Melanie: Weight Loss and your Root Chakra

I am fascinated by the energy system of the Chakras. There is so much to learn about them and how they affect us emotionally, energetically and especially physically. There are so many correlations to be made that assuming to know them all or even pretend my post will cover it all would be silly of me.

If the chakras are something new to you, think of them as 7 levels of light that surround different stations of your body. They are often referred to as vortexes of light and are essentially bathing the organs in light through each different station of the body. Another more simple visual might be like the popular baby toy from Fisher Price, Rock a Stack (I must be a mom of young children to make this correlation ;0). Think of your body being stacked with these round tubes up your core that also completely surround the body.

Now that you have that visual, did you know that each chakra has a different developmental phase? The 1st Chakra or your ?Root Chakra? is experiencing its formative development during the womb experience and 12 months.

Why and How is this connected to your challenges with Weight Loss?

The essential beliefs that are being formed during this chakra?s development would be about the ?right to be here? and the ?right to have?. Safety is HUGE when it comes to this 1st chakra. Not just the safety of environment, but especially in relationships. Our connection to our family and those that are to care for us, respond to our needs and provide safety for us, begins here. When we as infants perceive that these ?rights? and ?needs? are not being met, we can begin to distrust ourselves and others. Can?t you see the beliefs forming in such a young body and mind? Something like: I guess I?m not that important, I?m not deserving of love and attention, my needs aren?t important, I?m not welcomed here, nobody wants me, and the list goes on. This ends up being the beginning structure upon which the rest of their life is formed.

The health of this chakra is connected to your bones, your skeletal system, feet and legs, the coccyx (base of the spine, a.k.a tailbone) and your adrenals. Both energetically and physically, the health of these areas are essential and at the root of our life?s needs.

This foundation is what can turn us towards or away from food. Many eating disorders and malnourishment steam from an imbalance in the root chakra. Because we don?t feel safe or belonging to the people that we are supposed to trust, we are not present or grounded. Consider how often we actually feel present when we eat our food? If we were truly present, or grounded, we would taste each wonderful bite of food and notice when we were physically satisfied. We would less likely stuff down our emotions with our food.

As a mother myself, it is so painful to see babies that are neglected and whose even most basic needs and physical comfort are not validated or being met. Every child deserves to know that they are welcomed and wanted and that their needs are important. It also reminds me that perception is a huge influence. Infants might perceive something, which then creates a belief, which can lead to many negative experiences, but the original circumstance might honestly not have been as dire as thought, it was the perception gained by the emotion felt in that formative moment.

Helping an infant feel connected to the world and safe will give a foundation of energy and beliefs that lead to a more happy, content life and a better relationship with food because they are not trying to use food to replace their basic needs for comfort, acceptance and security.

Many of us are struggling with our weight or with our relationship with food.? Maybe the root of this is in deep perceptions and beliefs that we can choose to now change with some key affirmations:

I am safe.

I am welcomed and wanted.

I trust my body and myself.

I give myself permission to meet my needs both physically and emotionally.

I am loveable.

I am present.

When it comes to your food today, take a deep breath before each meal and enjoy each and every bite. You are worthy and deserving of meeting your physical needs.