instead of against it.

So, with all of that in mind, if your root chakra is over-active (has too much energy within it), you may be easy to anger, you get annoyed easily and can also be quite aggressive towards others and/or events in your life. Greed and control issues will sprout up to those who you feel are challenging you. You can become very resistant to change because of depending too much on the security from others, your job, or specific habits. Materialistic and/or impulsive behaviors may start to show. These behaviors begin to convince you that you are not worth anything if you don’t have material possessions. Ever hear of “Keeping up with the Joneses”? That’s a clear sign that the root chakra is over-active. Also, an over-active sex drive can result from an over-active root chakra. Now that we know what an over-active root chakra can cause, let’s look at an under-active root chakra.

The under-active root chakra can cause you to feel disconnected to the world around you. This can also mean from your body as well. You can feel disorganized, have a lack of focus and discipline, and become afraid, anxious or restless in your daily interactions. Your stamina can decrease. You can experience depression and you can lose the desire to do or want anything out of life. Your finances may be affected as well. So we’ve discussed how the mind can be affected, but how about the physical aspects of an imbalanced root chakra.

When our root chakra is out of balance, the physical symptoms that can occur are weight loss or gain, over or under active sex drive, poor immune system, anemia, depression, laziness, and irritable bowel syndrome to name a few. If you are experiencing these symptoms, please seek professional help. Having help from a physician as well as working on your chakras is a great way to give you an all-around approach to a healthy happy life.

So now that we know the signs… what can we do to fix it? There are many ways to bring your root chakra back into balance. These ways include eating healthy, exercise, learning about the chakra system, music, different types of therapy including psychiatric, affirmations, and meditation. I am listing some below.

Affirmations:
Repeat after me… “I am safe and securely set in this world” “I belong in this world and am a part of it.” “I am at peace with my surroundings.”

Visualization Therapy (one example):
Red is the color of the root chakra so, focus on a red lotus flower. Place it in the area where the chakra resides within your body. Watch the flower bloom and open wide. Watch the color become more vibrant. Watch it spin. Now stop the flower from spinning, bring the brilliance of the color down a little and then close it up but not completely. Think of the flower needing to breathe so you don’t want it closed all the way or you will suffocate it. Leave it open about half way. This will allow the flow of energy.

Once you get used to doing this visualization you will notice that the flower opens and closes on its own throughout your day. When it becomes too open you can very easily do this visualization to close it down to its normal state. When you experience the feelings of an over-active root chakra, you can do this visualization and see that the flower is wide open and its color will be very bright. That means that the energy is too strong. This is an easy and quick way to try and calm the feelings you are experiencing in the heat of the moment. It does take practice so don’t give up if it doesn’t work right away.

Crystal Therapy:
Wearing the stones listed here can help keep your root chakra in balance. Garnet (balance), Hematite (grounding & stabilizing), Red Jasper (activating, only if the root chakra is under-active), Rhodocrosite (for clearing out the chakra. This is mainly used for healing), Black Tourmaline and Smokey Quartz (protection & healing), and Red Carnelian (balancing & stabilizing. Under-active root chakra because Carnelian is typically for strength).

Under-active root chakra: The combination of Red Jasper or Red Carnelian, Hematite, and Black Tourmaline (or Smokey Quartz) would work nicely to bring up the energy of your chakra and make you feel confident, secure, stable, and grounded.

Over-active root chakra: The combination of Garnet, Hematite, Rhodocrosite, and Black Tourmaline (or Smokey Quartz) would work well because the Rhodocrosite and Black Tourmaline (or Smokey Quartz) would cleanse and heal the chakra and then the Garnet would balance it leaving the Hematite and Black Tourmaline (or Smokey Quartz) to help ground and give you a feeling of protection.

Nutrition:
These are some foods that will help with the root chakra: red apples, strawberries, red cabbage, ginger, carrots, beets and those high in protein such as beans and nuts.

Meditation:
There are many different meditations that will help the root chakra. Here are a couple that I’ve learned over the years.

Barefoot in the earth. This meditation will help you feel grounded and secure in the world.
Sit in a comfortable chair and with your bare feet, dig them into the ground (sand is fine). Because this chakra is an earth element chakra, having your feet in the earth will help you ground and feel closer to the stability of the earth. So with your feet in the ground, close your eyes and breathe gently in bringing beautiful golden, sparkling light into your body and down into your root chakra with the light turning to red as you do so. On the exhale, gently blow out any dark air. Continue to do this in a slow manner until you feel the dark air turns into clear or light colored air. Now, after the air is turned light on the exhale, allow your breathing to remain at a comfortable pace. Now turn your attention to your feet. Feel the cool ground on and under your feet. Allow your feet turn into roots at a pace that is comfortable for you. Allow these roots to go deep into the earth and grow making your feel secure within the earth. You now feel very grounded and secure in your world… in your being. Now gently, draw up energy from the earth and allow your body to be consumed by it until you feel as though you and the earth are one. Now allow the energy to go back into the earth keeping a little for yourself. Allow the roots to come back up to your feet. Feel the earth on and under your feet. Now open your eyes when you are ready.

Grounding meditation. Same as above but can be used without being barefoot. This meditation will help you feel grounded and secure in the world.
Sit in a comfortable chair or in a comfortable position anywhere. Close your eyes and breathe gently in bringing beautiful golden, sparkling light into your body and down into your root chakra with the light turning to red as you do so. On the exhale, gently blow out any dark air. Continue to do this in a slow manner until you feel the dark air turns into clear or light colored air. Now, after the air is turned light on the exhale, allow your breathing to remain at a comfortable pace. Now turn your attention to your feet. Allow them to turn into roots at a pace that is comfortable for you. Allow these roots to go deep down into the earth and grow making your feel secure within the earth. You now feel very grounded and secure in your world… in your being. Now gently, draw up energy from the earth and allow your body to be consumed by it until you feel as though you and the earth are one. Now allow the energy to go back into the earth keeping a little for yourself. Allow the roots to come back up to your feet. Now open your eyes when you are ready.

Doing a combination of the things listed above can help keep your root chakra balanced and you to feel safe and secure in your world.