2008 to 2025
“This chakra promotes a sense of safety, security, earthing from EARTH STAR spiralling up through all chakras (endocrine gland nodes), to eighth and beyond to 22nd, out into the cosmos to SOUL STAR and back in an eternal DNA spiral of energy.”
by Dr Arien van der Merwe
Root chakra, or Muladhara chakra, is the basis of the chakra system and associated with survival, security and grounding, while manifested as a body in this world. Addressing root chakra entrapment involves connecting with the physical body, practising earthing techniques and engaging in movements like free dancing to lift out of survival mode into the lightness of being, raising arms, flying with arms like a bird, bending down, moving slowly up unfolding vertebra by vertebra, lifting, opening heart and chest, visualising being free, while stomping feet in rhythm to music.
Consciously rising from root chakra emotional energy blockages, entails daily practice to engender a sense of stability, security and confidence, leading to a more grounded and balanced state.
Signs of root chakra entrapment:
- Chronic anxiety or fear;
- Feeling disconnected or ungrounded;
- Financial or housing instability;
- Trust issues;
- Constipation, lazy gut, or lower back pain;
- Obsessive focus on safety/security;
- Hoarding or over-attachment to material things.
Causes of root chakra imbalance:
- Childhood trauma or neglect;
- Physical or emotional abuse;
- Poverty or unstable living conditions;
- Sudden life changes (job loss, breakups, moves);
- Feeling unsafe in your environment.
Understanding root chakra deeply cellular ingrained emotional entrapments and their impact:
Traumas: The root chakra is particularly vulnerable to traumas related to physical survival, such as financial struggles, disease, or abuse.
Symptoms of blockage: Blockages can manifest as feelings of anxiety, insecurity, fear, or difficulty with digestion, leading to physical and emotional instability.
Practices for unblocking and strengthening the root chakra:
Earthing/grounding: Practices like walking barefoot on grass, sand or in water, gardening, or spending time in nature can reconnect you with the earth’s energy, promoting a sense of stability.
Physical movement: Yoga, Pilates, dance, walking, gentle jogging, can help you feel more grounded and connected to your body.
Visualisation: Imagine roots growing from your root chakra into the earth, visualising yourself as deeply rooted and connected.
Affirmations: Use positive affirmations to reinforce your sense of security, self-worth and grounding.
Consciously lifting from root chakra entrapment
Cultivate awareness: Pay attention to your thoughts, feelings and physical sensations to identify and address root chakra blocks. Write it in a journal.
Practise self-compassion: Acknowledge and accept your past experiences, fostering a sense of self-acceptance.
Make time for activities that bring you joy and a sense of calm, practising mindfulness, or engaging in creative expression.
Celebrate small wins to increase dopamine secretion: Nootropics like Lion’s mane, Ginkgo biloba and Ashwagandha increase all of these naturally.
Recognise and appreciate your progress, building momentum and motivation.
Connect with your emotions:
Embrace your emotions without judgment, allowing your body to express what words cannot.
Four types of trauma responses
Neuroscience coaching (what this writer practices) can help you cope with this:
Neuroplasticity/brain plasticity: The brain is not static; it can be changed and adapted through new experiences and learning. Coaches can use this knowledge to help clients/patients build new neural pathways for desired behaviours and thought patterns.
Emotional regulation: The brain’s stress response can significantly impact learning and change. Coaches can help patients develop strategies for managing emotions, such as mindfulness and relaxation techniques, to create a more receptive environment for new learning.
The habit loop: Habits are ingrained patterns of behaviour that can be difficult to break. Coaches can guide patients in understanding the triggers, routines and rewards associated with unwanted habits and develop new, healthier habits.
Cognitive biases: Mental shortcuts or biases can distort thinking and decision-making. Coaches can help patients identify and challenge these biases to promote more rational and effective decision-making.
ROOT YOURSELF THROUGH MEDITATION: Inhaling deeply for three to four counts, hold for two and exhaling for six to eight counts. Then visualise roots actually growing from your tailbone into the Earth.
We need to root much like Mycelium, the root-like structure of a fungus (mushrooms). This network of thread-like structures grows underground and absorbs nutrients and water. Mycelium also plays a crucial role in the ‘woodwide web’ a network that connects trees and other plants. Much like we connect, share and cohabitate with others when we are well rooted, feeling safe and well-balanced.
More ways to heal and balance
Nutrition
Root vegetables (mushrooms, carrots, potatoes, beetroot).
Protein-rich foods such as meat, fish, poultry, legumes.
Red-coloured foods (tomatoes, strawberries, red berries, red peppers, peppadews).
Herbs like Lion’s mane mushrooms, Ginkgo biloba, Ashwagandha (Withania somnifera) and essential oils like sandalwood, cinnamon, cedarwood, frankincense, myrrh, vetiver, patchouli, lavender to balance first and seventh chakra alignment.
Crystals from the Earth
Red jasper, hematite, black tourmaline, smoky quartz. Place on your lower spine or carry with you for grounding energy.
Sound healing
Chanting ‘LAM’ (the seed sound of the root chakra) or ‘I am here’. Listening to frequencies around 396 Hz. Dancing with stomping feet movements, drumming, gumboot dancing.
Therapy and inner work
Address unresolved fears and trauma with a depth or transpersonal psychologist/therapist.
Re-establish a sense of personal safety through boundaries and stability.
Root chakra healing meditation script you can record and a simple daily practice plan to help restore safety, stability and grounding.
Create your safe space: You can place a grounding crystal (e.g. hematite or red jasper) at your base while meditating.
CONNECT WITH GAIA – MOTHER EARTH
PULL ANAL MUSCLES TIGHT TO GROUND. IMAGINE ROOTS SPREADING FROM YOUR BASE TO ROOT YOU INTO THE EARTH. LIKE A TREE, OR THE MYCELIA OF MUSHROOMS CONNECTING YOU TO NATURE AND ALL BEINGS.
Sit or lie down comfortably and warmly. You can sit cross-legged or in a chair with your feet flat on the floor. Close your eyes and take a few deep breaths.
Breathe and ground: Inhale deeply through your nose…hold…exhale slowly through your mouth. Feel your body become heavy and supported by the earth.
Visualisation: Bring your attention to the base of your spine – your root chakra.
Visualise a glowing deep red light, like molten lava or a warm ember.
With each breath, see this red light growing brighter and more vibrant.
Grow roots: Imagine strong roots extending from your coccyx down into the earth. They go deeper and deeper, anchoring you to the ground. Feel yourself safe, supported and steady – like a tree.
Affirmations (repeat mentally or aloud):
Here I am.
I am safe.
I am grounded.
I am supported by the Earth.
I trust the flow of life.
My needs are met.
I am LOVE.
Let go, surrender, trust: As you breathe, let go of fear, worry, or tension. Imagine it being drawn out through your roots and dissolved in the Earth.
Close: Slowly bring your awareness back to the room. Wiggle your fingers and toes. Stretch. When you’re ready, open your eyes.
Daily root chakra practice plan
Morning (3–5 min):
Walk barefoot on the earth (grass, soil, sand, in water
Say affirmations: ‘I am grounded. I am safe’.
Midday (5–10 min):
Eat a grounding meal: Root vegetables or protein-rich foods.
Take five deep belly breaths while visualising the red root chakra.
Evening (5–10 min):
Short meditation or journaling: ‘What made me feel safe today? How do I feel now, in my body, in my mind and in my emotions?’
Light a red candle and express gratitude for stability, shelter, food.
