6 Yoga Poses To Balance Your Root Chakra + Decrease Fear & Anxiety

An imbalance in the root chakra can cause fundamental issues in the mind, body, & spirit.

The root chakra - Muladhara - is the first chakra to develop and is the foundation of our entire system. It develops from the time that we are in the womb until early infancy, so if our mother is dealing with stress, emotional trauma, or any other sort of physical, mental, or emotional discomfort, it will have an effect on our root. Even if our mother has the perfect pregnancy and the first year or so of our life is comfortable and nurturing, issues later on in life that deal with basic security of the mind, body, or spirit can have a negative effect.

When the root chakra is balanced we feel physically and emotionally safe and secure in the world and in our body. We feel stable and grounded, ready to take on the challenges of life. We have a clear sense of what our purpose is and are able to stay present and focused. We have healthy and controlled boundaries with fear and don’t allow it to rule our life.

Specific issues that cause root chakra imbalance include: scarcity of money, food, or shelter; physical abuse; not having a stable or consistent place to live; neglect from a parent, guardian, or loved one. - Basically any situation that causes us to feel physically unsafe in the world and/or in our body.

Root chakra imbalances can show up in a variety of ways:

Closed -

If a chakra is closed, it means that it so blocked up that energy is in way, stuck. The energy cannot flow in the chakra because traumas and past negative experiences have caused it to completely block up.

Deficient -

When a chakra has deficient energy it means that the energy is blocked but there is still some flowing slowly in the chakra. In the case of the root chakra, deficiency in energy or a complete blockage will cause you to feel as though you don’t have a place in the world. You may feel unsafe or insecure in your body and in the world. Constant fear is a main emotional sign of root chakra deficiency, but you may experience anxiety, depression, guilt, resentment, codependency in relationships, restlessness, feelings of abandonment, and even lack of focus. Physically, root chakra imbalances often show up as eating disorders like bulimia, anorexia, and obesity and ailments like sciatica, hypertension, and adrenal fatigue.

Excessive -

A chakra with excessive energy has too much energy flowing through it. In the case of the root chakra, this can show up as being completely ungrounded and flighty. You may be excessively attached to material things, your health, or your appearance. You can get stuck in the same routines in an effort to keep your material world under your control and you may experience excessive anger, short temper, greediness, impatience, and feeling stuck.