“The structure of your daily spiritual life must be built on a strong foundation in the physical world.”
~ Lynn Andrews, The Power Deck
Greetings Friends,
After reflecting on the past two years since my move to Colorado, I’m inspired to share a deepening of my understanding about the Root Chakra.
I never tire of the majestic snow-capped 14,000 feet peaks towering above me that I gaze upon from my windows. The mountains have that solid base connected to the Earth out of which the peaks rise to seemingly touch the expansive blue sky or the drifting clouds. I marvel daily at the strength and power emanating from their auspicious presence. Just looking at them reminds me to root down into the earth … to be grounded and centered in who I am.
However, moving to Colorado uprooted me, and it has taken serious renovation to my home, connecting with the Earth, and lots of growing self-awareness to remind me of the importance of being grounded and embodied, especially for someone who has spent most of my life in my head, unaware of the sensations in my body until it screamed at me.
The great “aha” came last summer during the frustration of not being able to follow through with writing or work – I must have a safe and secure home base to be able to bring the vision of my work into my life here! No wonder my focus had been on home renovation.
The yoga pose of Tree is an example of the need for a strong Earth connection. I wobble and topple if I’m not firmly grounded when I try to expand the arms into my expression of Tree. This is also truth for living. If we aren’t grounded and rooted deeply, our higher chakras of love, personal expression, intuition and spiritual connection can be “wobbly.”
Ancient wisdom teachings describe the energetic chakra system as the connection between our physicality and our conscious awareness. There are seven major chakras located just in front of the spine from the tailbone to the crown of the head, each associated with specific energetic functions of the physical body.
The chakra located at the base of the spine is the Root Chakra, or Muladhara Chakra in Sanskrit. The key point of the Root Chakra is it is our connection to the Earth. It is governed by the adrenal glands, consequently the flight/fight/flee pattern is under the control of this chakra as well as our legs, large intestine and teeth.
When our Root Chakra is balanced and strong, we feel safe and secure, grounded in who we are, accompanied by a sense of trust in the world. This chakra relates to the element of Earth.
However, in a compromised first chakra, fear is the primary challenge. The fear may not seem rational. It may be living in our subconscious from trauma developed at conception, in utero or at birth – or even inherited from the survival fears of your parents, all of which you can take on while this chakra is forming.
Developmentally, if you experienced unmet needs or feeling unsafe during the formation of the Root Chakra, then you may often feel your survival is at stake or that you don’t have a right to exist, to be here.
Are there aspects of your life that feel unstable or ungrounded?
If so, I have some healing responses that you might like to try to become more embodied.
Yoga, massage, and warm baths are favorites that help nurture me into my body. Just being aware of the numerous sensations in your body is a good place to start. iRest Yoga Nidra includes the stage of BodySensing as one of the tools to increase awareness of the messages our body longs for us to hear before it has to shout at us. According to Richard Miller, founder of Integrative Restoration, regular practice of BodySensing “produces profound changes in your physical body, brain structures, and emotional and mental states.”
And, for grounding, it is wonderful to walk barefoot on the earth or to sit with your back supported by the trunk of a tree. Vigorous exercise is another good choice. I love imagining that I have roots extending out of my feet deep into Mother Earth and breathing that Earth energy up my legs into my lower pelvis; then releasing it back into the Earth.
I look forward to sharing what is emerging from my newly-developed strong foundation in future newsletters and FaceBook posts!
Wishing you blessings of joy and love as 2020 continues to unfold ...
Namaste ~
Dian