Maybe you’re going through a hard time or feeling anxious, insecure, or vulnerable. Perhaps you just feel you can’t let your guard down or are finding it hard to relax. Or Sometimes the knocks of life can just throw us out of whack. Sometimes when we feel out-of-sorts or a little unsettled in this way it can be helpful to clear and balance our root chakra. The root chakra is the first of the seven chakras.  And it can be the key to feeling grounded, safe, and secure in the world. Clearing and balancing your root chakra can help you relax, feel calmer and more secure, and let go of some of those underlying fears you might be holding onto.  When you feel deeply secure, you can turn your attention to more exciting things such as your relationships, your creativity and art, your dreams for your career, ongoing learning, expanding your spiritual development, dyeing your hair blue, buying yourself a parrot – the possibilities are endless! One really great thing is that you don’t have to be a trained energy healer to begin working to heal your own chakras.  Of course, it can help to get treatment from a professional energy healer, or come along to one of our courses (we’d love you to do that anyway!).  But there are many easy, down-to-earth, even fun things that you can do yourself to give your chakras a “tune-up.” Here are 10 easy, effective things that you can do to really help you balance and ground that root-chakra! What is the Root  Chakra? The first or ‘root’ chakra is located at the base of the spine.  It’s keyword is “survival.”  It relates to self-preservation, survival instincts, our connection to our bodies and the element of the earth, and our sense of safety, security, and belonging in the world.  Is Your First Chakra Healthy or Blocked? If you have a healthy root chakra you will feel a basic sense of security and safety in the world. You are well-grounded and the practical side of your life will usually function fairly smoothly.  You will have a sense of having ‘enough’ of everything you need to meet your needs. You will likely be fairly at ease with your own body and mostly, though not always, your body will be relatively healthy physically. If your first chakra is out-of-balance or ‘blocked’ then you may feel overly fearful about security and survival.  Perhaps you sometimes experience extreme anxiety, or panic attacks. This might also effect your physical body, and manifest itself in issues with your bones, feet, legs, colon, elimination, or weight.  Or maybe, as sometimes happens, you have become overly practical, plodding through your life and have lost your ability dream or imagine. The Healthy Chakra A healthy chakra is open, allowing energy to flow freely both horizontally, in an exchange of energy with the universe, and vertically, connecting it with the other chakras. It’s very common, at one stage or another in our lives, to have one or more chakras that are somewhat blocked or just out of balance.  And an under-functioning chakra can cause disruptions in a person’s body, mind, spirit, and life. 10 Ways to Clear and Balance Your Root Chakra If you feel you could perhaps benefit from clearing your first chakra, there are many simple every-day things that you can do.  Here are ten ideas: belly breathe walk, especially walk barefoot in nature let it all go and get up and dance take your time when eating and thank the universe for the food you are eating; make sure you eat healthy   food, especially root vegetables or healthy “comfort food” get out in your garden – or if you don’t have a garden of your own, find some space in nature create healthy order or structure in your life or home; clear that clutter give yourself a foot massage and use Nutmeg. This essential oil as this can activate a sluggish root chakra, whilst bergamot will help it function better. A foot massage can actually affect all of your chakras as all of our major nerves have their endings in your feet, so pressing and massaging them can dissolve a lot of hidden blocks, helping to relax your chakras and reset your emotional complexion. wear red; red is associated with the root chakra and can help bring your focus back into balance daily repeat affirmations such as: “I am safe.”  “I have a right to be here.” “I have a right to be me.” “Life is good.”  “Everything is going to work out just fine.”  “I belong.”  “I have all that I need.” ” I am.” as well as using nutmeg and bergamot for your feet, surround yourself with earthy smells, such cedar, clove, or patchouli. Disclaimer If you have serious concerns about your physical or mental health, you should seek the help of a qualified medical or mental health professional. The ideas in this article are meant to complement your health, rather than replace qualified professional health care. About the Author Melanie Tomsett is a Shamanic healer and owner of Shamanic Quest based in Hertfordshire in the UK. Shamanic Quest offer a range of opportunities for you to explore and learn shamanic practices. These include Introductory Workshops, Foundation Course, Practitioner Course, Drum Circle, Sweat Lodge, Sun Lodge and Moon Lodge, Student Clinics and Consultations. Please contact me for further information. Full details can be found at www.shamanicquest.co.uk