Our ego, or sense of self, often becomes wounded from trauma, and when we haven’t healed from that trauma, we show all kinds of signs of an unhealthy self-image and self-perception. We have deep insecurities. We don’t feel grounded in ourselves or rooted in our purpose. The root chakra governs our feelings of security, stability, groundedness and rootedness. When we are struggling with issues around our feelings of self-worth and security, the energy of our root chakra is often imbalanced. The ego, therefore, and the root chakra are connected. All the parts of us are inextricably linked, in this case our thinking minds and our chakras or energy centers. When one is unhealthy, the other often is as well, and in very connected ways.

Our addictions are often our coping mechanisms for our insecurity and lack of stability. We feel so down on ourselves, so inadequate, so full of shame, that we escape into the high of a drug or relationship to make ourselves feel better. Because our energy is imbalanced and unhealthy, our coping mechanisms often are as well. Like many misguided coping mechanisms, our addictive behaviors are self-destructive.

When people have a healthy root chakra and, similarly, a healthy ego, they feel confident and whole. They don’t feel as though they’re lacking, inadequate, or unable to measure up. We appreciate ourselves. Life doesn’t feel burdensome. We can move through our challenges rather than letting them paralyze or debilitate us. We will inevitably get knocked down along the way, as we all do from time to time, but we’re able to pick ourselves up and keep going. We are self-aware, and we use mindfulness to process difficult thoughts and emotions. We work through our fears and the wounds we carry from our trauma, rather than running from them. We have the emotional courage, resilience and self-reliance to do the healing work we need to do.

To heal our root chakra, we can do grounding exercises like walking barefoot on the ground and hugging trees. We can recharge ourselves with the earth’s grounding energy. We can spend time in nature. We can eat red foods, meditate on our root and the color red, and use visualization. Healing our wounded ego means exploring our fears and traumas and identifying where our woundedness came from, while working to love and accept ourselves unconditionally to heal from the inside out.

We have the most success in our recovery when we approach our addictions holistically. When we work to heal our minds, bodies, hearts, souls and spirits, we heal in deep, transformative ways, leaving no room for the self-destruction of addiction.

The treatment programs at Bayview Recovery incorporate mindfulness, yoga, art, life skills education and multiple kinds of therapy, to help you achieve meaningful and lasting recovery. Call us for more information: 888-570-7154.