Feeling insecure, fearful, or nervous? Sluggish and tired all the time? Do you have anger issues? If one or more of these apply to you, you may have a blocked root chakra. While there are many ways to open, align, and balance your root chakra, using essential oils is one of the simplest and most effective. We have created a comprehensive guide based on the recommendations of the world’s leading aromatherapists. Learn the best essential oils for a balanced root chakra here!
Most highly recommended essential oils to help unblock, balance and open the root chakra are:
- Vetiver
- Frankincense
- Cedarwood
- Patchouli
- Sandalwood
Earthy, Calming, and Grounding Essential Oils Work Best To Balance Root Chakra
The root chakra is the first of the seven main chakras and is associated with survival and our basic physical and emotional needs. It governs the basic needs we all share – like safety and security. When blocked, our overall emotional stability can be threatened. Consequently, we often feel scared, anxious, or insecure. On a physical level, a root chakra blockage can also create digestive issues or problems in our lower body in our feet, hips, and legs.
Open and balance your root chakra while also regaining your confidence, stability, and emotional and spiritual foundation with grounding, earthy, and calming essential oils! Aromatherapists and other experts agree that earth essential oils, and especially those made from a tree or the roots of plants work best.
How Do You Use Root Chakra Essential Oils? Where Should You Apply Them?
Aromatherapists and other experts generally recommend diffusing essential oils in air or water or applying on different parts of the body that are often near the chakra you are trying to balance. Often, it is recommended to diffuse essential oils in air or water rather than direct application. For example, the sacral chakra is strongly associated with the element water, and it is recommended to add a drop to distilled water and mist on yourself or diffuse through the air. This is best done during or after practicing sacral chakra yoga poses!
To learn more how to open your sacral chakra if you are in lack of creativity and playfulness, see our article here.
However, the root chakra is among the easiest chakras to apply with no water or air diffusion required. Simply apply recommended root chakra essential oils directly on the soles of your feet to help open this chakra and become more grounded and rooted to the earth!
Similar to the sacral chakra and for best results, combine with relevant yoga poses. Apply root chakra essential oils right before practicing relevant yoga poses for your root chakra. These poses keep us grounded, stable, and maintain a strong foundation are the key to unblocking and opening the root chakra.
The three mostly highly recommended poses are the head to knee forward bend (Janu Sirsasana), mountain pose (Tadasana), and lotus pose (Padmasana).
Other Yoga Poses to Help Open the Root Chakra:
- Easy Pose – Sukhasana
- Garland Pose – Malasana
- Knee to chest pose – Pavanamuktasana
- Standing Forward Fold – Uttanasana
- Warrior II – Virabhadrasana II
- Bridge pose –Setu Bandha Sarvangasana
- Wide-legged Forward Fold – Prasarita Padottanasana
- Crescent Moon Pose – Anjaneyasana
- Corpse Pose – Savasana
All of these yoga poses are great for the root chakra in general and help stabilize, ground, and calm the body and mind. Add your favorite root chakra essential oil to your soles and try these balancing and foundational poses today!
Combine Recommended Root Chakra Essential Oils With Other Effective Techniques for Best Results
As mentioned above, yoga is a great complement to essential oils for your root chakra. But there are other great techniques and practices, too!
As discussed in a previous post, “Complete Guide: How To Open Your Root Chakra,” there are many techniques to open, balance and align the root chakra. That post provides a complete summary of root chakra as well as ALL the best ways to open your first chakra. In this post, we will specifically focus on the best essential oils to open the root chakra. However, for best results, combine them with some of the practices below!
In addition to essential oils, other techniques include:
- Meditations
- Affirmations
- Yoga Poses – Poses for Solid Foundation and Stability
- Mudras
- Healing Stones and Crystals
- Diet – Red Foods and Root Vegetables
- Spending Time in Nature
- Reprogramming Thoughts and The Subconscious Mind
Vetiver
Also known as the “oil of tranquility,” Vetiver essential oil is among the most commonly recommended essential oil for balancing the root chakra. It smells like nature itself, and is often compared to the smell of uncut grass on a warm summer day. Its scent is earthy, smokey, and woody. Vetiver oil is distilled from the aged and soaked roots of the vetiver plant. Originally from India, the cradle of yoga, it has been used for centuries. Today, however, it is widely cultivated in many tropical regions.
To learn more about the difference between Indian and Western yoga, check this post.
It is universally known for its grounding effects and ability to help center and balance the body, mind, and spirit. Similarly, vetiver promotes tranquility and calmness. This helps reduce stress, anxiety, and nervousness. As mentioned, a lack of emotional stability is one of the most common symptoms of a blocked root chakra. Vetiver helps foster a sense of belonging and purpose in life. Physically, it can also help tremendously with muscle aches, arthritis, stings, and burns.
Balance and open the root chakra by applying vetiver topically to the soles of your feet. However, it also effective when distilled and released as vapor. Use an aromatherapy diffuser to inhale the scent of pure vetiver oil. Better yet, try both methods!
Frankincense
Frankincense is an excellent essential oil for balance, calmness, and grounding – all crucial elements of an open and aligned root chakra! It is perhaps the most historic and ancient of all the oils in our guide and has been used for millennia by practitioners of Ayurvedic medicine for its healing properties and health benefits. Frankincense oil originates from the resin of the Boswellia tree, which is generally found in the dry, mountainous regions of India, the Middle East, and Africa.
