Have you ever felt “out of sorts,” like you’re “living in your head,” “ungrounded” or tightly clenching to concepts, ideas or possessions? It may be a sign to start tending to the roots of your private garden, your root chakra. Some ways to support the root chakra is connecting with the Earth, which includes working with aromatic plants and their essential oils.

The Root chakra is an energy vortex at base of your spine and seated at the perineum. Your figurative anchor to the earth. Though our gardens are nourished through both spiritual and earthly practices it is often necessary to fortify the root chakra with tangible, earthly things we can feel, touch and smell.

Root Energy Connects Us with Earth

Can you imagine or even feel your sciatic nerves? These large nerves come out of the plexi of the lower body and travel down the expanse of our legs, allowing us to ebb, flow and resonate with the electromagnetic field generated by Earth’s molten core. This molten iron core is metaphorically like the iron needed to make up every heme group in our blood cells. (A heme group binds oxygen (O2) to blood. Oxygen could not readily circulate through our bodies without the heme group). Even more symbolic is how the root chakra’s color is red, synonymous with life giving blood.

Doing the Work: “Chop Wood, Carry Water”

Root-Earth energy is associated with matter, the ultimate expression of ideas put into action which is often called manifestation. I like to associate this with “doing the work”: cooking, cleaning, eating, bathing and sleeping. An oft cited Zen saying goes: “Before Enlightenment chop wood carry water, after Enlightenment, chop wood carry water.” Yup. We always need to “do the work” to sustain ourselves.

Root energy is very human. Stuff we can hold and touch. It is “yin,” wet, heavy. Associated with the pelvic floor and perineum it is linked to here-and-now stuff like birth, eating, digestion, elimination, sexuality and sex, letting go, death. If we feel safe we can let go, if we don’t feel safe we may cling, grasp or lash out. Supported root energy allows us to trust that Earth will provide for us.

Supporting Your Needs with Routine

Fear and anger may dominate when our core self is not safe and secure in fundamental, unalienable rights such as shelter, food, clothing and LOVE. This is rightfully so—these are basic rights every human and sentient being are worthy of. If these needs are not met the body and soul cannot thrive and grow. This is big stuff—not having enough. This is not about being dissatisfied with not having the newest gadgets. It is about having enough security to live to your potential and love yourself enough to let go and just BE.  When life is messy and disorganized, and it often is, one of the biggest gifts we can give ourselves is routine no matter how small. Structure is our vessel and container for support.  As a tool, Aromatherapy may create touch points and gaps for creative self-care routines.

Essential oils are tools that may inherently help reconcile our mind-body connection, to connect us with nature, to interact with our own vulnerable and messy bodies. They make the doorway to self-care a little bit larger and wider.

Aromatic “Root Rituals”

Following are two essential oil blends created with the intention to support grounding and manifesting. (See usage ideas below!)

• Loving Security: I created this blend to support dispelling fear and anger and inviting calm and self-compassion.
  • 9 drops Nagarmotha (Cyperus scariosus)
  • 14 drops Patchouli (Pogostemon cablin)
  • 3 drop Roman chamomile (Anthemis nobilis)
  • 6 drops Rose maroc (Rosa damascena Absolute)
  • 9 drops Benzoin (Styrax tonkinensis)

• Grounding Warmth: This blend combines soothing, balsamic qualities with warm, vanilla-like heat. It is deep, grounding and settling—perfect for easing into the end of the day.
  • 3 drops Angelica root (Angelica archangelica)
  • 8 drops Sandalwood (Santalum album)
  • 3 drops Vetiver “Rhu khus” (Vetiveria zizanioides)
  • 4 drops Peru balsam (Myroxylon pereirae)
  • 2 drops Cinnamon leaf (Cinnamomum verum)

To be honest, choose any essential oil or oils that make you feel comfortable, safe, at-home and in touch with yourself. But different plants have different things to share. If you’re feeling a bit adventurous, start exploring essential oils obtained from aromatic roots.

Have you wanted to work with Essential Oils and Chakras but are uncertain how to approach the enigma? Sign up for my “Aromatherapy & Chakras” online class to learn a framework for guidance!

Root Ritual Ideas

Try one of the following rituals 3 to 5 mornings or evenings for one week to help ground, settle and support you:

• Keep “Loving Security” in an easy to use bottle with orifice reducer (or another blending bottle of your choice) to use “neat” as a “friction”
  • Place 1 drop of the blend on the arch of each foot and gently hold your thumbs onto each arch for 30 seconds to 1 minute to let the essential oils penetrate.
• Add 20 drops of “Grounding Warmth” to a base product (e.g., nut/seed oil or aloe gel) and apply to your the tops and arches of your feet and legs after a shower, a full body bath or foot bath.

Thank you for reading. I hope this article brought a sense of calm and connection. Remember to stay rooted and when in doubt: “chop wood, carry water.”