Root Chakra (Muladhara): Grounding Yoga Practices
First chakra · Element: earth · Seed sound: Lam
Muladhara, the root chakra, is the first of the seven chakras and the theme of grounding, stability and support. Explore five grounding yoga practices built around it, from steady Hatha to a short seated meditation.
Seven centres
Root · Grounding
Muladhara
Foundation: feeling stable, secure, and at home in your body.
Root chakra yoga practices
Slow, steady, and accessible. Long holds, balance with support, and a full rest. Good for all levels.
Heat and flow. Sun Salutations, linked warriors, and a peak from Garland into Crow. Best if you’re comfortable with vinyasa.
Slow and restful, mostly on the floor. Gentle movement, supported poses, and a long rest. Good for beginners or a quiet day.
Long, quiet holds close to the floor. Hips and legs soften while gravity does the work. Good for a slow evening or after a busy day.
A short seated practice. Notice the ground, follow the breath, and rest in stillness. Good for any day, or before sleep.
What is the root chakra?
The root chakra is the first of the seven chakras, pictured at the base of the spine. Its Sanskrit name, Muladhara, means “root support.” Traditional texts link it with earth and picture it as a red lotus with four petals.
What can the root chakra bring to your life?
In modern chakra teaching, the root chakra is linked with foundation: feeling stable, secure, and at home in your body and your life — qualities that echo its element, earth. It can also offer a way to look at how you meet change: whether you lose your footing, or hold on too tightly to plans, routines, and control.
A root practice gives you a direct, physical experience of being supported: your feet on the ground, your legs working steadily, the floor holding you in rest. Coming back to that feeling — on the mat and off — is a simple way to find steadiness when life feels uncertain. Practising with this theme won’t change your life on its own; it gives your practice a focus.
How the Root practices explore it
Every Root practice is a grounding yoga practice that works from the ground up. Standing poses build strength through the feet and legs. Balance poses teach you to work with support — a hand on the wall is part of the practice, not a shortcut. Poses close to the floor and a long rest let the ground carry your weight. Choose the practice that suits your day: steady Hatha, strong Power, restful Gentle, deep Yin, or a short seated Meditation.
Your intention: What support can I notice today?
The sound of the root: Each practice begins with the option to chant Lam, the root bija mantra, softly three times — or simply listen.
Key poses for the root chakra
These poses appear across the Root practices. Each one builds the feeling of support from the ground up.
- Mountain (Tadasana)
- Tree (Vrksasana)
- Warrior II (Virabhadrasana II)
- Garland (Malasana)
- Low Lunge (Anjaneyasana)
- Child's Pose (Balasana)
Off the mat
- Stand barefoot outside for a few minutes, or take a slow walk and notice the ground under you.
- While waiting in line, feel both feet on the floor for three breaths.
- When life feels unsteady, ask: what support is available to me right now?
Questions to sit with
- What helps me feel supported?
- Where do I feel a sense of belonging?
- Where could I allow a little more flexibility?
Sources
- The Real Story on the Chakras, Christopher Wallis — a scholar’s readable history of the chakras
- A Beginner’s Guide to Chakras, Sandra Anderson — a clear introduction from Yoga International
- Muladhara Chakra: Stability and Groundedness, Shari Friedrichsen — the root chakra in practice, Himalayan Institute
- The Serpent Power, Arthur Avalon (trans.) — the classic translation of the 16th-century text that describes the chakras
- Yoga: Effectiveness and Safety, National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health — what research says about yoga