parts include the joints, bones, muscle, legs, and feet. The root chakra also provides us with an internal and external defense system, including the immune system (internal “defense” strategy) and skin (external physical barrier between us and others), as a physical barrier to separate us as individuals from the environmental influences, or self from non-self. This defense system provides us with healthy boundaries.
Adding to boundaries and defending the self are the adrenal glands. They are like the internal armor that provides us with the ability to “flee” or “fight” if we are in a situation that our life depends on. The adrenals give us that instinctual, primal urge to live no matter the cost and to make that decision instantaneously, as it is hardwired within us on the DNA level to survive. On a microcosm level, the grounded earthly vibration is embedded into the red and white blood cells, products of the bone marrow, and its essence is carried within every cell in the form of the double-stranded DNA that contains our genetic code.
Our DNA and immune system allow us to know who we are and are not. When we give up our need to connect to the Earth, we leave ourselves open to other influences. We become whatever flows into our physical, emotional, and mental space. The result is that we can feel disjointed, fragmented, and spread thin, similar to Larry. We exhaust our physical body resources because they are used up in guarding against invading influences that are not “self.”
This grounded vibration solidifies in the genital area, where the legs meet. Therefore, it would govern the energy distributed to those parts of the anatomy residing in that terrain, including the prostate gland, male reproductive organs, and rectum. The vibrations of this center are particularly important for men, and are in part why some men connect their livelihood with their identity as potent beings, both financially and sexually. Some might say that a man's societal obligations and inherent masculinity reside in this vibration.
THE RELATIONSHIP OF GROUNDING
AND PROTECTION TO FOODS AND EATING
Since the root chakra focuses primarily on the layer of us that needs basic elements for survival, it is no wonder that this center is tied closely to our relationship with the key essentials that we confront on a daily basis for physiological function several times a day—food and eating. Therefore, it is not surprising that many of our food issues are harbored within the realm of this chakra.
ROOT CHAKRA FOOD AND EATING HEALING PLAN
Feel Secure about Accessing Food
Maslow's hierarchical triangle speaks of our basic needs serving the foundation of our being. Without air, food, and water, we are without life. Money provides the abundance to be able to access food. The way we “earn a living” and our feelings about money are directly related to our root chakra: if this area is blocked, stagnant, or closed down, we may operate from a place of lack, or an absence of abundance. With a cloudy root chakra filter, we may stamp people and situations in our lives with labels of “rich,” “snobby,” or “poor,” creating an artificial boundary of limiting beliefs to rein us in from accessing the richness of abundance! When we believe along these lines, fear may surface in the purchase of food or meals. Someone who is stingy with money spent on meals may have a root chakra that requires healing.
On the other hand, if an individual is obsessive to the point of maximizing buffets and “getting their money's worth” from open selection of foods, this tendency could also point to root chakra imbalance. For example, in social settings, Jim will deliberately eat the remains left on everyone's plate at the end of a shared meal to ensure that all the food is gone and not wasted. The message of “eating everything on our plate” has resonated strongly within this culture, perhaps to the detriment of our root chakra. Similarly, within our culture, excessive large portions are encouraged. Look at the low prices to “supersize” in fast food places or the lower cost of buying in bulk quantities versus buying a few items. How do we interact with that message?
Coming from a large family where food was scarce, Jillian admits that she does not feel safe unless her pantry is completely stocked. Do we let the amount of food we eat or store determine our safety rather than cultivating that from within? Creating a healthy root chakra involves releasing ingrained fear messages about providing for food and knowing that you will always be able to access food when needed.
Eat When Hungry
In my opinion, one of the biggest problems with our modern society and our approach to eating is that we no longer rely on our body's inherent wisdom. Instead, we look to books on “how to eat” to tell us what we need. We ask the waitstaff at a restaurant what the best thing on the menu is. Sometimes we even give up our right to choose our foods by having others cook or order for us on a routine basis. Neglecting our body needs by refusing or denying ourselves foods indicates that the root chakra is at work. Self-inflicted starvation and anorexia, for example, are classic examples of instances where the root chakra has been shut down to incoming life-promoting energy. As a result, the body form becomes almost nonexistent and withers to a willowy, thin shell. Food becomes an enemy rather than a nourishing, supportive substance. Individuals who refuse to eat have difficulty accepting that they have the “right to exist”—a major cornerstone of the root chakra.
Our root chakra contains the vibration of healthy physical hunger and being able to tap into that sensation when we feel called. When we ignore our body's hunger signals, our body gets the signal that it is not valued. A lack of trust develops. By dialoguing with our body about the foods it needs, we will be fulfilling our physical needs and satisfying our root chakra. The dialogue may be as simple as walking into your kitchen, feeling your toes on the floor to ground, and asking the “safe place” within you what you'd like to have. The idea of creating a safe place to go to within our body links us to our root chakra. I notice that it helps people to want to stay in their bodies. See what kinds of activities are happening in your safe place. During guided imageries, people report other sides of themselves like their inner child and a freer self that they do not feel safe to bring out in various contexts. When we practice this technique, the body and mind will develop a better trusting relationship, and eventually we will react appropriately to signals that our body is hungry rather than suppressing or ignoring them.
Another point is that so many people are so out of touch with their bodies that they are unable to distinguish between emotional and physical hunger. Physical hunger, originating from the gut, in contrast to emotional hunger, which springs from the mind, is a very distinct somatic signal that builds gradually and is open to a variety of food choices. Frequently, our body signals are not heard clearly enough because we do not pay attention.
Let Go of Protecting Oneself with Food
In our current society, more than 60 percent of the population has been categorized as overweight or obese. No apparent solution exists for this growing crisis. Of course, there are many contributors to excess body weight, including lifestyle behaviors such as eating poorly and remaining sedentary. However, if we look deeper to unearth the real causes at play, we may find that excess weight for some individuals may be linked to their inability to feel safe. The added weight provides padding and protection from attention. Julie admits that she started to gain weight as a teenager after people commented on the changes in her body and how attractive she was becoming. Her feelings of being scared and intimidated by the changes in her body manifested into overeating. During our nutrition consult, Julie reflects back to these comments, said to her some forty years ago, and is surprised at the power they continue to have over her. There is no question that they can
