Root Chakra: Reclaiming Safety, Stability, and Grounding

Chakras
Written By Monica Munson

Have you ever felt like you’re constantly on edge—like your body is bracing for something, even when things are calm?

Maybe it feels hard to trust others… or even trust yourself. Maybe you move through the world always trying to “be prepared” or “stay safe,” but never feeling fully secure.

If any of this sounds familiar, it’s not just in your head—and you’re not alone.

These are signs that your Root Chakra might be out of balance, especially if you’ve lived through trauma.

Let’s gently explore what this chakra does, how trauma affects it, and how you can begin to restore a sense of grounded safety in your own body..

What Is the Root Chakra?

Sanskrit Name: Muladhara (meaning “root support”)

  • Location: Base of the spine (tailbone/perineum area)

  • Element: Earth

  • Color: Red

  • Primary Themes: Safety, survival, stability, belonging, and basic needs

  • Physical associations: Legs, feet, bones, adrenal glands, colon, and immune system

The root chakra is your energetic foundation—your anchor to the earth and to your physical body. When it’s balanced, you feel grounded, present, and secure. You feel like your needs matter. Like there’s space for you here.

How Trauma Affects the Root Chakra

The root chakra develops first in life, beginning in utero and continuing through early childhood. If you experienced trauma during this time—whether it was physical, emotional, or environmental—it can deeply disrupt your sense of safety.

Some common trauma-related disruptions include:

  • Unpredictable caregivers or emotional neglect

  • Chronic poverty, hunger, or housing insecurity

  • Abuse, abandonment, or medical trauma

  • Growing up in a chaotic or unsafe environment

When this chakra is imbalanced, you may feel:

  • Constant anxiety or hypervigilance

  • Difficulty feeling safe in your own body

  • Disconnection from your physical body

  • Trouble trusting others or feeling “at home” anywhere

  • Fear of not having enough (money, food, love, etc.)

  • Hoarding or clinging to things/people for security

  • Chronic health issues related to elimination, joints, or adrenal fatigue

A Trauma-Informed Lens: This Isn’t Your Fault

If your root chakra feels unstable, please know: it’s not a personal failing. It’s your nervous system doing what it needed to survive.

You might have learned to stay on high alert. To scan for danger. To never relax. These are survival adaptations, not defects.

The good news is—healing is possible. And it doesn’t require you to force yourself into “positivity” or fake calm. Instead, it starts with reconnecting to your body, gently and at your own pace.

Gentle Ways to Rebalance the Root Chakra

When working with the root chakra, the goal is to rebuild a sense of safety and grounding from the inside out.

Here are some gentle, trauma-informed practices to try:

1. Ground Through the Senses

  • Walk barefoot on grass or earth

  • Wrap yourself in a soft blanket

  • Notice textures, colors, and smells that feel comforting

2. Breathe into Your Lower Body

  • Place a hand over your belly or pelvis and breathe slowly

  • Visualize red light or warm earth energy filling your legs and feet

3. Create Rituals That Feel Safe

  • Light a candle in the same place each evening

  • Drink warm tea while sitting still

  • Listen to calming sounds (like rain, bowls, or drumming)

4. Movement to Reconnect with the Body

  • Try slow, intentional movements like yoga, stretching, or swaying

  • Dance to music with a steady beat

  • Use weighted blankets or compression tools for body awareness

5. Explore Body-Based Healing

  • Sound healing (low tones like drumming or root bowl vibrations)

  • Reiki focused on the lower body and root

  • Somatic therapy or guided meditations to reconnect with felt safety

Root Chakra Support at Restorative Healing Haven

If you’re looking for guidance as you reconnect with your root chakra, I offer:

🌿 Sound Healing with deep, low-frequency bowls that support grounding

🌿 Reiki Sessions that gently support energetic clearing and safety

🌿 Somatic Mind-Body Healing to explore stored trauma in the body

Each session is tailored to your needs and pace—because feeling safe in your body is the foundation of all healing.

Book Resource

📖 Eastern Body, Western Mind by Anodea Judith
This book explores how each chakra is affected by early developmental trauma and offers tools for emotional and energetic healing

💬 Have questions or want help deciding where to start?


Reach out anytime—I’m happy to guide you.
www.restorativehealinghaven.com | Call/Text: 1-269-767-8920

Monica Munson
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The Many Ways to Experience Sound Healing