The root chakra: taking care of the dimension of the foundations

Read previous articles on chakras
Chakras in business or how to release entrepreneurial energy
The company’s chakras: 4 dimensions carrying meaning and balance

Business Chakras

The Sanskrit term for the root chakra is Muladhara, which means the foundation or foundation support. It is linked to the earth, to the concrete, to the material, to the visible. It is the seat of survival expressing basic needs. A good flow of energy begins with the foundations, the base, the root chakra which brings security, all that is necessary for development and daily life, can be seen as the base of Maslow’s pyramid. It is thus associated with all the feelings related to fear and trust. It therefore plays a very important role in the balance of our life and the existence of the company.

We have seen (article link the chakras of the company) this dimension is that of matter, of what is tangible, visible of what is. These are all the material resources of the company, it is also the state of our body, our feelings… When the energy of this dimension no longer circulates, it is the level of security which is affected and which awakens the feeling of fear. Fear has this extraordinary power to be prophetic, self-fulfilling. It’s the little I was sure of it that you say once the problem has arisen. Fear leads to 2 primary reflexes: flight or inhibition.
– flight is avoidance, forgetting, haste, racing against time
– inhibition is paralysis in the face of action – indecision – immobility

So you run away, if you don’t act, you let the problems come, the ones that validate your fears. To avoid the process of the vicious circle of fear it is important to be grounded. To be anchored is to be present in awareness of what is here and now, to get out of your compulsive thoughts, to connect to your feelings, to your breathing, to your body, to your environment, to your actions. It is to empty your mind, to evacuate negative thoughts. The lack of anchoring is the absence of presence in what is, in the present moment which impacts on time management, on action, on oneself, on the environment, which lets problems happen…

The signs that should alert to anticipate

Signs of a lack of grounding :
– all the signs of inattention: regularly bumping into furniture, getting stuck in doors… small collisions in the car, accidents, clumsiness, knocking over cups, breaking objects…
– concentration problems, wandering mind, difficulty completing a task
– Difficulties in acting: inaction, postponing until tomorrow
– hyperactivity: running away in a hurry, never having time to do things can be an excuse to avoid doing what is scary, that you do not master, it is also activating yourself in tasks for give you a clear conscience, be able to complain, have a good excuse to avoid confronting problems…
– memory and language disorders, not finding words, slips, forgetfulness, loss of objects (keys, telephone, etc.)

Material Signs of Stuck Energy in This Dimension
– the obsolescence of the means
– hardware failures
– the disorder
– unsold stocks
– deficits
– administrative and contractual problems

Take care of the dimension of the foundations – root chakra

From a structural, material point of view:

Structure the resources:

– make an inventory of what already exists: inventory of equipment; throw away, repair, declutter.
– create a vacuum to allow regeneration, make room to welcome the new
– taking care of objects means being aware of what surrounds you, being in the present, avoiding problems of breakdown, loss, forgetfulness. It saves energy, time and budget
– put away, order, sort, throw away: the 5 S method can help, a Japanese method which is organized in 5 phases: clear, put away, clean, maintain order, be rigorous
– arrange the spaces, structure the work tools to favor safety and comfort…

On the people side

Support the teams:
It is a question of bringing the team back to the concrete, to the present, to awareness of itself, of its actions, of its environment.
Meeting idea
– short and upright around a paperboard which materializes the decisions, the ideas.
– take some time in a meeting to breathe and listen to yourself about your feelings before speaking
Interview idea
Go out and chat, preferably walking in a park or in nature
Team building idea
In a circle, initiate a tribal ritual, helping you with any material transformed into percussion (tapping on an object, etc.),
You can create your Haka, your symbolic gesture, ritual that expresses who you are…

Take care of yourself

Structure and better control your time
Example of the 5 key principles described by Jean-Louis Servan-Schreiber in his book The Art of Time:
– order : structure your own time: “Once the structures of time chosen by us appear and last, the confusion regresses.”
– balance : balance your time between the different activities (ex: professional/personal life)
– vscontrast : alternate physical and intellectual activities
-unity : take the height to apprehend its time in a global way
-hharmony: Resulting from the 4 previous items with a positive vision of the day upon waking up.

Conscious breathing and cardiac coherence

Breathing is so obvious that we are not aware of it. And yet very often we can be in apnea, cardiac coherence exercise is essential to anticipate health problems. The objective is to empty the mind of invading thoughts, to set the rhythm of breathing to the rhythm of the heart. Take regular breaks in awareness of your breathing, to regenerate yourself.
Example breathing to clear your mind: Inhale for 3 seconds and exhale 9 seconds for 7 minutes. (I use the mobile application “Prana Breath breathe meditate”, good application to guide in breathing)

The different types of visualization meditation…

– anchor meditation : root visualizations that start from under the soles of the feet to reach the core of the earth.
– listening to feelings : come back to yourself with a body scan, visualize each part of your body starting from the tips of the feet to the root of the hair while being in a comfortable position, sitting or lying down.
– positive visualization : listen to a guided meditation or self-suggestion exercise to be in a soothing place – use background sound such as white noise, water noise, river noise…. It’s up to you to find the sound that soothes you…
– PSIO Bezel Tool can be a good tool if you don’t know how to meditate alone

Nature, Shinrin-Yogu Forest Baths

Shinrin means “forest” in Japanese and Yogu “bath”, it is a practice that invites you to bathe in the atmosphere of the forest to soak it up with the help of your senses. It’s not about exercising, hiking or jogging, but just simply being present in contact with nature in connection with your 5 senses; listen to the song of the birds – admire the beauty of the colors of nature, feel the breeze on your body, touch the bark of the trees, taste the fresh air fill your lungs, smell the smells of earth, of humus. It’s waking up your senses and letting life circulate in your body.

Physical activity: pfavor trips on foot or by bike, walk avoid elevators…

How can taking care of yourself help your business?

Your body is your vehicle, it is matter, the concrete. Start with yourself, it’s to start the virtuous circle. It’s restoring consciousness to what is, being able to make choices that are no longer driven by fears. It means rediscovering self-control, one’s power of action and putting it at the service of one’s company.

References: Dr Qing Li (2018), Shinrin-Yoku “The Art and Science of Forest Bathing”. Paris Pocket.
Jean-Louis Servan-Schreiber (1983), The Art of Time. MARABOUT.
PSIO Glasses, https://www.psio.com/fr/
Prana breath app: