You're feeling restless; have trouble getting out of bed; experiencing poor sleep; feeling anxious, nervous, or rundown; craving salty and sweet snacks; and having “gut problems (your adrenals are shot).
Your lower back is hurting. You tripped into the corner of the bed and ruined your fresh pedicure. Everything around you is in chaos and you can’t seem to get a handle on your life. You’re going through bags of crisps at an alarming rate. And more than once you’ve spaced out in the car and gone the wrong way!
You’re not grounded, not present in your own life. You’re standing at the sink washing the dishes, but your mind is going through your to-do list, or fantasising or worrying about your kids upcoming exams. A plate drops out of your soapy hand and suddenly you’re bleeding. How did that happen? You weren’t present.
Your first chakra is totally out of whack.
Chakras are spinning wheels of energy. They hold the program for how your energy flows, for how information is assimilated and integrated. When your chakras are spinning in the right direction, when the energy going in and out is balanced, when the chakras are open just enough rather than shut down or blasted too far open, you feel good. You’re healthy. You’re emotionally stable. You can get into a cantered space with a quiet mind and an open loving heart.
The first chakra is the ground of your energetic being. It’s located at the base of your spine and is the foundation for the energy centres that rise up the spine (and go into upper dimensions high above your head). Think of it as the base of the trunk that supports the tree that rises high above. That tree would topple over if not for its system of roots, which is why the first chakra is called the “root” chakra. Its energy is connected deeply into the earth and provides the base for the way you experience physical reality.
The first chakra is all about your survival on earth in a body. When you don’t have enough food or shelter, your survival is threatened. When you are in crisis mode, when your childhood was violent or insecure, when you have a major illness or accident, when you’re not sleeping, when you feel abandoned, your root chakra gets shaky. If things are too stressful, if you don’t feel safe and are constantly on alert, the chakra gets distorted. If it’s dysfunctional for too long, you can develop an eating disorder, or a bone disorder, or adrenal insufficiency, or even colon cancer.
Once you recognise that you are ungrounded, there are things you can do to stop the crazy spin of your life. You can reconnect to the ground of your being, stabilise the foundation of your entire energy system, and get back on track.
Of course, the chakras exist on many levels, on different dimensions of your personal energy field and the universal energy field. So when you are trying to correct an imbalanced first chakra, you have to come at it from a variety of directions.
At the most basic level, you need to connect to the ground beneath your feet. You can do this by getting off of Facebook and Twitter and going outside. Find a way to feel embraced by Mother Earth; after all, she is the foundation of life, your motherlode. In her arms, you will feel safe and secure. Buddha got enlightened when he sat on the ground beneath the Bodhi tree. Sit with your back against a tree (minus your mobile phone!) and tune your vibration into the solidity of the earth element. Visualise pulling energy up from the earth. You can send any negative energy down your body and into the earth. She will accept whatever you give her, and in return, you can nourish yourself by pulling up her stabilising influence.
You can tune also into the rhythm of the earth through drumming, especially by coordinating the drum beats with your heartbeats.
You can practice yoga, Pilates, tai chi, or any other intentional movement that reconnects you to both the solidity and flexibility of your body. When you are ungrounded, you are prone to accidents because you are not “in” your body.
Find a way to release that stress you carry. That might mean soaking in a tub with essential oils or mineral salts, exercising strenuously to release toxins through your sweat, or getting a regular massage.
And finally, find a spiritual practice that works for you. Meditation is a prime way to sweep away the stress in your body. Chanting the divine name works as well. Anything that makes you more mindful, more present, is an ideal way to get your first chakra in top-notch shape. In the end, it always comes down to Be Here Now.
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