The 1st Chakra – Root Chakra – Muladhara
The official name of this chakra, muladhara, comes from the words Mula, which means root and Dhara, which means support.
The root chakra is concerned with keeping life vibrant and sustainable.
It is drawn to the simple activity of staying alive, and focuses upon shelter and sustenance.
The root chakra flourishes with levels of security that keep chaos far from our door, and ultimately it is concerned with having the patience and presence to see our dreams come true.
Qualities and Attributes
Building a structure that supports and sustains our life is a function of the root chakra. If our structures are not stable enough to support us we may become unsure about our right to what we want. Cultivating stability while we form the structure of our life helps us to handle change.
Security is an aspect of the root chakra that helps to keep us focused and grounded. When we don’t feel secure we lose energy and get caught up in fear. Cultivating a deep sense of inner security helps keep the root chakra functional during uncertainty.
The root chakra carries all the qualities of survival from our ancestors. If our people fought to maintain a way of life or to find a better life, their courage and tenacity are part of our genetic heritage. Just as the roots of diseases are passed down family lines, so are the spiritual qualities.
When we find ourselves in difficult circumstances, we can draw on the qualities our ancestors possessed to see them through. We can tap into courage, cunning, stealth, and a ruthless desire to live.
The root chakra also controls the fight-or-flight reaction that triggers the adrenal cortex. This function stimulates the flow of adrenaline into the blood when we are under attack, putting us into survival mode.
The root chakra anchors itself to the earth when we are patient, resourceful, and hopeful about our lives. Remaining positive and open to possibilities strengthens the root chakra and allows for stability and inner strength. Anchoring our spirit in reality is the quintessential quality of this chakra.
Location: In the perineum at the base of the spine
Color: Red
Musical note: C
Type of music: Drumming
Element: Earth
Aspect of intelligence: Administrative
Sensory experience: Smell
Essential oils: Cinnamon, garlic, sandalwood
Astrological association: Capricorn
Metal: Lead
Earthly Location: The Indian preserves and their sacred lands. The sacred lands of all indigenous people.
Mythological animal: White elephant with seven trunks. Ganesh.
Plant: Sage
Qualities: Patience, structure, stability, security, the ability to manifest your dreams
Life issues: To value the material as sacred, to find trust in place of despair, to persevere
Physical activities: Yoga, movement of any kind that activates the legs and feet. Any form of activity that is grounding, physical, and demands presence.
Spiritual activities: Noticing the beauty and perfection of the natural world
We can develop viable and healthy root chakras when we affirm our right to a good life. This comes when we honor who we are, beyond any limiting identifications that define us by race, gender, age, class, religion, sexual orientation or nationality.
As we affirm ourselves, we strengthen our attachment to life and open the space for it to be fulfilled through us.
Our root chakra, in order to be functional, must be rid of narrow beliefs. When we have a clear understanding that the Source exists within each and every one of us, we are more open to what unites us than what separates us. We heal the root chakra each time we affirm our right to the life we say we want. Knowing we have a right to joy, happiness, health, and a creative existence is fundamental to life.
You need no one’s approval, nor do you need reasons to make the choices that promise you happiness, stability, and joy. Stepping away from the prescribed dictates of family, culture, or religion may be painful at first, but eventually your roots become defined by the way you live, love, and communicate, and the choices you make for your life.
Meditation for the Root Chakra
If life has been problematic and full of difficulty, it may be important to investigate the attitudes in your family history that reflect mistrust or encourage expectations of insecurity or despair. We need to cultivate attitudes that trust in the goodness of life to see us through difficult and challenging times. The more inner stability we can mentally create, the more grounded our life becomes.
Affirmations Meditation for the Root Chakra
Repeat these affirmations once every morning and once every evening when you wish to connect with the root chakra.
Journal Prompts for the Root Chakra
Remembering your Meditation for the Root Chakra, I invite you to journal about the same questions you explored while meditating.
Take some time to remember what you were like as a child. Can you identify qualities you possess now that you had then?
Can you see traces of your nature reflected in who you are now?
Ask yourself the truth about your past. Is there a logical pattern that emerged to make you the person you are today?
What qualities do you cherish about yourself today that are different than the child who grew up in your early childhood home?
Are you more resolute, and better equipped to deal with situations and understand life in a more philosophical way?
If you could offer any guidance to the child that you were, what would that be?
Hold this child in your heart and bless her for knowing, instinctively, what to do to become the person you are today.