When it comes to support, everyone experiences it in different ways. You may feel professionally supported by your supervisor or colleagues, personally cared for by loved ones, spiritually backed by your faith community. Energetically, we all contain a base of support via the root chakra, known as Muladhara in Sanskrit.

The root chakra is located at the base of the spine. The main theme of the first chakra is security. If you are familiar with Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs, this is the safety level, which includes personal safety and security, employment, resources, physical health and trust.

When the first chakra is balanced, we sense ourselves fully supported at all moments along the journey of life. When this chakra is out of balance, we may experience fear and insecurity as well as a feeling that our basic survival needs are not provided for sufficiently.

To balance the first chakra, we cultivate the qualities of grounding. This quality allows us to become present in the here and now. When we are grounded, we are humble, embrace stillness, embody clarity and live in a state of grace. Grounding forms a foundation and is a way of coping with stress.

Activities that encourage grounding include:

• Eating well: Focus on whole fruits, vegetables and grains. Limit heavily processed foods that are high in refined sugars.
• Working: While paid work provides for financial security, any type of work (housework, volunteering) that includes focus and repetition provides the basic structure that builds a strong foundation.
• Walking Meditation: The practice of mindfully noticing each step.
• Yoga: Be sure to include poses such as bridge (Setu Sandha Sarvangasana), knee to chest (Apanasana), locust (Salabhasana) and head to knee (Janu Sirsasana).
• Foot massage: While all massage aids in connecting with the body, foot massage is especially helpful in grounding.
• Sitting or lying on the earth: Put down a blanket and have a picnic, or simply spend some time sitting under your favorite tree.

Be sure to give attention to grounding during times of transition. Whether it is a new job, the end of a relationship, or the change in seasons. When the body feels secure, well fed and healthy, our attention and energy can easily flow to care for other areas of our lives.

Tune in next week when we will investigate the sacral chakra.