Root Chakra 101: Grounding, Safety & Belonging
Welcome to the first post in this chakra mini-series. If you want a broader primer, you can read/listen to the overview episode on chakras first—but you can also dive right in here and circle back later.
The root chakra—Muladhara (Sanskrit for “root support”)—is the foundation of the seven-chakra system. It’s located at the base of the spine/pelvic floor and governs the legs and feet. Whether you relate to chakras as subtle anatomy or as a rich metaphor, this lens offers a practical way to reconnect with your body, your home, and your sense of enoughness.
Muladhara at a Glance
Location: Base of spine, pelvic floor; relates to legs and feet
Themes: Survival, safety, stability, belonging, trust, home, body, money
Developmental echo: Early childhood & primal needs
Element: Earth
Color: Red
Bija (seed sound): LAM (chant or hum it while resting awareness at the pelvic floor)
Symbol: Four-petaled lotus with a square and downward triangle
When Muladhara is balanced, we feel secure, grounded, restful, and resourced. When it’s imbalanced, we might notice anxiety, hypervigilance, dissociation, scarcity thinking, home/financial instability, or ongoing tension and injuries in the hips/legs/feet. Modern life’s screen time and indoor everything can also fray our earth connection—no wonder this chakra often needs tending.
On the Mat: Practices to Ground
Think steady, rooted, simple. Favor shapes that connect you to feet, legs, and the floor.
Foundational postures
Tadasana (Mountain): Organize joints over joints; feel weight through all four foot corners.
Warrior I & II: Root both feet; engage thighs and glutes to stabilize.
Malasana (Yogi squat): Sense downward energy and pelvic floor awareness.
Vrksasana (Tree): Root to rise—press down to lift.
Seated shapes: Sukhasana/Siddhasana for meditation; Paschimottanasana to feel the backs of the legs heavy and grounded.
Yin options: Butterfly, Caterpillar, Dragonfly for unhurried depth.
Key techniques
Pada Bandha (foot lock): Spread toes, press big-toe mound, pinky-toe mound, and center heel; imagine a light lift of the inner arch.
Adductor engagement: In lunges, gently “hug” inner thighs toward center for pelvis stability.
Mula Bandha (root lock): Subtle lift of the pelvic floor—think “pulling one tissue from a tissue box.” Equally important: practice relaxing it.
Mudra
Bhu Mudra (Earth gesture): Sit tall, place index + middle fingers to the floor. Inhale as if you’re drawing steadiness up from the earth; exhale to offer tension back to be composted.
Somatic resets
Gentle shaking, bouncing, or a minute of freeform dancing to discharge anxious energy and land back in your body.
Off the Mat: Earth Your Life
Touch the ground: Walk barefoot, garden, lie on the grass, lean against a tree. Clay work counts too—earth in your hands.
Cook grounding meals: Think roots and density—sweet potatoes, carrots, beets, kitchari, warm stews.
Make home feel safe: Declutter, add warm textures, bring in natural elements, and create a small altar or “belonging corner.”
Tend your money calmly: Budget check-ins, bill dates, and (if needed) asking for support. Regulate your nervous system before you open the banking app.
Orient to the present: Name 5 things you see, 4 feel, 3 hear, 2 smell, 1 taste. Slow, even breathing helps.
Abhyanga (Ayurvedic self-massage): Use a nourishing oil (sesame in cooler months; coconut in heat) with slow, steady strokes.
Mini Root Ritual (5 Minutes)
Sit in Sukhasana. Place Bhu Mudra fingers on the floor.
Breathe 4–6 rounds of box breath (inhale 4, hold 4, exhale 4, hold 4), or simply lengthen exhale.
Hum “LAM” three times, feeling vibration low in the pelvis.
Stand in Tadasana for 60 seconds, cultivating Pada Bandha.
Journal one sentence: “Today, safety feels like ______.”
Journal Prompts
Where in my life do I feel ungrounded?
What does safety mean to me right now?
What reliably roots me when I feel disconnected?
Pick one grounding practice for the week—tidy a room, cook a root-veg dinner, walk barefoot, or review your budget with compassion—and notice how you feel afterward.
Want to Go Deeper?
Book: Embody Your Inner Goddess by Lauren Leduc devotes a full week to Root Chakra practices—complete with reflections and embodied rituals to help you feel at home in your body and power.
For teachers: The True Love Yoga 300-Hour Advanced YTT (starting January 2026) is organized through the chakra lens, blending subtle energy, sequencing mastery, leadership, and business—plus personal mentorship. Limited cohort; applications now open.
The invitation of Muladhara is simple and profound: slow down, settle in, and trust your ground. In a world that pulls us up and out, let your practice bring you down and in.
See you in a few weeks for Svadhisthana (Sacral Chakra)—creativity, pleasure, and fluidity. Until then, may your week be steady, nourishing, and safe.
Om Shanti, Om Peace.
