About the Root Chakra - Muladhara
The Root Chakra is located at the base of the spine and its color is red. It has the lowest vibration and is the slowest of wavelength, and so is most closely associated with our physical body and physical energies. The Hindu depiction of this chakra is the four-petalled lotus. Four is the number related to the four elements, the four directions, and the square. Esoterically, four represents the manifested world and incarnation into this space/time. Four also can represent a strong foundation, solidity, and stability, as in four walls, four legs, etc. Accordingly, the Earth Element is associated with the Root Chakra, as well as the Mineral Kingdom, our sense of smell, and the adrenal glands.
The Root Chakra is the Center of Grounding - our connection to Earth energies. It rules our survival consciousness and represents our deepest unconscious and most primitive/animal self. It also governs our physical energy and vitality, survival, basic instincts, our feelings of security and safety, familial beliefs, heredity, jobs, money, and our home. The Root Chakra is also the basis of our masculine and feminine energies. It represents our masculine will and the male sexual organs as well as the feminine energy of the Goddess Kundalini. Therefore, a man can learn to integrate his feminine power and a woman can learn to integrate her masculine power through the clearing and opening of this chakra.
When the Root Chakra energy is in balance, you are centered, grounded, healthy and vibrant, with unlimited physical energy. You love your body and love to use it and take care of it. You feel secure in your life and display not only good common sense, but you have the ability to easily manifest abundance. If your Root Chakra is out of balance with excessive energy, you may be domineering, greedy, sadistic, and judgmental with strong biased opinions. If this chakra is blocked, you may lack confidence, have low energy, be spacey, be unable to manifest and achieve goals, feel unworthy, unloved, fearful, and insecure. A deficit of energy through the Root Chakra may also manifest as addictions to food, drugs, or material possessions, low immunity, and pain in the lower back, legs, and feet.
In addition to the chakra clearing and balancing meditation, there are several ways that you can focus your energy and intention on balancing and clearing the Root Chakra. Connect with Earth Energy: walk outside barefoot, spend time in nature, hug a tree, work in the soil, garden. Also, enjoy your physical body - engage in physical activity and be present now - experience your body using your physical senses. Eat root vegetables. Immerse your sense of smell in the scents of patchouli, cedarwood, sandalwood, musk. Surround yourself with gems that vibrate at the same level as the Root Chakra - ruby, garnet, bloodstone, red jasper, black tourmaline, obsidian, and hematite (my personal favorite for grounding!). Know that you are more powerful than you can even begin to imagine, you are Spirit in Matter, and like the Tree, when you are firmly grounded in the Earth, you are free to reach far into the sky.
