Chakras are the seven energy centers of the body: root, sacral, solar plexus, heart, throat, third eye and crown. When they are all open, balanced, and spinning, we function at our best. 

The root is the first of these chakras and our focus today in this post. If you prefer to listen/watch, check out the video above. 

Root chakra is the earth element. It’s our container, our security, our safety. It’s the foundation of our chakras and of us and is connected to our physical identity. 

It’s connected to our self-preservation. 

I know that for me, at least, throughout the day my mind is in charge. We are trying to control our day with our mind, keeping track of everything we need to do, not dropping the ball on any of our tasks.

Our root chakra, however, our physical container. We have to start with the body to really heal the rest, which is often the opposite of how we approach things. We first need to come down out of our mind and back into the container. 

The root chakra brings us back to the foundation. If you want to heal the whole, you have to start at the root. 

Without a solid foundation, the rest of our work is less effective. The root of our troubles will always be back at our very root.  

One of the things I noticed first about yoga when I started was how the use of my body in a yoga practice helped to heal my mind. I came to yoga, like many do, for the physical. BUT I felt so much clearer and settled and myself, in my emotional body and my mind, after using my body in such a mindful, conscious way. It did help to heal the whole; I first came back to the root, to the container, to the foundation.

I called it “yoga magic.” That in yoga I could allow my body to tell my mind that everything would be ok; that I was here; I was safe; I was connected to my body; that it could heal.  

It was only later, in my studies of the chakras, that it made sense how interconnected it all is. With the body moving and stretching and being connected, my mind could settle and heal as well.  The energy could move up into the all the other chakras.

The root chakra is a red energy at the base of the spine. When we are working to balance the root chakra, we might cue to picture a red energy spinning at the base of the spine.

Just as the root chakra is the energy center dealing with our foundation; it is also the foundation for the chakra system. We start with it to anchor the other chakras, will draw energy up from the root to the crown and back down to the root.  We want the energy to move freely up and done the chakras. 

If you want to check in with your Root Chakra, you can even spend some time in intentional breathing, picture that spinning red energy at the base of your spine, and utilize any of the affirmations or mantras below to help you feel safe, secure, grounded. 

Root Chakra Affirmations:  
I am safe.  
I am here.  
The earth supports me.  
I am whole.  
I am comfortable in my body.  

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