The root chakra serves as the foundation of the entire chakra system and it influences how stable, safe, and grounded we feel. Below, you’ll find five root chakra yoga poses that support this foundational energy center.
What Is The Root Chakra?
Because the chakra system originates in Indian spiritual traditions, learning the original Sanskrit names adds important context and depth to your practice. The word “chakra” itself is a Sanskrit word that means “wheel.” The root chakra in Sanskrit is “muladhara”, which translates to “root support”.
Root Chakra = Muladhara
This energy center extends from the base of your spine all the way down your legs to the bottom of your feet, forming the base of the entire chakra system.
Balance in the root chakra is essential for all of the other seven chakras as it is our foundation. Muladhara keeps us grounded and present within this human experience.
This is just a quick overview on this energy center, to learn more details on the root chakra, check out this post: What Is The Root Chakra + 8 Tips For Balancing This Energy
How Do Yoga Poses Work On The Root Chakra?
There are many ways to support chakra balance and yoga poses are a great option. When choosing poses for a specific chakra, it helps to consider two things: the area of the body it corresponds to and the qualities or energy it represents.
For the root chakra, the anatomical focus is on the lower body. Energetically, muladhara is associated with support, stability, grounding, and the Earth element. This gives us a clear direction for our yoga poses. Yoga poses that strengthen the lower body, encourage a strong connection to the ground, and cultivate steadiness are especially supportive of root chakra work.
The key is to approach each yoga pose with an intention. For example, if you move into bridge pose purely for its physical benefits without awareness of grounding through the feet or building strength in your foundation, you miss part of the energetic impact. Bringing mindful attention to stability and grounding deepens the effect of the pose on the root chakra.
Below you’ll find five yoga poses for the root chakra, along with specific cues to help you amplify their energetic qualities.
5 Root Chakra Yoga Poses
A warm-up before these poses and a cool-down afterward are recommended. Also, make sure to keep the breath flowing comfortably with all of these poses.
You can find all of the root chakra yoga poses below in a complete practice at the end of this post.
Disclaimer: If you have any conditions, injuries, or history of surgeries that restrict your movement, consult your doctor before performing these exercises.
1. High Lizard Pose
When working with the root chakra, I prefer high lizard over low lizard because it emphasizes strength and stability more than flexibility. While flexibility is still required, the primary focus shifts toward building support through the lower body.
Alignment tip: Keep a slight turnout of the front foot.
Tips to deepen the root chakra energy work in this pose:
- Focus on drawing the front knee in toward the arm to create a stronger sense of stability.
- Feel the connection of your hands on the ground, connecting with the Earth. (This is one reason that this variation keeps the hands on the floor rather than lowering to the forearms.)
- Feel yourself lengthening from the base of the spine (root chakra) up to the crown of the head.
2. Single Leg Bridge
Regular bridge pose is also supportive of muladhara, but I especially like this single leg variation for really tapping into the feeling of the strength in your legs. Working one side at a time also challenges your foundation and stability.
Alignment tip: Keep the pelvis level, avoid letting one side drop.
Tips to deepen the root chakra energy work in this pose:
- Notice the feel of your weight through your foot on the ground (try to keep the weight through your midfoot).
- Feel the strength in your lower body building to help with this foundational energy .
- Keep your palms facing down for extra grounding.
3. Mountain Pose (Tadasana)
Our next root chakra yoga pose is mountain pose. Tadasana is a foundational pose for many of our other yoga postures. This makes it the perfect pose to connect with our foundational energy!
Alignment tip: Avoid locking out the knees, keep the knees slightly bent.
Tips to deepen the root chakra energy work in this pose:
- Reflect on the name, Mountain Pose. Embody the qualities of a mountain: steady and grounded.
- Place your awareness on the connection between your feet and the ground; feel yourself rooting down through your feet. Try to keep your weight distribution even.
- Work with Earth energy with your breath. With each inhale, imagine drawing steady, revitalizing Earth energy upward through the body. With each exhale, release tension or stagnant energy back down into the ground.
4. Tree Pose (Vrksasana)
Tree pose is excellent for working with root chakra energy. Consider the root system of a tree, wide, steady, and deeply anchored beneath the surface. Even though the trunk and branches may sway, the stability comes from what’s grounded beneath.
Alignment tip: Don’t lock out the standing knee, make sure to keep it slightly bent. Also, avoid placing the lifted foot directly on the knee joint. Position it either above or below the knee.
Tips to deepen the root chakra energy work in this pose:
- Reflect on the name, Tree Pose. Connect to the qualities of a tree: deeply rooted, steady, and supported by its connection to the Earth.
- Bring your awareness to the standing foot. Visualize roots extending downward into the earth, anchoring you and creating a sense of grounding.
5. Reverse Table Top
I find reverse tabletop to be a deeply grounding posture. The way that both your feet and hands press firmly into the ground creates a strong sense of connection and stability, making it wonderful for muladhara work.
Alignment tip: Keep the neck in a neutral position and maintain a slight bend in the elbows.
Tips to deepen the root chakra energy work in this pose:
- Bring your attention to the sensation of your hands and feet pressing into the ground. Their connection and support allows you to lift the body.
- Notice the stability required to hold this shape. Focus on cultivating steadiness here.
There you have 5 root chakra yoga poses! As you can see from the descriptions above, intention matters when working with the chakras. The way you approach the poses shapes their energetic impact.
I invite you to try the free root chakra practice below and experience the difference for yourself. If it resonates with you, consider joining my Patreon community, where we go deeper into using yoga as a tool for intentional energy work.
Thank you for reading and learning more about the root chakra!
Read This Next: Root Chakra Affirmations