Why You Feel Stuck in Survival Mode | Root Chakra Healing for Anxiety & Emotional Overwhelm

Have you been feeling emotionally overwhelmed, anxious, exhausted, disconnected, or stuck in survival mode?

In this gentle and conversational episode, we begin exploring the chakras together by focusing on the Root Chakra — the energy center traditionally associated with grounding, emotional safety, stability, security, and our connection to the physical world around us.

Together, we’ll talk about:
 • What the Root Chakra is and what it represents
 • The emotional, physical, mental, and spiritual connections associated with this chakra
 • Signs you may be feeling ungrounded or emotionally depleted
 • Gentle holistic practices that may help support grounding and balance
 • Mindfulness, nervous system support, grounding exercises, breathwork, crystals, aromatherapy, sound healing, and self-care practices connected to the Root Chakra
 • Supportive affirmations for emotional grounding and inner stability

This episode is not about perfection or fear-based spirituality. It’s a compassionate and approachable conversation about reconnecting with yourself gently, especially during stressful, uncertain, or emotionally overwhelming seasons of life.

Whether you’re completely new to chakra healing or simply looking for calming holistic practices to support emotional well-being, this episode offers a grounded and supportive place to begin.

Be sure to listen to the separate original companion guided Root Chakra meditation with journal prompts to help support your healing journey.

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Transcript

Welcome And Gentle Series Kickoff

0:00

Welcome to Kindred Spirits. I am Donna Garden and I'm so happy you're here. Have you ever felt emotionally exhausted, overwhelmed, anxious, or like your nervous system never fully relaxes? Like you're constantly carrying the weight of life, always thinking, worrying, trying to hold everything together. In today's episode, we're beginning a gentle new series exploring the chakras, not in a complicated or intimidating way, but through the lens of emotional healing, mindfulness, grounding, and self-awareness. And today we're starting at the foundation, the root chakra. Together we'll talk about what the root chakra is and the chakras in general, how it may affect the mind, body, emotions, and spirit, and what it can feel like when we're emotionally ungrounded or stuck in survival mode. We'll talk about gentle holistic practices that may help us reconnect with a greater sense of safety, stability, and inner support. We'll explore grounding rituals, nervous system calming, mindfulness breath, and sound, self-care and simple ways to reconnect with yourself compassionately, especially during stressful or emotional, overwhelming seasons of life. So wherever you are right now, I invite you to take a deep breath, settle in, and let's begin this journey together. Hello,

Why I’m Starting The Chakra Journey

1:12

kindred, spirits, and welcome back. Today I want to begin a new journey with you here on the podcast, one that I've been thinking about deeply for quite some time. Over the years, I've had so many conversations with people who felt emotionally exhausted, disconnected from themselves, overwhelmed by stress, grief, chronic illness, trauma, uncertainty, or simply the heaviness of everyday life. When I started my holistic wellness center in 2011, I had been on a spiritual journey myself and a holistic journey as well to become more connected with myself and to heal my own life, which I did. I took every class and workshop that I could that I felt interested or connected to. And I ended up curating an amazing, an amazing, amazing treasure trove of beautiful healing modalities. Anything that I felt guided or connected to, I wanted to learn more about it. It started off with Reiki for me, and I talked about that on my podcast many times. And then I learned everything that I could about the chakras. There was just something calling me to it. It felt so grounding and connected to it. I just felt I needed to learn more. And then it went on to learning everything I could about angels and angel healing, spirituality. And from there it was Tai Chi, life coaching, hypnotherapy. I learned so much because my body and soul was craving to learn. And I know I learned it so I could not only help myself, but to help other people, and I did. And it gave me the biggest joy. I taught many classes and workshops on everything from connecting with your spirit guides to learning about the chakras to guided mindfulness meditation. I did sessions from everything from chakra balancing to hypnotherapy. Everything that I learned, I was able to apply to my life and to those around me to help them. And it was about not taking control of anything, but to help them, give them the tools so they could do their own healing for their body, mind, and spirit. I'm not a healer, never been a healer, never will be a healer. But I do believe that we have the ability to heal certain things in our life, whether it's physical, mental, spiritual, or emotional. So to this day, I still use every one of those things that I learned over the years in one form or another. And I learned how to balance the chakras. I learned how to use tuning forks to help move energy in the body. I learned to use crystals in addition to the tuning forks. Some of this may sound woo-woo to you, but to me, it was an amazing experience. And I know I'm putting myself out there, but some people who may not understand it and think, you know, that it's, you know, this or that or it's a bad thing. And it wasn't. Everything that I did for myself and to help others came from a place of self-compassion and of love. And I had many people who sought out sessions because they felt so stuck. It was not about taking away from traditional medicine, but it could be used in addition to allopathic medicine. I no longer have my wellness center. I gave it up years ago when I started teaching full-time in an adult education career school. I was a nationally certified licensed massage therapy instructor and program director for a few years for a trade and technical school. But I have never forgotten my roots and I have never forgotten the healing mobilities that helped me. Being a licensed massage therapist for many years helped me. And everything that I learned, they're part of who I am, and I want to share them with you. So many times in life we feel as if we have our feet in quicksand, as if we can't move or we're rooted in one place, maybe because of circumstance, but most oftentimes beyond our control. We are always looking for answers. We are always looking for solutions. We are always looking to heal. And I feel that's true for many of us. And maybe that's true for you as well. And I think sometimes without even realizing it, we begin moving through life disconnected from our own bodies, disconnected from our emotions, disconnected from our sense of peace and maybe even grounding. We become stuck in survival mode, myself included. Because you know what? We're always thinking, we're always worrying, we're always carrying something. And as women, don't we carry the bulk of everything? And eventually the mind, body, emotions, and spirit all begin asking for our attention in different ways. Whether something breaks down or something acts up or something no longer works, something is out of balance. It lets us know when it needs to be healed or even recalibrated. That's part of why I wanted to create the chakra series. Not to overwhelm anyone with complicated spiritual teachings and not to make anyone feel like they need to become perfectly healed or balanced overnight, but simply to create a gentle space where we can begin reconnecting with ourselves again. Because all healing starts with ourselves. We can take the best medicine, see the best doctors, but until our mind, body, and spirit is ready, that healing will not take place. And that has been my experience. And I always tell people the more we resist something, the more it persists. And I am the poster child for healing your mind, body, and spirit because I do live with chronic pain and chronic illness. And people ask me, well, if you do these modalities and you do this, this, and that, how come you're not healed? Not healed because what I'm trying to heal is something that is more of a physical problem that takes time. But the things that I do do to help mitigate the pain, the sadness, the depression. It helps inspire joy. It helps me feel like I am in control of my own journey. And I use these modalities every day. I use Ricky every day, balance my chakras, I do meditation, I do self-talk, positive self-talk, I do breath work, I do all of these things in one form or another. And I truly feel that if I didn't have any of these things that I've learned along my path to help me, I would not be here sitting doing this podcast with you because I would have given up a very long time ago. So whether it's learning hypnotherapy or whether it's learning massage therapy or learning Reiki, what we can do to help our body heal is all the more tools that we have at our disposal to have a better life.

