From the Root to the Crown

When we run cacao workshops, Fin and I lay out the Soul Cards (Parts 1 and 2 by Deborah Koff-Chapin) around the altar. Each participant is invited to choose three cards as they journey through the session. What’s powerful about these cards is that each one is open to personal interpretation, reflecting the question held in the heart – there is no book of definitions.

As I journey through the chakras, beginning with the root – I thought it would be useful to draw on the visuals of the Soul Cards for each energy centre. Over the next few posts, I’ll explore each chakra in turn. But first, let’s begin at the base.

The Root – Foundation of the Self

Our physical bodies are always grounded, gravity sees to that. But our energetic bodies? Not so much. Most of us are floating around in our minds: thinking, overthinking, talking, worrying, replaying the past, or projecting into the future.

To ground is to consciously call the energy of the self back into the body. To feel your feet on the earth. To drop your awareness downward, into your bones, into your breath, into this moment.

When you're truly grounded, there's a deep sense of strength and stability. You feel solid in your being, held by the earth, with clear boundaries and a quiet sense of belonging. From this rooted space, you're not reaching out for validation or security, you know you're enough. Your sense of worth comes from within. You’re not driven by longing but anchored by presence. 

When We Are Ungrounded

The root governs safety, survival, and stability. When it's out of balance, we feel anxious, unsteady, fearful about the future. Finances become a fixation. We might feel scattered or overly reactive, unsure of our place in the world.

And yet, when we pause and root ourselves back into the now - remember Eckhart Tolle’s Power of Now? - we realize that our true power lies in the present. From here, we can respond rather than react. From here, transformation begins and magic happens.

How to Ground (Dream Awake-style)

These aren’t your average grounding exercises but practices we’ve found powerful at Dream Awake:

Earthing

Walk barefoot on natural ground—grass, soil, sand. This simple act (backed by science) is called earthing and has been shown to reduce anxiety, calm the nervous system, and improve mental wellbeing. To read more about Earthing and its benefits.

Focus on Where Things Meet the Ground

Look at where objects touch the floor. The legs of a chair. The edge of a rug. The base of a plant pot. Move your gaze slowly from one to another, anchoring your attention. This pulls your awareness into the here and now.

Kick-Back Movement (on all fours)

Get on all fours and kick one leg back, then the other, alternating between slow then fast. It may seem unusual, but this creates energetic boundaries. It’s like you’re clearing space behind you. Afterwards, stand up and notice how you feel. Often more grounded and solid.

Yoga

Yoga is rich in grounding postures. One of my favourites is garland pose (Malasana), a deep squat that opens the hips and strengthens the lower back and legs, while also encouraging flexibility in the hips. I like to rock gently in this position. Check out YogaJournal, for more asanas to support the root chakra.

Earthy Beats and Drumming

Turn on some tribal beats and let your body move freely. Focus on your energy descending as you dance, down through your feet, into the floor, into the earth.

Pranayama (Breathwork)

Breathing is an ancient tool for grounding:

• Deep belly breathing, focusing on filling the abdomen – very similar to the Yogi breath. Deep inhalations and exhalations by lengthening the in-breath and filling up the abdomen, and then lengthening the out-breath as you empty the abdominal area. In and out, for 10-20 rounds.

• Box breathing (Samavritti): Inhale, hold, exhale, hold – all for equal counts. It soothes the nervous system and brings you back to your body.

Find What Grounds You

There’s no one-size-fits-all. What grounds me might not ground you. So try a few of these. Be curious. Notice how you feel afterward. And when life feels shaky or uncertain, come back to the root. Come back to your breath. Come back to the body. Come back to the earth.

Join sisters, Fin and Cath for A Journey through the Charkas – Saturday ,28th June. at Mission Bubble Studios, SE22. Check out workshops here.