(#41) The 7 Chakras and Grounding Practices for Nervous System Regulation

Today's episode includes an incredible overview of the chakra systems! Join us this weekend for Breathwork for Root Chakra Grounding and learn more about why grounding is so important and how to build a safe and nourishing foundation.

Tune in to today's episode to: 

• Learn the importance of grounding during seasons of change and growth 
• Understand each of the seven chakra energy centers and how they connect to every day life
• Learn the benefits of grounding for your nervous system and easing anxiety 
• Practical grounding techniques you can easily incorporate into every day life 

Resources: 

• Chakra Healing: A Beginner's Guide to Self-Healing Techniques that Balance the Chakras
• Breathe Easy: How to Build Your Own Breathwork Practice
• Masterclass of the Month: Breathwork for Root Chakra Grounding

Upcoming Classes + Events:

• The Masterclass Pass 2024 *Virtual
• Schedule Your Breathwork Healing Session Package *Virtual
• (5/16) Breathwork + Sound Healing for Relaxation
• (5/30) Monthly Breathwork Healing Class at Yoga Shack
• (7/26) Use Code RACHEL10  | The OM Festival Vermont

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Disclaimer: Please remember that the information shared on this podcast is intended to inspire, educate, and support you on your personal journey. It does not substitute for professional mental health advice. I am not a psychologist or medical professional. If you are experiencing any emotional distress, mental health challenges, or medical conditions, please seek help from a qualified professional.

Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:00

Welcome to the Radiant Life Podcast. I'm your host, rae, the Somatic Coach, and I'm here to support you in healing your past, living in the present and creating your future so that you can become the most centered, embodied and happiest version of yourself. Each week, I'll be bringing you episodes to help you navigate life's challenges, ease stress and tension and learn more about holistic healing, spirituality and wellness. If you're interested in becoming the best version of yourself so that you can live the life of your dreams, then you're in the right place. Subscribe to the podcast and the monthly newsletter and follow me on Instagram and TikTok to know when new episodes are released each week. I am so happy that you've landed here. Let's dive in. Welcome back to the podcast. If you are new here, I'm Rae. I'm a somatic coach and breathwork facilitator. And if you aren't new here, welcome back. I'm so glad that you're here and you're tuning in for today's episode.

Speaker 1: 1:05

This past weekend, I got to go on a little mini retreat with one of my best friends for her birthday. I did a little bit of date night with my husband and, just reflecting on the month of April, that it was just a great month overall. I always like to reflect on each month and then look ahead and maybe set some goals for the month ahead as well. And just looking at the month of April, I was just blown away. I got to see Gabby Bernstein, I went to Wisconsin and I got to go to a Knicks game. I hosted my own first mini retreat, I sold out some of my in-person events, I got two new one-on-one clients, I got to set up my garden like the prep work not the whole garden that's going to happen this month and I got accepted to teach at two festivals this summer. And that was all in the month of April. It's kind of insane. Like, reflecting on the month of all of the expansion that's happened, I definitely didn't notice it while I was going on Some of the challenges that I faced in April, navigating feelings of uncertainty I feel like, yes, this is a season of expansion and bloom and that's what spring you know represents.

Speaker 1: 2:21

But that also means means change, and so navigating change and uncertainty has been a challenge for me and I've also just been feeling like pretty like irritable, and that's aligned with the season that we're in, because it's wood season, so that's when you know it's a season of, like anger and expression and definitely feeling, yes, waves of like irritableness. So that's kind of been the month of April for me. I love reflecting and so I thought I'd just share that with you before we dive into today's episode. So for the month of May, the masterclass of the month is going to be breathwork for root chakra and grounding, and that will actually be this Saturday, coming up, may 11th, at 8 am in the morning. I'm playing around with doing some weekend classes in the morning. It would just be like a little bit easier for me with my schedule that's about to change and having those Saturday mornings might be really nice. So we'll see. Hopefully that works for everyone's schedule too, but we're gonna try it out. So I chose this workshop because in spring it's a season of changes, of transitions, of growth, of expansion, and that can be really really exciting, but it can also be really unsettling. So it's always nice to feel rooted, to feel grounded, to feel safe while you're expanding and while you're growing, and it helps to make decisions and changes from an authentically aligned place where you feel safe. And that is why I chose this masterclass for the month. So I'll leave the link for that in the show notes to sign up, and today we'll be chatting about what the chakra system is like, what the root chakra is, why grounding is helpful for the nervous system and for anxiety, for navigating change and uncertainty, and then some practices that you can do that will help with grounding. So I hope that you enjoy today's episode and let's dive in.

