Oct 9
Root Chakra: Renegotiating Our Earthly Ways
Having traveled for 5 months now, from the sophistication and historical riches of Europe to the wild and rugged mountains of Lesotho, I can report with confidence that my body is my home (this includes the age old saying, ‘home is where your heart is’)! The good news is: yoga travels well too. Where ever I go, yoga goes with me. Who needs a heated room and a live instructor? I will say an iPod with downloaded classes and or music is a huge bonus. However, even without these props, with a little self discipline and a relatively flat surface, a thriving yoga practice is possible wherever one travels.
To thrive is to have a balanced Root Chakra, or Muladhara. I believe the Chakra system to be a fascinating one as it relates to creating meaning out of my experience. Some of the matters related to Muladhara include one’s relationship to survival, body, money, safety, fear, family, and to the earth. When there is instability in any of these areas, symptoms in one’s mind/body system and life are likely to appear. Conversely, when the Root Chakra is balanced, life force energy, or Prana, is more likely to run fluidly through the other 6 Chakras. Yoga is certainly one way of creating balance in the Root Chakra. During my travels, I observe elements of the environment around me that are related to Muladhara; they serve as inspiration and reminders to pay attention to one’s basic needs to create harmony in one’s body and life.
One could argue that the people of Lesotho are the embodiment of a healthy Root Chakra. These people are incredibly resourceful, live close to the earth, and depend little on monetary gain for survival. With an average income is $30 a month, natives of Lesotho build their homes from stone and earth, cultivate their land, walk everywhere they go, and live in small communities as a way of life. Consequently, they are some of the most joyful and peaceful people I have ever witnessed. Gleaming smiles are a regular sight, they hold themselves in a dignified manner, and appear to be harmonious individuals. They remind me that happiness is a human quality, always existing, and independent of worldly possessions, financial wealth, and socio- economic circumstances.
We can learn from the people of Lesotho’s earthly/Muladhara ways. The economic crisis of 2009 stretches across the globe, and its reverberations are felt in Africa. The people of Lesotho, however, are mostly insulated from financial woes as they create their lives from the earth. One of my intentions during this travel is to contemplate the ways in which I will live differently upon my return to the states – to upgrade the current version of my Root Chakra, if you will. My visit to Lesotho has inspired me to walk more, spend less frivolously, garden when possible, contribute to the community, and of course, continue the intimate conversation with my body through yoga.
One question you might ask yourself when balancing Root Chakra is: How can I live more harmoniously with nature?
Namaste
Original Article Post from YogaDownload.com
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