Contemplating Life’s Choices

Here we are at week seven of 52 Weeks of Contemplation. This week I’d like to pull a question from my chakra studies. The Bodhi Yoga 7 Chakras Mind and Body certification program has been a wonderful container for reflection and contemplation and I’ll share some questions this poses along the way in case you’d like to dip a toe into some chakra work.

And don’t worry, if chakra’s don’t feel like they’re your jam these questions are still good to reflect on anyway. This one, from the root chakra, could also be considered the basic needs part of Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs. Though no theory is perfect there is a lot of alignment across theories so however the chakras layer in with your existing belief systems I believe there’s something worth thinking about for all of us. That being said, let’s go with our question for week seven.

Muladhara, the Root chakra, is all about those basic needs and the physical world. Money, health, safety, family, survival, trust, boundaries, security, etc. When things are out of balance here it’s easy to feel like you’re “not on solid ground”.

This question helps us connect with our Root to start to understand where there may be work to be done. If you’ve ever felt, or are currently feeling, stuck or held back in some way you’re probably looking at a Root chakra issue. More about this as I continue my studies and share more.

For me, I generally feel relatively safe and secure on a daily basis. I have my basic needs met and live in a reasonably safe place. I continue to learn to set boundaries for myself that allow me to prioritize what is important to me. I’m definitely a recovering people pleaser and perfectionist but over time I have learned that trying to make others happy rarely made me happy.

This doesn’t mean I don’t still have work to do and honestly I know how far I’ve come in a lot of things that create a sense of being grounded and comfortable in who I am. It’s still a work in progress but I’ve seen where I’ve come from and know I can keep going.

I’d love for you to think about what this means for you. Your sense of security and safety is not something I take lightly so this may be something worth journaling offline about or just thinking about to yourself. As you identify how you feel don’t feel you have to have an answer of what to do next right away. Root work is slow work and takes time.

If you are having trouble meeting your basic needs there is a service in the US that you can call, 2-1-1. It’s a free phone call and they have translation services available. You can get referred to services in your area like food pantries, rental assistance, clothing assistance, job support, and more. You can also Google 211 and your state and find the website for your local 211 organization.