The root chakra is all about grounding, and part of that grounding is practicing what supports you in everyday mindfulness.

Supports for Everyday Mindfulness:

• Slow down.
• Talk less.
• When you can, do just one thing at a time. Reduce multitasking.
• Focus on your breath while doing daily activities.
• Relax into a feeling of calm presence with other people.
• Use routine events, such as the phone ringing, as "temple bells" to return you to a sense of centeredness.
• At meals, take a moment to reflect on where your food came from. For example, if you were focusing on the wheat in a slice of bread, you could imagine it growing in the fields & being harvested, threshed, stored, ground into flour, & baked into loaves.

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With all of this in mind, here is your Root Grounding Morning Meditation:

Journal Prompt: Some Thoughts on Self Care

"I lied and said I was busy.

I was busy;

but not in a way most people understand.

I was busy taking deeper breaths.

I was busy silencing irrational thoughts.

I was busy calming a racing heart.

I was busy telling myself I am okay.

Sometimes, this is my busy -

and I will not apologize for it."

~Brittin Oakman

"Help is a prayer that is always answered. It doesn't matter how you pray - with your head bowed in silence, or crying out in grief, or dancing. Churches are good for prayer, but so are garages and cars and mountains and showers and dance floors. Years ago I wrote an essay that began, 'Some people think God is in the details, but I have come to believe that God is in the bathroom.'" ~Anne Lamott

"Nowhere can man find a quieter or more untroubled retreat than in his own soul." ~Marcus Areliius

"Before we can bring Peace into our communities, we must first develop it inside ourselves. We can experience both a visceral tranquility in the body and cultivate mental calm through the practice of yoga. Stilling the turbulent waters of the mind helps anchor the body." ~Rachel Schaeffer

"Some days you eat salad and do yoga. Some days you eat cupcakes and refuse to put on pants. It's called balance." ~Anonymous

"What is it you feel you need? How can you fill that need in the most positive, empowering way possible? Changing your mindset and focus can have a tremendous impact on the quality of your life. Work in your best interest, not against. It is your responsibility to advocate for yourself, to be your own friend, to engage in self-care. Self-care includes your emotional state, it includes your perspectives." ~Akiroq Brost

There's a reason we're asked to put on our own oxygen masks first. Taking care of ourselves - our own precious selves - is crucial not only to our wellbeing, but also to the wellbeing of others.

Then why is it often so hard?

Well, it's hard to say, "No." It's hard to prioritize time for one's self.

Self-care doesn't deliver the adrenaline rush of martyrdom. And society gives brownie points to the over-extender, the high-achiever, and labels as selfish the conscious decision to decline, to just say no, to put yourself first.

There's nothing particularly glamorous about self-care.

Going to the gym, taking that daily walk, making time for meditation, attending a yoga class, choosing nourishing foods, getting enough rest, protecting your tender heart - sometimes these actions can be as fulfilling as the daily flossing of teeth.

And yet, when practiced over time, these actions build something akin to mental backbone. The pleasure of own own company, a few minutes of solitude, the discipline required to get to the gym or the mat, the bliss of sleep begins to fill that reservoir that too often runs near empty.

When the to-do list, the social calendar, the workload begins to pile up, remember to put your own oxygen mask on first. And resist the urge to apologize for it.

Start with today's Journal exercise.

Make yourself a cup of tea and write down 5 (or more!) actions of self-care that appeal to you - actions or activities that you can do for yourself this week.

Here are a few ideas to get you started:

• Make something yummy and familiar
• Change your bedsheets and add a favorite blanket to make your bed extra cozy
• Cuddle a pet
• Read for fun
• Call (not text!) a friend who loves you unconditionally
• Practice today's meditation 🙂
• Do a restorative yoga pose
• Go for a 10 minute walk at lunch
• Limit (or take a break) from social media sites

Just 5 actions. Something you can do, for yourself, each day of this week. One action or activity to fill your inner tank, to protect your tender heart, to honor your own perspective.

Cultivate your own inner peace.

Love yourself....

As we focus on grounding we begin by bringing attention to our lower body. Our feet connect us to the earth, holding us steady and strong when we stand, rooting us downward so we can rise upward. Our calves (gastrocnemius), are two powerful muscles that rise up from the feet, providing us with stability and strength. 

Freeing the Feet & Calves Yoga Fix