If there’s one thing we can take for granted, it’s C H A N G E.

 

Knowing this intellectually is helpful; but being emotionally and energetically comfortable with moving through change? Not always easy.

 

As we navigate midlife, we inevitably bump up against our own particular challenges, peer into our personal unknowns, and stand on the thresholds of our new and next chapters.

 

Daunted? Excited? Feeling capable? Feeling like hiding under the covers? All of the above? According to Yogic Philosophy, staying grounded in the face of uncertainty has everything to do with whether our Root Chakra is balanced and strong.

 

The Root Chakra, called Muladhara in Sanskrit, is the foundation of the Chakra system and the base of our personal and spiritual development. The word Muladhara translates as basic needs, “Root Support” or foundation. Just like all plant life on earth, we need a healthy root in order to live and thrive. Represented visually as a four-petaled lotus or a spinning vortex of energy located at the pelvic floor, this energetic power center is where we begin our Chakra Journey.

 

Trust vs. Mistrust – Establishing Core Beliefs

 

Muladhara is associated with early childhood development and basic survival needs such as food, shelter and love. Perhaps we experienced warmth, nourishment, caring and connection as children; perhaps we experienced neglect and fear. Most likely, we experienced some combination.

 

These early experiences contribute to a deeply visceral sense of “Trust vs. Mistrust” or, a feeling of “I am and I will be OK” vs “I am not ok, and things are not ok.” Our subsequent life experiences add to these core beliefs – every break up or job change might slightly undermine our trust or “OK-ness,” every success empowering us and fortifying our confidence and self-reliance.

 

As we consider where we fall on the spectrum of Trust vs. Mistrust, chances are it isn’t a fixed point. In truth, whether we generally feel insecure or super confident, it can be incredibly empowering and beneficial to re-fortify our foundations in order to GloForward with ease.

 

Root to Rise – Tools for Empowerment

 

Yoga gives us some very accessible and effective tools for doing just this. ALL of these methods will serve you. The “right” one? The one(s) that resonates with you and that you’ll actually do! The one(s) that feels interesting and beneficial.

 

Elementally

Muladhara is associated with the Earth Element. All foundations rest on the Earth; solid and secure, Mother Earth is a source of nourishment and stability. What is our relationship with the Earth?

 

Without grounding we are unstable, lose our center, fly off the handle, get swept off our feet, or daydream in a fantasy world with no containment. Resting on the ground we cannot fall. We are safe. If we don’t have a strong base, everything that’s build on top of it can be shaky, undermined, unstable.

 

Earth Element is represented by the color Red, or the Sanskrit mantra LAM.

 

Physically

Muladhara is associated with our pelvic floor, our physical bodies, strength and stamina, and also our sciatic nerve — which is considered the “root” of the nervous system running from the base of our spine through the hips, down the legs and into the feet.

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Practice: Elemental & Physical

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Among the most potent and accessible Yoga practices to facilitate grounding and power in Muladhara are Restorative Yoga (literally, resting on the ground with a lot of support) or postures that strengthen our legs, hips and connection to the earth.