This past week I have been working on connecting with my Root Chakra. With that there is a level of reflection necessary to understand from where it is that I come from. As I join my family this morning in front of the tv to watch the parade I take it all in a little differently. I am thinking about them next to me on the couch and we as a unit, but also them – when they were young and in front of the tv with their siblings and parents this holiday, and what their mornings may have felt like. What was cast aside to make the day special? What was done differently to make the day special? For whom was this truly a special day, and why?

Some of the Root queries I reflected on this week invited me to investigate the beliefs I have aquired, and to recognize and appreciate every person in my family in the same way. My Root is calling me to Action, challenging me to nurture my self. To take inventory of my basic needs and balancing that with what I have. It’s calling me to be present and in awareness in every moment.

I also happened to be reading a book right now called The HIdden Life of Trees by Peter Wohlleben (I highly recommend it!). On page 82 Peter propositions Do trees have brains?  It is widely accepted that the root network of trees is in charge of all chemical activity, including chemical messages and neurological activities. Trees can learn, they plan ahead, they strategize against toxicity, and they require fair living environments. Trees live as family units. Trees also don’t thrive when they are isoloated.

My Root Chakra governs my basic survival needs, and because it carries the quality of my ancestors, my culture and my connection to mother earth, it requires a present day foundation of stability. It is my job to hold this awareness, to reunite my energy so that I may draw upon the earths wisdom. I am to RECONNECT, RECLAIM, and INTEGRATE. So I explore creatively a few generations back – the ones before tv and the broadcast parades, before big cities and telecommunication, before cars and highways. I acknowledge my present day mood and my beliefs and I honor the struggles of those who came before me to better understand  ME. For this I am grateful.