The Chakra System - The Root Chakra

Following the summary posts on Facebook regarding the Chakra system, here I'll be looking a little more in depth at each Chakra daily. I'll explain where each are located in the body, the effects they have when blocked, balance or are overly opened. I'll also include details of how a Reiki practitioner may address each issue to restore balance. There will also be tips on how to recognise which Chakra may be causing issues within your current life situation. In addition a daily affirmation in relation to each will be posted. The Root Chakra Today is about the Root Chakra, or Muladhara in Sanskrit, located at the base of the spine. It is the seat of our survival, our safety, and our sense of belonging in this world. When it is well, we feel held. When it is not, life can feel precarious in ways that are hard to name.

When the Root Chakra is blocked

A blocked root is one of the most common imbalances I encounter in my practice — and one of the quietest. It often doesn't announce itself as a chakra issue. It announces itself as chronic anxiety, financial worry that won't release, an inability to feel truly at home anywhere, or a persistent exhaustion that sleep doesn't fix.

Physically, you might notice lower back pain, cold feet, digestive sluggishness, or a depleted immune system. Emotionally, there is often a low hum of fear or unworthiness — a feeling of not quite belonging, not quite being safe. Spiritually, the soul can't fully land in the body when the root is blocked. It hovers. It watches. But it doesn't settle.

My approach as a Reiki Master

In a Reiki session, I approach a blocked root with patience and warmth — this centre has often been guarded for good reason. I place one hand at the lower back and one at the lower abdomen, holding a gentle intention of safety and earth energy flowing in. I visualise the appropriate power symbol at the base of the spine, visualising a deep red light slowly filling the centre like a warming hearth being lit for the first time in a long while. Once I feel the energy has been balanced, I then move to the feet — spending some time here, as the soles are the body's natural grounding points. Slow sweeping strokes draw stagnant energy downward and out, releasing what has accumulated. I position my hands around the feet, imagining roots growing downward through the client into the earth below. Before closing, I seal the work, locking in the new energy like a door being gently closed.

When the Root Chakra is balanced

A balanced root is a beautiful thing to be in the presence of. There is a quality of quiet confidence in someone whose foundation is strong — not loudness, not dominance, but a settled, unshakeable ease. They know they have enough. They know they are enough.

Physically, the body feels vital and resilient. Digestion is healthy, energy is steady, and the legs and lower body feel strong. Emotionally, there is a deep sense of safety that doesn't depend on external circumstances — a kind of inner stability that can weather storms. Spiritually, the soul is fully present and embodied, able to bring its gifts into daily life rather than retreating into the abstract.

My approach as a Reiki Master

When the root is balanced during a session, the energy here flows steadily and evenly — warm, dense and grounding, like dark red earth that has been well-tended. My hands are positioned above the abdomen where I sense a clear, easy flow. Any power symbol drawn here seems to expand smoothly outward rather than encountering resistance.

In maintenance sessions for a balanced root, the work is less about clearing and more about affirming — gently reinforcing the healthy channel that already exists, perhaps drawing energy upward to the next centre now that the foundation is solid. It is a pleasure to work with.

When the Root Chakra is too open

An overactive root is less often discussed, but it's worth understanding. When this chakra is too open, the energy becomes dense and pulled entirely downward — absorbed in survival, material security, and the physical world to the exclusion of almost everything else.

You might recognise this as an obsessive need for control over money, possessions or environment, or as a heaviness — a tendency toward lethargy, over-eating, hoarding or having a rigid routine. Emotionally, there can be aggression when resources feel threatened, and a greed that is never satisfied. Spiritually, the person is so anchored in the material that they cannot perceive anything beyond it.

My approach as a Reiki Master

With an overactive root, the practitioner's role shifts. Rather than pouring energy in, we gently redirect the excess upward. I place hands at the root to acknowledge the excessive energy present, then deliberately work reduce this, encouraging the dense energy to lighten and rise.

I use the varying symbols here, concerntrating on the emotional and mental healing here, as the overactivity is often rooted in deep fear that has calcified into rigidity. The intention becomes: 'It is safe to release. You are secure enough to rise.'

Today's affirmation: I am safe. I belong here. The earth holds me. A practice for this week

This week, wherever you are with your root — whether it feels shaky, solid or heavy — I invite you to spend a few moments each day placing your feet flat on the floor (or even better, on the earth), breathing slowly, and quietly saying: I am safe. I belong here. Small acts of grounding accumulate. The root responds to consistency and gentleness over time.

Previous Casework

A client that had been struggling with a back issue for several work that resulted in them not being able to sit or lie comfortably for more than a few minutes came to me very despondent, and having very little sleep was really feeling low - not only with themself but with life in general. After a single session (and nearly falling asleep during the treatment session), happily let me know that the pain in her back had reduced significantly, they had slept soundly without issue and generally felt lighter.