Speaker 1: 4:27

So for today's episode, I will be using a book as a reference for a lot of the material that I'm going to cover, and it's called Chakra Healing A Beginner's Guide to Self-Healing Techniques that Balance the Chakras, and what's cool is that for each one it goes into a little deep dive into each chakra. So it covers a different meditation, behavioral changes, food and diet, essential oils, crystals and yoga poses. So I'll be referring to it a little bit as we move through today's episode. So the word chakra is from Sanskrit and it means wheel and it represents the different energy centers that are in the body. So all living things have an energetic body and the chakras would be considered an energetic vortex within your system.

Speaker 1: 5:15

So, starting at the top of your body, on the top of your head is the crown chakra, and this is known as the seventh chakra, and it's also the color purple. So when you're feeling disconnected in this area or this is out of alignment, there'll be a feeling of disconnection from source energy, universal energy, god whatever word you like to use for that word then you might. You might feel a disconnection in this area and when this chakra is open and aligned, you might feel more connected to universal energy and your consciousness and really being able to easily elevate your consciousness. And then we have, right between your eyebrows this is the third eye, also known as the sixth chakra, and this is an indigo color, and when this is out of alignment, you might feel not as trustful of your intuition. You might feel blocked in some way or stuck in terms of intuitive feeling. And then, when you're in alignment in this area, when this is in balance, you might trust your inner vision and act on what your intuition is saying, rather than having like self-doubt. You might have clear visions and insights when this area is in balance. And then right in the middle of your neck is your throat chakra.

Speaker 1: 6:34

So this is your fifth chakra. It's the light blue color, and when this is blocked or out of alignment, it might be difficult expressing yourself or speaking your truth or speaking authentically. You might feel silenced or judged for what you say and you might be self-conscious of your voice. And when this space is connected or in alignment, you would be able to follow your dreams, able to speak your truth, mean what you say and say what you mean, and be able to express yourself not only vocally but also just creatively, whether that's it with dance or expression or movement. So in this area you'll feel more connected and open to expression.

Speaker 1: 7:13

So those three chakras that I just named, those are the top three of the energetic body and those are considered your spiritual chakras, and the bottom three, which I'll go into in a minute, are considered your physical chakras. So right now we're at chakra number four, which is the heart, and that connects the top three and the bottom three. So the heart chakra is your fourth chakra. It's the color green, and when you might be out of alignment in this area, you might be out of touch with who you are, you might experience some sadness or depression or you might struggle with being self-compassionate to yourself and giving yourself self-love. And when you are in alignment in this area and you feel connected to your heart space, you might feel more connected to yourself, to your body, in joy, you might be able to love and accept yourself more and also give and receive the practice of compassion, not only to but also to other people.

Speaker 1: 8:06

And then we have our third chakra area and this is the solar plexus and it's right in the area of the belly and this is the color of yellow. So when this is out of alignment, you might feel a need to dominate or be in control. You might feel the desire or need to be seen for your accomplishments and otherwise you might lack kind of a sense of self-worth or a sense of self-respect for yourself. And when this chakra is in alignment you might feel whole, centered very much in your self-worth and in your personal power. You might feel a sense of inner calm and a sense of inner peace.

Speaker 1: 8:43

And then we have our second chakra, which is the sacral plexus, and this is in the area of the womb and it's the color orange. And when this is out of alignment or blocked, you might experience challenges in expressing your feelings. You might be holding on to some anger or out of touch with pleasure or joy, you might have some reproductive challenges or feelings of shame, and this is also the center where abundance and money is present. And when this chakra center is in alignment and open and balanced. You might feel more creative in your expression, you might be able to express your feelings in a healthy and articulate way, you might have a healthy relationship with money, calling in more abundance, and you just might have a stronger intuitive connection with your body.

Speaker 1: 9:29

And then we have our first chakra, which is the root chakra, and this is at the base of your spine, so right at the bottom of your seat, and it's the color red. And when this chakra is out of alignment, blocked, you might be feeling ungrounded, you might be feeling disconnected from the earth, you might have issues around your identity or a fear around your basic needs being met, so there's like a general lack of safety when this chakra is out of alignment. And then, when this chakra is in alignment, you might feel more connected to nature, more grounded, more trusting, and you might be able to move with the ebb and flows of life, feeling safe and feeling an understanding of what's happening. So the root chakra is a part of the earth element and this really symbolizes having a strong connection with the earth and, using a somatic approach, we start with the bottom up, meaning we start with really feeling grounded and safe and working your way up through the body and then you can start working with the mind and mindset and beliefs and all that. So when we incorporate the earth element, it's really going to build a way of trusting yourself and feeling connected to yourself and feeling safe in your life experience. So we'll be doing a practice around root chakra, grounding and really connecting with the earth. During this season of change and transition and uncertainty, as we all bloom and expand and find abundance, which is beautiful, we're going to also connect with that element of the season from a grounded place. So on Saturday we'll be doing breath work for root chakra and grounding and, yeah, excited.

