Where in the body is the Root Chakra?

The Muladhara chakra is located at the perineum (between the genitals and anus) and faces down, to earth (which also happens to be its element). Its color is red – the most dense color of all. The root chakra is our foundation and the connection between our spirit and body, and furthermore between our body and the earth.

When is the Root Chakra formed?

Like the foundation of a house, the Root chakra is developed first, before the other chakras. The Muladhara chakra is formed during the last three months of pregnancy, and its development goes on for about a year. Our circumstances during this time period have a huge impact on the development and functioning of this chakra, which in turn, has huge implications for our further life.

The survival instinct

The Muladhara chakra is strongly related to the survival instinct. We need food, shelter, security, etc. in order to survive. When our basic needs are not met the alarm bells start ringing and the fight-flight-freeze-response is triggered. When a baby grows up in challenging circumstances like these, it feels threatened and the survival instinct is constantly kicking in. A baby cannot defend itself, nor can it provide for itself. It is completely dependent on others (and those others are usually giants). How very frightening!

Toxic anxiety

The amygdala in the brains of these babies is firing and various stress hormones are produced in the baby’s little body. These high stress levels start feeling as ‘the norm’ and the body gets trained into feeling familiar with and accustomed to this toxic state of being, even starting to want it. This high level of anxiety becomes the base feeling.

A deformed chakra

If the Muladhara chakra is formed under such circumstances, it literally gets deformed. The consequences can be tremendous. A pattern of feeling unsafe, restless and displaced is set in the body and it may bother a person for a life time. That is why you often see people with backgrounds like the one described, also struggling with other basic needs such as maintaining a steady income, or eating healthy. Sadly, their Muladhara chakra did not get a chance to develop well.

The Muladhara chakra can get damaged throughout our lives, but any damage done in the time of development is hardest to heal. Even relatively minor negative impressions might have a huge impact on the forming of this chakra during that phase of our lives.

Face your fear

The demon of the Root chakra is ‘fear’. Fear is at the core of problems related to this chakra, and dealing with fear in a healthy way is the beginning of the solution. As Anodea Judith sums up in her magnificent book ‘Eastern Body, Western Mind’:

Facing your fear does not mean ‘jump out of an airplane when you don’t dare to’. It means investigating your fears, acknowledging them, understanding why you have them in the first place (the first chakra) and turning them into a motivation to do things rather than to avoid things.

Always avoid avoidance! Remember, fear is nothing but a (sometimes exaggerated) signal for self-preservation. This signal says: ‘if you do this, you might not survive, and I need to keep you safe’. Can you reconsider fearful situations and tell yourself: ‘Thanks for the signal, I will keep my eyes wide open, and I will assure you nothing bad will happen?’

Faith or love

Replace fear with faith, and your first chakra will be on the path to healing. According to Neale Donald Walsch, author of the ‘Conversations with God’-books, there are in essence only two emotions: love and fear. He writes: ‘When in doubt, ask yourself: what would love do?’ I think this question fits perfectly when working with the first chakra, because it demands for a soft approach.

Facing your fears is not about imitating stunts from ‘Jackass’, it is about truly getting to know yourself, getting to know your roots (including family circumstances and even your ancestors), and providing yourself with solid ground again. Step by step.

The Root chakra and the body

Muladhara is connected to the supportive and most dense parts of the body such as the bones, teeth, feet, legs, knees, lower back and buttocks (those support you when you sit, right?). Problems with this chakra reveal themselves in these body parts, and vice versa. The Root chakra is also related to eating disorders (and the bowels and colon), as food is obviously a basic need. If you face any of these problems, it might be worth it to dive into the first chakra and read up on healing techniques.

Boundaries

Issues with setting boundaries are also very much related to the first chakra. People who live too much in fear, might set too rigid boundaries (because the whole world and everyone in it is perceived as dangerous). People who’s basic needs were never met, might always be searching for the limits (which might get them into serious trouble in society). As Anodea Judith accurately points out:

Healing

The first chakra can be healed by facing your fears, replacing fear with faith, taking good care of your basic needs (starting with food and sleep), grounding (I will write a separate article on this in the future), massages and yoga. In addition family therapy and regression sessions might help (but do invest time in seeking a professional if you consider this).

Energetic therapy can also greatly help you in getting more insights and in alleviating stress regarding the first chakra, but it alone can never be a sustainable solution as you need to do the ground work yourself. Only you can stare the demons of your past in the eye. I might be able to see the damage they do, but I will never be able to see them. Only you can.

Affirmations

The Muladhara chakra is about the right to be and to right to have. Therefore three good affirmations to work with this chakra are: ‘I have every right to be here’, ‘I am safe’ and ‘I have everything I need’. Can you say these for yourself, and have faith in them?

Pfew, this was literally the most heavy one among the Seven Main chakras… From here things will only get lighter! Stay tuned at AP to continue our journey up the Rainbow Bridge, on our way to the Crown chakra and beyond.

Please let me know if you liked this article in the comments below! If you have any further reading tips or suggestions for healing strategies regarding the Muladhara chakra, feel welcome to share them with your fellow visitors and myself. Thank you for reading and see you next time!