Creative expression is such a powerful barometer for quality of life.
When you feel stuck or lack inspiration, for example, it can be a signal that fear is present or an indication that old, outdated patterns are limiting you. When clear and grounded, self expression comes easily and new ideas are free to take root through you.
See – pretty clear window into quality of life.
There are endless possibilities related to how life, relationships, experiences and more influence creative expression, yet, creativity is still often viewed as a skill or aptitude rather than a natural part of our DNA.
Creativity is our deepest essence and as well as a tool for how we navigate the world and our own personal development. Seeing life through your “creative eyes” provides a clear sense of how you are connecting (or not) to yourself and the outside world and how effectively you feel into the path ahead, rather than forcing a direction based on fear, shoulds and old patterns.
The only difference in the quality of personal creative expression among any of us is how open or closed we are to allowing creative energy to flow through us, and stepping up to own the gifts that are uniquely ours.
To get a better sense of how creative energy moves within you from head to toe and beyond, it helps to take a deeper look into the energy flow within and between the chakras.
So, What is a Chakra?
The word chakra comes from the Sanskrit “wheel” or “disk”. A chakra is a non-physical energy center in the body positioned along the spine from the base up to the top of the head. Each chakra is associated with a specific organ, endocrine gland and autonomic nervous system, and serves a specific role in managing overall physical, mental, emotional, spiritual health within the body.
Think of a chakra as a “place where consciousness and matter meet.” In other words, chakras influence how your ideas, inspirations and beliefs mesh into a form of physical creative expression through you.
To really dig into the role each chakra plays in your creativity and personal expression, I will be doing a series of posts that cover each of the 7 main chakras in more detail. The first post in the series kicks off with the root chakra.
Root Chakra and Establishing your Creative Roots
The root chakra serves as the primal root of creative intention in the physical world. When this chakra is in balance the body is free of fear, and feels safe and empowered to move forward with ideas and inspiration. The “roots” of creative expression are clear and centered, while physical energy and health are at an optimum level to turn creative ideas into a reality.
The root chakra is also one of the most challenging to maintain when we neglect self-care, or push ourselves towards burnout to meet a rigid expectations in the mind. As the center of our sense of connection, it’s also the most essential chakra to keep grounded and stable when moving through transformation and personal growth.
Establishing a regular grounding practice through food, exercise, meditation and space for creative expression – just for the fun of it – helps support the root chakra and keep it healthy. These elements connect creative flow to the “earth” and keep it rooted, enabling you to set clear intentions with power behind them to manifest.
A grounded root chakra also serves a way for you to stay clear and grow along with your creative expression; to stay open to what you discover along the way as part of the adventure rather than seeing certain outcomes as a set-back.
An out of balance root chakra can be moving too quickly or too slowly. This is what can happen as a result, as described by Liz Simpson, author of the Book of Chakra Healing.
Too open/spinning too fast: Self-centeredness, bully attitude, overly materialistic, danger-seeking
Blocked/sluggish or no spin: Emotionally needy, low self-esteem, self-destructive behavior, fearful, taking on a victim mentality, lack of money or sense of abundance
As the root of what keeps you centered in your creative essence and core identity, this chakra is the first influencer of creative expression.
When you are able to stand up for yourself and share the “true you” in the world, then creativity blossoms. A balanced root chakra also helps to take the sting and fear out of defeat when we hit against obstacles, enabling us to focus on lessons learned and muster up the energy to try again.
Commit to Connection and Grounding Every Day to Bring Creative Ideas to Life
As someone who likes to spend time with the ideas and possibilities and hang out in my brain, a grounding practice is essential for me every day. Without it, I find my creativity never really gets “rooted”, and it’s more challenging to take inspiration from an idea into a reality.
I start with a walk around my neighborhood, then short 10 minute meditation and overall energy clearing to set myself up for the day. Simple, consistent and easy. In addition, I sometimes repeat parts of this grounding exercise before bed with some gratitude elements thrown in so that my head is empty, my heart, full.
I re-evaluate my grounding practice every three months to add new elements or change things up. When stuck in the routine of things, I tend to space out and not get the full benefit of the practice.
For a bit of added support, it can help to incorporate chakra-specific yoga poses or work with crystals or stones. You can also practice a simple affirmation to create a more balanced root chakra, if that resonates:
“I deserve the best that life has to offer. My needs are always met.”
Next Post in the Series: Sacral Chakra
With my creativity coaching services, the first thing I do with all of my clients is to work on grounding elements that will serve what they need to get centered. I find this is the most effective way to see the “root” of where creative expression is limited, and get a better understanding of a unique plan that will empower them to create in a bigger way with clarity and confidence.
To help create deeper creative roots in your daily life, check out my previous post What is your Go-To Creative Fuel? My podcast also offers simple ways to help you tune into your inner wisdom and lead a more creative life.
Photo credit: 7 Chakras – Dora Alis Root chakra: Shayla M. Tree – Eduardo Mueses