Denise's Blog
Money Insights, Wisdom, and More
MONEY AND THE ROOT CHAKRA
Many of my clients come to me…as high earners…with a feeling of “never having enough money.” It doesn’t matter how much they earn, they always feel they don’t have enough. If this sounds familiar, please keep reading. This blog post is for you.
With clients experiencing “not enough,” in spite of earning well over 100K (not including large bonuses), I often ask these clients to begin to create images of what “enough” would look like in their lives. When I hear, “that scares me,” “I’m afraid”, “I don’t feel it is OK to want more,” or this invitation brings forth great emotion” my experience knows there is often an issue at the root chakra.
The root chakra is one of the seven centers of spiritual energy in the human body according to yoga philosophy. This particular chakra is about support and represents our most basic of physical needs, that of food, clothing, shelter and other basic needs for survival. When energy is blocked in this chakra, issues of safety, trust and a denial of a basic self right to have and to be are present.
Blocks in this chakra are aligned with a core belief, that love or a part of oneself will be rejected if “MORE” of any form of abundance is allowed in. Money is one form of abundance, as is relationship, living on purpose, new opportunities, health and love.
Please understand it is at this base level, at the core of our being, where the spiritual energy of “not enough” lives. This energy lives in the cellular memory of the body’s experiences and is expressed in the feeling of deprivation, lack, or scarcity.
How did this cellular experience come into being? Usually from early trauma, neglect or basic needs not being met early in our development. We weren’t nourished in ways we needed to be nourished. Each of us has our own story around this (I certainly know the story I’ve carried for years).
The stories we hold to be true about “not enough,” at the cellular level, are linked to limiting beliefs at the cognitive level. Here are some examples of Root Chakra beliefs contributing to “lack.”
EXAMPLES OF LIMITING ROOT CHAKRA BELIEFS
(these aren’t rational. they usually live in our blind-spot. that’s why we may not be aware of them)
“If I have more money I won’t be loved.”
“My family outcasts friends and people who appear to have more money than they do.”
“If I earn more than my husband, he will find another partner because money means manliness to him”
“If I have more money, I will be abandoned.”
“If I have more money, someone will take it away from me.”
“Whatever I create will be taken from me anyway.”
These internalized beliefs from long ago, that truly don’t belong to us, were given to us as hand-me-downs from other,s and we have lovingly taken care of them for much of our lives.
Earning more money won’t fix the experience of deprivation in the physical world. Because what will happen is that when more money comes in, limiting beliefs will place a teflon coating on the new earned money and it will go right back out of the orbit that it is trying so hard to come into. Why? Because MORE money will begin to create an experience of enough. And, the core energy in our body is telling us it isn’t safe to bring in more. Something bad will happen. So our behaviors (ways of thinking, doing and feeling) find ways to keep the FEELING “of being broke” alive…while keeping the experience of “MORE or ENOUGH” out of our orbit.
This is sometimes why people spend more than they earn. Our money choices are supporting the current wiring of “not enough.” It is a reason why we spend money on season tickets for the Giants and say we can’t afford healthcare…or spend money on hobbies and entertainment while struggling to pay the rent. When we make money choices that keep us living in the RED (a place of deficit in our bank accounts and bodies) we are re-creating the “not enough” experience that keeps us living in survival mode.
IF this blog post resonates with you, I invite you to KEEP IN TOUCH a couple of ways here.
(1) Drop me a note and let me know if I can support you and help you shift out of the “not enough” space into “enough.”
(2) Stay TUNED for next week’s post on how to begin creating this shift.
Here’s to YOUR “enough-ness!”
This is such a helpful mindset/belief system for all of us to address at the “root” (sorry, couldn’t resist). I think much of our pain in daily life comes from the survival issues that live in the first/root chakra. I’ve seen my own issues around enough/money and certainly issues with weight and the not-enough feelings that go with that, which my clients come to me with… as very similar.. energetically they have the same core.
Loved reading this and look forward to the second part.Encouraging us to look at these fears and behaviors from the energy perspective brings in a dimension that I think enlivens it and helps us all shift it more powerfully.. it speaks to that deeper part of us, where we can make the changes once the true fears and energetic dynamics are known.