Speaker 1: 11:13

So why is grounding helpful for the nervous system? I think it's something that we've heard a lot about and grounding can also sometimes be referred to as earthing, which is like when you walk barefoot in the earth or like in the dirt or in the sand and really let your skin touch the natural ground, and that can prove that's one way to provide some grounding elements. But it definitely has been said to help with chronic fatigue, chronic pain, anxiety, depression, sleep issues and cardiovascular disease. So this element of grounding and feeling connected to the earth will help your nervous system to regulate and feel more safe and when you're moving through your life experience feeling more safe, you're able to have a wider window of tolerance, which is something I've referred to in a few other episodes. But it's basically this idea that as you go through your lived experience, there is a certain window of tolerance that feels regulating for you. So if you're in an anxious state, you're usually outside of your window of tolerance. If you're angry or sad, you're also outside of your window of tolerance, and so it's a matter of do you need to up-regulate or down-regulate to get back into that safe and grounded place? And there are many ways that you can find this safe and grounded place. It's definitely a practice to see like what your nervous system responds well to Some practices that you can do.

Speaker 1: 12:50

Of course, breathwork, you know. Join us on saturday for some grounding, breath work and meditation, and I find that meditation is definitely helpful for grounding as well, because it lets you know get still, get quiet, be at peace. The challenge with meditation is that sometimes our mind is so fast and so loud and it's moving so quickly that when we just try and kind of drop in and get silent with the mind, it doesn't always want to cooperate. So that's where breathwork comes in. It's really, really helpful with breathwork to have something that kind of lets your mind come offline because you're so focused on your breath and your body and you're feeling sensations in the body and things are changing. You might be experiencing like an emotional release and then you release the active breath and all of a sudden you're meditating. So definitely, breathwork and meditation are helpful for grounding.

Speaker 1: 13:45

There are different essential oils that could be helpful for grounding. Um, you can use essential oils by, like, rubbing them on your body or even putting them in a diffuser, but the sense of smell and incorporating, you know, earth-like scents can definitely be helpful for grounding as well. And then I mentioned earlier this idea of what's also called earthing, which is like walking barefoot in the dirt or in the soil or in the sand and allowing your skin to make contact with like grounding. Earthing energy will definitely help with feeling grounded Generally, just spending time in nature as well. So if you're going for a walk outside, if you're going for a hike, if you're walking by the beach, if you're walking in nature, these are all things that will also help with those healing qualities of grounding. And then there's some different yoga poses. So warrior one, warrior two, tree pose and child's pose are all great for grounding and feeling that support underneath you.

Speaker 1: 14:42

So just to summarize what we went over today, we talked a little bit about each one of the chakras and the whole chakra system. We talked about why grounding is helpful for the nervous system and anxiety, and then we also reviewed some practices that you can do that will help with grounding. I'll also link in the show notes Breathe Easy, which is my free like how to create your own breathwork practice, and that comes with four breathwork meditations and I believe one of those is breathwork for grounding. So definitely check that out. If you don't have it already, it could definitely be helpful as one of these practices that you could use.

Speaker 1: 15:17

And then, before we sign off for today's episode, I want to just recap what's coming up this month. So this Saturday we have the master class of the month breathwork for root chakra grounding, and then next week, on the 16th, is breathwork and sound healing for relaxation, and that's in person at Reiki Shores in Island Park. And then on the 30th, which is the last week of the month, we have a monthly breath work healing circle and that's at Yoga Shack in Bethpage. So if you're looking to join me, virtually definitely join me this Saturday, and if you're looking to join me in person, I can't wait to see you in person. So looking forward to it, and I hope that you enjoyed today's episode. I hope that you got something out of it and I hope you enjoy the rest of your week and I hope you have an incredible rest of your day. I'll talk to you soon.

Speaker 1: 16:12

Thank you so much for tuning in to today's episode. If you are moved or inspired, please share with me by leaving a rating and review on Apple Podcasts. It means the world to me and I am so appreciative for your support in helping my podcast grow. If we aren't already connected on social media, head over to Instagram and TikTok and follow me at RayTheSemanticCoach. Make sure you check out the show notes of today's episode for links to freebies, opportunities to work with me and ways we can stay connected outside of the podcast. I'm so happy that you're here and I can now to talk with you on our next episode of the Radiant Life Podcast.