The Lower Chakras

Now that we have a general understanding of what the chakras are (read my previous 2 posts) and their locations in the body, we’ll start exploring their functions into more depth.

Let’s explore the lower chakras today.

The Root, the Sacral and the Solar Plexus chakras are all part of the lower chakras. These are all located on the lower part of our body and are all connected to our basic instincts like survival, self-protection, procreation and even self-image.

The lower chakras rule the way we see ourselves and the world around us.

Root Chakra

The Root chakra is connected to our survival. It rules the primal or animal instincts of fight or flight, it is the chakra of the basic human needs. It has nothing to do with the mind and all to do with the instinct of the animal within us.

It rules our relationship with the world outside, all the attention is on the outside world, not on the inner being. We question our belonging in the world – are we safe, do we belong?

When balanced we feel supported, safe and we trust the world and those around us, it allows us to develop a good sense of belonging in the world and develop a healthy self-esteem.

When unbalanced we feel neglected, unsafe and the world will look like a scary place to be. We’ll be prone to developing feelings of insecurity and mistrust. We’ll feel drained of energy and vitality.

Being the first of our energy centres located in the body, it is the first step into spiritual development. It connects us to the physical world and is the foundation of our personal and spiritual development. Although all our chakras are connected and can influence each other, it is important to work on the Root chakra before the others as it will bring the foundation, stability and trust needed on our journey of spiritual development.

Sacral Chakra

The Sacral chakra is connected to our inspiration and sexuality. It rules our emotions and relates to pleasure and the general enjoyment of life. In this energy centre we question our expression in the world – do I feel creative? How do others perceive me?

When balanced, we develop a healthy relationship with our own sexuality, and we feel inspired and creative. We are able to understand and heal our emotions and setting personal boundaries becomes a lot easier.

When unbalanced we have trouble expressing our needs, we put others’ needs first and we often feel like we’re taken for granted. Being overwhelmed by your emotions is also a sign of a blocked Sacral chakra.

Being the second chakra, it is the second step to our spiritual development. We start understanding that there is a relationship between the world outside and ourselves. It’s no longer just about the world outside, we start looking within.

Solar Plexus

The Solar Plexus is connected to the sense of self. While the Root and the Sacral question our relationship to the world, the Solar Plexus questions our relationship with ourselves while living in the world – How do I see myself?

The Solar Plexus rules our self-esteem and sense of personal power.

When balanced we feel vibrant, confident, and ready to take on any challenge. We start understanding our own value and we pay more attention to our own needs.

When unbalanced we often feel stuck, powerless and can easily experience anger. We are prone to having a victim mentality and we often find ourselves in co-dependent relationships.

Being the third chakra, it is the third step towards spiritual development. We start paying close attention to who we are, what defines us, what our role is in life and what our purpose is in the world.

As you can see, the chakras are a step-by-step guide into self-development. They start by showing us the world outside, then our relationship with it followed by our own sense of self. It’s important to follow the steps one by one so that our understanding and learning can evolve with proper foundations and experiential knowledge.

On the next post we’ll speak about the Heart Chakra. Until then, start asking the questions that have been suggested above for each chakra. Contemplate them, be curious about the process of knowing yourself.