there will be “enough” for them to survive, they tend to overeat. Conversely, when people do not feel that they have a right to exist, perhaps due to low self-esteem or feeling suicidal, they may tend to forget about eating. They may lose weight and even develop eating disorders.
A person who has an imbalance in her “survival center” doesn't have this energy vibration to a significant degree and may seem like she is “not in her body” by appearing absent-minded, fatigued, or excessively fearful. Sometimes this is referred to as “being ungrounded.” The absent-minded professor is a classic example of someone who is so fixated on intellectual concerns that he neglects the needs of the body, like eating or getting enough sleep. A woman who is fearful and worried about survival, whether she is unable to make enough money to support her basic needs or feels her ability to make money is threatened through a potential layoff, may have issues with support not only in the physical world but also in her body. I have seen people in distress like this develop low back pain, knee pain, and sciatica, as their bodies are literally translating the message of not being supported, and so they manifest symptoms of lack of support, particularly in the lower half of the body.
The survival vibrations are instinctual. In ancient traditions, the central point, or hub, of the part of us that resonates with the purely physical aspects of our being and yokes us to the earthly venture of surviving on this planet is called the root chakra, or muladhara (Sanskrit for “root”). The designated body location of the root chakra begins the point just under the pubic bone in the front of the body, and penetrates through the body to the level of the tailbone, or coccyx, at the base of the spine. Even though its central point is at the level of the tailbone, its energetic influence is directed downwards toward the lower half of the body, into the legs and feet.
Once we are comfortable with feeling grounded in our physical body and the elements that comprise much of our basic survival needs as they relate to the physical world, we are then able to direct our energy up the body to the next energy center, which is the font of raw emotions and creativity. Think of the infant becoming a toddler: screaming, crying, demanding, giggling—the “terrible twos” as they are called. We are now moving past our basic survival needs and into the realm of feeling. As a young child, we find our own inner voice, we begin playing with others, and amplifying our every need. If we take this into the adult life, this part of us translates into our ability to be freely creative, have fun, express how we feel, and develop relationships. To some extent, this is the part of us that psychologists refer to as the “inner child.”
There are various ways this aspect manifests when it is out of balance: a workaholic who makes no time for play, a woman who isn't comfortable showing her emotions and so she stuffs them in by eating, the tortured artist type who feels that his feelings and creative expression are misunderstood, a person who has difficulty committing to a relationship or maintaining friendships.
The energetic part of us associated with our ability to be creative, wildly emotional, and full of pleasure is kept in the area between our lower belly (just below the navel) and the sacrum. It is referred to as the sacral chakra, or svadhisthana (Sanskrit for “one's own abode”). Think of how when you laugh heartily or breathe deeply—your lower gut feels relaxed and free of tension. Whereas the root chakra is symbolically associated with our ability to feel grounded and secure in our bodies, the sacral chakra has been likened to the aspect of us that embodies the water element through its flowing, yet still, abysmal depth; our expanse of emotion; and our ability to dive into the unconscious. When we are in touch with our lower gut and its energetic resonance, we dance to the music of our raw creativity, our unruly emotions, and our love of companionship. These parts of us ripple through our gut and undulate into finer expression with the help of the heart (love and passion) and throat (voice and authenticity) chakras. This chakra seeks relationship with another. It propels us out to the world to find connection and synergy. When we are deeply committed to our own sensitivity and creativity, we can be open to sharing this beauty with another, and in this process, create something anew.
Swimming upwards from the low belly, we enter our fiery, transformative energy-exchange center. With the vehicle of the body (root chakra) and the ability to emote, create, and form relationships with others (sacral chakra), we now have the tools needed to make our way in the world, and to exchange the energy of our self with the energy of society. If we can symbolically position this stage of our development, it would be at the ages of five to seven years old, when we are forming and solidifying our identity.
It has been said that who we were at this young age sets the stage for who we are to become as adults. We begin to have strong views, develop opinions, and have a sense of self as separate from the whole. Individuals with imbalances in this center often has issues around self-worth. For example, they are often the ones who can never have enough material possessions to give them a sense of worth. They continue to collect and hoard but ultimately receive no gratification in return. An overachiever seeks to find fulfillment through her accomplishments rather than who she is from within. Sometimes the most egocentric person is masking low feelings of self-worth; in other words, all that grandiosity is not who they really are. When it comes to foods and eating, these individuals are hungry for internal fulfillment and confidence, and may use external sources like foods and overeating in an attempt to fill this need.
The part of us that filters societal information and allows us to distill our own opinions, beliefs, and identity is held in the upper abdominal area and is known as the solar plexus chakra, or manipura (Sanskrit for “city of jewels”). The middle of the torso is the energetic home for the essential organs of transformation associated with the solar plexus chakra: the gallbladder, liver, pancreas, small intestines, and stomach. Energy, whether from the purely physical like food or from a charged interaction with a group of people at work, will enter in from the outside and is converted through this conduit into a form that we can process and recognize. In response to taking in the energy, we may even decide to give back energy from this center through movement, activity, and acting from our core.
An example of this exchange might be the simple act of eating a meal. The body sees the food as a vehicle of energy and breaks it down to the degree that it can reap the energy embedded within. As a result of taking in this energy, we may feel more alive, invigorated, and propelled into action. That energy may help us exercise, move through the day, and do our tasks.
The three lower chakras, the root, sacral, and solar plexus centers, form the physical basis of a person. The root chakra could be compared to the bricks of a house, giving a solid structure and foundation. The sacral chakra is like the windows built into the house, allowing us to see to the outside using our senses and our urge to connect with others. And the solar plexus chakra is like the front and back doors, enabling people to enter and for the inhabitants to exit.
From this point on, the chakras become much more ethereal in nature, and they are aligned more closely with the spirit than the body. Although no more significant than the lower three chakras, the upper four chakras have more delicate and finer vibrations than those of the lower chakras. Collectively, the upper chakras encompass the parts of a person that allows them to love, communicate, think, and connect with the Divine. If we continue with the metaphor of the house, they go beyond the house structure and take us into the periphery: into other neighborhoods, cities, countries, and even dimensions.
The journey of the upper chakras begins with the much-cherished heart chakra, or anahata (Sanskrit for “unstruck” or “unbeaten”). Common expressions such as “living from the heart” or “following your heart” have infiltrated people's lives, as has the ubiquitous heart symbol, which has made its way onto everything from t-shirts and lunchboxes to bumper stickers and greeting cards. The heart chakra is unique because it bridges the physical and the spiritual aspects (sometimes referred to as the “heaven and earth”) of a person through love.
Coming from the place of the heart center enables us to smooth any gaps
