Chakra Series: Part One - Root Chakra

Hi everyone, as promised, I'm starting the chakra series, covering the basics to help people to understand what they are, where they are etc.

There are seven main or major chakras and many minor ones that are situated around our body/aura. They are energy centres or concentrations of life force energy, which spin at different speeds. They are 'seen' as wheels of light, each one a different colour, the colour is created by the speed at which that chakra is spinning. The seven main chakras are located from the base of the spine up through the spine to the top of the head (see diagram below).

Having a general awareness of the chakras can help us to heal and understand why we manifest our illness or problems the way we do. Every belief, action or choice we make affects the amount of energy that can flow through us. When our chakras are balanced, we are healthy and in harmony with our Higher Self. When energy becomes blocked through stress, over work, negative, fear-based thinking, or trauma, our chakras become blocked or unbalanced, which affects the amount of energy/life force flowing through us. Each suppressed emotion or negative belief we hold is stored away in a particular area of the body and over time, these suppressed energies begin to manifest physical blockages which we experience as illness or physical pain.

My aim here, is to give a little insight into why and where we store the things we do (without consciously realising it of course) so that we can then clear them away and create increased health in all areas of our lives. I hope you find it interesting and helpful!

The Root/Base Chakra:
Colour: Red
Position: Base of the Spine
Associated Organs/Areas: Kidneys, Bladder, Rectum, Vertebral Column, Hips, Lower Back, Legs, Feet, Hands.
Endocrine Gland: Adrenal (cortisone)
Related Emotions: Fear, Courage
Basic Need: Security, Confidence
Spiritual Aspect: Self-awareness

The base chakra is associated with the base-ic needs in life. Our material needs for survival, including physical health and strength, money, home, work, and general safety. It is our fight or flight area! If we notice any health problems in the base chakra area of the body, we can look within to examine the possible underlying causes of the illness or pain, and see if we can connect them with the beliefs, emotions and issues that are governed by the root chakra.

Common problems occur in this area when there is a fear of not having enough, whether it be enough security, money or any material lack. Those who have suffered abuse will often have blockages in this area, as they feel it's unsafe for them to open to receive. The root chakra is our connection with the Earth and any negative beliefs we have about being here will block our connection and prevent us from being grounded and in the present moment, the very place where we need to be to create and receive abundance.

Issues about work and income are governed by the root chakra, often people are unsure of their direction in life or what they want to do for a living. Some believe that you can't enjoy your work and earn enough money as well. These and other restricted ways of thinking that we believe (or have inherited) are stored away in the lower part of the body and over time, can start to manifest into physical health problems. Many people suffer with lower back pain, hip, knee pain or stiffness, for example, sometimes these ailments are a physical manifestation of the pain or stiff way of thinking associated with moving forward in life or with a lack of support financially or materially.

It's all to easy to be in our heads, thinking, thinking, thinking and rushing around being too busy, often though, this is a dis-connection from ourselves and a way to avoid problems. It often causes problems in the root chakra area because the root chakra is where we store away old emotions regarding safety, money, our home and our belongings. It's where we store our fears about survival. Many people have a lot of fear surrounding their material security and loss of that security. Many confuse material security with true inner security and confidence.

Healing or balancing the root chakra develops inner security and true confidence, which is love-based and real. No-one can take these away! When we feel safe inside our own skin, we create and receive more security externally. If we focus our mind on security and being safe, having enough and on life taking care of us and taking care of the details about how things will work out for us, then we can relax more and let go into a deeper place of true inner security.


Tips for balancing the root chakra:

• Wear red clothes, they increase a sense of security, warmth and increase/stimulate energy levels and circulation. Get some red socks! Have beautiful red things in your home to look at

•  Focus your mind on being safe, having enough, imagine what you want rather than what you fear

• Take time off to re-balance and slow down. Hear and feel the fears then release them to feel more secure, rather than running away from them

• Examine your beliefs about money, home, work and safety.

• Take time to do what gives you joy! It builds confidence and helps us to feel good about being alive!

• Meditate every day. See why in this post: Why Meditate?

