A while back, in the course of my personal studies of energy and spirituality, I started to make some surprising connections.

While I was learning about the chakras, the seven energy centers in the body as discussed in yoga and similar practices, I started to notice that many of the problems I see coming up for my clients around money could be correlated to one of the chakras.

I also noticed that as soon as someone “cleared” or moved past a problem associated with one chakra, they tended to move up the ladder through the other chakras, until they got stuck again. It provided some real clarity for me around my own money blocks and with my coaching clients.

So I put it together into a class and I was excited to see that it resonated with many of the group participants! (In fact, if you want to get the first lesson free to download, click here.)

Scarcity vs. abundance

While I do get a little tetchy with people who claim you can “manifest abundance” just by chanting (uh, NOPE! Gotta do the work, too!), I do believe that mindset plays a huge part in your money energy and your money story.

The first chakra, called your root chakra, is the energy center located at the base of your spine, and the energy, emotions and stories about it are usually centered on survival.

When your root chakra energy is in balance, you feel safe, secure, and grounded.  You feel comfortable with the stories of your past (good or bad) and with your prospects for the future. Your life feels filled with abundance.

But when this energy is out of alignment or blocked, scarcity mentality takes hold. This can show up a lot with your money issues.

If, for example, you find yourself living paycheck to paycheck or are always frustrated and stressed out about money, this is clearly a root chakra problem.

But it can be more insidious too.  Maybe you make plenty of money, but you always feel guilty about it, as though wanting abundance somehow makes you “greedy.”  Or you might worry about taking your fair share, as though if you get more others will have less.

Sometimes I see root chakra problems with compulsive savers. From the outside, it sounds like a good problem to have, but these people save and save for a rainy day, and never touch a dime because they are too afraid of what might happen.

These sorts of destructive ideas about money, finance, and abundance are all characteristics of an imbalance in the root chakra.

Changing your money mindset

Thankfully, thoughts and ideas can be changed!  It takes some work, but you absolutely can reframe your thoughts and break through negative money mindsets.

If you feel like you might have a root chakra problem, take a moment to ask yourself where it stems from. A lot of times, these “survival” instincts are handed down generation after generation or solidified early in childhood. Think about how your parents and grandparents felt about money.  What did you do with money as a child, spend it or save it? Were you taught good money habits or were you chastised for your decisions around money?

All of these early experiences can shape how you feel about money.  

Then ask yourself, is this the truth?

If we grew up when money was scarce, we might feel the need to save compulsively even when money isn’t scarce in our adult lives.  Or, maybe you were somehow made to believe that a low-level job was the best you could ever hope to do. Is that true?

Create a solid plan

As I said, I know that mindset plays a big part in how we approach money, but the only way you will change things is with a plan.

Luckily, the root chakra loves plans, because it is the chakra of security! Developing some financial goals and then creating a conscious spending plan to help achieve them will help soothe and satisfy that part of yourself that is desperately craving security.

If this is a step you need to take, I highly encourage you to download the Money Chakra free eBook in my free resource library and learn more about how you can support both sides of your money — both the pragmatic side and the energetic side.