What is the First Chakra?

Also known as the root chakra or Muladhara, the first chakra is the lowest chakra on the body, at the spine's base. Associated with the individual's physical and sexual energy, it also signifies an awareness of the physical presence. To determine the state of the first chakra, the individual can evaluate levels of stress, physical discomforts centering around the reproductive organs and legs, and the amount of worry that goes into daily activities.

The color red has a strong association with the first chakra. Red gemstones such as rubies, rose quartz, and bloodstones are representative of the chakra and are frequently placed on the front of the body where the spine ends in order to help focus energy and increase the effects of meditation and chanting. The first chakra is also linked to the element of earth and is said to be activated by earthy scents such as musk, cedar, and other types of wood.

On an emotional level, the first chakra is linked to the individual's sense of identity. It allows that individual to understand where he or she fits into the world, as well as to appreciate ancestry and those who came before. When this chakra is in a state of balance, the individual feels grounded and can appreciate the outside world. If the chakra is underactive, the individual can feel closed off from others, ashamed of the self, and uninterested in others. An overactive chakra can result in an unhealthy abundance of sexual energy and a self-serving nature.

Forming a physical bond with the earth is one of the main ways to stimulate the first chakra. Dancing, walking barefoot, caring for plants and trees, or doing yoga can all help open this chakra. When the chakra is underactive, an individual can suffer from fatigue, weakness, headaches, and joint pain as well as feeling alone, uncared about, and insecure. An individual with an underactive first chakra also has a tendency to form attachments to property rather than people, and to be more devoted to material possessions than feelings and relationships.

The health of the first chakra is what the other chakras are built upon. Generally, in order to meditate and change the activity of other chakras, this root chakra must be open but not overactive. Energy from the ground must first pass through this chakra before it goes on to the others, making it an important focal point in the balance of the body.