Getting Grounded

I like gardening, and with spring on its way, I will need to get out to my garden and prepare for planting soon, but this post is not about vegetables.  And although this post is not about radishes, beets or rutabagas, it is about roots.  It is about tending and earth and getting grounded.  It might even be about feeling stuck in the mud.  It’s definitely about how we can grow. 

Today’s post is a consideration of the Root Chakra.  A quick reminder: chakras are vital energy centers in the body.  There are 7 primary chakras that begin at the base of your spine and travel up to the crown of your head.  When each chakra is working properly, energy moves easily throughout the body like a flowing river.  When one of these energy centers is blocked, the energy gets clogged up and our well-being can suffer in many different ways.

The Root Chakra, in Sanskrit called the Muladhara, meaning “root” or “support” acts as the base of the body.  The Root Chakra is the foundation.  It is where everything begins.  It is the “root” from which true health, well-being and empowerment grows.  It is the foundation on which our physical and energetic body and every other chakra is built upon. 

You wouldn’t even think about building a house without a solid foundation, would you? If you want a strong foundation for the house of YOU, then you need to get balanced.  You need to get in the flow.  You need to get grounded.

So, how does a chakra become imbalanced, specifically, how does your root chakra become imbalanced?  How do you know if it’s out of balance? How do you know if it is overactive or underactive? 

Let’s begin with taking a look at some of the things that can disrupt the flow of energy in your root chakra:

·       Generational trauma – trauma experienced by previous generations and carried in the body

·       Emotional trauma – personal emotional wounds still carried in the body

·       Growing up poor – long-term effects of childhood food or home insecurity

·       Financial insecurity – long-term effects of struggling financially

·       Natural disasters – effects of natural disasters that directly impact your security and stability

·       War – traumatic effects of war and violence

·       Lack of domestic harmony – deep seated effects of domestic discord, especially if it involves abuse or frequent arguments

·       Childhood neglect – long-term effect of being invisible to your parents/caretakers and making yourself as “low maintenance” as possible

·       Abuse – consistently abusive relationships or intermittent abuse and disrespect

·       Anxiety – persistent anxious feelings tied to insecurity and burnout

While one form of imbalance is an underactive root chakra, it is also possible for a chakra to be overactive.  A deficient root chakra causes passive symptoms like anxiety, suspicion, isolation and withdrawal.  An overactive root chakra is more likely to cause aggressive symptoms such as agitation, explosive anger, hoarding and greed and workaholism. In my experience, it is possible to suffer from both, or vacillate between the two.

If your root chakra is out of alignment, you might feel nervous, dizzy or as if you have vertigo.  If it is blocked you may feel stuck, unsafe or unable to take action.  You may feel unable to make progress in your life on personal and professional levels.

Other physical symptoms of a malfunctioning root chakra might include bowel disorders, spine, kidney and bladder issues.  Depression, immune system challenges, addictions and allergies may also present themselves when this chakra is out of balance.

Personally, the alignment of my chakras is a continual work in progress as I navigate this life journey.  My root chakra is still in need of healing and balancing.  My weakness presents mainly as stress and fear of not being able to provide for myself.  I have struggled with financial security, self-worth and knowing that I am enough for as long as I can remember.  I've certainly had worse days when I was a young adult, and I am definitely getting stronger and more confident, but the struggle with money has been a recurrent theme throughout my childhood and adult life.  

This personal blockage has presented in physical symptoms as well, but I won't get into that here. Just know that we are all in this together.  We all have things to work on. Knowing what to do doesn't mean it's easy to do.  And it's not one and done.  I work regularly on aligning and balancing all of my chakras.

The root chakra is located at the base of the spine in the coccyx. We can think of it as all that keeps us grounded from survival instincts to our basic needs. For males it is where the masculine sexual energy sits in the physical body.   (Feminine sexual energy sits in the Sacral Chakra.)  

The Root Chakra is the portal to the physical world, physical grounding and connection to the Self.  It corresponds to the color red which symbolizes groundedness, calmness and stability.  An improperly functioning root chakra can feel deeply troubling.  It can feel as if your very life depends on the adjustment.  It can be scary.

