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In this series we are going to take an in depth look at the chakras. For a basic guide to the chakras and what they are you can read about them here. This series will go through each chakra individually. We will explain the best ways to balance and heal each chakra using gems, flowers, foods, mantras and exercises. The body has many chakras, in this guide we will focus on our seven major ones. Root Chakra The root chakra, also known as the base chakra, is located at the base of the spine. In Sanskrit it is referred to as Muladhara - Mula meaning root and Dhara meaning to sustain. This chakra is our survival instinct chakra. It is the place where we feel secure, grounded, emotionally fulfilled and rooted to the Earth. When we are out of balance with our root chakra we can feel disconnected, ungrounded and insecure. So what can we do to work on this chakra? Starting with the basics The element the root chakra is associated to is Earth. The musical note it is aligned to is C. The colour it is associated with is red, brown and black. The seed sound mantra is LAM. From this guide we can now work out how to eat, listen to music and meditate with our Root chakra as the focus. Balancing the Root chakra with foods. This chakra is balanced well with nourishing, wholesome and earthy foods. Root vegetables, brown lentils and legumes are all beneficial when working with this chakra. Choosing red and brown foods and root veggies will work the best....beetroots, strawberries, potatoes etc etc. Foods should be warming, heavy and nutritive. According to Ayurveda, this area is the Vata home. The attributes associated to Vata is lightness, dryness and cold. Eating foods that have these qualities aggravates this part of our body so we need to choose warming, heavy and oily foods. Salads, crisps and crackers and snacks such as popcorn are all best to be avoided when our Root chakra is out of balance. Herbal teas for this chakra include Dandelion, Hibiscus and Valerian. Working with sound. The sound for this chakra is the musical note C. In this way we can choose to listen to music in the key of C, or to sing ourselves in that key. The seed sound mantra is LAM so we can choose to use this mantra, in the note of C, for a daily chant for optimum benefits. The root chakra also enjoys primal beats. Drumming and dancing to drums is an excellent and extremely fun way to bring health to our base! Exercises for this Chakra. This chakra is well balanced by walking, dancing and calming, restorative yoga positions such as forward bends, child pose and squat pose. Lying flat on the floor with you arms by your side ( in Savasana ) is also extremely good. Connecting our feet to the Earth consciously and spending quiet time in nature are all activities to bring balance and peace to our Root chakra. Crystals and Gems for the Root Chakra. If feeling ungrounded go for Black Tourmaline, Smokey Quartz, Jet and Pyrite. If feeling insecure go for Tiger Eye, Pyrite and Red Jasper. If you are feeling low on energy and generally need a boost of health and vitality then go for Garnet, Coral and Ruby. Flowers and Plants for the Root Chakra. Choosing beautiful red plants and flowers for our home is another lovely way to keep working on our chakras in a subtle manner. Poinsettas, red roses and hibiscus plants are great choices for around the house! You can choose to wear red, black or brown, especially in a skirt or pant that sits over your Root Chakra. Whilst in meditation you may also visualise these colours to boost the energies you are working with. The meditation referred to in my last post for grounding is perfect for this chakra too. Take me there. It is important for us to keep this chakra as healthy as possible. This is our first chakra and the health and balance of this chakra affects all the rest of the chakras in our bodies. This is our base, our foundation and our connection to the Earth. From this place begins everything else, and this foundation needs to be strong and healthy for the rest of our bodies overall health and well-being. The next post will be focusing on our second Chakra - The Sacral Chakra. So stay tuned!!!
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