By Jade Doherty 

Feeling stagnant or stuck? It could be your Root Chakra or Muladhara Chakra. Here is your personal guide to balancing the first chakra.

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What most resonates with you?

Are you feeling:

1. Stuck, stagnated, dull, lethargic, demotivated 

2. Enthusiastic, energetic, lively, passionate, eager, keen, zesty

3. Or a mix of the two

These are all connected to your root chakra energy center, in Sanskrit (the ancient language of India), it is known as the Muladhara chakra. How you feel or experience the world can be a direct result of the root chakra.

But what is a root chakra?! How do I balance it? And why does it matter? 

Let’s dive in and get some answers that may well transform how you feel on a daily basis.

We’ll look at how the root chakra affects you and what role it plays in the overall energy system of our subtle body. Let us also explore the nourishing ways you can heal and work with any imbalance (popularly known as ‘blocked chakra’) in the root chakra to get unstuck, allow energy to flow, and life to flourish!

What is a chakra?

Aside from the physical body, we also have a subtle, energetic body. Within it are pathways that flow with prana or life-force energy, and these converge at powerful energy centers, known as chakras. The seven primary chakras flow from the root (base of the spine) up to the crown chakra (top of the head).

Each chakra, or nerve center, is associated with particular qualities and emotions which transpire in different ways depending on whether the prana or life energy is moving in an upward or downward direction. The often-used term ‘blocked chakra’ may be a bit inaccurate. It is the upward or downward moving energy that creates a specific sensation or emotion or effect in the body, energy perhaps never gets blocked. Whenever you feel any imbalance or feel blocked or sense of contraction, know that the energy is moving in the downward direction. Upward moving energy brings a sense of expansion and balance. 

Think of it like walking. When you’re walking forwards, you feel good, and balance comes naturally. Walking backward, however, is hard! You might even feel shaky or unsteady on your feet. So in order to “balance” your chakras, focus on the flow of energy, as upwards flowing energy will naturally balance your root chakra, and all the others too! 

A lot is being talked about blocked chakras and chakra healing without mentioning this flow of energy within your energy body. Instead, many focus on specific yoga postures, crystals, mantras, or essential oils to facilitate the healing process. But the most effective way to balance the chakras is to understand this flow of energy and to get the energy flowing through the chakras through regular practice of asana, pranayama and meditation.

For an overview of the whole chakra system, check out our Beginner’s Guide.

Root chakra—at a glance

Name in Sanskrit: Muladhara means foundational support or basis. “Mula” meaning root,  “adhara” meaning support, basis (of existence)

Element: Earth

Location: The perineum, or the base of the spine 

Qualities: Enthusiasm or inertia

The dormant Kundalini Shakti (the ultimate life force energy) rests at the root chakra. When the root chakra is activated, dormant energy flows freely upward through the seven chakras; it leads to an expanded state of consciousness. At the root chakra, the expanded consciousness is felt as enthusiasm. Enthusiasm supports and enlivens our life and is the basis of our life. If there is no enthusiasm, our life will become meaningless, boring, stagnated. When the energy is moving downward from the crown chakra and hits the root chakra, we feel inertia. Likewise, each chakra is associated with some positive and some negative qualities, if the energy is moving upward, you feel positive quality or emotion and vice-a-versa.  

When there is an imbalance—this happens

You may have sometimes felt some kind of a block or tension in the body or you may have heard people speaking about a chakra being blocked or closed or unbalanced. It can all sound quite mystical and you need not rush to get rid of the blocks! One of the best ways to know if your chakras are imbalanced is to notice how you feel, both mentally and physically— listening to your body and mind.

The root is the base chakra, so when there is an imbalance or downwards flow of energy, it makes you feel sluggish, lazy, dull, tired, a sense of inertia sets in. At the level of the body, it may reflect issues like arthritis, back pain, or constipation.

