Mūlādhāra, the 'root support', sits at the base of the spine. Its element is earth. Everything else is built on it: if you don't feel safe, it's very hard to feel creative, confident or open-hearted.
What The Root Governs
The root is about survival in the broad sense: a safe body, a roof, enough money and food, and a feeling of belonging to a family, a group or a place. It's also about the physical body itself — the legs, the feet, bones, the sense of weight and solidity.
Traditionally it's shown as a four-petalled lotus with a yellow square (the earth element) and is where kundalini is said to rest, coiled, at the base of the spine.
Signs Of Imbalance
Look for patterns that have lasted weeks, not one bad day.
- ✦Under-active: constant low-level anxiety, feeling 'not quite here', money chaos, poor self-care, struggling to finish things
- ✦Overactive: clinging to security, hoarding, rigidity, resistance to any change, heaviness and sluggishness
- ✦Balanced: a calm sense of 'I'm OK', practical, patient, able to rest
Working With The Root
The root responds to the physical and the practical. Walking barefoot, slow strength exercise, eating regular meals and sorting one practical worry (a bill, a form, a cupboard) all speak to it more than visualisation does. Low, slow breathing with long exhales tells the body it's safe.
Its bija is LAM — pronounced 'lum', with a deep, humming 'mmm' at the end. Chant it low in the voice and feel it vibrate down towards the pelvis and legs.
The practice · 8 minutes
Grounding Stand And LAM
- 1Stand barefoot if you can, feet hip-width apart, knees softly bent.
- 2Press your feet into the floor. Feel heels, balls of the feet and toes. Rock gently forward and back until you find the centre.
- 3Breathe in through the nose for 4 and out for 6, imagining the exhale sinking down your legs into the ground. Ten breaths.
- 4Sit down. Chant LAM slowly nine times, low in the voice, letting the 'mmm' last.
- 5Sit in silence for a minute and notice the weight of your body on the seat.
- 6Today's action: deal with one practical thing you've been putting off.
Coming back to it: On repeat cycles, add a slow 10-minute barefoot walk outside, paying attention only to your feet.
Guided pacer
Grounding breath (4 in · 6 out)
In 4s · out 6s · 10 rounds
Ready
Sit upright, shoulders soft, breathe through the nose.
Journal prompts
- “Where in my life do I not feel safe right now?”
- “What is one practical thing that would make me feel more secure?”
- “Where do I feel most at home — in a place, a person, or my body?”
Saved privately on this device. Come back tomorrow and log it again.
Check Your Understanding
3 quick questions. Retake it any time.
1. What is the element of the root chakra?
2. What is the root chakra's bija mantra?
3. Which is a sign of an overactive root?
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Open the timer →Safety: Chakra work is a reflective and contemplative practice, not a medical or psychological treatment. If you are dealing with physical symptoms, depression, trauma or anxiety, please work with a qualified professional alongside any practice here.