Shampoo bottles and other [un]necessaries

"Scared is what happens when the sacred gets scrambled." - Anodea Judith


Have you ever seen that show, Hoarders?  I've only seen the commercials, but every time I see it, I cringe. Until...I catch a glimpse of the 3 half-empty lotion bottles on my bathroom sink, or the 4 bottles of hand soap I keep in my linen closet (just incase I run out, of course), or the clothes that are a size too big that I keep in the top of my closet (just incase I gain weight again).  I hoard! *gasp*


Well, that's just the tip of the root chakra iceberg.  As I understand it, chakras are wheels of energy inside of us.  Most of us only hear of the seven main chakras, but there are others as well.  I don't profess to be an expert about this, but I can recommend to you a wonderful book by Anodea Judith called Eastern Body, Western Mind.  This is just one of her brilliant books detailing the chakras, their imbalances, ways to balance them, and the implications of both.


As I understand the root chakra in particular, its imbalance demonstrates a lack of belonging, feelings of fear, dependence, abandonment, neglect, anxiety, insecurity, hoarding.....*gasp* Dang, there it is again!! 


I have to admit, I do have to take some time to balance myself from time to time (read: every morning).  As far as my root chakra meditation is concerned, I do the same thing every morning.  Close your eyes [after you read this!!] and go with me:  Sitting on my pillow with my legs folded, I imagine that my pelvis is a bowl filled with soil and I drop a red seed into the soil and smooth it over.  Then I open up a window sort-of hole in my chest so my heart is exposed, and picture a soft light shining out of it.  Then I do the same on the top of my head, and picture a soft light from above shining in and through my body, down to the soil.  Then I drop everything I need into the soil: love, patience, money, healthy and nourishing food, water, peace...it varies, but whatever I feel like I need that day, it's all within me.  Then I start to picture the seed growing, with the roots coming out of me and sinking into the floor.  As I picture this I can feel my body start to straighten up and really feel rooted into the ground.  


I invite you to try some sort of grounding practice today.  If you practice yoga already, then you've heard your yoga teacher talk to you about this when you're standing in tadasana.  You don't need to be doing your yoga or meditation practice to ground yourself.  Take a few minutes at your desk at work to center yourself.  (Unless you have one of those heavenly, stress-free jobs where you walk in feeling balanced and carry the peace with you all day.)  Feel your feet planted into the floor (take your shoes off if you need to), feel your seat planted into your chair, and breathe.  You're here, you deserve to be here, you are supported, and grounded, and stable.  Just breathe.