The Root Chakra (the Muladhara Chakra) is the place of security and stability. Safety. What comes to mind when you think of your safest feeling place? For me, it’s my bed. When I’m not feeling well or well connected I can get snuggled in and safe. My dog is usually with me… further protection from myself or the world.
In my life, anything less than 110% effort was not worth getting out of bed for. The issue with this becomes apparent as soon as things are less than perfect. There are times when we aren’t physically well or we don’t have the energy to go at life with everything we have. I’m a firm believer that we should always keep something for ourselves… a bit of awareness that we are worth not giving everything away for.
When I’m feeling unwell, unable, and incapable my first and automatic action is to rest in bed. I rest until I feel better able to approach the world with closer to my “110%.” There isn’t anything wrong with rest, but I’ve now seen that I use this pattern as a way to hide from things that are hard and things that are scary… Like growth and love. Showing up in the world when nothing is guaranteed is a real source of fear for me. Enough to drive me back to my safe place.
I’ve never recognized this pattern before, but a recent pregnancy forced me to confront it. I was sick. I was exhausted. I was scared. I know that feeling unwell is a pregnancy symptom, but with the fear involved all I wanted to do was ensconce myself in bed. “Wake me up when the scary part is over.”
This lack of feeling genuinely safe is a revolutionary realization for me. I never realized just how much fear I have existed with. There has always been a dismissive and “power through” attitude with fear… All great things are on the other side of it, don’t you know? We are quick to cheer people through fear, but slow to acknowledge that the fear exists for a reason. Fear is meant to keep us safe. Keep us in our safest places.
Instead of outright dismissal of fear, I am gradually learning to work with it. I’m working at cultivating inner safety and encouraging self-talk that allows me to strengthen my Root and interrupt the pattern of hiding away. My sense of security and stability is growing. Security doesn’t come from denial of perceived threat, it comes from acknowledgement and management. From building up by recognizing the messages that are being received.
I’m honoured to have discovered this connection. It has allowed me greater freedom and a new perspective on my inner dialogue. I have chronic low back pain that is abating because I am able to feel safer up and out of bed. I am strengthening my Root. I am growing again. I am loving again. I am connecting again.
