Grounding Down: The Root Chakra

Food prices are sky-high. The housing crisis is deepening. Lifesaving medicine—something that should be a basic right—is marked up over 1000% for people battling chronic conditions like cancer and HIV. And that’s just here in America. On a global scale, it’s crisis after crisis: genocide, drought, famine, disease. Our most fundamental human rights—access to food, water, shelter, and safety—are being stripped away, not by scarcity, but by systems that prioritize profit over people.

Surviving in America is becoming a full-time job—and not the kind that pays.

If you’re feeling overwhelmed already, take a deep breath. I’ve painted a grim picture, but I promise there’s a point. What does any of this have to do with chakras? Well, all these systemic failures directly assault the Root chakra, our spiritual and energetic foundation.

Tapping Into the Root

The Root chakra is just that—a root. It anchors us to the earth, grounding us in safety, stability, and nourishment. Its energy is red, like rich soil, and it resides at the base of your spine, in the perineum—the space between your anus and genitals.

This chakra is the foundation of our existence. It governs the basics: trust in our health, homes, and families; our sense of prosperity; and the boundaries we set with ourselves and others. At its essence, the Root chakra embodies our inherent right to exist and to have enough.

Characteristics of a Balanced Root Chakra

When the Root chakra is balanced, life tends to feel secure and stable. You may notice:

  • Good physical health and vitality

  • Feeling well-grounded and comfortable in your body

  • A strong sense of trust in the world

  • Feelings of safety and security

  • The ability to relax and be still

  • Stability and emotional resilience

  • Financial prosperity

This sense of balance becomes the bedrock for personal growth and the ability to face life’s challenges with calm and clarity.

Trauma That Can Affect the Root Chakra

Like a tree can be damaged by storms or a disrupted environment, the Root chakra can be deeply impacted by trauma. Some common experiences that affect it include:

  • Birth trauma

  • Neglect or malnourishment

  • Major illness or surgeries

  • Physical abuse or growing up in a violent environment

  • Inherited trauma, such as generational trauma from war, poverty, or displacement

Understanding how these experiences shape your foundation can be the first step toward healing and rebalancing.

Imbalance In The Root

But look around. The world is teeming with signs of an imbalanced Root chakra. We see it in societies where basic needs are unmet, where people are left feeling unsafe, uprooted, and ungrounded.

On an individual level, this imbalance can manifest differently depending on whether the Root chakra is underactive or overactive.

Deficiency might look like:

  • Disconnection from your body

  • Chronic anxiety or restlessness

  • Financial struggles and scarcity mindset

  • Poor boundaries

  • Feeling malnourished—physically, emotionally, or spiritually

Excess might look like:

  • Overeating or hoarding tendencies

  • Sluggishness or chronic tiredness

  • Fear of change, clinging to routines

  • Rigid, overly strict boundaries

  • A fixation on material security

Physical Malfunctions

It’s not surprising that issues such as financial struggles affecting your ability to provide yourself nourishing good, overeating, or general sluggishness would affect your phsyical body as well. When any of the chakras face imbalance your body is a risk for malfunctions as well. These can look like:

  • Disorders of the bowel, anus, and large intestine

  • Disorders of solid parts of the body: bones and teeth

  • Issues with legs, feet, knees, base of Spine, and buttocks

  • Eating disorders

  • Frequent illness

My Struggle

Right now, I’m grappling with underactive tendencies. Lately, I’ve been waking up with existential fears—questions about my mortality, my stability. Will I have enough money? Will I have enough food? What if I lose my home? These thoughts creep in before my feet even hit the floor, tinting my day with muted dread.

Maybe you’ve felt this, too. These aren’t abstract fears—they’re deeply real, shaped by the grind culture that tells us we must always do more, have more, be more. This culture denies us our humanity, treating our needs for rest, food, and safety as flaws to overcome.

Rebalancing the Root

In a world where capitalism gnaws at both our inner and outer resources, how do we restore balance to our Root chakra? How do we reclaim our right to simply exist?

1. Connect with your body.
Remember—you’re alive. You have a body, and it’s your anchor. Move it. Run, dance, stretch, lift weights—whatever reminds you that your muscles, bones, and blood are here, carrying you through this life.

2. Seek touch.
We’re wired for connection, but touch has become a luxury in our isolated, screen-driven world. Whether it’s a hug from a loved one or a massage (I happen to know someone who gives great ones!), touch can bring you back to your senses. Did you know that four hugs a day help defeat depression? Eight can stabilize your mind. Twelve help you thrive. Touch isn’t a bonus—it’s a necessity.

3. Examine your early childhood experiences.

A little known fact about the Root is that it develops between the 2nd trimester and the first year of a child’s life. This is why things like birth trauma, early childhood neglect, and even inherited trauma (it’s been proven that trauma can be genetic) can be especially damaging to this foundational energy center. Ponder on your early childhood experience. Speak with your mother (if possible and/or safe) and uncover experiences that may be too early for you to remember. You can glean a lot of insights from conversations like these.


4. Affirm your right to exist.
You belong here. You’re not a machine; you’re a human being. Your need for food, rest, and water isn’t a flaw—it’s a reminder of your beautiful, messy humanity. Tell yourself:

I am here. I am enough. I have enough.

Accepting Our Humanity

Taking care of your Root chakra means rejecting the lie that your limitations make you weak. Rest isn’t laziness; it’s rebellion in a world that glorifies burnout. Nourishing your body and grounding your spirit are acts of defiance against a system that wants you disconnected and depleted.

When you ground yourself—physically, emotionally, and energetically—you build a foundation that can weather the chaos around you. You remind yourself that you deserve to be here, that you are enough, and that even in the face of scarcity, your life has immense value.

You are here, you are real, and at this moment, I hope you feel safe.

References
Judith, Anodea. Eastern Body, Western Mind: Psychology and the Chakra System as a Path to the Self. Kolkata Alchemy, 2006.
Judith, Anodea. Wheels of Life: A User's Guide to the Chakra System. St. Paul, Minn., Llewellyn Publications, 2016.
Mooney, A. “Four hugs a day using therapeutic touch.” British Journal of Theatre Nursing, 1995 Oct; 5(7): 25-7.

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An Introduction to the Chakras