One thing I do when I’m learning about something is try and make connections with things I already know. This is part of Piaget’s theory of learning, where first you try and assimilate knowledge into what you already know, before accomodating the knowledge and coming into balance with your new understanding. It’s probably also why homeopathy can be a hard paradigm for people to understand, as if you come from a conventional medical background it is completely contrary. I’m not discussing theories of education today though, instead I want to go back to chakras and then look at a Te Reo Māori word and how this relates.
The root chakra, or base chakra is the one that governs our adrenals, our survival on planet earth, and is involved with grounding and our connection to our world. This is the base of all the chakras, so like a pyramid it needs to be strong and stable to support all the levels above it, and these are the qualities that are important in the base chakra- stability, security and a connection to where you live.
Like the song about the wise man who built his house upon the rock, you know that a strong foundation- a strong base chakra- will support you to weather many challenges, whereas the foolish man who built his house on the sand could not withstand the rains and the floods, and problems with the base chakra, with feelings of safety and security can underpin many other physical and emotional problems.
Emotionally, when out of balance the base chakra can have feelings of victimhood, and feel overwhelmed and threatened. Physically there can be problems with arthritis, osteoporosis, kidney stones and autoimmune conditions. The adrenal gland is governed by the base chakra, so problems with fight-or-flight responses or chronic stress could also impact on the base chakra, particularly if this has to do with survival.
When I think of the base chakra, I think Tūrangawaewae.
Tūrangawaewae literally translated is a place to stand. However, its meaning is deeper than that. Your tūrangawaewae is not just the place you are, it is the place that you would take a stand for, the place you would defend. It is where you feel connected to, the place that grounds you and that gives you a sense of belonging. For Māori, your Marae may be your tūrangawaewae, it is the place where your ancestors also gathered, the place where you grew up and formulated your sense of self. It may also be describe by the places you define in your pepeha- your maunga, awa and moana, the description of the places that you call home.
For Māori students, a strong sense of cultural identity- this sense of connection- is associated with wellbeing and reduced risk of depression (1), and this would also be correlated with strength in the base chakra.
So what can you do if this resonates with you, that your base chakra is not as strong as it could be?
Ambika Wauters (2) has a number of affirmations for the root chakra:
“I live from my integrity. I love from my heart. I am connected to life in all its glory.”
“I am supported in life through all my choices to do good and share the light of love.”
“I am grateful for the challenges that have taught me who I truly am.”
Physical grounding, walking on the land, and yoga poses that draw on this deep energy drawing from your feet would also be useful to support your base chakra. Rhythmic drumming is also associated with the base chakra.
Homeopathically, there are many remedies that can impact on a chakra level, and work to help grounding, stability and security. This would involve looking back at the history and where this lack of belonging began, and treating constitutionally for a holistic look at the whole picture.
I have used Ambika Wauters’ colour and sound remedies to support the base chakra. Red and Middle C are the two, and they have a deep supportive action, I usually use alongside other indicated remedies. It should be noted that anger is a contraindication for these remedies, and they should be taken in the morning so as not to disturb sleep.
If this is something that resonates with you, then please make an appointment on my website, www.homeopathbarbara.nz and we can explore your connection together.
References:
(2) Wauters, A. (2002). The Complete Guide to Chakras, Vintage Edition. Quarto Inc.
Image credit: hunt-er on Pixabay. The perfect tūrangawaewae for a Hobbit.