Click here for part 2 - The Sacral Chakra

Why Meditate?

People often ask me about the virtues of  meditation, or they've heard that meditation's a good thing to do but don't know how to do it. Sometimes, people get confused about what they're supposed to be doing whilst meditating...

So why meditate? Well, meditation helps us in several ways, it can help us become less affected by the chattering of the mind, the inner dialogue, that can too easily steer us off course many times during every day. Meditation helps us by bringing us back to centre, it teaches us over time, to focus our awareness on our intuition, our hearts, instead of our mind. Meditation can help us to become deeply relaxed whilst remaining alert and mentally 'in the moment' and can help us to learn to become more detached from drama, both our own ego drama's and the dramas of those around us.

Our place of power is in the present moment, not the past or the future, we cannot change the past and we can only shape the future by being fully in the present moment, now. Yet it's often either the past or future where people get stuck in their minds, thinking about things that have happened or that might happen. It's natural for the mind to be thinking but it's important to become detached from the thoughts as they race through our minds. It's too easy to get caught up in a train of thought that often becomes negative and unproductive. We can easily waste so much time and energy in negative thought, which only leads to feeling miserable, weak or tired. Meditation helps us to become more self aware of how we use our minds and helps us to take back the reins rather than letting the mind run roughshod over our day and our lives!

When we have more peace mentally, we have greater clarity, which helps us to make more positive, love-based decisions and choices. This creates a more harmonious and healthy life for us. Meditating regularly provides us with the opportunity to become more at peace with ourselves, others and with life. It helps us to determine the truth about how we feel, what we believe and what we really want in life. It helps us to know ourselves more fully, which helps us to connect with others in more authentic, honest and love-based ways. It also accelerates the bodies' natural ability to heal itself because it relaxes so deeply. Our bodies' respond instantly to our thoughts, so a calm more positive mind set will help achieve a much healthier, stronger and more vital body.

Some people get confused about what meditation is, often, they believe it's about stopping thinking. This is not the case. Meditation is about quieting the mind and over time, becoming more detached and less affected by your thoughts. You cannot stop the mind from thinking but by becoming less drawn into the drama of the mind/ego, we can gain more clarity and truth. It is usually inevitable that you will catch yourself going off into a train of thoughts during meditation and that's ok, simply bring your awareness back to the present moment and start again. Accepting the mind and how it operates is the key.

As with all healing, acceptance is key to transformation. When we try to do something, we actually create resistance. It's the same with trying to stop thinking! All that happens is a struggle and a sense of failure! Meditation promotes a more steady, patient approach to life. We must accept that over time, things will change. The self discipline of meditating each day brings rewards gradually. It's not a quick fix but a new way of living. The virtues of meditation become clearer over time, we feel more at peace, we have more energy and are less affected by drama, both internal and external. It's the dramas of the mind that throw us off course in life, we can too easily follow them along, like our very own soap opera, getting completely sucked into the fear-based ways of the ego, until we've lost our way and ourselves.

There are many types of meditation and we must find one that suits us. I found the simple 'watching the breath' meditation to be the best for me, as it helps to bring attention back to the body and heart. Through watching the breath in and out,  it keeps us in the present moment. It's grounding, relaxing and energising all at the same time! I find that Reiki energy flows in and the meditation becomes very healing. We must make time to regroup each day, meditation is the perfect way to do this. Find even a few minutes to relax and breathe, you'll soon feel the benefit. Don't expect too much, even if you achieve a few moments of peace between thoughts, you're achieving greatness! Gradually the peace increases and clarity ensues.

Sometimes we need to try out several different approaches, so don't despair if you haven't found the meditation that suits you yet. Simply try something else! If you'd like more information on the meditation I use, click on 'read more' at the end of this post. I've been meditating every day for nineteen years now, I find it has become just as important as brushing my teeth in the morning! At first, meditating was hit and miss but as I felt the benefits, it became easier to find the time in my day for it. Just remember, breathe and return to the moment that is now, the more you do this, the more peace you will have within you and you'll enjoy life so much more!