Copyright © 2021 Lee Spirit

Last week was scatter-brain week, and lately my poor bod has taken a bit of a beating! I was bringing some heavy work home from the office a few weeks ago. While setting it down, I bonked my noogie on the edge of the wall and gave my head a big goose-egg! At the same time, I cracked my neck, which led to a couple weeks of sore head, neck, and shoulders! Feeling a little off balance, I think it’s time to reconnect to Mother Earth for some root chakra grounding! Wasn’t I doing that already?

Last weekend I fell too, and nearly skied backwards off a bridge into the creek below! Then the next day, I took one step onto the ice with my skates and went down hard! I bruised my hand, and whiplashed my neck, for another week of neck pain! I realized, again, that I must really be off balance! We all need healthy balance in our lives. Our healing often starts with the root chakra.

What Is the Root Chakra?

The root chakra is our first chakra – An energy centre that lives at the base of the spine around the tailbone area. From here, energy can travel up the spine to support the other chakras. It’s associated with feelings of safety, protection, balance, and feeling grounded and secure. Our doubts, fears, and anxieties may reside here.

In these times, with financial and other instabilities, it’s no wonder we all may be feeling a little off balance in this area! But we want to keep this chakra in a healthy state of flow, rather than feeling stuck, since all of our energy centres rely on a healthy root chakra.

Like the big tree in my photo in Ucluelet, BC, it has roots that go down deep into the earth. With a healthy, grounded base of roots, it allows the tree to grow freely into the infinite vastness of space. We also need to have stable roots in order for us to grow in healthy ways. We, too, can become the boundless, deathless, infinite beings that we are.

How Do We Get Stuck and Off Balance?

My scattered brain the other week was an indication that I am stuck in my head, operating from the mind rather than the heart. When we’re always focused on doing, rather than being the light of our souls, we may find ourselves in a head-heavy state rather than a heart-open state.

In one of the yoga courses I’ve been taking, the instructor refers to focusing on the “seemingly important” things versus the “truly important” things. The seemingly important things are what cause us stress, anxiety, or negativity. For example, the important work you think you need to get done. It is here that you see the world through a narrow lens.

Whereas, the truly important things are what matter in your dying days – Love, spirit, connection. You see life through a wider lens, and stressful things become less and less significant. You have a bigger picture view of the past, present, and future.

So one way to get off balance is to focus on the “seemingly important” things in life…

How Does a Healthy Root Chakra Flow?

When we are balanced, safe, and grounded, life feels a lot easier. We move through our days with ease, grace, and flow. We are calm, and centred in mind-body-spirit. As mentioned above, we connect to the “truly important” things in life, and allow that love and lightness of being to flow naturally through all of our chakras.

Ways To Get Into This Ideal State:

• The owner of my favourite spiritual shop shared a lovely video of some shaman drums and wind chimes to balance the chakras, by Calm Whale. It’s great to tune into some soothing sounds for calming the nerves, and balancing the root chakra. Try this one out: Earth and Air – Shaman Drum Root Chakra Meditation
• Do a visual meditation where you focus on the root chakra colour of red, and feel your feet firmly on the ground. You can stand in the yoga “Mountain Pose”, and visualize your feet and legs extending down into the earth like red, solid roots. Make sure the roots are stable, but not firmly attached. Remember that unhealthy attachments only lead to suffering.
• Go out into nature, walk barefoot on the grass or dirt in the garden. Feel the earth on your feet and between your toes.
• Wash Away Your Mind Clutter – When we clean up our living spaces – Our bedrooms, dishes, garbage, or junk drawers, we clear space in our minds too. This helps us stay more calm and give us clarity. Less mind clutter means we can sleep better at night too, and wake up calm the next day.

A Few More Ways To Heal the Root Chakra

• Eat root veggies, like carrots, parsnips, or beets. Eating healthy will ultimately lead to feeling better and more grounded.
• Practice kundalini yoga and breathing exercises to breathe into the energy at the base of your spine. Move that energy upwards through your other chakras for a healthy flow of energy throughout your system.
• Attract abundance to your life by living in alignment with the truth of your soul. Do what you are passionate about, noticing the present moment, and practising gratitude.
• Connect with the trees! Lately I’ve been so drawn to really tall, dark Spruce and Evergreens. Sometimes we don’t even notice this beauty, so plentiful before us. But when you really stop and feel the vibrations that the tall trees emit, you start to feel more grounded. This lack of connection we’ve had with others over the past year has made me feel much more connected to nature. These tall trees are like welcoming arms, ready to give me a giant hug (which many of us haven’t felt in a while)! In fact, it helps in your grounding to go ahead and hug a tree! Watch how your energy synchs with the tree, and you will feel grounded in no time!

Stay Rooted But Not Stuck

In my newsfeed last night, someone asked about one of my favourite books by Paulo Coelho, The Alchemist. I haven’t read the book for maybe 15 or more years. The question was, “Why does Santiago have to transform into wind or he’ll die?”

Only vaguely remembering that part of the book, I was called to respond by saying, “Maybe the wind symbolizes change or transformation, and if Santiago doesn’t change/transform, he will stay the same, and die, without ever having fulfilled his soul’s true destiny”.

I thought about my response after, and realized the potency and truth of my statement, which seemed to come out of no where. I am pretty stuck in my ways, and it’s a reminder to be rooted and grounded, but not stuck or attached. We must be able to turn ourselves into the wind – To be flexible, flowing, and resilient. There is a healthy balance even at the root chakra, and when we ground from there, we grow into the vastness of what and who we really are.

Hopefully this gives you an idea of the importance of the root chakra in supporting our whole energy system. From here, we strike a balance between earth and ether. This will keep us healed and healthy.

Lee Spirit is an avid outdoors adventurer with a love for nature, photography, health & fitness, wellness, and spirituality. Her own personal journey has led her to the  study and practice of mindfulness, health, wellness, yoga, spirituality, sound healing, meditation, and personal development for over 20 years. Have you subscribed yet to receive your Free ‘Natural Mind Healing’ Report + Free Newsletter?