Body & beauty

The root cause

In our first in a series on the seven chakras, we look at the importance of the root chakra, and how you can keep it balanced

If you’ve been to a few yoga classes, you’ve probably heard your teacher mention the chakras. Meaning ‘wheel’ or ‘disk’ in Sanskrit, chakras are said to be spiritual energy centres in our bodies, aligned along the spine, through the neck and up to the crown of our heads. Ancient yogic teaching says that when these centres are opened and aligned, our energy can flow freely between them. When they become blocked, there can be problems.

“The root chakra is located at the base of our spine,” says kundalini yoga instructor Tania Menegatti (calmheart. life/journey-into-the-chakras). “It is the first of seven, and is vital for our physical health and vitality. This chakra is involved in the elimination of waste and the health of our bones, feet and legs. It connects us to the earth and governs our survival instincts, and our sense of security and safety, plus our ability to let go, accept and trust.”

Because the root chakra is in charge of our most basic functions, to take care of it, we should ask ourselves if we are ticking all the right boxes at basic level. “Are you getting enough sleep, are you eating regularly, and getting out in nature enough?” says Tania. “These are vital to keep the root chakra healthy. If we don’t have a strong root chakra, it damages our self-esteem. But it works both ways and we can damage it by striving after the mores of the modern world.

“We need to forget about work for a minute and ask if we love our bodies, whatever shape or size we are. The modern ‘me’ culture can disconnect us from our origins, which are part of our root chakra. Ask yourself – how much do you feel a part of this world, connected with your family, friends and community? Or do you feel alienated or feel like an imposter?

“With so many demands placed on us every day – emails, texts, social media, plates to spin, roles to play – how grounded, or rooted, are we? There is so much going on in our heads, which is a long way from our root. If we spend all the time in our heads, we are disconnected from our bodies. This makes us erratic, fearful and confused. The body is not just a vehicle for the brain, the root is our instinctive nature, we need to be in touch with it.

Signs of unbalance

It’s easy to spot problems with this very important chakra, says Tania. “If it is out of balance, this can lead to physical issues with our digestive system, bones, legs or feet. It can also create emotional challenges, including trouble letting go and trusting, lack of focus, things spinning out of control; feeling like an alien member of the family, slipping from our circle of friends, community or society and not feeling worthy, which can often be an underlying reason why basic self-care slips. With these things comes negative body image, which can lead, at its worst, to mental illness.”

So what can cause things to go wrong? It’s all down to not looking after yourself properly. “Unhealthy eating patterns can impact the root chakra,” says Tania. “This often happens as part of not meeting our basic needs as we attend to others or seemingly more important matters. Before we know it we’re skipping meals or not eating a balanced diet to meet the demands of a hectic lifestyle – which ultimately makes any lifestyle unsustainable. Like the roots of a tree in a drought, our root chakras are weakened.

Experiences of having your security or safety compromised, such as a traumatic accident, can affect your root chakra, as can receiving negative messages about your body. “Whether this is from your family, friends, or society in general, it can all affect it, as can simply failing to give yourself enough time to relax and just look after yourself.

How to bring balance

“Beyond yoga postures that stimulate, align and balance the root chakra, like the crow pose, chair pose and front stretches, there are many other ways to restore balance to this chakra,” says Tania. “Make sure you’re looking after your body. Get enough sleep, eat regularly, consume plenty of fruit and vegetables and take a good probiotic for your digestive system. To stay grounded it is important to spend time in nature and walk barefoot on the earth – the benefits of both have now been proven scientifically.

“To feel connected to others and part of a greater whole is core to root chakra wellbeing. Seek out a community that you can feel part of and contribute to it, or get in touch with a family member you haven’t spoken to for a while.”

For more information on Tania’s chakra work, visit calmheart.life/journey-intothe-chakras