I Trust Myself: The Root Chakra + Self-Care

I trust myself, most of the time. Trust is tied to the root chakra, the first chakra located at the base of the spine. It comes from the Sanskrit word Muladhara. Mula means "root" and adhara means "support" or "base." You can think of it just like you think of the roots of a tree. It’s what anchors you into your sense of being, it’s what draws up energy from sources nearby and it’s what sustains your wellness trajectory. The root system is all about safety, security, health and ways of being in the world.

Let’s look at the tree euphemism. You can purchase a tree from the nursery and it comes as an independent unit, with the root ball unto itself--except of course, all that psychosocial and genealogical information that was passed down through it’s cultivation--we’ll call this ancestral imprinting. Once you bring it home, you have to find the right environment for it--boundaries; make sure the hole is deep enough. After you plant it, though, all the other variables of the surrounding area begin to impact the tree and it’s roots. It picks up water from the ground, minerals from the earth, and it might even seek out other roots nearby and communicate with them. How, where, and from whom you pick up your ways of knowing (your root system) impacts how you express yourself (which are reflected in your other chakras--you as the tree).  

Are you protecting yourself? As caregivers, women too often give so much of themselves that their own vitality becomes extinguished. Auto-immune issues will flare up. The adrenal functions will become overworked and will result in exhaustion. The thyroid is taxed and so.many.bodily.functions will feel out of whack ranging from heart arrythmias to irregular periods to dry skin to sweating and on and on (read more about thyroid function here with Dr Aviva Romm). When we are on all the time caring for others, whether it is a new baby, as a nurse in the overnight shift, an elderly parent or a demanding job, our bodies aren’t given the requisite time to reset and rest. REST is not a once-a-year-vacation. Rest is a DAILY requirement. Sleep is vital and taking a day off during the week is important. It’s no wonder a day of rest is called for at the end of the week in holy books.  

The crocodile is a symbol of maternal protection and self-preservation. Be still when necessary.

From where are you gathering your energy? I read recently that wellness is dependent upon what you do in your down time to revitalize yourself. THAT makes so much sense. When we are running on empty, what we pour back into ourselves fuels us through the next mission, the next goal, the next person to care for. This is the essence of self-care and holy wellness! One day it may be laying on the couch watching your fave Netflix show, but other days it might be digging in the garden or going for a long walk and listening to the birds chirp. It could be a slow lunch by yourself reading a book or maybe it’s an adventure where you explore a new path. Each season calls for it’s own kind of self-care and there’s no need to feel bogged down or overwhelmed by having to do anything. The only thing you have to do is listen to yourself--all the parts of yourself in body, spirit and mind.

Who are you calling on as trusted council? How are you absorbing the currents from other people and integrating their worldview into your own? The ways of knowing that you come to live by are wholly important. They impact how you treat others and ultimately, how you treat yourself. Sometimes where we are rooted is in toxic territory and it requires that we dig ourselves up and move to a more nutritive location. Boundaries, although it’s never easy, can be drawn, redrawn, erased and added to whenever necessary. What your roots absorb from others becomes intertwined with your own perspective. It impacts how you express yourself and it frames the way you interact with others.

Are you listening to all the parts of yourself? Do you trust yourself? Your body doesn’t lie to you. The meditations of your heart are on repeat for a reason. Your mind desires an outlet. All of the ways your draw up energy from your roots into yourself (nutritionally, spiritually, emotionally, physically), ALL of these variables, impact how you express yourself. Maybe that seems overwhelming, but the very best place you can start is by trusting yourself. Trust that your body will remind when you need rest. Trust that when you have an idea or concern on repeat, it needs to be released. Trust that your goals lead you somewhere but that the path is always unfolding. Trust that as much as you need to care for others, you need to care for your own holy wellness more. You cannot serve others when you are extinguished. Martyrs don't make it in the end. 

I don’t use the word deserve lightly. It’ too often attached to a sense of entitlement. But, what I do know to be true is this: you deserve holy wellness, and in the very least, you deserve to be moving towards it all the time. While you can have faith in others to support you, your own root system is what gives you the strongest foundation.

Do you need to focus on your root chakra and your own holy wellness? Start with our root chakra collection.