Love to you-
Lisa
Dearest Lisa,
I agree with you whole-heartedly that creating “enough,” at the root would solve BOTH money and food issues. They go hand in hand. This writing comes from my own issue with wrestling with “enough.” I often have talks with my bag of Lay’s potato chips…on a cognitive level knowing this is self harm, while the cells of my body think it is a form of love. We do the same with purchases. Thank you for being my energetic soul sister! XX
Beautifully done, Denise! We all have some sort of limiting belief – seeing how tied it is to the root chakra is so helpful. I especially like your correlation between living in the RED and the the root chakra. Pefect!
I’m looking forward to your future posts about this!
Hugs and butterflies,
~Teresa~
Teresa,
I didn’t connect the dot about the correlation between “living in the RED,” and the root chakra in my writing until your post. THANK YOU for connecting that for me. Yes, I too work on my limiting beliefs! Consciousness is a beautiful thing!
Hi Christie,
Thank you for your kind words. I have depression era parents. We come from similar story lines. I agree we need to sort out legacy beliefs from our own…that is the juice and where the action happens that spurs us into our definition of “enough.” Hugs!
My history teaches me to be suspicious of happiness. Life decides what is necessary, self-awareness tells me what I want. Self-love determines what I deserve.
Thanks Tess. We all have a history. I like what you say, “self love,” (a body experience) determines what I deserve.” Thank you for your thoughts and taking time to comment. I appreciate it!
I could be one of the clients you mention at first — our household income is plenty enough, but there’s still a “not enough” feeling. I think it might stem (pardon the ‘root’ pun) from growing up watching the conflict between one parent who spent freely and the other who spent nothing. I love the idea of relating money issues to the body’s energy. Thank you for this insightful post.
Jessica,
You and I have very similar “growing up”backgrounds. Thank you for sharing. Have you read the book, “The Energy of Money?”
So how do you begin to shift the mindset
Many practices can begin to shift the mindset. Gratitude is one of those practices. When we focus on what we already have + feel heartfelt appreciation for our current blessings, we are no longer focusing on the energy of “not enough,” or “lack.” Beginning my own gratitude practice has shifted my mindset in beautiful ways. Blessings to you on your journey.
I have struggled with poverty and lack practically my whole life,and wonder if this could be the reason.
I went back to college in my 30’s to see if that would help, but it didn’t.
Looking for answers, and find away out of this situation and into prosperity.
P.S. did the whole LOA thing as well.
Usually, when any of us are experiencing a chronic pattern of any sort with our money life, it is because we are holding limiting unconscious beliefs about money, which are fueled by our behavior. If you want to go in more depth, 1:1 work would be my recommendation. Blessings on your journey.
Hi Denise,
Thank you for writing this, it has been helpful to me. I do find it interesting that you write it from the side of people who earn already enough, while people who always struggle with finances, and basically never have enough in a more real sense, have exactly the same problem. As I am in the latter category, that is how I read your article, and it is as valuable reading it like that. I believe the essence in both groups is the fact that once the enough experience is created, this is incompatible with the early traumatic pain we have stored at the cellular level. I believe it is only when this existential pain can be dissolved, will it be possible to welcome the enough experience.
I believe the “enough” or “not enough” experience lives in our bodies. I agree with you. Our behaviors can help change the body experience when it comes to money. If you are struggling to bring money in…I would recommend one of two books on under-earning…Mikelann Valterra’s book “Why Women Earn Less,” and / or Barbara Stanny’s book, “Overcoming Under-earing.” Blessings on your journey.
One aspect of mindfulness chakra meditation is that if you don’t work, you don’t eat. Being bailed out by government, charity, welfare and relatives doesn’t solve the money deprivation mentality. Mindfulness chakra meditation empowers a person to get to work and make the money that they need in order to feel first chakra safe and secure. Survival requires action and effort along with releasing chakra energy.
Yes, I was taught the belief that people with money are not good, I’ve worked really hard to create my own belief about money being energy and work to let it flow out so that more may flow in but there is still core cellular, that there isn’t enough, I hadn’t realized there might be if I allow abundance I won’t be loved, wow, and living on purpose is really the greatest abundance that I would like to believe for myself. Thank you for your blog and I look forward to following. Namaste