17 Symptoms Of A Blocked Root Chakra & How To Open It

The chakra system consists of seven energy centers in the human body that each play a role in our well-being. If you’re on a path to spiritual health or even going through a spiritual awakening, chakra health is essential. The root chakra is the first energy system in the body and when it’s not open or balanced, it’s hard to feel at ease. Read on to learn everything you need to know about balancing your root chakra.

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What is the root chakra?

Root chakra location

Root chakra color

Root chakra symbol

Blocked root chakra symptoms

Physical symptoms of a blocked root chakra

Emotional symptoms of a blocked root chakra

How to open your root chakra

Symptoms of root chakra opening

Physical symptoms of root chakra opening

Emotional symptoms of root chakra opening

What is the root chakra?

The root chakra, also called the Muladhara chakra, is the first of seven energy centers in the human body and is associated with feelings of safety, security, and being grounded.

Each of the seven chakras, starting with the root chakra at the base of the spine and traveling up to the crown chakra at the top of the head, plays a specific role in our health and well-being. When the root chakra is blocked or unbalanced, you may feel anxious, depressed, or out of control. A healthy root chakra allows us to feel safe, powerful, and connected.

The root chakra is associated with the element of earth representing the connection it provides to our primal needs and our bodily safety. Just like the foundation of Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs represents the need for food, shelter, and a sense of safety, the energy center at the base of the human body reflects the same basic needs.

Root Chakra Location

The root chakra is located at the base of your spine.

This energy center, the first in the chakra system, encompasses your pelvic area including your anus and genitals.  The location of the Muladhara chakra points to its function as a bridge between the physical world and our energy system. A blocked root chakra often leads to constipation and other digestive disorders.

The six other chakras are the sacral chakra, the solar plexus chakra, the heart chakra, the throat chakra, the third eye chakra, and the crown chakra. Each of these energy systems plays a unique role in balancing our physical and spiritual experiences and the location of each may give a clue to its particular function.

Root Chakra Color

The root chakra is associated with the color red.

Each of the seven chakras is represented by its corresponding color in the rainbow. The root chakra, being the first chakra, is associated with the first color of the rainbow: red.

Root Chakra Symbol

The symbol of the root chakra is the lotus flower with four petals.

The symbol is often depicted in red, the color associated with the first, or base chakra.

Blocked Root Chakra Symptoms

The signs of a blocked root chakra are varied and include symptoms in your physical body like pain in your legs and constipation to mental/emotional symptoms like feeling anxious and out of control.

It’s important to remember that there is always a time and a place for different types of healing. If you’re experiencing medical concerns, you should see a doctor. With that being said, there is a wide variety of symptoms that may be linked to a blocked root chakra including both physical and emotional symptoms. 

If these physical health or emotional health concerns look familiar, you may have a blocked root chakra.

Physical Symptoms Of A Blocked Root Chakra

Constipation

Since the first chakra is responsible for the connection between our spirit and our physical form, it stands to reason that the physical matter we return to the earth from our bodies is affected by this energy center. Constipation is one of the physical issues that may be a symptom of a blocked root chakra.

Digestive Issues

Just like constipation, digestive issues may be a sign that your earth element chakra, the root chakra, is blocked or unbalanced.

Pain in the lower body

The root chakra is associated with our feeling of being grounded. If you’re experiencing unexplained pain in the lower part of your body, especially your legs, it may be a physical manifestation of being ungrounded.

Colon, bladder, or reproductive issues

Given the location of the root chakra, at the base of your spine, mysterious ailments in that region including colon, bladder, or reproductive issues may be a sign of a blocked first energy center.

Sleep issues

Sleep is one of the major ways that we reconnect to our inner selves, or spirit. When any one of your chakras is out of balance, including the root chakra, it may cause disturbances in your sleep.

Emotional Symptoms Of A Blocked Root Chakra

Feeling unsafe

Probably the most basic symptom of a blocked root chakra is the feeling of insecurity or of being unsafe. Think of the root chakra as what keeps you “rooted” to well-being. When it is blocked or unbalanced, you may feel ungrounded and out of control.

Anxiety

Mental health issues like anxiety are often made worse by blocked chakras. When the root chakra is blocked and you’re not feeling safe or secure, you may experience increased anxiety as a symptom.

(Related: The Best Morning Routine for Anxiety and Panic Attacks)

Depression

When the root chakra is blocked, we often lose our sense of connection to the earth and the world around us. This feeling of being removed from reality can lead to symptoms of depression.

Existential crisis

Just as a feeling of disconnection can lead to mental health struggles like anxiety and depression, it may also lead to a lack of perspective on the meaning of life as a whole. An existential crisis may be the result of a blocked root chakra.

Panic Attacks

Panic attacks are our bodies’ way of trying to compensate for the feeling of being unsafe or fearful – two feelings that often come along with a blocked root chakra.

(Related: 5 Symptoms of Panic Attacks No One Talks About)

Dissociation

Dissociation, like panic attacks, can be the body’s response to fear. A blocked root chakra can lead to a feeling of insecurity and lack of safety and trigger the fight, flight, or freeze response which for some of us looks like dissociation.

Low self-esteem

It’s difficult to feel confident when we don’t have access to our whole selves. Any blocked chakra results in a disconnect from your greater power and can lead to a lack of self-esteem.

Apathy

Since a blocked root chakra can lead to dissociation and disconnection, sometimes it becomes difficult to care as much about things as you used to. This new sense of apathy could be a sign of a blocked root chakra.

Lethargy

Similar to apathy, a feeling of lethargy may be the result of a blocked root chakra. When energy is blocked or not flowing correctly, you may find yourself feeling less drive and enthusiasm to do things.

Inability to focus

It can become difficult to focus when you’re feeling ungrounded. A blocked root chakra interferes with our sense of safety and purpose, making it hard to stay focused on tasks.

