There is a place in the body where we must take our stand if we hope to establish authentic and powerful careers and selves. That place is the root, known as the first chakra. It is the energetic source or the “root” of our being.

Find out more about this source of our inner power, here:

The first chakra is located at the very tip of the coccyx (the tailbone), the lowermost bone of the spine. It is traditionally visualized as red and is connected to the element of earth. The first chakra is the place where we connect with the base energies of our being, where we can find the power as well as the spirit to actually accomplish something. This relates to the issue of abundance versus scarcity, the base matter that must be resolved if we are move from working into passion. The teaching of the first chakra is to live from a place of acceptance rather than the debilitating unworthiness that is nourished by mass conditioning.

The antidote to this conditioning is a deep self-acceptance. We accept ourselves on every level (not simply at the level of an idealized spiritual self), to accept our backgrounds, histories, perceived weaknesses, and disappointments as well as our hopes, dreams, and desires. The building must arise from the foundation, the very bottom of our being, with no pretense.

To truly accept what you have–your gifts, your experiences, and your chronic shortcomings–is no simple matter. But this is where your riches lie, for no one can duplicate your experiences; no one is born under the exact same set of circumstances, and therefore no one else can make the same contribution to the world that you can. From life’s point of view, each one of us is special. If you have not been told this enough, you must uncover it for yourself. And we have to uncover it for each other. No one can take your place in the universe.