Yoga Glossary · Chakras

Root Chakra (Muladhara)

The first chakra, at the base of the spine — grounding, stability, belonging. Element: earth.

Muladhara, from mula (root) and adhara (support), is the first of the seven chakras, located at the base of the spine in the pelvic floor. Its element is earth, its color traditionally red, and its seed (bija) sound is Lam. It is associated with the most foundational layer of life: safety, stability, the body, and the sense of having ground to stand on.

In practice, root-chakra work is standing work: Mountain, Chair, the Warriors and any pose that presses the feet into the floor and wakes up the legs. Teachers sequence these poses to 'ground' a class — literally training the feeling of support through the feet before asking for anything expansive. Mula Bandha, the root lock, takes its name from this center.

In practice

• Press all four corners of the feet down and feel the legs switch on — that is root energy in anatomy terms.
• Traditional seed sound: Lam. Color: red. Element: earth.
• Wobbly day? More standing poses, longer holds, eyes on a low focal point.

Poses linked to this chakra

• Mountain Pose
• Stand at Attention
• Chair Pose
• Warrior I
• Extended Side Angle
• Triangle Pose
• Tree Pose
• Eagle Pose

Related terms

The Yoga Glossary is an educational study reference. Definitions are standard yoga and anatomy knowledge in plain language; nothing here is medical advice.