First Chakra
This is the root chakra. It is located at the base of your spine, or tailbone.
The root chakra belongs to the realm of the physical. If you feel grounded, secure, and rooted in the present, this chakra needs little attention. However, many are not so blessed. A blocked root chakra may lead you to grasp at the physical, becoming clingy and overly possessive. Conversely, if you’re too open here you may feel estranged from your body and possessions. As a result, your generosity may be taken advantage of.
Everything that happens to us or our parents while we are in-utero and newly born is locked into our first chakra. During this time, we experience the world through our parents’ perceptions and our own physical body. If we perceive a threat to ourselves or to our parents, we might question our right or ability to survive. Threats can include anything from not being fed when hungry to our parents going through bankruptcy. Endangerment can activate rage, pain, grief, terror and other primal feelings. Unless acknowledged, allowed and expressed in some manner, these feelings will continue to haunt us for the rest of our lives. Beliefs that could spring out of these experience include, “The world is dangerous” or “I don’t deserve to live,” however, if these feelings and awareness’s are processed by our parent or ourselves, we will create beliefs that support our existence and the right to have our needs met. We then become stronger for being able to tap into our primal feelings.
The first chakra also serves as the fundamental point for opening to spiritual guidance. If for some reason we close ourselves off to spiritual guidance at this young age, we become much more vulnerable to experiences of trauma and abuse.
In a nutshell, core issues regarding emotional insecurity and physical security originate in this chakra, as do spiritual perceptions that relate to our right to exist and have our needs met. These core issues become issues regarding career, money, primal feelings, addictions, family of origin and sexuality at later dates.
Because it is located in the genital area the first chakra receives its basic programming from our family. Through this programming, we make decisions regarding our right and our will to survive. Our earliest experiences are also recorded here, resulting in the awareness or repression of our most primal feelings.
Nothing happens until it happens in the first chakra; and nothing has happened until we sense it, until we feel it in a tactile way, until it touches us…. Our interaction with our environment is dependent upon our own body’s ability to simultaneously record and make us aware of the occurrence of some event or experience. As we move through life, this chakra regulates our physical existence and needs, including issues surrounding sexuality and passion, and the availability of our most basic needs – money, housing, food, clothing and loving relationships. The first chakra also regulates the physical realm in which it dwells, including our sexual functions.
The first chakra also serves as the fundamental point for opening to spiritual guidance. If for some reason we close ourselves off to spiritual guidance at this young age, we become much more vulnerable to experiences of trauma and abuse.
LAM (LLLLLLL-AAAH-MMMM)
Point: Base, Root, Earth Center
Color: Red
Kabbalah: Malkuth Divine Source: Adonai Ha-Aretz – Lord of the Earth
Archangel: Sandalphon – Angel of Prayer and Life
Emotions: Grounding, stability, stamina, motivation, self-confidence, purpose, passion, excitement
Mental Belief: Affects those relating to inherited beliefs, gender legacies, safety and survival.
Feeling Component: Origin of feelings about self and the world, the right to exist, and primal feelings such as guilt, terror, rage, joy and shame.
Tone: C C #
Vowel: Uh
Crystal Correction: A blocked chakra is opened by obsidian. This gem brings a centered, peaceful perspective, so that the impulse to compulsively acquire is replaced by an understanding of the temporary nature of belongings. To heal blocks, place a piece of obsidian on your genital region while lying down on your back. As you relax more the stone’s strength will connect with your own, enhancing it. An abundantly open root needs rose quartz. Though typically associated with the heart, this soft pink quartz allows us to accept and love ourselves, so we can protect ourselves by saying no.
Other crystals and gems: Garnet, bloodstone, ruby, red jasper, black tourmaline, smoky quartz, obsidian
Location: Pubic Bone; Location: Lower hips, genital area
Essential Oil: Vetiver Oil
Age: Womb to 6 months. Connecting to Tribe (Family)
Psychological: Critical to our survival. As it is linked to the basic survival instincts. It is connected with primal feelings… and is the prime mover behind the so called “fight or flight response.” Wounded Family Issues
Mantra: I am one with all that is, which allows me to move out of survival into unity.
Physical: Elimination of solids and liquids, rectum, bladder. Also relates to legs, feet, base of spine, bones, and kidneys. Body and structure developed; affects all processes governing survival.
Spiritual Perceptions: Relates to commitment to life, acceptance of spiritual help and our basic intuitive abilities. Relates to rust in others and awareness of basic needs. Core of worth issues.
Symptoms when unbalanced: Unstable, insecure, hunger/weight gain, constipation, arthritis, spinal tension, knee problems
Visual: It is like the roots of a tree that bury themselves in the very heart of the earth. Send grounding cord into cord of earth crystal then connect with solar crown. Other visuals are the serpent, snake, dragon, or “holy fire” similar to the flame of the Holy Spirit. The yang aspect of the chakra relates to how we put ourselves out into the world and how successful we are at surviving. The yin component concerns how able we are to receive material assistance and keep our “will to live” alive.
Source Of: Passion, raw, primal feelings, including rage, terror, joy; survival energy; material energy for achieving life purpose; fundamental programming about what we deserve in and out of life.
Descriptors: Images of a serpent, snake, dragon, or “holy fire;” similar to the flame of the Holy Spirit. The yang aspect of the chakra relates to how we put ourselves out into the world and how successful we are at surviving. The yin component concerns how able we are to receive material assistance and keep our “will to live” alive.
Seat of: Existence on the physical plane; the will to live.
Key Word: Awareness
Energy Type: Fed by fire energy from inside and outside ourselves. It is the recipient chakra for kundalini, the raw, earth energy feeding our life force and assuring survival.
Physical Communication Style: Communicates physical or emotional needs through real-life sensory impressions; aches and pains, physical awareness, touches, smells, vibrations, movements, feelings. May involve getting sick as a means to becoming aware of the problem.
Psychic Communication Style: Conveys information regarding our mental needs through physical empathy, the registration of physical and feeling-based sensations from sources that are perceived as not there. Can include feeling physical pains, illnesses and feelings that belong to someone else; getting hit with smells nausea, touches, vibrations that seem to come from nowhere. I associate abilities such as psychometrics, the act of reading physical objects with this chakra.
Intuitive Communications Style: Receives or sends physical sensations that make us look at a soul or spiritual issue or need, causing us to sometimes experience and imaginary reality, as if we were really there. While these experiences are woven from psychic energies, they usually involve a higher learning and call for a significant change in lifestyle.
Problems: Root area for addictions and compulsions; sexual dysfunctions (physical, behavioral, or emotional); nervous system diseases or disorders; urinary-tract disorders; rectal problems; some circulatory, skin, or reproductive issues; headaches. Family dysfunctions and gender role confusion; any childhood abuse issues; money, career and finance issues; questions about housing, food, and basic needs.
Contains: Our roots, including family values, beliefs, and heritage; original feelings about ourselves, our right to exist , our right to occupy space, our right to be loved, our right to get our needs met; programming affecting our basic needs, including the needs for money, love/being loved, sex, food, air, water, housing; material energy for achieving life purpose.
Physical Processes: Body and structure developed; affects all processes governing survival.
Spiritual Perceptions: Relates to commitment to life, acceptance of spiritual help and our basic intuitive abilities. Relates to trust in others and awareness of basic needs; Core of worth issues.
Chin Mudra: Let the tips of your thumb and index finger touch. The thumb is symbolic of cosmic (divine) and the index finger is symbolic of individual (human) consciousness. The ultimate or primary goal of yoga is the oneness of humanity with cosmic consciousness.
Additional Chakras