How To Reconnect With Your Body

Finding it hard to  trust your body? 

Feeling detached from your body? 

Feeling stuck in life? 

Health issues?

Do you tend to feel unsafe in the world? 

These are just a few of the issues that can arise when your first chakra is out of balance.Our root chakra, or Muladhara, is the foundation of our chakra system. Our root chakra connects us to the physical world and our physical bodies. When there is an imbalance in the root chakra, it might be difficult to connect with both and not being connected to either can also create an imbalance. 

Not only does the root chakra connect us to our bodies and the Earth, it also governs our sense of safety, stability, trust, health, roots and our relationship with finances, family and home. As this chakra is the foundation of the system, it  encompasses all of the basic needs one needs to feel safe and connected to move forward in this world. You can think of this chakra in respect to Maslow’s hierarchy of needs. One needs the foundation of basic needs to be met in order to move towards feels safe, let alone self-actualization at the top of his pyramid. I also like this comparison because it is another example as to how this ancient wisdom corresponds to modern day science and psychology.  

For much of my life and still to this day, I have a tendency to disconnect from my body. While it happens less for me these days, I’m grateful when it happens because it clues me in that something is awry. When I’m avoiding my physical yoga practice (asana) or any type of movement, for me, it usually means that I am avoiding some feelings or emotions. This was my MO for many years and so it is still a pattern that I can fall into. Guess what, that is okay! Why? Because I do my best not to beat myself up.  The secret sauce for me is that I use it as information. It’s a notification from myself to myself that I need to take a step back and check in. I use this information and root chakra to then reconnect with my body.

So how does this connect with the root chakra? Well my friends, it connects to the root chakra and the second chakra aaaand usually a few more as they are always interconnected. Disconnection with my body is a clue that my root chakra needs attention. The avoidance of my emotions tells me I also need to address my second chakra, as emotions are governed by the second. (Please note, many people also say emotions are governed by the heart chakra. I like to separate emotions and feelings and place emotions in the second and feelings in the heart chakra. This is also why working with the chakras and yoga in general is so beneficial! There really is no one “right” answer. Much of this work is understanding it from the individual’s perspective.)

Now this is not to say that the chakras are the end all be all, but it is another way of looking into yourself as you are on your journey of healing and returning to who you truly are. Trauma, societal conditioning, cultural conditioning, life experiences all contribute and impact your chakras. It doesn’t discount ANY of your lived experience. It is however an easier entry point to working with it for some people. As the chakra system is a somewhat neutral playing field for most people. So often we have beliefs about our mind and our bodies, but most people do not have any biases towards their subtle energetic body. This is why, for some, it can be easier to work in this way to help  heal their relationship with their body and food. 

There are so many different ways to reconnect with your body and working with your root chakra is just one of them. The interesting thing is that many ways of connecting with your body also help heal the root chakra! Starting to see how this all makes sense?

Because the root chakra has lotus four petals, here are 4 (hopefully) accessible ways to help heal a wounded or undeveloped root chakra are:

1. Movement. Connect with your body, in a way that feels brave and safe for you. Meet yourself where you are at and take it movement by movement. Build it up over time as it feels safer and safer to exist in your body. There is a give and take in this way. As you move you heal your root chakra, as your root chakra heals, it’s easier to move. This also makes it easier to reconnect with your body. It’s all about giving and receiving. Fun fact, giving and receiving  is connected to your heart chakra which also governs self-acceptance. See how interconnected they are?
2. Grounding. Some grounding techniques include: feeling your feet on the ground, using a weighted blanket, gardening, working with clay, walking barefoot in the grass or ground, placing your feet in or on soil. Connecting with your body can also be very grounding, as long as you are in a place to do so. If you feel it will exacerbate any anxiety, opt for any of the previous options. 
3. Eating! Eating can be grounding. Ever wonder why you might eat when feeling anxious? The element of the root chakra is Earth and when you eat, you are literally putting Earth into your body. Now for many people, this can induce anxiety, so again, meet yourself where you are at. But, what might it feel like to eat with the intention  of healing your root chakra? Intention is everything friends. 
4. Embrace the color Red. Red is the color of the root chakra. Wearing red, decorating with red, wearing red crystals (i.e. garnet, rubies), eat red food, drink red liquids. Doing this with the intention of healing your root chakra can be quite powerful! 
5. You can use root chakra crystals to reconnect with your body.

Learn more in my upcoming course, Getting Unstuck: How to Use the Chakras to Heal Your Relationship with Your Body and Food.  We will discuss this and SO much more! The wait list is open and the cart will be open from June 20 – July 8, 2022. The course will start on July 11, 2022. I hope to see you there!