On Establishing Roots
“To be rooted is perhaps the most important and least recognized need of the human soul.”
I have an orange tree in my bedroom. I’ve named her Azahar.
She drops leaves when I forget to water her and leans toward the window where the sunlight warms the glass.
She communicates her needs to me and has grown several inches since I bought her last spring. I removed the sturdy wooden stake that propped her up, so now she stands upright on her own.
Azahar’s roots are deep enough to sustain the ascension.
Eight months ago, I dug deep and put my roots down. I invested in a home. I signed a lease, purchased furnishings, and introduced myself to the community.
One of my favorite things about my apartment is cleaning. I love sweeping the wooden floors and dusting the creaky radiators. I enjoy filling my kitchen shelves with dried beans, chickpeas, and oats. I am comfortable with the pigeons in the eves and the cat that climbs the chestnut tree beyond my bedroom window.
I am happy here. My sense of purpose, groundedness, and ease of routine allow me to focus on my passion projects.
What is it to be rooted? What gives a person a sense of affirmation inside of themselves? How does it affect your work, relationships with others, environment, and contribution to the greater collective?
These are questions for the Root Chakra, Muladhara.
What is the Root Chakra?
The root chakra is one of the main energy points in the spinal column. The chakras are part of the astral body and cannot be seen, though they are felt and supply the body with vital energy when balanced and activated.
Physically, the chakras are connected to a specific area of the spinal cord that correlates to nerve ganglia/plexuses, which influence the organs and glands.
The chakras respond to all bodily functions, including digestive, circulatory, respiratory, nervous, and endocrine.
Energetically, the chakras are vortexes of energy that converge at specific points along the spine. The energy centers inspire and regulate the flow of Prana (vitality) through the body and its systems.
The chakras have Nadis (energy lines) that carry information to the systems. The Nadis are reflected as petals in the depictions of the energy centers; each chakra has a unique number of petals.
Root Chakra Themes
Sound: Lam
Color: Red
Balanced: Centered, Committed, Clear
Blocked: Fearful, Grasping, Insecure
About the Root Chakra
The root chakra is located between the perineum and the coccyx at the spine's base.
The coccyx is the final bone of the spinal column that is slightly curved. It is generally called the tailbone. The perineum is a diamond-shaped health of muscles between the genitals and the anus.
The perineum is activated during mula bandha - the root lock.
Muladhara is the Sankrit name for the root chakra. It translates as 'root support' and expresses the human need for stability, security, groundedness, and survival.
Kanda and Relationship to Root Chakra
The Kanda is a small egg-shaped energy center located just above Muladhara.
At the center of the Kanda is a bundle of nerves that extends from the spinal cord to the brain. The nerves move down the spine and taper into fine, silken threads at the tail. The silken threads converge to create a bundle of nerves at the center of the Kanda.
The Kanda is the central point of the astral body.
It is where all the Nadis (energy centers) spring, including the chakras. It is the source and wellspring of the vital current that invigorates the 72,000 Nadis and unique parts of the body, including the organs and glands. The Kanda connects the crown chakra to the root chakra via the nerves trailing through and down the spine.
The Root Chakra and Kundalini
In Kundalini Yoga, the root chakra is where the serpent lies dormant.
Through the practice (kriyas, mantras, mudras, asanas), we stir the Kundalini and draw it up the spine, where it strikes each chakra before reaching the third eye chakra.
The third eye is the point of clairvoyance, non-judgment, and compassion.
Physically, the practice of Kundalini Yoga wakes up our nerve centers. Deep breathing purifies the blood, regenerates cells, and the physical body becomes more sensitive to its surroundings. The breath work, repetitive movements, chanting, and gestures strengthen our nervous system, allowing it to absorb more electric current.
Drawing the Kundalini from the lower chakras (root) frees the body from fear. It illuminates our capacity for Love and the Divine Virtues, including patience, wisdom, truth, stillness, generosity, and discipline.
The Yoga Sutras, Paramitas, and all holy scriptures (the Bible, the Tora, and the Quran) were composed in this state of compassionate awareness.
According to the Tantras, Kundalini represents Shakti—the feminine force or Prakriti (matter, physical manifestation). When Shakti is aroused, she makes her way up to Shiva, her masculine counterpart. Shiva, aka Purusha (consciousness), sits at the third eye. He needs Shakti to create the cosmos. When Shiva and Shakti meet, the universe is born.
On an energetic level, drawing the Kundalini out of its dormancy inspires awakening. We remove the fallacy, fantasy, and illusion (Maya) and begin to see things for what they are rather than how we want them to be. We surrender to the cosmos (Divine, God) and release control over the narrative.
Ways to Observe the Root Chakra
The following are some of the guidelines I use to acknowledge my roots and Muladhara.
Where do I feel safe? What environments give me a sense of security?
How much money do I need to feel stable in my finances?
What nourishes me? Food, living quarters, daily habits.
Footwork/ attention to my feet lends so much to my daily movement.
Leg strengthening - takes the energy down into the lower trunk of the body, which provides stability.
Attentiveness to my perineum and sphincter muscles. Am I clenching when I am stressed? How does my breathing affect these muscles?
Time to write and reflect at the end of each day to organize my thoughts.
Time to meditate to ground my energy and feel myself connected to the earth.
Acknowledgment of the people who ground and nourish me - sending blessings.
Confronting fear and constantly connecting to my truth.
Seeking support from people who point out my blind spots or where I am motivated by fear instead of my heart's true purpose.
Kriya for the Root Chakra here.
Thank you for reading!