Chakras As A Practical Healing Tool

7:55

And chakras are usually traditionally viewed as energy centers within the body that are connected not only to our physical selves, but to our emotions, our mental well-being, our sense of connection, and our spiritual lives. And whether you see the chakras as deeply spiritual, symbolic, energetic, or simply a mindfulness tool for self-awareness, they're real. Think of you know a lot of many people do yoga. A lot of people do yoga. They do tai chi, uh, they do meditation, they do mindfulness, everything, you know, especially in the Eastern medicine, acupuncture, acupressure, reflexology, massage therapy, there are eastern beliefs and eastern systems that believe the chakras really have a pivotal role in our bodies and in our healing. And I am one that truly believes that. I will never kick away allopathic or traditional Western medicine because it does have a place. But when you have more tools at your disposal to help heal your body, mind, and spirit, that puts you more in control of your own healing journey. And I think sometimes we move through life carrying so much stress, so much fear, grief, trauma, responsibility, that chronic illness, emotional pain, even uncertainty that we stop noticing how much our body, mind, and spirit are all affecting one another. We're an automatic pilot. We live in our thoughts, we disconnect from our bodies, we silence our emotions, we even ignore our intuition, we push through exhaustion, we stay in survival mode. Does this sound like you? I know it sounds like me. And eventually something within us begins asking for our attention because we're not broken, but because some parts of us need care, that's part of why I wanted to create this chakra series. And I'm calling it Journey Through the Chakras, where each week I will release two episodes for two chakras, and it'll also have a standalone companion guided meditation as well. And when we're finished with the seven chakras, we're going to do an amazing, amazing chakra balance meditation. Because all of what we're learning, I don't want it to be a rigid spiritual lesson because I don't want it to be from fear, not definitely not from perfectionism, and not in a way that makes anyone feel like they have to fix themselves, but as a compassionate exploration of ourselves. Because when we know better, we do better. And whether you view view chakras spiritually, symbolically, energetically, psychologically, or simply as a mindfulness framework for self-awareness, I think they invite us into something very important. They ask us to slow down long enough to notice ourselves in an honest way, to ask, where am I hurting? Where am I exhausted? Where do I feel disconnected? What parts of me need support? And what have I been carrying alone? Because each chakra represents a different layer of the human experience. So what parts of me need support right now? Right now, I know my my root chakra has always been a very unbalanced chakra. It's one when every time I've done a chakra balancing, that is one that is always unbalanced. Do feel depleted. And you want to ask yourself, what parts of me have been carrying too much for too long? And most of the answers you're gonna hear are stress, stress, anxiety, hardships, family, responsibilities. The list is endless. But each chakra represents a different aspect of our human experience, our safety, emotions, our confidence, our ability to love, our voice, our intuition, and even our spiritual connection. And over this series, I want us to explore these gently together, one chakra at a time, in a way that feels grounded, supportive, emotionally honest, and extremely approachable. So

A Quick Safety And Scope Note

11:59

before we begin, I just want to gently remind you that the conversations in this episode are meant to support mindfulness, self-awareness, emotional well-being, and holistic healing practices. They are not intended to replace medical care, mental health support, diagnosis, or treatment from a licensed healthcare professional. Please take what resonates with you and leave the rest. Honor your own needs and always seek professional support when needed, whether it's physical, emotional, or spiritual.

Root Chakra Basics And Body Links

12:31

And today we begin at the foundation of it all. The root chakra. The root chakra strategy is known as Maladhara, which translates roughly to root support or foundation. And honestly, I think that word foundation is incredibly important because the chakra is deeply connected for our sense of safety and stability in the world. And you think about when a house is built, what's the first thing that you do when you build a house? The foundation, right? If the foundation isn't safe or secure or steady or reliable, anything you build above it isn't going to be tangible or it could just collapse. So you want that foundation and that support to be solid because it's not just physical survival, but emotional survival as well. And the root chakra is associated with the color red, deep earthy reds, the color of clay, soil, even the color of blood, warmth, life force, and the earth beneath our feet. And the root chakra, I'm going to let you know where it's located. It's located at the base of the spine, and it is traditionally associated with the legs, feet, hips, lower spine, pelvic floor, and adrenal response. The parts of the body connected to movement, support, grounding, and instinctive survival responses. And ironically, I have trouble with my legs, my feet, my hips, my lower spine, my pelvic floor, and my adrenal adrenal problems. So my root chakra is constantly unbalanced. And even though I do the meditations and I try to balance it, if I have not healed every part of it, it's never going to be balanced. And it could just be maybe it's balanced that day and you're feeling great, but you have something that comes up, something that happens. Doesn't take much to make them out of balance. And emotionally, this chakra often reflects how safe we feel in life itself. Do we feel secure? Do we trust life? Do we constantly feel emotionally braced for something? I talked about this in our last episode about foreboding joy of waiting for the next shoe to fall. Do we feel supported or do we feel mostly alone? Do we feel connected to our bodies or disconnected from them? So the root chakra is connected to financial fear, instability, chronic stress, feeling unsupported, medical trauma, family dysfunction, nervous system hypervigilance, and we talked about that in the last episode. Feeling emotionally unsafe. Now, for me, we all, I mean, all of us have financial fear one way or another. And over the last, I would say the last nine years for me, I've had that as well. I've gone from having a job that I love to being on disability. My husband went from a job he loved and did for 30 years to having a work accident and having to be in disability as well. So of course that aids that adds to the financial fear. And do I feel some instability? I feel instability because of the severe arthritis that I have and the health conditions that I do have that makes my pelvic floor, my legs, my knees, my hips unstable. Do I have chronic stress? I don't think I do. I've learned to manage stress very well. Not to say that certain situations can cause stress, but I don't feel that I have chronic stress. And I do feel supported, but I do have medical trauma a lot of it. I don't have any family dysfunction. And I do know that I have some uh nervous system hypervigilance, but I do feel emotionally safe. So those are some things you may not have all of them, but it's kind of like a little checklist to say, okay, well, my root chakra may be a little unbalanced.

