no. one

the root archetype

A toolbox for

FOUNDATIONS | EARTH | ROOTS | GROUNDING | BODY | MATTER | BEGINNINGS | ancestry | TRADITION | ABUNDANCE/WORTHINESS / SELF PRESERVATION / PHYSICAL IDENTITY

Working with no. 1 support

I invite you to utilize this course in whatever way serves you to get the most value. I would listen to the audios a couple of times and read through all of the content to begin and see what jumps out at you. Maybe you know exactly what you want to dive into or you visit a piece of it everyday working your way through. Another option is grabbing a tool or a few and work with them for 30 days noticing what shifts or doesn’t and then try a new one.

If you’d like to inject some whimsy + have some daily guidance. Here is a 30 Days to a more balanced Root Deck. You can print the pages and cut them into cards; fold them and put them in a bowl, and then draw a card each day to offer you a focus.

No. 1

Anatomy associated with The Root: adrenal glands, blood cells, bones, DNA, coccygeal plexus, feet, Immune System (our defense system), joints, legs, muscle, male sex organs, rectum, tailbone, genitals, skin (our boundary, barrier to the world).
Related functions: fight/flight, skeletal structure

Element: Earth

SOME THEMES ASSOCIATED WITH THE ROOT:

• survival and feelings of safety and security. (may be associated with trauma, violence, abuse, accidents)

• getting our physical needs met (shelter, food, money, relationships, family, community, safety, security)

• betrayal

• rejection

• feeling of worthiness (here is where our Root is tied to manifestation). The fundamental programming about what we deserve in life (our value and worth). Also tied to scarcity mentality and our ability to provide for ourselves.

• anxiety, uneasiness, worry, stress, sexual dysfunction, restlessness.

• raw primal feelings: rage, fear, feelings of ungrounding.

• the energy for achieving our purpose.

• the way we earn a living and pay our way.

• childhood trauma, imprinting, limiting beliefs.

• living in the head, scattered mind.

• stress

• ancestry and tribal associations

DEFICIENCY:: not enough vital energy in this area from energy leaking. The energy may flow in but there are poor boundaries and can’t be contained like a sink without a plug. It’s important here to create a boundary to contain the energy. Deficiency may lead to a sense of disconnect, feelings of fear and anxiety and living in the head. This is where we often see financial struggles and the physical body may be underweight and/or have hunched posture and their mind scattered. Think too much Vata energy in Ayurveda. Strengthening and nourishment is the focus for healing. 

EXCESS: too much energy flowing in, the sink is overflowing. May find issues like obesity, hoarding and greed. An inability to accept change. Rigid boundaries. May feel lethargic and sluggish. May have financial success but are unable to enjoy their wealth. Think too much kapha energy in Ayurveda. Flexibility and clearing stagnation is the focus for healing.

• Imbalance in the First Chakra affects all of the other Charkas, making it incredibly important to balance.

• One can exhibit elements of deficiency and excess at the same time.

BALANCED:

• energy can flow in and be contained.

• good boundaries that aren’t rigid but malleable with circumstances.

• feeling grounded, with a strong sense of trust and stability.

• there is good physical health and a feeling of comfort in their body

• supported physically and financially.

• process their emotions and handle stress well.

• clear any limiting beliefs and feel worthy of what they desire.

• embodied.

toolbox

JOURNALING EXERCISE

What agreements have you made around your worth and value?

What are you ready to let go of? 

What limiting beliefs do you want to release? What patterns do you carry through from your family?

If you’re not aware of what your limiting beliefs are then find a feeling, an emotion, a place of tension and follow it to where it began. Where is it rooted? You may find that it seems innocuous now like a teacher belittled you once when you raised your hand and this shut down your voice. Can you see where you made that agreement? What belief your feeling is rooted in? 

What creates grounding in your body? What frazzles your energy? Take notice throughout your day.

Do you have a code of honor, what it means to you to live in integrity? Have you ever compromised it?

