The Root Chakra is our foundation. It is the seat of our survival instincts and what we must do day-to-day to sustain and maintain the physical body. The root chakra is linked to the adrenal glands, which control the release of stress hormones. The adrenal glands impact nearly every other system in the body. An imbalance in stress hormones – whether it’s emotional, spiritual, psychological or physical stress – is the foundation for just about any illness or dis-ease. The body is the temple for the Soul. When it is in poor condition, the Soul suffers.

The Sanskrit word for Root is Muladhara (moo-lah-dah-rah). It means “root support.” The Root chakra keeps us grounded to the physical Earth. It is the chakra of embodiment. The reason this is so difficult is our society is oriented toward disembodiment. By and large, we reject being in our bodies. We struggle to be in the present, and instead, spend the vast majority of our time focusing on the past and excessively trying to control the future. The mind (not to be confused with the brain) has become our sole operating force. We have been taught to trust it more than the intelligence of what is felt in the body.

Root chakra imbalances are brought on by the fear of missing out, losing something or someone, failure, abandonment, not living up to your potential or fear of your environment. Fear creates stress. In short bursts, such as engaging in an intense workout or fleeing a potentially dangerous situation, stress can be a good thing. However, long-term, low grade stress is destructive to our life force, health and wellbeing.

The root chakra is located at the perineum. Its energy is drawn up from the Earth through the feet and legs when standing and the base of the spine when sitting.

The root chakra keeps us grounded and connected to the physical realm and provides a sense of safety, stability and security here. It is what enables us to feel at home in our bodies and present in the moment.

Overactive:

• Inertia
• Apathy
• Laziness
• Inability to move forward

Under Active:

• Angst
• Chronic Busyness
• Flightiness / Unfocused
• Inability to be still
• Disregard for boundaries

Conditions:

• Issues with the knees, legs, feet or ankles
• Poor blood circulation
• Teeth grinding

Astrology
Saturn governs the root chakra. Saturn is concerned with laying foundations, devotion to routines, responsibility, traditions, mastery, time and maturation. A Saturnian imbalance most commonly results in anxiety.

Too much Saturn makes one clingy, greedy, rigid, worrisome and overly nostalgic (stuck in the past). This is linked to a fear of not having enough (lack mentality) and not being enough (inadequacy). Too little Saturn leaves one overly reliant on escapism, unreliable, fickle and non-committal. This is linked to a fear of abandonment.