The base chakra is all about safety, security, money, direction in life and our homes (and workspaces and cars – anywhere we spend a good chunk of time) can be a wonderful way to make tiny and enormous changes.
We know from Polyvagal Theory that we mammals thrive when we feel safe, welcome and loved and we can almost ALWAYS do SOMETHING to enhance these feelings. (And enormous gratitude that we’re not having to flee for our lives like so many in other parts of the world or even locally with family violence making too many homes unsafe.)
Me and my homes
As we began this journey early January, I noticed myself paying far more attention to my floors (mopping more, vacuuming etc, moving rugs and furniture around). Very base chakra focused.
As I focused on my own Love your WHOLE self process, concentrating on the base chakra, I was actually ATTACKED BY FURNITURE (and still have the bruises!). I was at a loved one and when I moved a wire a tiny bit to pass someone their phone, a shelf fell off the wall and hit me on the head, shoulder and legs.
I mean, come ON.
I suddenly felt very UNSAFE. And while I have loads of blanks still around much of my childhood, I remembered all the times I’d sat up in bed and hit my head on the shelf above it, occasionally knocking the shelf down completely.
My parents (who I adore), bless them, are not into DIY and I think they were just overwhelmed but at no point did they think, Hmm, this shelf keeps hitting Eve. Let’s fix it!
We also had a radiator that attempted to escape the wall each time the gentlest of things touched it and I grew up in fear that one day, it would break free and (in my childish catastrophising imagination) gas (rather than water) would fill the house and we’d all die.
The loved one in 2024 immediately promised to fix it before I was next there (and DID) and I realised that this tiny (fortunately – when I hit my head LAST January, it was way more serious) bump and some bruises were showing me how far I’d come with the base chakra love and healing.
I won’t go into all the places I’ve lived (17) or my earliest memory being of us being burgled in London or my shared house in Bangor, for uni, being almost condemned and next to a squat where an axe once nearly went through the whole wall and a strange man tried climbing into my window one night because he thought his ex girlfriend still lived there. Or the mice. Or so many experiences of nightmare neighbours and having to call the police and ambulances for them. Or the house fire that my greed for extra crisps saved me from but where we had to move out for a few months.
Nutshell, though: Until I started processing my trauma history I kept on having to deal with homes in which I felt (and sometimes WAS) unsafe.
Journal prompt
Give yourself some time and space to remember all the homes YOU can remember living in.
Highlights, challenges, what you learned, what you want to bring into your current home, what you’ll NEVER tolerate again…
Arrange your home to suit YOU and others who share your space
While I adore Marie Kondo and have done Big Tidy life changing magic a couple times (when I first read it in Essex and as I began to feel more settled in Ireland), I now prefer to watch her on Netflix as I tidy and rearrange in a way more suited for me now.
(Seriously, rewatching these shows helps inspire me to get moving in my own.)
Similarly, I adore watching The Home Edit team work their magic but I like to do things my own way.
Mentally (or physically! Walk around each room if possible!) scan your home right now.
What would you like to change, improve, fix, remove etc etc?
You might surprise yourself with some of the easy fixes that make an enormous difference but even naming things you won’t even get done this YEAR can help you save up / organise other logistics for and know it will be dealt with.
Some changes may be easy enough for you to do but will require time and maybe elbow grease.
Others may need sunshine or dry weather or help from others and other things you don’t control.
One simple thing to do, whether you live alone or with others, is to have each member of the household share three qualities they want the space to radiate.
For me, it’s peaceful, colourful and friendly. And easy(enough) to maintain.
Once you know what everyone wants, you’ll find it easier to prioritise the changes you want to make.
I ADORE the pic I shared above because I like many maximalist looks. It might feel like your idea of hell.
Whatever your style, let yourself indulge it on Insta, Pinterest, in magazines, library books etc (all the while REMINDING YOURSELF THAT THESE ARE NOT NORMAL EVERYDAY HOMES. THEY’VE BEEN STYLED FOR THE PICTURES. You might enjoy the Rebecca Seal Episode of the Feel Better Every Day Podcast (Watch or listen to Episode 2) and her gorgeous book, Be Bad Better) and be inspired.
Similarly, if you don’t really care how your home looks, prioritise what matters to you (function? Simplicity etc etc).
To give you a couple of personal examples from this week, I made a tiny change in the bathroom, moving plants and candles so I can now light the tealights every time I want a candlelit bath without worrying about hurting the plants and it’s revolutionised my life (in terms of allowing me to more easily have candlelit baths).
I’ve also been in touch with a gardener to help me cut back all the failed efforts at rewilding while keeping the trees I planted which have survived. This is a matter of saving up but I can’t tell you the relief I feel just knowing it’s in the plan now.
And unlike last year’s house expenses including a new roof and water cistern, this garden work feels like a (very expensive) new dress. Something that will make me smile each time I see it (although, to be fair, I do love my new roof and water cistern).
What tiny change will you make to your environment today?
What larger change are you working towards? How might you support yourself as you move closer to what you want?
How might you tweak or overhaul your workspace or car etc too?
Episode 8 of The Feel Better Every Day Podcast
The latest podcast episode has the fantabulous Samba choreographer, Martine Henry, sharing her self and Self care routines and practices including one she learned in her corporate life (she was my boss as well as (still) friend 20+ year ago) and the simple but not easy giving yourself GRACE…
LISTEN HERE
WATCH HERE
Extra Embodied online members
As promised, I’ve been paying attention to the feedback some of you have been sharing and as a result, am making a pretty big change but one which I hope will help you exhale a little more deeply.
SUNDAY NEWSLETTER: You’ll still receive this newsletter each Sunday morning and your exclusive bounteous bundle of self and Self care ideas and practices (with the week’s recordings) by Tuesday nights (I’d say Monday night but rural wifi means it routinely takes 10 hours for me to upload just 10 minutes worth…) each week.
RECORDINGS AND INSTANT ARCHIVE ACCESS: As well as the week’s new unique yoga nidra, there’ll be interviews with experts, yoga breath practices and poses, coaching, NLP and EFT Tap Alongs and crystal and other energy cleanses to support you in each stage of your Love your WHOLE self chakra journey. (With the rich archive available in the Extra Embodied Membership area if you’re joining us later.)
LIVE CALLS AND ONLINE EXTRA EMBODIED CIRCLES: You can still join the Zooms on Monday at 8.30pm to do the yoga nidra live and enjoy (or be challenged by – feel however you WANT to feel!) a brief self care coaching catch up but instead of the other two weekly calls, you can join Extra Embodied Circles every month(ish).
Designed to help you benefit from the lunar cycle and Celtic Wheel of the Year energies, you’ll have a space to dive deeper into the chakras. These calls will be recorded in their entirety and all Extra Embodied members can watch the replays via the Extra Embodied Membership area.
PRIVATE CHAT: Please join the Extra Embodied subscriber only chat to let us know how you’re going to enhance your environment to make it easier for you (and your nervous system) to thrive. Starting with the simplest thing will have a knock on effect. Remember, we humans, like all mammals, were designed to thrive when we feel safe, welcome and loved.
If you’re not an Extra Embodied member and would like to join us, you’re very welcome!
with love,