What blessings did you get from your family?

What ancestral traditions do you carry? …do you want to carry?

What limitations are you willing to accept to manifest your dreams? When it comes to creation, it can take time and come with some limitations, like if you want to start a business, there are going to be times when you have to miss something you want to do to tend to your business, time when you’ll have too show up, put in extra hours, etc.. What freedoms are you willing to limit to ultimately have freedom?

Healing

guided practice

earth

recipes

Dandelion Root Tea

Mulled Black Pepper Hibiscus Wine

Root Chakra Smoothie

Root Vegetable Soup

Pan Seared Miso Turnips

Beet Bolognese

Borscht

Caesar Salad + Root Vegetable Croutons

Strawberry Spinach Salad

Root Vegetable Mulligatawny

Parsley Root Fries

Resource

• Explore your Root Center.

• The practice of Abhyanga

• Drums for dancing and root connection. Connect in and let your body be moved, releasing stagnation and stored emotions. Also good to do on hands and knees.

• My favorite IG follow for resiliency and embodiment especially around healing from trauma.

• This embodiment breath.

• This ritual.

• Shadow Support especially for limiting beliefs, shame, etc.. (you can also access as a member of The Collective)

• Wear the color red, especially underwear.

• The simple practice of bringing breath into your Root.

• Chant the sound LAM (sounds like ‘laum’)

• This meditation.

• Taking walks in nature and noticing the flowers and trees, experiencing with all of your senses.

• Watch this episode of Chef’s Table to connect with the sacredness of food. It is Episode 1 of Vol. 3.

• Eating from a clay or wooden bowl that you love.

• Meditating on a red light at the base of your spine, filling your pelvic bowl, bringing your breath down into your root.

• Gardening, especially growing food.

• Yoga Nidra is incredibly grounding to the body. You can find several guided practices inside The Collective.

• Explore my Root Chakra mood board and/or make your own.

• Explore Boundaries.

• You will often see me in videos with my hair in a single braid, this is because it is believed that braiding your hair connects you down to the Earth.

• I am still a wee fledgeling when it comes to ancestry work though it’s something I’m learning about. I LOVE this workshop from One Willow Apothecaries. It’s a great place to get started if this work interests you.

additional reading

If Woman Rose Rooted

Braiding Sweetgrass

Wild Feminine - support for your pelvic bowl

Earthing

Products

Reishi.

Minerals are so important for nourishing your body and your Root. I love Gerolsteiner Mineral Water and also taking a mineral supplement if it resonates/you're feeling depleted. I recommend at least Magnesium for pretty much everyone as we're deficient as a society The soil is not what it used to be. I have found Magnesium Malate to be highly absorbable. 

Flower Essence(s) for clearing obstacles +/or getting grounded. Use code: BARNEYANDFLOW19 at checkout for 10% off. I love getting a custom dowsing.

Magnesium Oil 

Magnesium flakes for the bath. Also adding stones to the bath like polished jet or obsidian.

Shungite for grounding and protection especially from EMF’s/5G.

Rooted Oil.

Ponderosa Pine

Blessing of the Energy Centers Meditation

affirm

I am safe.

I feel deeply rooted.

I am connected to my body.

I feel grounded and stable.

I honor my connection to the Earth.

• if you don’t believe an affirmation then you can bring it through EFT to reprogram or begin with “I am open to the possibility of feeling….”.

Postures

• Chair Pose

• Fog pose

• Crocodile Pose

• Tadasana - Mountain (audio above) + any poses with your feet firmly planted on the ground.
  *Imagine pulling energy up from the Earth through your feet as you inhale. Exhale to root down into the Earth.

• Cat/Cow seated in easy pose.

• Squat - Malasana

• Goddess Pose

• Bound Angle

  *For all postures imagine brining breath to your root unless otherwise noted.

• Gyan Mudra - thumb to index finger

• This Kriya

• Mula Bhanda - Root Lock