Main image courtesy of Healthline.
Chakras are an ancient concept that originated in India and are a part of Hindu and Buddhist beliefs. They’ve recently reemerged in popularity, but the idea of chakras dates back to the Vedas, which are ancient texts of religious and spiritual knowledge from 1500 to 1000 BC. In Sanskrit, chakra means “wheel” and refers to specific energy points at different parts of your body.
Chakras are supposed to stay open, aligned, and unblocked, and play a role in your emotional, physical, and psychological well being.
While some sources say that there are a whopping 114 chakras, there are 7 main ones: root, sacral, solar plexus, heart, throat, third eye, and crown chakra.
The root chakra is located at the base of the spine in the tailbone area. The sense organ that corresponds to your root chakra is smell, and it is associated with the element earth. The root chakra is represented by the color red, and is linked to physical identity, stability, and grounding.
A blocked root chakra can lead to physical issues such as arthritis, constipation, and other digestive problems. It can also lead to mental issues such as depression, exhaustion, and distractibility. When unblocked, you should feel grounded and stable, both physically and emotionally.
You can help to unblock and open up your root chakra through affirmations.
Affirmations have been growing in both popularity and usage, especially on social media platforms such as TikTok and Instagram. Affirmations aim to encourage positive thinking, self-empowerment, and wellness. By definition, affirmation is the act of confirming something to be true. Most take the form of “I” statements, such as “I am smart” or “I am capable.” These remind you of your strength and worth and can help you heal and grow as a person.
Affirmations are all about creating a positive, healthy mindset and space for yourself. It’s important to believe in yourself and speak things into existence, or remind yourself of the wonderful qualities that you already possess.
Affirmations are a wonderful addition to your daily meditation practice(s). Whether you meditate first thing in the morning or right before you go to bed, you can always incorporate positive affirmations into your sessions to start your day off right, or finish strong. If you’re new to meditation, start off slow and be patient with yourself. If you can only meditate for 2 or 3 minutes in the beginning, that’s totally fine — you’ll improve with regular practice!
Even if you can’t fully clear your mind or find your thoughts drifting, just know that’s normal and just takes a lot of discipline to master. You’ll be a seasoned meditator in no time!
When it comes to chakras, it is important to remember that these ideas are deeply rooted in religion and spirituality, specifically ancient eastern philosophies. There is a lot of history behind chakras and there are many ancient texts that address these ideologies. So many communities have been living according to these philosophies for thousands of years, and many individuals from these communities are available for you to talk to and learn from them. No matter how educated you feel that you are or have become on the topic, always listen to the voices of those who have been living by these ideals for generations.
Before you embrace the idea of chakras and start incorporating that thinking into your life, be cognizant of the fact that you are integrating ideas from other cultures. Be culturally sensitive and aware, and treat these ideas with the respect that they deserve. Avoid cultural appropriation by educating yourself on these topics and taking the time to learn about their history, significance, and meaning. You cannot incorporate ideas that come from a certain culture without accepting, respecting, and valuing that culture in and of itself first.
You can incorporate root chakra affirmations into your regular meditation sessions by repeating them out loud, or writing them down over and over again in a journal of some sort. You could also type them out on your phone, laptop, or other device. Below are some affirmations to help align your root chakra:
Some of these affirmations are straightforward, while others deal with more nuanced concepts of inner peace, intuition, and faith. Balancing your root chakra is about feeling safe, secure, and grounded in who you are and where you are.
Affirmations are not the only way that you can help open up your root chakra. You can also meditate or do yoga, as there are specific positions and poses that can unblock your root chakra.
Remember, affirmations take time, patience, dedication, and effort in order to work. You won’t see change overnight, but if you’re consistent, you will see results!
