It is Earth Week which also means mud season here at “the ranch,” the annual dance between ice and melt. The dogs don’t know which they like best, rolling in the snow or slopping through puddles. The horses prefer muck to ice, and ducks and chickens don’t seem to mind either one. Me? I’m ready for warmer and drier, but I’m also grateful for all the moisture.
I think of the trees this time of year, soaking up all the water they can, flowing it way down into their roots so they may remain robust in the summer drought as well as in bitter winters to come. And, of course, that’s a lesson for me. No matter what the “weather” of my life is at any given moment, I can remain strong and stable if my roots are nourished.
So how to nurture those roots? One way is to assure that they are balanced energetically. We have seven major energy wheels–or chakras–that run vertically through the body, each a center that coordinates energy for our system as a whole. Each chakra assimilates energy for a particular purpose. Our root chakra at the base of the spine corresponds with our survival and our ability to be stable and grounded.
When we hold too much energy in the root chakra, we can feel lethargic or depressed. Too little and we can feel anxious or scattered. To find that happy medium, that place where we feel steady, yet lively, we must first slow down, tune in and make an honest assessment. From there, we can find the nourishment we need.
For me, the past week or so felt a bit like slogging through the mud. I have no idea why. But, my root chakra was dense, and I felt tired and uninspired. I’m feeling much more in balance now due to these things: consciously breathing while releasing stuck energy from my root chakra into the earth, dancing outdoors with the element of fire, walking in nature while noticing the sensation of my feet touching the earth, and both yoga and more dancing with a focus on the relationship between stability and mobility. It sounds like a lot, but it’s all been enjoyable. Besides, I’m worth the investment.
By the way, you are too. If you find yourself in a mud season, you don’t have to stay bogged down. And you don’t have to slip and slide on the ice that caused the mud in the first place. We have tools to feed our roots so that we may grow strong and green and wild. Now that I’ve un-bogged myself, I’ve got lots of ideas. Let me know if I can help.
