the First Chakra and Shame

What does it feel like to come out and celebrate who you really are? I bet you can pinpoint at least one legendary moment in your life when you made a decision that was monumental and most importantly all yours. What’s more, you couldn’t avoid telling people about it for one reason or another. Whether they cheered you on, or not, you were living your best life, and you never looked back!

We all want more of that, I’d say.

When we’re in hiding we avoid people. We might excuse our avoidance saying we are tired or need space, and sometimes that’s true. But, in many instances we know deep down that we are afraid of dealing with the connection because we are either going to have to put on an act and exhaust ourselves, OR alternately, make the decision to come out of hiding and really be ourselves. Both feel expensive when we have a lot of shame.

Authenticity is not contingent on whether others approve of you or not. It is unconditional, a type of radical self-acceptance that opens the First Chakra because it says “I matter. I have self-worth. Treat me sacredly.”

Shame is like a snake creeping up on you in the dark. It's not easy to detect. It does a slow almost imperceptible dance of seduction. That’s why it so easily falls under the radar. It’s the feeling of being made into a puppet, or feeling like you are forced to do things you don’t want to do by others, or more obviously being publicly embarrassed or humiliated by someone.

Now, don’t get me wrong. There is healthy shame. When we do something to someone that feels out of alignment for us, and hurt them, we feel healthy shame that can help us feel the wrong and repent it. While this can be an issue for some people, most people I meet, conversely, suffer from carrying way too much unhealthy shame.

It’s an issue that depletes our First Chakra, leaking energy from the most foundational and energizing of all chakras. That’s why it's important to face our shame. Because if we don’t face our shame we will be exhausted and embarrassed all the time. That embarrassment makes us hide away from the world seeking protection, and therefore never receive the love we so deserve. It's a vicious cycle.

The First and Fifth Chakras have a very special relationship in healing shame. Giving ourselves permission to emote and express ourselves to ourselves and others, in other words, using our voice, is rooted in the health of the First Chakra. Just think about it for a moment. How can we speak our truth, if we’re in hiding? Conversely, healing the 5th Chakra, will do a great deal to unravel the imbalance in the first.

Here are some simple things you can do to heal the shame in your First Chakra:

1. Talk about it! Sharing is caring for and loving yourself unconditionally, of course, with a carefully selected audience.

2. Use your observer consciousness to discover self-shaming thoughts. Acknowledge them, ask yourself if those thoughts are always true. Look for evidence that it's not always true. THERE WILL BE EVIDENCE.

3. Do 3 things that make you instantly happy everyday i.e. a twirl (if that makes you happy!) to increase your self-worth.

4. Read more about our Sacred Sexuality Course!