Chakra 1 - Muladhara
Muladhara is the first or root chakra. It comes from the Sanskrit words mula (root) and adhara (support).
It is located in the perineum at the base of the spine. The color of this chakra is red. Red is the color of the life force. It is the color that represents earth energy and is the most visible color in the entire spectrum.
The color red pulls your retina forward so that our energy is engaged outside of ourselves. It warms, heats and tones the blood.
An image of the Muladhara chakra is below. It is symbolized by a red, four-petaled lotus with a yellow square at its center. Each petal has one of the Sanskrit syllables written on it in gold, representing the four levels of consciousness: greatest joy, natural pleasure, delight in controlling passion, and blissfulness in concentration.
image of Muladhara chakra
On a practical level, the first chakra’s concerns are basic survival (shelter, food, warmth, and comfort), the right to be here, and to have and trust.
The destructive emotion associated with this chakra is fear.
When the Muladhara chakra is in balance, you would be grounded, healthy, and comfortable with your body, have a sense of feeling and security, as well as the ability to relax and be still.
If the energy in this chakra is deficient, you would feel disconnected from your body, notably underweight, fearful, anxious, and have poor focus and boundaries.
If this chakra is excessive, you would tend to overeat and be obese, you would have a fixation on material things, be greedy, sluggish, lazy, and afraid of change.
Physical manifestations of an imbalance in this chakra would be eating disorders, problems with the bones or teeth, blood diseases, a weak immune system, disorders in the bowel, anus, or large intestine. You may also have problems with your legs and feet.
Not sure if this chakra is out of balance? View our Chakra Assessment.