Trust & Security
I feel pretty confident saying that we all go through ups and downs in life. Events may happen that affect us, decisions or choices that we make have an impact on our lives. And yes, at times it is the actions and choices of others that affect us.
But no matter what, it is how WE choose to react that makes all the difference in the world. Our own actions and reactions are the ones that actually affect us. (I'm not talking about extreme cases of abuse here.)
This is a bit of a tricky thing to remember because we are often triggered into a spontaneous reaction. One that usually does not benefit us if the trigger is a negative one.
As we grow and learn we become aware of many internal, self-awareness tools that we can use to combat these negative reactions. Many of these are simply energetic tools such as meditation, awareness, breathing exercises, chakra work, yoga, Reiki and crystal therapy.
In this article I'm going to discuss, at the request of a dear reader of mine, some tools for restoring and strengthening trust and security.
Personal trust and security are often weakened by actions or events outside of ourselves and how we are today can often be traced back as far as childhood. Therefore rebuilding these can be a lengthy process. Often much inner work must be done to begin to gain these two values once again, or at all in some situations.
The main chakra to work with for trust and security is the Root or Base Chakra. This energy center is located at the base of the spine.
The Root Chakra is all about having your needs met, balance, security and grounding. This is very much about the physical survival of our being.
An over-active Root Chakra could show up in your life as:
Dependence on security from outside yourself
Feelings of anger, agitation, aggressiveness
Being materialistic
Over-active sex drive
Weight gain
And under-active Root Chakra could manifest itself like this:
Feeling disconnected
Disorganized and unfocused
Depression
Little to no stamina
Lacking boundaries
Ungrounded
Weight loss
Poor immunity
A couple crystals that I'll mention here that can assist you in working with this chakra are red jasper and black andradite garnet (I'm putting this one on my must-buy list!).
Red jasper is an easily found mineral (and is currently included in my Chakra Crystal Set which can be purchased for only $18 + shipping) This crystal aids in releasing negative attachments and enhances strength and energy.
The energy of this crystal can be applied by holding it while meditating on your Root Chakra. You can listen to a guided meditation or repeat a mantra such as "I am grounded, stable, and standing on my own two feet." (This is one that I've included in my Crystal Chakra Affirmation Deck - $11 + shipping).
Red jasper may also be placed on or near the Root Chakra. Alternatively, you can wear it as a pendant or bracelet but I personally feel it is better to place crystals as close to the chakra being worked with when you are specifically focused on balancing and clearing that energy center.
Black andradite garnet, a beautiful crystally little gem (and black is my favorite color!) is a terrific protective stone as well as one for enhancing and empowering self-confidence. Which in turn also establishes security and trust within yourself. And once you feel grounded and secure within yourself and self-confidence is blooming, trust in others begins to grow as well. Because you know that no matter what, YOU are OK.
Use the black andradite garnet in the same way as the red jasper or any crystal you choose to work with specifically for energy work.
Crystals can also be placed in bath water to charge the water with their unique vibration.
I've mentioned before that you can also make your own gem elixers with spring or filtered water and crystals. I'm not going to cover that here because I'm already a bit long-winded but feel free to ask me about that or use good ol' Google to find out more.
Another thing I would like to mention here is the use of scent with the chakras. There are many essential oils that can be used with each chakra but here are a few suggestions; cedar, geranium and vetiver. You can place a drop or two in your palm and inhale the scent as you take a few moments to focus on the Root Chakra.
A terrific book I would like to suggest if you are interested in learning more about the chakras is "Wheels of Life" by Anodea Judith, Ph.D. She covers everything from food to yoga poses for each chakra. It's well worth adding to your library.