Foundations

If it isn't working right…

Do you feel ungrounded? Do you have trouble keeping focused on the things you are trying to accomplish? Do your thoughts always seem to be up in the clouds, wandering here and there, unable to stick to one thing long enough to actually accomplish anything? Do you think of yourself as clumsy, tripping often on bumps in what you thought was a flat ground? If so, your foot chakra may be on the fritz.

It's easy to forget the feet. They always seem to do the job, right? I mean, keeping the rest of your body from falling to the ground. Except when they don't. And then you're in trouble.

Like all chakra problems, a weak foot chakra produces results as subtle as the more desirable results of a healthy one. It might be hard to measure one's out-of-focus-ness, but if you have trouble focusing, you know it…whenever you can get yourself to think about it.

The major symptom of a weak foot chakra, though, is lack of material stability. That's right, we're talking about money! It shouldn't be a big surprise that an inability to concentrate can translate as lost job opportunities and lack of advancement. The surprise, if there is one—and this is your first chakra—is that paying more attention to your feet can improve your job performance! But, as with anything your read in this book, I recommend you try the exercises before you pooh-pooh them.

When it is working right…

You feel confident and secure. Even when things aren't going right, you feel more in control, certain that you'll be able to make the most of any situation. And any psychologist will tell you, such an attitude is bound to bring positive results.

In the long term, keeping your foot chakra at its top energy means job advancement, job and life satisfaction, and money in the bank. It can also mean increased general health, since keeping your focus means less wasted time, and fewer emergency late-night sessions in which you struggle to repair the mistakes of the day before.

Chakra characteristics…

• Color: A rich, earthy brown.
• Sound: the deep rumbling of the living Earth.
• Tone: a deep, rich, bass C as played by a cello.

The foot chakra is usually broad and flat, like a wooden manhole cover on which you stand. Although you have two feet, you have just one foot chakra; the energy has two focal points, one at each foot. Some people touch their feet together when meditating, to make it easier to concentrate—a problem that should diminish as work with this chakra progresses.

Chakra Health

To keep the foot chakra in good health, try and get it out more! Walk barefoot on natural ground whenever possible; and, when you do, take a moment to feel the ground against your feet. Standing on concrete doesn't count; you need to find a grassy knoll or a golf course or a park. Walking isn't as important as standing. Let yourself feel the grass between your toes.

Many people find standing on natural stone to be beneficial. A good boulder will do. Sitting on a boulder while your feet dangle in the cold water of a natural brook, or on the sand while your feet soak in the sea, is also helpful.

Hey, guess what? All these things are also good for your feet!

Meditation

Begin this meditation, as with all meditations, with five deep, slow, breaths. Hold the breath for an amount of time equal to that spent inhaling, and exhale for the same amount of time. Relax your shoulders, your neck, your stomach; allow yourself to sink deeply into your chair. You are going to relax but not fall asleep. You are alert, but limp.

By staying alert, we mean, pay attention to the thoughts that run through your mind. In meditation, you do not dwell on or analyze the thoughts that pop into your head; neither do you encourage them. Simply note them, and let go. Anything you can remember later, make a note of. Remember, there is no "wrong answer" to a meditation—whatever comes to you, is something your deeper (or higher) Self wants you to consider.

Think of the color brown. What things in your life are brown? Is there any brown wood around you? Is the floor brown? How about the furniture? Sometimes the earth is brown. Get in touch with whatever is brown around you that you enjoy touching. See yourself walking on a rich brown dirt road. It's a nice sunny day and you are eating cool chocolate ice cream or fat-free yogurt if you prefer. Feel the warm brown earth beneath your feet. You can take this anywhere you want to go.

Now, while maintaining the thoughts of brown, try to hear a sound—the deep sound of the earth as it rumbles beneath you. The ground is composed of gigantic stone plates that float on molten rock; as it moves (slowly, but it moves) it creates the deepest possible sound, a sound so deep you can only feel it in your soul (and your soles!). Imagine that sound, pulsing slowly and ponderously, through your being.

Now, octaves above that powerful rumbling, add the sound of a cello playing a rich, bass C. Let the brown, and the rumbling of the Earth, and the tone of the cello come together for you as you move your focus of consciousness to your feet.

Become aware of your feet. How do they feel? Ask them if they have any messages for you, and pay brief attention to whatever pops into your mind—enough attention so you won't forget to give it more attention later. Let your point of focus travel over each bit of foot: the pads, the heels, even the soft skin between your toes. Feel love for your feet. Mentally caress them.

Finally, "breathe into" your feet. That means, imagine your breath coming into your body and flowing into your feet, filling them with clear brown light and strength. Imagine any blockages or problems then breaking up, dissolving into the breath, and being flushed out through your body, lungs, and nostrils as you exhale. Remember: breathe in freshness and strength; breathe out troubles and blockages. And always keep the brown, the Earth rumbling, and the deep cello note going.

Finally, after about 20 minutes, allow yourself to return to your physical location. Take five deep, energizing breaths, and rise.

If you practice a foot meditation every twelve days (in rotation with the other chakra meditations), you may experience a firmer foundation in your life. This may express itself in your job, your home life, or even in land you regularly walk. Everyone's experience will be different, but be alert to changes in these areas. That's your proof that the foot chakra is real, and that working with it can bring results!