What are the chakras: their importance and role in our personal development?
The word chakra derives from Sanskrit and means “wheel.” The chakras are centres of subtle psychic energy located along the spine. Each of these centres is united at the level of subtle energies and then branches out from the vertebral column.
My roots sustain us at all times and in all circumstances.
Let’s begin with the root chakra (MULADHARA). It is found at the base of the spine and is linked to the colour red. It is associated with security, grounding, physical activity, confidence and identity.
Imagine a thread levelling you from the core of the earth. It preserves you here. It is accountable for your heritage, where anxiety, authority and dread are lodged. Our attitudes and cultures come from here. The more energy you can drive through this energy circle, the more awareness and power you will have to live the way you desire. Its primary function is survival, and the associated keyword is: I exist.
You cannot build a solid house without a foundation, and the root chakra is the “foundation” that supports everything else in our body.
What does this chakra have to do with inclusive leadership?
We all know how hurtful it is to feel excluded. Whether at school or as a professional adult, being left out or ignored affects us on a human level. Indeed, studies have shown that exclusion can cause physical pain, with social ostracism considered more hurtful than direct bullying. This is because a sense of inclusion is at the heart of our connections with others. These connections are essential in our life, and work-life is no exception. Moreover, the feeling of inclusion translates into our ability to form effective teams and work relationships with our work colleagues.
The root chakra also contains your warning system: when your senses suddenly scream “NOT HERE, NOT NOW, NOT SAFE, GET OUT!!”, it is your base chakra that does its best to ring the alarm bell to get your attention. Not surprisingly, the base chakra is also the seat of the fight or flight instinct, and red is the colour associated with it. Red is also associated with anger and stress, which bring their energies to get us out of trouble.
Inclusion begins with you.
Inclusion Definition: The act of creating teams and organisations that welcome, respect, support, and value any individual or group and their full participation. (Source: The University of Houston, Centre for Diversity and Inclusion)
Inclusion and diversity – individually and collectively – help make people better in their professional and personal lives. With conscious, committed, and motivated teams, your company could be winning in many ways, perhaps even beyond the current reality and statistics. This is where inclusion responds to the requirements to feel important, have a place, and feel accepted. In addition, inclusion responds to our deep-rooted fear of being ignored or abandoned.
The leader allows each person to feel important through inclusion, thus minimising the fear of being ignored. No one else understands the world in the same way you do. No one had the same life-defining experiences, the same friends, the same events. So how does all this diversity impact our perspective when we come together? While you can’t quite know someone else’s stance when we look at how we came to our thinking, it gives us a deeper understanding of how other attitudes came to be made.
First, learning about your energy filters allows you to learn about your truth and step fully into it. Then, if you’re willing to take a hard look at yourself as a leader, you can guide yourself and others where you want to go.
The inner inclusion work
This ritual can take anywhere from five minutes to an hour, depending on your available time; the important thing is your intention in each sequence.
We will take time to connect each part with the earth and its foundations. Start by spreading your toes and pressing them into the ground; do the same with your heels, then with the soles of your feet, then quietly shifting your body weight to the outside of your feet. Next, you can gently rock back and forth on your feet, finding a steady rhythm. Finally, visualise the roots from your feet and running under your body, increasing your energetic grounding.
To conclude this ritual, return to a strong and centred position. Sink your feet into the ground, feeling the safety of the earth beneath and within you. Allow yourself a moment of gratitude towards yourself and breathe out generously.
This ritual can take anywhere from five minutes to an hour, depending on your available time; the important thing is your intention in each sequence.
Now reflect on these questions.
· What does it take to influence genuine inclusion?
· What does standing up and being an inclusion change agent look like?
· How can you evolve into an inclusive leader?
It takes continuous work. Utilise your exceptional powers and expertise, and be hyper-aware of what people say and do. Show courage and humility. You can stay curious; if you don’t know what you don’t know, that’s ok. It is all ok.