The Root Of All Well-Being

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Most people are aware that we have 7 main energy centers in the body. These energy centers operate on all levels – physical, mental, emotional and spiritual. Different systems call the energy centers different names, but almost all traditional systems of medicine recognize these energy centers as well as other minor energy centers, and energy pathways. In my practice, I refer to the energy centers as the Chakras – which comes from the Indian tradition. Many energy healers work with the Chakras.

Each energy center – or chakra – governs and works with specific areas of physical, mental and emotional well-being. Chakras are areas where the body is very open to receiving energy, from all sources. When they become imbalanced the flow of energy into the chakra is depleted or even prevented. The first chakra, also known as the Root or Base Chakra, forms the energetic foundation for all the other energy centers and is in many ways the most important chakra. It is the root of all well-being.

Think about what the roots of plants do. They connect the plant with the earth. They collect nourishment from the soil in the form of nutrients and water allowing the plant to survive. And they tether the plant to the place where it is growing, providing a safe place for it to thrive where it is meant to be, among other plants that understand it and do not threaten it. In the same way, our Root Chakra is associated with survival, safety, and tribe.

SEE ALSO: Healing Anemia: How To Fight Iron Deficiency Naturally

Your Roots

The way that our Root Chakra operates is formed in the first 10 years of life, and is also related to our ancestry and what traumas we carry on a cellular level from those that we descended from. It’s very exciting that research into epigenetics is a growth area in health science currently. In colloquial terms, our roots are where we come from. If you are someone who observes tradition and is conservative about preserving this, or on the other hand if you totally ignore tradition and don’t have a good or positive sense of where you came from – look to your Root chakra.

We also establish our own roots – creating homes and establishing connections with other like-minded people. Again we look to excess in either of these areas – is your home cluttered with stuff that makes you feel rooted there, or do you live in a house that isn’t really a home at all? Are you always super busy with groups, committees, teams, or is your life pretty empty of connection with others? Do you regularly attack others (not necessarily to their face) or do you regularly feel attacked? If your sense of safety (on any level, not just physical safety) is compromised you may have a Root chakra imbalance.

Your Body

The Root chakra is very much about our physical being – how we feel about our bodies and how we nourish the physical aspect of ourselves in all ways. If you have a well-being complaint that is about a part of your body (and many of them are) then you should consider the balance of your Root Chakra. Any problem concerning your musculoskeletal system, your skin, your adrenals, immunity, excretion, blood, or the legs and feet are indicative of Root Chakra imbalance. A great first question to ask yourself is: do you feel safe in your skin?

Your Relationship with Food

Because it is all about the physical body, food is key to the balance of the Root Chakra. Food is after all the energy that we provide to nourish our physical body. If you have an unhealthy relationship with food, such as that you tend to be either overweight or underweight, you obsess over food or our try to ignore it, or you are always dieting – you may well need to work on balancing your Root chakra. Our ability to excrete waste after digestion effectively and efficiently is also coming into play here – if you suffer from constipation then your Root chakra is no doubt involved.

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Red, Inflammation, Stress

The earthy color red is the color of the Root chakra. It indicates heat and inflammation, which are pointers to look at your root chakra. If you have strong feelings about the color red, it again may indicate an imbalance in your Root. Everyone is stressed these days but if you are someone who seems to stress about every little thing in your life – and everyone knows it – or you’re someone who thinks that showing stress to others is weak, then, you guessed it, your Root chakra is probably involved.

What to do to balance your Root Chakra?

You might feel like you can relate to everything I have mentioned above, but don’t despair. This is very common in the modern western world because we are very disconnected from the earth (security), and from other people (tribe). And at the same time, we are constantly bombarded with information that makes us feel unsafe and insecure (safety). So, what will help you to work towards balance – the Evenstar 5 Star Well-being approach is a great place to start!

Food

• Protein is very important but make sure that you get a healthy proportion of your protein from plants – nuts, seeds, legumes
• Root vegetables – sweet potato, parsnip, beetroot (3 to 5 times per week)
• Red fruits – raspberries, cherries, watermelon, pomegranate (5 to 7 times per week)
• Anti-inflammatory foods – dark green leafy vegetables, salmon, blueberries, blackberries, flaxseed
• Develop awareness of your body’s relationship to food – eating when hungry, noticing how your body reacts to different foods
• Try 1 new food or way of eating a food every week
• Eat while in contact with the earth – shake out that picnic rug, or at least eat surrounded by nature

Movement

• Make sure you have a variety of movement each week – some cardio (walking, running, HIIT), some strength (weights, Pilates) and some nourishing movement (yoga, tai chi, qi gong)
• Exercise in nature whenever possible

Sleep

• Prioritize sleep because it allows your body to repair itself, without which levels of inflammation will go beyond what is required for normal immune response

Surroundings

• Get in contact with the earth and nature – walking, swimming, gardening, resting
• Avoid toxins in your environment as much as possible because they will again promote inflammatory response in the body and negate the benefits of grounding and earthing yourself
• Crystals and essential oils

Being

• Meditation – look up some guided visualization meditations on grounding or on clearing inflammation
• Affirmations – I am safe and secure, I am strong and vital, I am grateful for all that the universe provides
• Emotions to explore: fear, trust, anxiety, anger
• Energy healing