Enthusiasm helps you push through life’s challenges and failures. Enthusiasm gives you the will and motivation to take action every day. Enthusiasm is the fuel for persistent action. Winston Churchill said, “Success is the ability to go from one failure to another without the loss of enthusiasm.” So in this sense enthusiasm is the foundation of life.

If the foundation of your being is unstable, imbalanced, how can you expect to be steady, with inner strength, and thrive? We need to take care of the foundation first. That’s where root chakra healing comes in!

How to balance the root chakra: essential tools for life

Releasing stagnation and lethargy, feeling passionate and energetic, is an ongoing commitment—and one 100% worth taking. As the chakras show us, all life flows from this solid base. How steady and alive is yours?

Choose the practices that resonate the most and begin this bountiful chakra healing journey to radiance, stability, and aliveness.

• Strike a pose

Yep, yoga! A powerful way to get moving and active if practiced in a mindful way that connects you to the earth and strengthens and energizes your lower limbs. Any wholistic yoga practice, incorporating asana, pranayama, and meditation will help your energy to flow upwards. 

While there is no silver bullet yoga pose specifically for the root chakra—the results come from a regular and wholesome practice— a few poses which can help you feel connected to your root are Garland Pose, Mountain Pose, Lotus Pose, or Head-to-Knee Forward Bend. More than any particular asana (yoga pose), how you synchronize your prana (breath) with each movement in asana is the key!

If you want to get started with a yoga practice that will benefit not only your physical body but your subtle body and chakras as well, try Sri Sri Yoga. Inspired by Gurudev, Sri Sri Yoga is a holistic form of yoga, incorporating ancient wisdom with modern needs, and teaching you not only the well-known asanas but also breathing techniques (pranayama) and meditation too.

If Garland Pose feels out of reach, flow in and out of Chair Pose. Draw awareness into your feet and feel the support of the earth beneath you. A great pose to get grounded.

• Play this tune

Have you ever noticed how music can change how you feel? When you hear a stringed instrument or when a deep bass drum reverberates through your body. It’s in the vibration—certain instruments have the power to tap into the chakras to activate or restore balance. For root chakra imbalance, it is the drum or the tabla. Try it.

• You are part of nature

Everyday life can take us away from remembering that. Walk barefoot in the grass to reconnect with the earth's energy.

• Rise with the sun

Experiment. Try waking earlier and going to bed earlier—it can work wonders for morning sluggishness. Then roll out the yoga mat for your Sun Salutations or join a yoga class a few times a week. Goodbye lethargy, hello dynamism!

• Nourish yourself

Nurture your body with earthy, root-based veggies, rich protein, and red fruits. Eat foods that are easier to digest—consider reducing grains and meat from the diet and replace them with fresh veggies and fruits. And avoid the post-meal bloat! After you finish eating, you should not feel too full or heavy. 

• Breathe

Find a comfortable seat and feel where your body is supported by the seat or earth beneath you. Soften the muscles around the eyes, find ease in the seated position. Become aware of the natural rhythms of the breath. Begin to deepen the breath, as you inhale, take the awareness to the top of the head, and as you exhale, bring the awareness back to the root chakra. Do this for 3 minutes or so. Notice how you feel. 

• Take a seat

Meditation. A foundational solution to (almost!) all our imbalances. When you find the right practice for you, meditation is naturally calming and restorative, creating a steadiness at your core. Try Sahaj Samadhi Meditation or dive into a dedicated root chakra meditation.

When prana flows upward through all seven chakras, harmony pervades, and with it, a powerful sense of well-being. 

Begin your chakra healing journey with Secrets of the 7 Chakras. Join this free on-demand 7-day meditation journey to awaken, rebalance, and harmonize your energy. Guided by meditation master Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, it is an opportunity to dive deeper into the profound wisdom of the chakras and cleanse each one through meditation. Emerge deeply rested, relaxed, and with personal insight. Register for free here.

Now that we've looked at how you can cultivate a balanced root chakra, next we will look at the sacral chakra.

Jade Doherty is a freelance copywriter, meditator, and traveler, who is currently exploring and learning to surf in Goa, India.