The root chakra or Muladhara chakra is responsible for our feelings of secureness and survival. When your first chakra is unbalanced you might experience life as a burden or you may have elimination issues. The organs related to the Muladhara chakra are the ones responsible for elimination. Your root chakra is located at the end of the spine between the anus and the sexual organs. Yoga helps you to balance your root chakra.

According to Swami Saradananda the root chakra is the foundation of our energetic body and our mental health. It is also responsible for the survival. Thanks to the root chakra we can go through life challenges. Our way to react to situations is also related to the first chakra: either we escape or face an issue with courage.

When the root chakra is unbalanced

Feeling desperate and ungrounded is one of the symptoms of root chakra disorder. As a result you might feel you don’t belong to your family, friends, colleagues or community or you can feel lost. The Muladhara plays a role in your immune system, the skeleton, the intestines and the teeth. When the root chakra energy is unbalanced people can suffer from sexual issues.

Other symptoms are: feeling depress, having fear, being constipated, resisting change and disconnection from your body.

Yoga helps you to balance your root chakra

Kundalini Yoga helps us to clear the blocks of prana (life’s force) energy so that we can attune with the energy flow. Known as the yoga of awareness, this type of yoga has an immediate effect on our energy as it works on a mind, body and soul level.

Exercises you can practice to balance your first chakra:

• Crow pose

• Chair pose

• Body drops

• Frog pose

• Mulbhandh or Root Lock (contraction of the anus, perineum and sex organ)

• Front stretches

• Lying on the stomach

• Feet kicking buttocks (lying on your stomach)

Practice here some of the exercises mentioned above.

Additional yoga asanas you can practice are: the child pose, dog facing down, frontal bend, the triangle, the warrior and the tree pose.

Meditating and conscious walk

You can also meditate to work on your first chakra. First sit with a straight spine either in rock pose (sitting on the heels) or in easy pose. Then make the Surya mudra (hand posture) touching your thumb and ring finger.  Place your hands on your knees and you are ready to start. This mudra will revitalize your energy. It will strengthen the nervous system and give you the power to accomplish your goals!

Repeat positive affirmations or breathe deeply through your nose.

Some affirmations you can repeat are:

• I am exactly where I need to be

• Gaia’s energy holds me

• I live from my inner strength

The mindful or conscious walk consists of walking in nature if possible with bare feet. You can slow down your walking pace. Inhale as you lift up your feet, exhale as you step on the ground from the heel towards the toes and visualizing roots coming out of your feet and connecting with the Earth.

If you want to work on your Root chakra energy, you can plan a one on one yoga lesson/coaching with Dayal Yoga. 

Articles of interest:

‘Pranayama’ is our life force – DayalYoga

All I need is within me – DayalYoga