Survival Mode Signs In Real Life

16:17

And I think for many people, especially after trauma, grief, instability, chronic stress, illness, financial hardship, emotional neglect, even major life changes, the nervous system can begin living in a constant state alertness. And this is me. And I just recently realized that I my nervous system is overwhelmed, it's overstimulated, and I'm trying to find ways to help that. Because when we are in a constant state of alertness, we're always scanning, preparing, surviving. And it's a vicious circle, it's always happening, even when the danger has passed. Sometimes we become so accustomed to functioning in survival mode that we forget what calm feels like. And I am really, really guilty about this. We may appear functionally good externally, while internally we're feeling emotionally unsafe at all times. And I think many people carry this silently because a lot of us don't talk about it. So spiritually, people sometimes describe feeling disconnected, numb, hopeless, detached, especially from meaning, or unable to feel fully present in their lives. And physically, you can feel the overload, it can affect the body very deeply as well. Louise Hay wrote a book many years ago, late great Louise Hay, called Heal Your Body A to Z. Not a very big book, but it's been around for a very long time. And her philosophy and belief system was that everything physical with our body started with an emotional or spiritual issue. And I have referred to this book many times in my life, and it kind of gave me a little bit of a roadmap of where I needed to go and look to help my body, mind, and spirit heal. And people, you know, whether they realize it or not, often carry survival stress physically in the lower body. And we talked about the lower part of the body, but it could be what if you have tight hips, pelvic tension, uh, digestive discomfort, fatigue, muscle tension, restlessness, difficulty sleeping, or even, again, the inability to fully relax. I want to pause here for a moment because I think this is important. This is not about blaming ourselves for stress or illness, and it is not about claiming chakras medically explain everything. But I do think there's wisdom and recognizing the emotional experiences lived inside the body. Because fear affects the body, grief, stress, trauma, all of that affects our body. And many of us have spent years disconnecting from our own needs while trying to survive and while trying to help others. So the root chakra invites us to begin rebuilding safely within ourselves gently, not forcefully, not perfectly, but gently. So when this chakra feels more balanced or supported, many people can feel more grounded, emotionally steadier, more connected to their bodies, more resilient, less reactive, more present, and more capable of resting and less consumed by survival fear. Again, not because life becomes perfect, but because we begin feeling more supportive within ourselves. And honestly, I think many people are craving that right now. I know I am, and it's not about constant posity, it's not spiritual perfection, it's just support, it's stability, it's

