It seems that when the walls are crashing down, then all you do is run around in circles, flailing your hands wildly. When there’s chaos, you don’t get much done other than that. Even if you try to organize it, it’s chaos, and it’s just going to fall right back into…well, chaos. So how can it possibly help for you to charge full speed ahead, trying to fix the external mess, when your own internal state is just as chaotic?
What can really help you is the First Chakra. Did you know the Root Chakra's symbol is a 4 petaled lotus and in the center is a square containing a downward-pointed triangle? The 4 petals of the lotus coincide with the 4 corners of the square. The downward-pointing triangle shows us that "4" and "the square" ground us...to the Earth and to our body. The square is the most stabilizing geometrical shape. It doesn't roll. It doesn't tilt. It doesn't waver or spike. It just sits, fully stable against the earth. This is why houses and buildings are square or rectangular.
So what do you do when chaos takes over? First, sit down and be still. Because if you don’t, you'll stay caught in the whirlwind of chaos and it won’t let you go. A whirlwind, left unchecked, only grows stronger. You are the only one that can stop it. And the first step is to stop yourself.
Stop everything.
When you feel the most severe time pressure, when you think you have to hustle or everything will fall apart, that is precisely when you need to pause. Don't rush in headfirst. Your mind is still running in the same chaotic direction it always has. It's still stuck in the thought loops that created this chaos. How can sprinting into the storm possibly resolve it?
How can rushing full speed ahead fix the chaos when your thoughts are already in chaos mode? That’s why you need to stop. Sit down on something stable like the floor or a meditation cushion or a kitchen chair. I emphasize "stable" because that is the root chakra‘s territory. Stability is what you're seeking, isn’t it?
Get your notepad and a pen just in case clarity strikes. Then, with your spine straight and your head reaching toward the sky, look down at a 45° angle (this downward gaze helps quiet mental chatter), unfocus your eyes and focus on your breath. Count your breath, from 1 to 10. When you reach 10, start again at 1. If your mind drifts, simply return to the count. Let the numbers be a steady rhythm, anchoring you in the present. Keep the tip of your tongue on the roof of your mouth to connect the energy circuit in your body. Keep your breath's natural rhythm. Even 5 minutes will help. Feel the gentle pull of gravity anchoring you. Notice the way your muscles release their grip. Let tension unravel as if the earth itself is holding you steady. Feel the weight of your body sinking...into the cushion, into the chair, into the floor. Never have you felt more present, more calm, more relaxed, more you. Let the energy racing through your head settle downward. Your mind cannot think clearly until it reconnects with your body. Your intuition strengthens after each sitting.
More than 5 minutes would be even better. Set a timer with a soft, soothing alarm. I use bells.
When you rise from meditation and move through your day, bring this grounded stillness with you. A simple way to stay anchored? Boxed breathing...
Inhale for 4 seconds, hold for 4 seconds, exhale for 4 seconds, hold for 4 seconds, repeat as long as necessary to feel the weight of your body sink back into the Earth. Feel the Earth connection. You can do this while you’re driving, while you’re in a meeting, while you’re waiting for a client, before you begin your shift, while you’re working, while you’re with your partner, your friends, your family, etc. Wherever you are, whatever you’re doing, you can return to yourself. That's the goal. Chaos can’t touch you when you're rooted. It can swirl around you, but it can’t reach your core.
You can be unafraid.
Because, it’s the fear that makes you run in circles. It’s the fear that keeps your mind in its old patterns. It’s the fear that created the chaos in the first place.
Let it swirl around you. Let it rage. But don't let it touch your Inner Core.
Stay grounded. Stay inside your body. Feel your full weight. Let your energy sink. Bring back the scattered, frantic pieces of yourself and return them home...to your body, where they belong.
Connect to Mother Earth.
You are not at the mercy of the storm. You are made from the Earth. You are the stillness. Return to yourself, and no chaos can touch you.
~Janice M. Burke
Image by Chris Roberts from Unsplash
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