Feeling stuck

A blocked root chakra can interrupt our sense of purpose and clouds our minds with primal fear. When all of your energy is going into survival, it becomes very hard to have goals and move forward—leading to feeling stuck in life.

Greed

Since a blocked root chakra interferes with our sense of safety, it can throw us into survival mode. This way of approaching the world can lead to greed and desperation.

How To Open Your Root Chakra

You can open your root chakra with simple interventions including meditation, yoga, and gemstones.

When all seven of our energy centers are open and flowing freely, we feel and perform our best. It’s very possible to open all of seven of your energy centers from the root chakra to the crown chakra in order to increase your well-being.

How long does it take to open your root chakra?

It can take as little as a few minutes to unblock your root chakra. However, balancing your chakras is not a one-time endeavor. It’s important to stay in tune with your chakras at all times to make sure they’re all open and working together in balanced harmony. That being said, I know sometimes we need quick relief. 

If you’re looking to open your root chakra fast, meditation, yoga, and the “LAM” mantra are good tools to start with.

Meditation

Meditation is likely the most direct route to balancing your root chakra. If you want to open your root chakra fast, one powerful meditation session is all you need.

To open your root chakra using meditation, get into a relaxed state of mind, and gently balance your attention at the base of your spine—in your pelvic region. You can imagine a light, perhaps a red light to represent the red color of the root chakra, glowing from inside your body. Allow this light to expand and fill your body with peace. If you are successful, this meditation should feel natural and easy and leave you feeling more aligned with your spirit than when you sat down.

There are many meditation techniques you may consider for balancing your chakras. It’s important to listen to your own intuition and create a practice that makes the most sense for you.

Yoga Poses

Yoga is a very popular way to unblock and balance the chakras. Root chakra yoga poses include Tree Pose, or Vrksasana, and Easy Pose, or Sukhasana. These yoga asanas may help to open your root chakra. I highly recommend finding a yoga teacher you trust to help you with these poses along with many others that can improve your body’s flow of energy.

Easy Pose (Vrksasana)

To practice Easy Pose, simply sit on the floor with your legs gently crossed in front of you. Rest your forearms gently on your knees. You can sway gently in order to feel light movement near your root chakra. This yoga asana is simple but powerful. Mindfully practicing Easy Pose every day is an easy addition to daily life that may help balance your base chakra.

Tree Pose (Sukhasana)

To practice Tree Pose, begin standing with your legs together. Ground into one leg and slowly lift the other foot slowly up along the inside of your planted leg. The foot that rises up can eventually rest against any part of your planted leg except directly on top of the knee. You can hold Tree Pose as long as is comfortable. After returning to a normal standing position, switch sides.

Root Chakra Foods

Rich protein-heavy foods and root vegetables are good for the root chakra. Red foods, in sync with the color of the first energy center, are also good for opening the root chakra.

Root Vegetables

Carrots, sweet potatoes, turnips, onions, garlic etc.

Red Foods

Apples, beets, tomatoes, strawberries, pomegranates, paprika, cayenne, cinnamon etc.

Protein-Heavy Foods

Eggs, beans, nuts, lentils, lean meats etc.

The root chakra can be thought of as the energy center that relates to our most basic needs like food, shelter, comfort, and safety. This is helpful to keep in mind when thinking about what foods to eat for your root chakra. Foods we associate with being “cozy” or “winter foods” tend to be good for opening the first chakra.

Essential Oils

Atlas cedarwood and spikenard are both thought to be good for opening your root chakra. You can use these essential oils in a diffuser, by diluting them and dabbing them onto your skin, or by smelling them during your meditation or before bed.

Atlas Cedarwood

Atlas Cedarwood has a woody aroma that is said to be calming and to help with stress. This may help balance the first chakra by relieving some of the fear that comes from a blocked root chakra.

Spikenard

Spikenard is considered a good essential oil for opening the root chakra because it has a grounding effect. This may help you feel stabilized and safe in your physical body.

Root Chakra Mantra

The “LAM” mantra is considered the best mantra for opening the root chakra. This mantra is associated with feeling safe, grounded, and belonging. Use can use this mantra by repeating the sound LAM in your mind or out loud and focusing on that sound.

Crystals

Red Jasper and Garnet are two gemstones that may be helpful in healing the root chakra.

Crystals and gemstones have widely been used to help balance the seven energy centers in the body. In general, stones that share the color of the chakra you’d like to target tend to be powerful allies in healing. Red Jasper and Garnet are both shades of red, like the color associated with the root chakra.

Red Jasper

Red Jasper is motivational and grounding. It may help to break us out of the rut that a closed root chakra can cause.

Garnet

Garnet is thought to help restore power and courage. Because a closed root chakra can deplete us of direction and purpose, Garnet may be helpful in regenerating our inner power.

Root Chakra Opening Symptoms

The symptoms of your root chakra range from subtle, like improved sleep, to obvious, like better mental health or a tingling sensation in your lower body. Read on for some of the most common symptoms of the Muladhara chakra opening.

Physical Symptoms of Root Chakra Opening

Tingling sensation at the base of your spine

Tingling sensation in your legs

Improved sleep

Better digestion

Less physical pain in your lower body

More regulated weight

Emotional Symptoms of Root Chakra Opening

Improved mental health

Present moment awareness

Improved confidence

Feeling of stability

Sense of belonging

Sense of purpose

Final Thoughts

The root chakra is the first chakra in our energy systems and therefore deserves a little special attention. Just like Maslow explained in his hierarchy of needs, we can’t focus on more advanced parts of well-being without first addressing the foundations like safety and security. A balanced root chakra can set you up for opening all seven of your energy centers and living your most balanced, vibrant life.

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