Grounding Can Be Simple And Human

19:44

rest. It's a moment to breathe without feeling emotionally unsafe. And grounding doesn't always have to be complicated or deeply mystical. Sometimes grounding is incredibly human, and grounding is also called earthing as well. So it's eating nourishing food after forgetting to take care of yourself. It's resting when your body feels exhausted. It's creating routines that help your nervous system feel safe. It's spending time in nature, drinking water, taking your medications, asking for help, wrapping yourself in a blanket after a difficult day. It's allowing yourself to pause instead of constantly pushing beyond your limits. Sometimes the most spiritual thing we can do is help our nervous system feel safe again. There are also many holistic practices traditionally associated with supporting the root chakra. Some people connect grounding meditations, breath work, mindfulness, drumming, chanting, yoga, or even spending time barefoot in nature. Others enjoy grounding scents like cedarwood, patchouli, bativier, frankincense, sandalwood, cinnamon, or clove, because warm earthy aromas can create a sense of comfort and stability. And of course, certain stones and crystals are also traditionally associated with grounding energy, including red jasper, smoky quartz, garnet, black tourmaline, hematite, and even obsidian. And whether someone views these two spiritually, energetically, symbolically, or simply as comforting mindfulness anchors, I think what matters most is the intention behind them. It's not about doing it perfectly. It's not about, well, the manual said I needed to do this. No, it's about intention. If something feels right, do it. If it doesn't, don't. And I want to preface this by saying that if you ever feel connected to a particular stone or aroma or therapy or anything, even though it may not be use one for that particular situation, use it. Your intuition is strong and you should always follow it as long as you are safe. Because the willingness is always to slow down and care for ourselves. Because you know what? Even sound can be grounding. Low drumming, deep humming, nature sounds, slow rhythmic music, the vibration of chanting. I love to listen to chanting music. I find it so grounding, so healing. It's just even listening to the birds outside, I find it so connecting. Have you ever noticed that when you are holding a crying baby and you gently hum and they settle down? It's the vibration they feel when you hum. Babies come into this world completely balanced, and over time, of course, their nervous system becomes dysregulated as well. You just watch a baby breathe, watch their belly rise and fall with every breath. We have forgotten as adults how to breathe. So practice your breathing techniques by breathing like a baby would. It does help you more than you realize. So even placing a hand over your lower body and breathing intentionally can help reconnect awareness to the present moment. The traditional sound associated with the root chakra is L A M. Lam. And you don't have to do it. I'm just letting you know for information purposes that it's Lam, L-A-M. And many people pronounce it many different ways, so don't come at me for it. And some people softly repeat the sound during meditation because the vibration itself can feel calming and grounding within the body. But above all else, I think I think the root chakra ultimately reminds us of something deeply important. And that is we were never meant to live in constant survival mode. We deserve rest, support, peace. We want to feel connected to ourselves again. And don't you think we deserve that? And that's where healing begins. Not becoming someone new, but in learning how to return compassionately to ourselves after life has pulled us away from our center.

Movement Journaling Breathwork For Release

23:47

I want to share some simple practices that I do when trying to balance or to heal my root chakra. Again, you don't need to do them all. There's nothing about perfection. Take what resonates with you and leave the rest. So some emotional release activities for the root chakra, the first one, grounding through movement. Sometimes fear, stress, emotional overwhelm become stored physically in the body. A gentle way to release some of that tension is through slow, intentional movement. This could be walking, walking outdoors, stretching the hips and legs, gentle swaying. I tend to do this when I was when I was able to stand okay. When I was standing in line or when I was standing talking to someone, I would just sway. When I was teaching and would do this during lecture, my students would let me know that I was doing this because it was making the it was meditative for them and they were getting sleepy because it can be distracting. Even slow dancing, shaking out tension from your arms and your legs, rocking back and forth, or rocking in a rocking chair. This is one of my favorites. That really does help balance my root chakra. Or simply standing barefoot and shifting your weight from one side to side while breathing deeply. And if you can do it on the grass, it's even better. Or if you can do it on beach sand, that's even well, even better too. And yes, even hugging a tree can help you feel grounded. Even using a hula hoop is helpful as well. The goal isn't exercise or performance, it's helping the nervous system remember that the body is allowed to move out of survival tension. And the second one, release to the earth, a journey journaling ritual. Sometimes simply journaling can help. The release to the earth, journaling exercise can help with fears, worries, emotional burdens, resentment, or things you feel you've been carrying alone. And after you journal or you write out a letter, write a letter to the emotion, the sadness, the issue, the situation, the anger. Write it out, write a letter to it, and safely tear the paper, and you can bury it, place it beneath a stone, burn it in a safely appropriate container in a safe place, or simply close the journal and place both hands over it intentionally. The symbolic act of releasing can feel emotionally grounding and validating, especially, especially for people who hold everything internally. Journaling is one of my favorite things to do. And this is why when I do the original guided companion meditations, I always include at least five journal prompts at the end in the episode description because it can help you with what maybe you experience during the meditation. The third one is rooted breathwork, a simple emotional grounding exercise. We we take breathing for granted, but sit comfortably with both feet planted on the floor. And as you inhale, imagine drawing calm, steady energy upward from the earth. And as you exhale, imagine releasing fear, tension, overwhelmed, or emotional heaviness downward into the earth to be held and softened. It gets recycled. This can help create a feeling of emotional anchoring and nervous system support.

