Well, well, well, what a whirlwind of energy we have just moved through! So many planets went retrograde and chaos ensues. It may have felt like that anyway. Retrogrades are great for slowing down and observing life around us so take it all in!
On to our next discussion topic, the root chakra, also known as Muladhara. You may have heard this name tossed around a few times, but let’s dive deeper into what it is and how to work with it. As I mentioned in my earlier post, we have seven main chakras, or energetic wheels or vortices, which resided in the human body. And the root chakra is the chakra closest to the ground; therefore, it is the chakra that helps us to stay grounded, to feel safe and secure, calm, collect and nourished.
You may hear the term “ground down” in a yoga class or something. This is usually referring to the root chakra and you can do this by “dropping your grounding cord or growing your roots.” You may be thinking, well how do I ground down? Simply imagine a cord, any kind, dropping down from the base of your spine into the earth as far as you can visualize it going and simply hang out there for as long as you can or want and enjoy the drop. Or you can imagine roots growing out of the bottom of your feet into the ground like the roots of a tree, again, as far as you can visualize them going. Lastly, one of my most favorite ways to ground is by simply walking barefoot on the earth! There is, now, so much scientific evidence of the benefits of earthing, but the spiritual community has known all along ;) You will notice yourself become very heavy. You have become grounded my friend!
The root chakra is usually associated with the color of red, the color of fire, of heat, of life force, of sexuality and of warmth. All of these terms relate to basic survival, thus the color red is used in relation to the root. The root chakra is located at the base of the spine in the perineum area of the body.
Now, we often refer to the root chakras as the basic right to be here and have. This means you are deserving of basic things such as being loved, respected, nurtured, to feel safe, to prosper and to feel abundant among other things. But when we don’t feel these things then our chakra is out of balance and we may feel alone, isolated, fearful, abandoned, abused, neglected, unloved and unsafe to name a few. All of these things can lead to anxiety, depression and later on, if left unbalanced, to illness and dis-ease in the body. And you can feel these out of balanced feelings for numerous reasons.
Let’s say you grew up in an unsafe environment. Well, naturally, you’re going to grow up not feeling safe and secure or feeling like you have someone who will protect you and keep you safe. In this scenario, your root chakra would be underdeveloped and you would always feel anxious and know nothing else, but this feeling. Therefore, you would not know what it would feel like to be safe and secure. However, YOU can provide that for yourself with a consistent practice of grounding to start with. Combine this with a mediation practice and you will do amazing things for your body and mind!
When you can ground and center your body you are reconnecting to Self. This is one of the most powerful things that you can do in life! How many times a day do you stop and check in with your Self? You may be asking, why is she capitalizing Self? Well, I do this to acknowledge the highest version of you; your soul Self, your over soul. Were you aware that you had one? No? Well, we will have to discuss that another time. Give it a try and see how it feels and what you discover. Take a listen and see if you hear any guidance that you might have been missing out on!
Now you might relate to some of the things that I have listed and ask, “how to I fix it?” Well, it’s easy, but you have to be consistent. First off, ground down my friend! And do it as often as you can. And then start working with someone who can guide you further on your healing journey, such as myself!!
Some of my favorite yoga poses for grounding are seated lotus/ easy seat, child’s pose, mountain pose, tree pose and savasana. Modify these poses in any way that feels best for you,
Some crystals that are great for grounding are any black ones such as Obsidian, Tourmaline, Jet, Onyx, Hematite, and of course the all purpose Amethyst or Clear Quartz, aka the Master Healer!
Some affirmations to use are:
It is safe for me to be here.
I love my body and trust its wisdom.
I'm here and I'm real.
I hope this helps you in some way! This is just meant to cover the basics so if you have any questions or want some personalize services, don’t hesitate to reach out!
In Light,
Jamie