Rooted in Rhythm

Chakra’s are energy centers located within the body that can act as a compass in aligning the mind, body and soul. Although there are many energy centers (other names include but are not limited to: Nodi’s or Meridians), when working with Chakras we often hone in on the 7 or 12 chakra system which run from the tailbone (root) to the top of the head (crown).

Each Chakra symbolically connects to physical, emotional and spiritual aspects of our being.

The word Chakra is Sanskrit and means “spinning disk or wheel”. The learning around how these energy centers turn up in our lives is endless because we are dynamic beings always shifting and growing.

As a fun way to observe the growth within us, I am using Nature’s seasons to highlight some of the ways the seasons and the Chakras intersect.

When we look at Nature's seasons through a lens known as the Wheel of The Year, it starts with Samhain (pronounced sow-win) which means “Summer’s End”. Although it falls close to Halloween they are not the same celebration. Halloween does hold some of the folklore of Samhain in things like jack o'lanterns and spiders, however it is mostly a folk day of creative expression through costumes.

Samhain is a week-long celebration which coincides with All Soul’s/Saints day and Dia De Los Muertos (Day of the Dead) and is often observed as close to the new moon or full moon to mark the midpoint from autumn equinox to winter solstice.

Samhain recognizes the end of summer as a time to hold gatherings, feasts, and ceremonies celebrating all things that end. It is a very spiritual time of year where those who observe this spiritual/religious holiday reconnect with their ancestry to celebrate the lives of those departed, to celebrate the end of harvest, and a time to release all that no longer serves.

The celebration honours that the fields must be cleared to be replanted, the parts of us that no longer serve must be shed to grow, and that through death all things are reborn. As we celebrate the death of all things we are ultimately celebrating the potential for all new things that are coming.

Samhain takes us to the table (or the altar) to welcome back our ancestors through the time known as the thinning of the veil between worlds. It is a time to reconnect with the loved ones that are no longer here with us on the Earthly plane. Our ancestors play an integral role in our learning through the Root Chakra. Caroline Myss explains that the Root Chakra is our connection to “Tribal Energy” and that “tribe” can be as small as our immediate family of origin however it symbolizes our connection to all of humanity.

The Root Chakra known as Muladhara (In Sanskrit this means “foundation’) energetically sits at the base of our spine right by the tip of the tailbone and is symbolized by the colour red. The root chakra is the closest connection to the Earth when we are seated and it is deeply connected with feeling grounded.

Within the Root Chakra we explore our sense of belonging to a group, our relationship with power, our relationship with the necessities of life, and a deep dive into physical and group safety.

Our ancestry is not a mistake; they are our greatest gift to learning the spiritual truth we are all connected, “we are all one”.

Pausing to celebrate Samhain gives us an opportunity to reflect on our relationship with power, safety, connection to others and ground ourselves in the gifts of the Earth. Taking time to have dinners with family, leaving place settings for, or bringing out photos of those we have lost to remember can help us with our own spiritual healing. As we pause to remember and celebrate the lives of our “tribe” we can reflect on the parts of our lineage that serve or no longer serve and what we have learned from their patterns or lessons. As we reconnect with our ancestors we can celebrate the gifts of healing they provided us in their lives and we can choose to release all that is no longer needed.

Rooting ourselves into the rhythm of the Earth, celebrating the final harvest can ground us in love, remind us of our safety within, illuminate our own inner wisdom, and reconnect us to the Earth. And therein lies the inner power of the Root Chakra.