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Our personal power and well-being originate in the first chakra. This center, situated in the energy field at the base of the tailbone, welcomes our spirit into our body and creates the necessary foundation with which we can begin life's journey. Activated at birth when the umbilical cord is cut, it channels the life force into our physical body, concentrating its flow on the area from the tailbone down through the feet, helping us establish our footing and take our place in the world. The moment we are born, we are released from our mother's support system and simultaneously hooked into this spiritual source of supply. It establishes our personal access to all that we need in order to survive and grow, providing us with a basic sense of security and safety. It empowers us with the intuitive understanding that we are children of the Universe with the right to grow into our fullest expression in this lifetime. On the color spectrum, this chakra vibrates energetically to the color red.

When our first chakra is balanced, our foundation becomes well rooted. We will feel as if we have been invited to the banquet of life as honored guests. Life is welcoming, ready to embrace us and offer us support and nurturance in every way. We intuitively trust that no matter where we find ourselves, life will be generous in offering us endless opportunities with which to meet our basic needs. With a well-established psychic foundation, we feel that not only is life a party, the party is for us.

Our first chakra's primary function is to assist us in meeting our basic needs for survival gracefully and with ease. Its mission statement is "I want, I need, give me, give me now!" It focuses our attention on what we need day to day in order to survive, and it stimulates our ability to reach out for and demand fulfillment. A balanced foundation allows us to feel confident in the belief that the Universe will collaborate with us in meeting our requirements to grow and thrive in this life. It keeps us from internalizing the chaos of the world and helps us refrain from joining the chorus of "I can't, I won't, I'm afraid," from which so many people suffer. It supports us in staying connected to our true spiritual heritage and creates a sense of belonging, of feeling wanted, of being a part of the community and of feeling worthy and worthwhile. One of my favorite images for a balanced foundation is that of a plant or tree rooted firmly in the ground, solidly supported by Mother Earth.

GROUNDED AND CALM

On a practical level, the first chakra governs our desire to eat, to have shelter, warmth, and comfort, and to be protected from the hostile elements of the world. In the actual physical body, it governs the bones, the blood, the immune system, the colon, the rectum, the legs, and the feet. When you are not balanced in the first chakra, you may have difficulties with these areas of your body.

An open and balanced foundation gives you a solid sense of security that is deeply felt and fundamentally comforting. You can always tell if you have a well-balanced foundation by the simple fact that you don't worry much. You seem to inherently expect the best from life, and you usually get it. Perhaps you know someone with a well-balanced first chakra. It may be a loved infant who makes cranky demands and expects them to be fulfilled without a second thought, or it may be your "lucky" friend who seems to attract to herself everything she wants. It may even be the quietly secure little old lady who lives next door, always smiling and optimistic, never worried about the future. Ideally it will be you. No matter whether they are young or old, people with a well-balanced foundation intuitively expect that whatever they need, they will have. With a grounded foundation, you will be calm and easygoing and have an aura of quiet strength and confidence about you. You will also be reassuring to be around. When your foundation is strong, you do not rush toward life. Instead you know that life will move toward you, meeting you in the middle. And it does.

LOOKING TO YOUR OWN FOUNDATON

Are you confident in knowing you will have all that you need?

Do you ever worry about your survival?

Can you say that you feel grounded?

Do you know anyone who is grounded?

How would you describe the energy of a grounded person?

AN IMBALANCED FOUNDATION

If your first chakra is weak or off balance, you will not feel grounded and secure. Rather than feeling like a solidly rooted tree in the forest, standing strong and well supported, you will more likely feel like a cut flower in a vase, vulnerable, threatened, even doomed. You may unconsciously feel that you draw from a diminishing or limited supply of resources. You may fall into a fearful state of existence.

An imbalanced or weakened foundation leaves a person insecure and anxious, struggling with feelings ranging from mild uneasiness to full-blown paranoia. People who do not have a well-grounded foundation or root chakra find it a tremendous struggle to meet life's basic needs. They often worry that they are not entitled to the things in life that allow them to feel secure, such as a warm home, financial security, and safe emotional connections with others.

Sometimes, in an attempt to correct a weak foundation, a person can overcompensate, causing their first chakra to become overactive. If this occurs, your focus on survival will become exaggerated, leaving you feeling as though everything potentially threatens your sense of safety and support. You become aggressive in your efforts to take care of yourself. Not surprisingly, this painful state causes one to assume a "me first" attitude and become pushy, manipulative, greedy, or insensitive to others in order to survive, taking what you can when you can, no matter what.