Aura Cacia aromatherapist Charlynn Avery shares essential oils that help balance the root chakra.
The root chakra (muladhara) is the energy center in the body connected with the foundational aspects of life — home, career, money, etc. In essence, it’s all about our ability to be stable, grounded and secure. When balanced, you feel connected to the world, able to provide for yourself and your family, secure and safe. Muladhara has associations with the color red and connections to nature and the element earth. It’s a key to our wellbeing — when we’re out of balance at the root, we can feel unattached, unstable or even as though we are struggling to survive.
In aromatherapy, we look for natural connections with the aromas. These connections are obvious with the root oils. The oils remind us of the power of the earth — steady, grounding and secure. The association with the color red leads us to plants that have red flowers or essential oils that are red in color. Our sense of smell is associated with this chakra — which is perhaps why aromatherapy is such a powerful balancing agent.
We also look at the emotional connection with essential oils. It’s difficult to establish a strong foundation if we are living in fear or unable to create emotional stability. For this reason, a heavy base essential oil like myrrh makes an excellent choice to support balance in the root chakra, creating stability and countering fear.
Other suggested oils that can help you balance muladhara are earthy and grounding aromas like vetiver and patchouli, which remind us of the foundational aspects of life. Clove and cinnamon both have warming properties to overcome sluggishness in this chakra and have color associations with red.
To support the root chakra with essential oils, diffuse any or several of the above oils in your home. You can also wear these oils diluted in a base as a grounding perfume to keep you connected and secure.