Lately I have been guided to work on bringing my root chakra into balance. The root chakra is the base of the chakra alignment and has to do with feelings of security and finding solid ground in our selves and lives. The tricky part of the root chakra is that it can be easily overlooked because of its primal nature. On a physical level the root chakra would be closet to mirroring our adrenal glands in regards to survival and ensuring that the body is fully functioning as well as taking care of us when we are in danger, the things we don't think about but just do.
The root chakra focuses on our fight or flight responses, sex, our instinctual need for shelter, wealth and issues of money surrounding security, consistency, physical activity and our emotions at their most primal level. When this chakra is out of balance you will have trouble with staying in one place, often feeling the urge to move from residence to residence. You may have a voracious appetite for acquiring tangible items which you use as a proxy for physical security. People with root chakra imbalances are given to extreme primal emotions like anger outwardly or inwardly focused anger which manifest as depression. People who suffer with suicidal thoughts often have a root chakra blockage or imbalance as they can't fathom staying connected in their bodies and on this earth plain. Because the root chakra is the most physical of the chakra people with an imbalance are not connected to their bodies and may find that they neglect it in one manner or another.
The color associated with the root chakra is red. A color that I have banned from my house. I know it may sound strange but I have held an irrational dislike for this very color I seldom wear red and if a small kitchen utensil happens to be red I will hide it or donate it. Yes, I have been that serious about avoiding red. This is why as I began to explore balancing my root chakra I was not happy to discover that I would need to immerse myself in this color on my journey. Now balancing this chakra doesn't just boil down to the color red. There are many ways to reconnect and ground yourself. But the irony of the situation and the sense of humor my angels possessed was not lost on me. The very thing you have purposely avoided is the very thing you need. This is especially true for empaths insofar as the root chakra goes. Empaths are the filters of human emotion. We are reading rooms, taking emotional temperature checks and distilling energy at all times. In order to do that properly, healthy boundaries are necessary and paramount to an empaths sanity is being grounded. As I continued to be led in my research I discovered a direct connection to an imbalanced root chakra, empaths and the narcissist. It never ceases to amaze me that when we are truly ready to learn how the teacher will appear. This connection to the empath and narcissist is a topic that I will be writing about in greater depth in future articles.
Whats important to understand now is that in order to ascend your chakras and bring each one into alignment you must begin with your roots. When was the last time you hugged a tree? Yes I said hug a tree! I have been drawn to do this on many occasions. However the first time was years ago I was in a very unhealthy relationship. Directly behind my place was beautiful live oak. One day I found myself locked out of my apartment in a relentless Florida rain storm and my soul was so attracted to this tree. Now realistically I could have taken shelter on our back porch and waited for my partner to get home with the key. Instead I sloshed through the grass over to this radiant live oak with its far reaching deep roots and I hugged it and I cried... I didn't even realize at the time but I was depositing my negative emotions, doubt and fear into that tree. And that tree ever wise took my energy through its sturdy trunk, down to its roots and deposited into mother earth. I felt a buzzing as a stood there that day and I believe that I was physically feeling the energy of that tree taking my confusion and unrest and placing back into to me the stabilizing reinforcement that I needed to move on. With in a few weeks I had the clarity and peace of mind to extract myself from that toxic relationship. I attribute my freedom to that flash storm and the beckoning wisdom of that tree. But I understand that tree hugging may not be for everyone! So feel free to give the following 8 tips a try.
1. Essential oils are wonderful for reconnecting with your root chakra, think Cedarwood, Sandalwood and Patchouli, these very earthy scents are not only aphrodisiacs but relaxing and grounding.
2. Hula hooping in your seat! The circular motion of moving your hips while seated directly activates your root chakra which is found at the base of your tail bone. If your needed to feel grounded then give it a whirl!
3. Get outside in nature! This is arguably the best way to remedy this imbalance. The trees, sunshine sand and dirt all help to remind you of your innate need to be connected to this plane. A very powerful way to connect is to sit on the ground in with your legs crossed and meditate on merging with mother earth. Even a few minute a day will do wonders to help revitalize and ground you.
4. Get Crafty! When you do go outside take the time to find a rock that you are attracted to. Bring that rock indoors and clean it thoroughly, then paint it a beautiful shade of red. Place it with in your line of sight or on your desk to remind you of your connection to your roots.
5. Start Chanting! The chant that is associated with your root chakra is Lam Lam Lam, but it sounds like Lum Lum Lum. This deep guttural sound is ideal for ground and re-balancing. Find a guided chant or a free chant/ meditation on YouTube that resonates with you and spend a few minutes a day audibly bringing yourself into alignment.
6. Sexy Time! Practicing the Kama Sutras or other yogic Tantric sex is incredibly grounding and speaks to a deeper biological need. Fusing sex and spirituality really helps to balance this chakra and can be incredibly fulfilling.
7. Get Moving! From climbing a tree, to yoga, Zumba, Cross Fit, swimming to taking a walk or spelunking. Take action to engage in any physical movement that takes you out of ego where you can let your mind wander and your body reconnect. This is ideal for re-balancing this root chakra.
8.Seeing Red! Alas we end where we began, with my newly acquired favorite color. :-) Visualizing red when your are doing your chants is one way to re-balance. Another practical way is to acknowledge your connection to your body and earth whenever you see red in your everyday life. That way if you have and aversion like I did, you need not paint your walls and purchase a new wardrobe. Simply intake red with gratitude as it presents itself to you. And trust me it will. I was driving down the street recently and my partner pointed out that the truck next to us actually said the word RED in the color red on its back bumper. Nothing else but that word, no context or other information. Hows that for universal synchronicity?!