In general, frankincense has many great physical benefits too. It helps maintain gut and oral health and function and helps reduce arthritis, asthma and bronchitis. It may even fight against certain cancers such as breast, prostate, pancreatic, skin and colon cancer!
Frankincense essential oil has a distinct and particular aroma that is quite pleasing. Like many of other grounding and balancing root chakra centered essential oils on our list, it is definitely woody and earthy. However, it is also balsamic and sweet with similarities to honey. It is milder than some of the other oils on our list, apply liberally to the bottom of your feet for maximum effect to open and balance your root chakra!
Cedarwood
Cedarwood essential oil has protective properties that are excellent for promoting security and safety. Since insecurity, anxiety, and fear are among the biggest concerns for a blocked root chakra, cedarwood oil is one the best choices! This oil protects us physically with natural bactericidal and pesticidal effects to fight against infections and diseases carried by pests. It is also great emotionally and spiritual. Cedarwood essential oil elevates our mood, and its soothing effect reduces stress and anxiety.
Cedarwood essential oil comes from the wood, bark, and sawdust of cedar and juniper trees through steam distillation. This process is similar to the production of sandalwood oil. The scent of cedarwood oil can best described as “woodsy” and “warm.” Similar to other earthy essential oils recommended for the root chakra, like sandalwood, this scent grounds, calms, and relaxes us!
Apply cedarwood oil directly on bottom of your feet to open your root chakra most effectively. However, it is one of most versatile essential oils with many other applications. You can use it as an aromatherapy treatment through inhaling it directly from the bottle, through an essential oil diffuser, or by adding a few drops to a cloth or towel and placing it under your pillow. Other uses include cedarwood oil as a cologne and even a natural pest repellent, especially against moths and fleas.
Patchouli
Patchouli essential oil heals and balances the root chakra by increasingly feelings of stability and peace. Additionally, this oil can also reduce feelings of insecurity, isolation, and anxiety and instead make us feel connected and abundant. Lacking basic needs, especially safety and security, often block our root chakra. Consequently, patchouli is one of the best essential oil choices to unblock, balance, and align it!
Like its scent, patchouli oil has a rich and complex history that spans centuries. Patchouli oil is made from the carefully dried leaves of the patchouli plant which is green bush that typically grows to about three feet tall and is a relative of the mint plant. It is native to tropical Asian countries such as India, The Philippines, Malaysia, and China.
The smell of patchouli is distinct and strong. Its scent is earthy and woody like many of the other best essential oils for the root chakra on our list. However, it also has a musky, sweet, and slightly spicy scent, too. Apply patchouli oil directly to the soles of your feet (ideally before yoga practice) for best results. However, it’s a good idea to dilute or mix this oil with others as its scent is very strong!
Sandalwood
Sandalwood is sacred in many religious and spiritual traditions. Buddhists as well as traditional Chinese and Ayurvedic medicine practitioners have used it for centuries. (To learn more the connection between yoga and Buddhism – devotion, dharma, and karma, check our article here.) Sandalwood’s smell is deep, woody, and rich. It is created through steam distillation of billet and chips from sandalwood trees mainly found in India and Australia. You can commonly find sandalwood in perfumes, soaps, and cosmetics. In addition to woody and earthy, sandalwood’s scent is also exotic, soft, sweet, and floral. You can even find it in food-grade oil in chocolates!
Sandalwood is an earthy oil that helps center and calm the mind. Like many other earthy and woody essential oils, it is a great choice for opening and balancing the root chakra. Interestingly, sandalwood has the dual properties of promoting calmness and mental alertness. Like coffee, without the jitters!
Additionally, sandalwood also reduces anxiety which is among the most common symptoms of a blocked root chakra. Similarly, this gentle calming of the nervous system also reduces insomnia and helps promote better sleep. It can also help with physical problems, too. Sandalwood oil is an effective natural treatment for bronchitis, diarrhea, fatigue, fever, gallbladder problems, high blood pressure, indigestion, liver problems, low libido, sore throat, and urinary tract infections in Ayurvedic medicine.
For the root chakra, sandalwood essential oil is best applied topically to the soles of the feet but can also be added to bath water, evaporated using an essential oil infuser, or mixed with other essential oils or lotions.
We also wrote about different herbs and spices to open each chakra here.
Conclusion
Essential oils have many excellent health benefits for the body, mind, and spirit and are safe, effective, and all-natural. They are one of the easiest ways to open and balance your chakras!
According to aromatherapists and experts, vetiver, frankincense, cedarwood, patchouli, and sandalwood are the 5 best essential oils to balance your root chakra. They are all earthy and woody scents that will help promote stability, calmness, and grounding while also reducing stress, anxiety, fear, and insecurity.
We highly recommend combining these oils with many of the other techniques listed above, such as other root chakra yoga poses like the head to knee forward bend (Janu Sirsasana), mountain pose (Tadasana), and lotus pose (Padmasana).
Although there are many ways to use these oils, there is no diffusion required! Simply apply recommended root chakra essential oils directly on the soles of your feet to help open this chakra and become more grounded and rooted to the earth today!
Sources
Very Well Health – The Health Benefits of Sandalwood Oil
5 Benefits and Uses of Frankincense — And 7 Myths
Shanti Arunkumar, Senior Contributor At L’Aquila Active
Learn more about Shanti by reading her bio below.
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