To those of you, who are relatively new to the world of energy, welcome. To those seasoned few I invite you into beginner’s mind.
The chakra system predates the modern area. Writing is only traced back to the time of the Vedas and the chakra system can be found there. Prior to written language all information was passed orally. Before information needed to be passed orally we all had access to the library of information where all truths resided. In the modern era we are inching our way back to that direct access.
This series will focus on the 7 main chakras that reside along the spine of the human body. They are energy centers that spin. As individuals, our life is organized around the way these centers process information from the non-physical world. That means that these centers have an impact on your mental, emotional, physical and spiritual existence.
What is the root chakra?
The root chakra is the foundation that all six other chakras stack upon. All chakras have equal importance and each works collaboratively with another. You can imagine the importance of pouring a strong foundation before building a house. A strong foundation will allow renovations easily but a crack in the foundation could mean a big, expensive problem for the owner. So we want to make sure the foundation of our energetic home is solid.
Solid in energy terms is not what you think. It really means that it can withstand the unknown without losing its sense of safety and security. In the home building world you want absolutes in the physical world. In the spiritual world your absolute is your capacity to keep equilibrium amidst the unknown experience of your soul’s journey. A healthy root chakra is vital for the stability of how your mind and emotions respond to the strong winds of life.
Where is the root chakra located?
The root chakra is located in the sacrum of your body at the base of the spine. This energy center is the one closest to the earth. It is no accident, as this center is our umbilical cord to the great, conscious, Mother Earth that all call home at this time. In a healthy chakra system the root chakra spins downward as it links up to the earth’s magnetic pull, creating a symbiotic relationship. This exchange needs to be flowing in a continuous motion for optimum health. The earth offers her energy continuously; it is the human’s root chakra that can disrupt the flow if there is a kink in the way the root chakra is spinning. A distortion in the root chakra equals a distortion in our perception of our self and of the world.
What does the root chakra govern?
The root chakra is our grounding in this life. It gives us a sense of belonging to a group and to this earth. It gives us the sense that we are home regardless of where we are in the world. It anchors our spirit into our body, which allows us to move through the world with confidence and stability even in the face of constant change. It makes us invest into our life and into our moment.
A healthy root chakra begins in utero and can follow us through previous incarnations. It is the stability of how we relate to our mind, emotions, body, and spirit. It governs our capacity to feel that we are enough. We are wanted. We deserve to be here. We are seen. We are heard. We are witnessed. We can fulfill our dreams.
How To Identify An Imbalanced Root Chakra
Again, the root chakra is about survival. It is about your ability to feel safe and secure in your body and feel at home on this earth. When that stability is shaken you are afraid and you start grabbing anything to hold on to, anything to give you a sense of connection, control, and stability, even if it is fake. Here are some telltale symptoms your first chakra is out of whack:
- fear
- poor self-esteem
- negative self-talk
- feeling you don’t have enough money
- poor family relationships
- short partnerships
- addictions
- unsafe risk-taking
- being overly sexual
- co-dependent relationships
- over-shopping
- overeating
- anxiety
How To Balance A Root Chakra
Know that nothing is wrong with you. You are experiencing the problem to be part of the solution. We have built a glass castle in the West and your soul is begging you to dig deep into the roots and be part of the change. Here are some things you can do to help balance your root chakra.
- Energy Work: Get someone’s hands on your spinal column and bring the fight or flight response of the sympathetic nervous system back down into the rest and restore of the parasympathetic. We must stay calm. In any traumatic situation that is rule number one: Stay calm.
- Visualize: Quantum physics is putting science out there now that is proving our thoughts have the power to create. Use it! Visualize your root chakra reaching down into the earth and use your breath while you create a magical story in your mind of a healthy, anchored root chakra resourcing itself from the great Mother Earth herself.
- Reframe Self-Talk: You are enough! Period! Wherever you are is perfect. Treat that nasty self-talk like an addiction. “I see you, I love you, and I am not going to give into you.” Then repeat. Yes, it takes will. You are a free-will human in a free-will Universe. It takes effort. It takes your participation.
- Eat Root Vegetables & Meat: Yes I said it. Eat meat. Mindfully, of course; ethically killed, of course. It anchors you into your body. While you’re at it, let go of caffeine and stimulants that pull your body into a fight or flight response.
- Chant: The sound LAM resonates at the vibrational frequency of the root. Say it deep and repeat while focusing on that first chakra. Don’t say it while spacing out. Get into it!
- Get Help: No one ever said you have to do this alone. Having someone listen to us and witness our story might be all we need. Stories that are on repeat ARE the source of the problem to begin with. Maybe you need to tell the same story so many times that you yourself get sick of it and reach for something more empowering.
- Get In The Dirt: It’s spring. It’s time to plant. Get your hands dirty. Eat what you grow. Get that synergetic connection to the earth in your hands and your body; she is the embodiment of a healthy root chakra, so get in there.
The Power Of Free Will
At the end of the day, we all have the essential need to belong and at the core of our truth we DO BELONG. Remembering that we have CHOICE, as free-will human beings puts the responsibility for our life back into the power of our own hands. I do know people can show us the way but no one can truly do the work for us. So don’t be a victim. There is no power there. That first chakra likes power. It’s not over power or under power, it’s just power; rest there in the sweet spot.