Now for some good news.  When your root chakra is balanced and aligned, you will feel grounded and comfortably situated in your body and the world around you.  You’ll feel secure, stable, fearless and trusting.  Stress about your sense of place and belonging will dissipate. 

When this first chakra is aligned, you will be able to tap into its ability to support a calm and steady energy throughout your body.  When the root chakra is healed, you feel safe.

This sounds like pretty serious stuff, very foundational.  You might be asking, how can I balance, energize and heal my root chakra?  Well, you are in luck.  I have a few pointers and tips for you. Here are a few things I like to do love my Root Chakra.

1.    Get grounded.  Like literally.  Go outside.  Get on the ground.  Get naked, at least your feet and place those babies on mother earth.  Don’t worry if they get a little dirty.  Your body, mind and soul will thank you.

2.    Eat Healthy.  Especially red foods.  Radishes, strawberries, red cherries, red cabbage, red grapes…you get the picture.  And don’t forget to eat root vegetables.  Sweet potatoes, carrots, red onions, garlic and ginger.

3.    Yoga poses.  Tree pose (Vrikshasana), Standing forward fold (Uttanasana), Child’s pose (Balasana), Sun Salutations (3 – 5 times), Warrior 2 pose (Virabhadrasana)

4.    Dance.  (One of my favorites!) Exercise.  Zen out on a walk.  Move your body.  Love your body.  Become more comfortable in your own body.

5.    Take a shower or salt bath. Take time to notice the flow of the water as it rinses you clean, carrying away soap and other residue and leaving you feeling fresh and either invigorated or relaxed.  Salt baths are great too.  They are a natural way to detox and destress the body.  Salt is great for grounding.

6.    Declutter your space.  This could be more difficult when your root chakra is overactive (and you’re in hoarding mode...this I struggle with too, probably from "lack" programming).  Getting rid of things you don’t need, use or love now can help you feel lighter and freer on the inside — rather than weighed down by nonessentials. 

7.    Forgive others.  Forgive yourself.  The ability to let go is essential to a healthy, balanced root chakra. Holding onto anger takes more energy than you can afford, and it blocks you up (spiritual constipation). Forgiving doesn’t mean letting someone hurt you again; it means letting yourself heal.

8.    Use affirmations. - Below are some affirmations I like.

·       I am safe

·       I am supported

·       I am loved

·       I am accepted

·       I am worthy

·       All is well

·       I trust myself and my intuition

·       I have everything I need within me

·       I am open to new experiences

·       I release all anxieties and fears

·       I accept myself unconditionally

·       I forgive myself for past mistakes

·       I release all self-judgement and criticism

·       I am kind and compassionate towards myself

·       I nurture myself with loving care

·       I have everything I need to create the life I love

·       My potential is unlimited

·       I deserve to be happy and successful

·       I maintain a healthy body

·       I deserve to be treated with respect

·       I have more than enough

·       I am content with who I am

·       I feel protected and secure

·       Life is always looking out for me

·       I am complete and whole just as I am

·       I always have support and protection

·       I am stronger than I know

·       I focus on trust and let go of fear

·       I am in alignment with my authentic self

·       All possibilities are open to me

·       I am worthy of love respect and admiration

·       I love myself unconditionally

·       I have all that I need in order to succeed

9.    Listen to healing tones and meditations. Specific frequencies can help to align and balance chakras.  The frequency of 257hz can help keep your root chakra functioning well.  I have copied a link to a meditation that I like to use.  I hope you will try it out too.

Root Chakra Grounding Frequency

10.    Take a chance.  Step outside your comfort zone. Sometimes the best way to challenge the fear keeping you in a holding pattern is to do something that scares you. You might be surprised at your own ability to rise to the occasion. Plus, humiliating yourself now and then has a grounding effect. 

Welcome to your Root Chakra.  Now that you've been given some knowledge and tools that you can use to awaken and restore this foundational energy center, I hope you choose one or more of the practices listed above and make it part of your daily or weekly routine. 

May the new habits you build lead to success and joy beyond your wildest imagination.   May the healing you experience richly bless your one wild and precious life.