October has been the first month on my journey through the seven chakras. I have spent time researching into and working with the root chakra.. It has been a fascinating start to the journey with some interesting revelations along the way.
At the beginning of the month I was feeling overwhelmed, stressed and somewhat lost in my life. Now I am not going to say that working with the root chakra has solved all my problems in one step, however, I am certainly feeling much calmer and centred in myself and have even taken some serious steps to making a change in certain aspects of my life. That is definitely a positive step and making me excited to know see I will be at the end of the seven months!
So before we get into the details on the root, I want to explain a bit more about the our body's energy system.
The Human Energy System
The human energy system is a complex network of physical and subtle energies that power our bodies, emotions, and thoughts.
The body's physical energy is powered by the food that we eat and is converted into the energy we need for everything we need to do - from simple breathing, digesting food, etc., to physical movement.
Our subtle, or vibrational energy, is made up of a number of different systems/factors: bioelectromagnetic field, meridians, the aura and finally the chakras.
Our Energy Base
Of the seven main chakras, the Root is the foundation upon which our entire energy system is built. Located at the base of the spine, it governs our sense of security, stability, and connection to the physical world.
It is perceived as the epicentre of the life force. It is also the seat in which kundalini remains coiled and latent until it is woken up and the energies are dispersed to various body parts.
When this chakra is balanced, it provides us with a strong sense of security, stability, and a feeling of being grounded. It influences our basic survival needs, including shelter, food, and safety.
If you are feeling stressed out, restless, lost, afraid of change, then it could be that your root chakra is out of balance. From a physical point of view, disfunction in this chakra can contribute to immune deficiency problems, anaemia, states of chronic fatigue..
What Causes An Unbalanced Root Chakra?
The root chakra may become imbalanced for many reasons including, but not exclusively:
- abandonment, poor physical attachment with mothers, physical neglect, or trauma at birth
- major disease or a major surgery
- physical abuse and violent relationships
Some of the physical symptoms that you have an overactive root chakra can include bladder problems, constipation, anaemia, and fatigue. When it comes to non-physical symptoms, usually, these include greediness, impatience, belligerence, short temper, and anger.
Symptoms of a Blocked Root Chakra
When you have a blocked root chakra, most of the time, you do not feel belong, at home or stable, A blocked chakra will not only disrupt the flow of energy throughout your body, but it will also start a feeling of agitation. Like you’re continuously seeking a thing that you can’t even determine.
Those with blocked root chakras may have a hard time settling down with anything like where they want to work or stay, and whom they want to be with for the rest of their lives.
In addition to that, there is a lot of co-dependency and a lack of concentration. You will also feel abandoned and alone.
Using gemstones to heal your root:
When looking for gemstones which work with the root chakra, you are generally looking for ones which are red or black in colour. For example:
1. Red Jasper This grounding stone helps to cleanse and balance the Root Chakra. It fosters a sense of security, courage, and stability.
2. Hematite: Hematite's protective energy helps shield the Root Chakra from negativity. It promotes balance, self-confidence, and grounding.
3. Smoky Quartz: Known for its grounding properties, smoky quartz helps release negative energy and fosters a sense of security and stability.
Others include: Black Tourmaline, Rutilated Quartz, Garnet, Ruby, Agate, Bloodstone...
How to use the gemstones:
- Meditate on them. You can place the stone in your root chakra. This will help in focusing the energy of the crystal and offer an improved healing experience. Or you can even simply hold the stone while you are meditating.
- Place crystals in your pocket or purse; or under your pillow while you sleep.
- If you wish to keep the energies of your root chakra stones in your auric field all the time, wear them as a piece of jewellery. For pieces that would work with the root chakra click/shop here
Use of Essential Oils:
There are a number of ways to use essential oils for chakra healing:
- Diffuse in the air by use of an essential oil diffuser, or burn a candle which has been infused with grounding essential oils
- Apply to the body.. Essential oils can be applied neat to the souls of the feet, or dilute in an appropriate carrier oil and apply to the body. I filled a roller ball bottle with a blend of 12 drops Patchoulli, 5 drops Vetiver, 6 drops Lavender and carrier oil (in this case Grapeseed but use whatever you have available). I then used as and when I felt the need applying liberally to my pulse points.
- For an instant "hit" simply inhale direct from the bottle
- Put a few drops of your chosen oil on your pillow at night.
Oils that work well with the root chakra include:
1. Patchouli: This earthy oil promotes grounding and connection to the physical world. It helps alleviate anxiety and stress.
2. Cedarwood: Cedarwood essential oil is soothing and grounding. It aids in calming the mind and promoting a sense of security.
3. Vetiver: Vetiver's deep, earthy scent is known for its grounding and stabilizing properties. It can help reduce anxiety and restlessness.
It is important to note that when choosing essential oils to ensure that you choose a reputable brand to ensure the quality and purity of the oils.
Other Ways to Open and Heal Your Root Chakra
- Connect with nature/the Earth - do some gardening, go for a walk in the woods, walk barefoot on the grass..
- Meditate/visualisation - Find a quiet space, sit or lie down comfortably, and close your eyes and inhale deeply. Visualise a bright red light coming from the earth up through your body to the very top of your head. Hold your breath while focusing on that light, then exhale, releasing the energy and picture roots coming out of your root chakra and plunging deep and wide into the earth, connecting you to its stability and support.. Repeat. I like to start my day with this. It helps me to feel grounded and energised, ready to get on with whatever I need to do for the day.
- Affirmations - Repeating positive affirmations can help balance the Root Chakra. Examples include: "I am safe and secure," "I trust in the abundance of the universe," or "I am grounded and stable."
- Eat healing foods for the root chakra - add red-coloured food to your daily diet; eat root vegetables such as parsnips, carrots, potatoes, onions, etc
- Physical Activity, in particular yoga which works on balancing all the chakras.
IN SUMMARY
The root chakra is the base of your energy system pushing energy to the other chakras. This means that issues with the first chakra could lead to similar imbalances or issues with the rest of your chakras/energy system. Thus, maintaining a balanced root chakra is important and will help in building a solid groundwork for a healthy energy system and contribute to overall health and wellbeing.
Next month I will be working on the Sacral chakra and continuing my journey up through the energy system..