Root Chakra – Unlocking your Home’s Career Area
This is the first in a series of posts that make connections between the chakras of the body and the areas in our homes as defined by the feng shui baguas. Don’t worry, I’m going to define every single one of those terms with no room left for confusion. But before I dig into the interrelationship between the root chakra and the career portion of your home…
Disclaimer: There is a great deal of disagreement among feng shui practitioners as to which chakra is associated with each area of the bagua. I have made my own correlations, based on my research and nearly 30 years of energy work. If you are a feng shui consultant, they likely don’t match yours. Please respect my experience as I will respect yours.
What is a chakra?
Chart showing the seven chakras of the human body and their corresponding colors
Simply put, a chakra is the equivalent of a major organ in the human (or animal) energetic system. It’s akin to the idea that the digestive system is made up of several organs (stomach, liver, gallbladder, intestines, etc.), all working together. Chakras work together to create the energy signature of a living being. They are focused centers of energy that are partially contained within the body, but also extend out into the energetic field. Each chakra is anchored to the body in a specific location. Also, each chakra has a color that is generally associated with it.
When a chakra is balanced and healthy, certain physiological psychological and emotional functions are normalized. When the chakra is out of balance, pathologies develop that can seriously impact the quality of life.
The Root Chakra – Foundation
Symbolic drawing of the Root Chakra
The first chakra, or root chakra, is anchored to the body at the point of the perineum, near the tailbone. Its scope is large enough to extend down to the soles of the feet and into the earth itself. Its function is to energetically connect us to the earth. It completes that connection at the acupuncture point K1 (Kidney 1) on the soles of the feet. The color generally associated with it is red.
The root chakra is associated with the lower extremities and the lower portion of the bowel. When the root chakra is healthy and balanced, the body balances easily on the feet. The bowel eliminates smoothly and easily. The legs and feet are well-toned and easily support the rest of the body. Other characteristics of a healthy root chakra include a sense of safety and security in one’s surroundings and a general grounded-ness.
What happens when the Root Chakra isn’t healthy?
When the root chakra is weak or blocked, physical manifestations can include weakness in the lower extremities, constipation, edema, varicose veins, and hemorrhoids. If the root chakra is overactive, the result can include diarrhea, irritable bowel syndrome, swelling of the joints, and plantar fasciitis. Someone with an unbalanced root chakra is fearful of their basic needs being met, paranoid, and unable to act from a grounded perspective.
Simply put, the root chakra is all about firm roots. Health comes from the security of knowing that our needs for safety, food, shelter, and basic wellness are met. For this reason, I associate the root chakra with the Career portion of the feng shui bagua.
Career and the Root Chakra
In feng shui, the home divides into nine equal areas, called baguas. Each bagua corresponds to a different aspect of the lives of the people living in the home. The career area is in the center of the edge of the house that faces the street. Often, the front door opens into the home in this area.
The career area of the home addresses the way that people in the home engage with the outside world to provide support for themselves and their family. The symbolism is clear: most of us have to leave our homes to go to work, and most homes have their front door in the career area. Our careers provide the means to meet our basic needs of food, clothing, and shelter.
My story – the Root of the problem
My own root chakra saga began when I was 19. I had been working as a professional church musician for several years when I started to develop pain in my right hip. The organ bench was the wrong height, and the edge of the bench was digging into my hip socket. I asked the church for an adjustable bench, but my requests were ignored. It was also during this time that the parish priest (my boss) began to refer to me as “Sweetie” and “Girlie”. My father crafted a bench that adjusted to the correct height, but the initial damage was done.
Fast forward fifteen years. I had completed my doctorate and had just taken a full-time job at a big church in California. It wasn’t long before I realized that I had made a poor choice. More sexual harassment, this time even more intensely directed at me. Two years into the job, I slid into a deep depression and finally had a nervous breakdown. During this time, I developed Irritable Bowel Syndrome.
Roots run deep – but healing is possible
Fast forward another fifteen years. Another less than optimal church job enters my life, but instead of sexual harassment, this church devalues and underpays me. After a short sabbatical (where I finally sorted out my priorities), I made the decision to leave and start my own business. During the period of time right before I left the job, I spent a great deal of energy and attention on the Career area of my home. I rehabbed the fountain, graded the walkway for aesthetics and better drainage, and upscaled the plantings. I was also receiving Reiki to heal my Root Chakra.
By the time I actually left the position, my IBS stopped completely for the first time in almost 20 years. My business took off spectacularly with all of the resources I needed. I had suffered from foot pain just two years earlier but had successfully completed the 500-mile Camino de Santiago in Spain during my sabbatical.
Re-routing the Roots
All those years of sexual harassment and injury were the basis of my body’s reactions. I no longer felt safe at work. Hip and foot pain and IBS were how the chakra imbalance manifested itself in my body. I was able to correct all of these issues by leaving the unhealthy work environment. I consciously created a new career built on a foundation of safety and wellness.
Now, I work with clients to help them to create healthier homes and careers through Reiki, Decluttering, and Space Clearing of the Career area of their house. You can read about how enhancing the entryway of your Front Door is an easy way to shift the energy of your career and root chakra for an optimized and wellness-focused life HERE.
Clear your Space – Recharge your Self – Direct your Life
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