Sensory Grounding Touch And Support

27:05

Now some sensory awareness techniques for grounding. The root chakra connects deeply to the physical experience of being present in the body and connected to the earth. Sensory grounding can be incredibly calming, especially for emotional overwhelming anxiety. So some gentle ideas for sensory awareness, noticing the warmth of the sunlight on your skin, feeling soft fabrics or blankets, holding a warm mug with both hands, listening to rainfall, ocean waves, or soft drumming, or even chanting, smelling earthy essential oils, walking barefoot on the grass or sand, noticing textures in nature, focusing on slow, mindful breathing, and savoring warm, nourishing foods slowly. And my favorite petting your cat or dog or other pet when I feel overwhelmed, petting my cat gently helps me to release anxiety. And tactile sensory is a great way to help relax your senses. I have things around my healing spaces that I can glide my hand or fingers over to give that sensory feeling of safety and comfort. Use what feels right for you. There's no right or wrong. And then placing the attention on the feeling of the floor beneath the feet and saying some because sometimes grounding begins by simply noticing we are here. So some examples, I want to talk about mindful touch for a moment. As a massage therapist, a retired massage therapist, some mindful touch for the root chakra. Mindful touch can help create feelings of comfort, safety, and even calm your nervous system, especially for people who feel emotionally disconnected from their bodies. Some examples of mindful touch are placing both hands over the lower abdomen or hips while breathing slowly. So resting a hand over your heart and one over the belly, wrapping yourself in a soft blanket intentionally, self-massage of the feet or legs, applying lotion or oil slowly and mindfully, holding your own hands gently, placing one hand on the chest while repeating affirmations, hugging a pillow or even using a weighted blanket, gently rubbing the palms together for warmth or comfort. And I really do highly recommend finding a great massage therapist that can help or reflexologist. When you have positive touch on the body, it really can help you feel safe, secure, supported, and really does help with your healing. So mindful touch can become a reminder that lets you know I am here, I am supported, and my body deserves gentleness. I wanted

Root Chakra Affirmations For Daily Use

29:47

to go talk about just for a few moments some root chakra affirmations. So some of the affirmations that can help you feel emotionally grounded and compassionate rather than performative. Very simple. And I say this one to myself all the time, especially when I leave the house and a passenger in a car, and I get started to get anxiety. I am safe in this moment. Another one is I deserve rest and support. I am grounded and connected. My body deserves gentleness and care. I am allowed to slow down. I do not have to carry everything alone. I am learning to feel safe within myself again. I am worthy of feeling calm, supported, and emotionally secure. So wherever you are today, whether you feel grounded or completely overwhelmed, whether you feel connected or emotionally exhausted, like many of us are, I hope this conversation reminded you that you are allowed to slow down.

A Short Guided Grounding Moment

30:46

I want to remind you that we always create an original companion guided mindfulness meditation for each of the episodes that we do, and you can find it where you found this episode. So before we close today, I'd love to leave you with a simple grounding moment you can carry with you long after this episode ends. And only do this if you are in a safe place or situation and your attention is not needed elsewhere. In other words, don't listen to this while you're driving, please. If it feels comfortable for you, gently place one hand over your heart and the other near the lower part of your body, near your abdomen or lap. Take a slow deep breath in and gently exhale. Again, breathing in slowly and releasing. Now imagine roots extending gently downward from your body into the earth beneath you. Steady, supported, connected. Allow yourself to notice the support underneath you right now. The chair beneath you, the floor beneath your feet, the breath moving through your body. And quietly remind yourself, I am safe in this moment. I do not have to carry everything alone. I am allowed to soften. And before we close, I'd like to leave you with this gentle, gentle reflection. What would it feel like to offer yourself a little more grounding, gentleness, support, and grace this week? Take one final slow breath. May you leave this space feeling a little more connected, a little more supported, and reminded that even during difficult seasons of life, you deserve moments of peace too. Our

What’s Next And Closing Encouragement

32:42

next episode, we will talk about the sacral chakra, and that episode will drop on June 4th, as well as the companion guided meditation. Until next time, my kindred spirits, please remember you are never too much, and you are always, always enough.