Unconventional Gratitude: How the Root Chakra Saved the Holidays

This is part one in a three part series on how chakras can help you get through the holidays.  What?!  Chakras? Hang in there with me.  Here’s the thing, chakras get a lot of flack for being new agey, woo-woo and very impractical.  Granted, there IS a lot of ungrounded chakra-talk going on out there.  But, what happens if we set those judgements and preconceived notions aside and re-frame chakras as a way to learn more about ourselves and how we can feel more confident and centered in our daily lives?  If you’ve experienced loneliness, grief, feelings that you don’t belong (as you look across the Thanksgiving table at your genetic predecessors), or that there is never quite enough money or time around the holiday seasons then I encourage you to read on.  You might be surprised.

Who doesn't looooove a holiday based on food and gratitude?

Me.

For nearly four decades,Thanksgiving was my FAVORITE holiday.  I loved this day of food and lazing around.  No stressing about gifts or money.  Just people hanging out, eating, taking long walks, playing games, and connecting.

Then my father-in-law passed away unexpectedly.  In the months that buffered that event, I also returned to a new position at a non-profit after being on maternity leave, I designed and taught a new class for the local University Honors department, my 6 month-old had surgery to correct a birth defect, we moved, and I was struggling with chronic pain the entire time.

Thanksgiving was the holiday my husband and I spent with his dad.  My father-in-law, Bill, was our closest relative - in many ways. He was the only parent close enough to visit us in the hospital when my son, Bodhi, was born. He shared our son’s first Thanksgiving and Bill and his partner were the only family members present for Bodhi’s dedication service.  On our son’s first Easter, my husband and I talked about all the things he would learn from Grandpa Bill.  Unfortunately, Bill passed away 8 weeks later, two months before Bodhi’s first birthday.

I believe it takes the body, mind, emotions, and spirit a long time to catch up with each other.

In that year encompassing a job change, becoming a parent, a move, the wellbeing of my child and the death of a parent, I lost my footing - to say the least.  Nothing felt grounded, safe, or stable. I was in a constant state of fight or flight and chronic pain.  Everything I used to define myself had completely changed and nothing in my life felt like it fit anymore. (Think Jr. High awkwardness to the nth degree.)

My Root Chakra came unrooted so-to-speak. (...aaaand it’s that kind of crazy lingo that gives chakras a bad rap, but the information makes sense when we look at it a little closer. Read on.)

The basic issues associated with the Root Chakra are instinct, safety, survival, grounding, family, security, fear, life’s work, and new beginnings. Family and societal beliefs are stored in the Root Chakra areas of the body: tailbone, large intestine, pelvic floor, adrenal glands (fight or flight), back, pelvis, legs, knees, feet, and bones.  (If you want to know more about the root chakra check out this former post.)

I knew that to weather the tornado of my life (and to save my adrenal glands and, more importantly, my sanity) I had to get grounded and tuned into my body.

When people are facing any situation that touches on the Root Chakra themes mentioned above, whether it be a death or birth, a large family gathering or no family gathering during the holidays, it causes us to pop into our heads and out of our bodies, because when we’re in our bodies, we feel.  And feeling can hurt.  But if we don’t connect with our bodies we’ll end up feeling fragmented and disconnected.

Our bodies and breath function in present time.  When we do activities that bring us back into relationship with our bodies and breath it slows the activation of the sympathetic nervous system (stress respons, muscle tension, and fight or flight), it calms us, and provides us with a felt sense of groundedness and connection.  It’s in this open space that we heal, find compassion and hope, and create a deep sense of connection and relationship with ourselves, which, ultimately, translates into deep, authentic relationships with others.

When we are in situations that stir up Root Chakra issues we can do activities that help us connect to the physical realm and bring balance back into the root chakra (i.e., yoga, physical movement, and time in nature).  Will doing these things magically make the stressful situations go away? No.  But, they will help our physical bodies, nervous system, mental health, and soul and create a space for healing.  That’s huge.

As Thanksgiving rolls around again, I feel immense gratitude for my amazing family, my work, my purpose, abundant food and a warm home.  At the same time, I’m still trying to figure out how I feel about Thanksgiving and the holidays.  I get anxious as I think about the old memories I’ll never be able to re-create, the new memories yet to come, and then I take a deep breath.  I feel the earth under my feet.  I connect to this moment and know I’m okay.  We’re all okay, connected, and share this common breath called life.

Thanks for being a part of it.

In the comments below, I’d love to hear what makes you feel connected and grounded this holiday season.  I’d also love to share any Root Chakra balancing tips if you have any questions.  Ask away…

PS- If money and gift-giving at the holidays stress you out stay tuned for Part 2 in this 3 part series.