Compassionate Inquiry and Step 4: Healing Fear
The following is an excerpt from Rachel’s recently released Step 4 Guide called Compassionate Inquiry
STEP FOUR: Made a searching and fearless moral inventory of ourselves.
The creators of KY12 chose to combine the seven chakras with the seven difficult emotions in order to experience an embodied Fourth Step. We like the term Compassionate Inquiry instead of “moral inventory” because it reminds us to approach ourselves with kindness and with the intention to see ourselves more clearly so we can heal. Healthy, supportive self-care is vital during this time, along with a solid foundation in acceptance and self-compassion.
This KY12 Fourth Step inventory combines the work of Gurumeher Singh and Senses of the Soul® with Guru Rattana Kaur’s embodied exploration of the chakras. We will explore each of the seven difficult emotions (Fear, Desire, Anger, Grief, Depression, Guilt, and Shame) and learn to understand and work with it more skillfully. This exploration is embodied by incorporating movement, meditation, mantra, breathing, and other practices relating to the relevant chakra.
Fear and First Chakra
Desire and Second Chakra
Anger and Third Chakra
Grief and Fourth Chakra
Depression and Fifth Chakra
Guilt and Sixth Chakra
Shame and Seventh Chakra
The pairing of the emotion with the chakra is unique to the KY12 approach. As you explore each emotion and learn to come into dialogue with it, you will also learn about the associated chakra, as well as movements, breathwork, mantras, meditations, and other embodied tools to heal and balance each chakra and emotion. We have also included Worksheets that can be used to explore and document your work with each emotion. The underlying understanding about the emotions is that they are our allies, they are here to teach us how to take care of ourselves, and that when we listen to them without acting out, we get access to an inner guidance system that is invaluable for living life. As you use these tools during your Fourth Step, it is our hope that you will gain skills to work with difficult emotions throughout your whole lifetime.
Below is some information to help you understand the First Chakra and Fear:
First Chakra: Root, tailbone/base of the spine, perineum, pelvic floor, large intestine, legs, feet. Color: Red. Element: Earth.
Themes: Finances, food, health, shelter, security. Foundation, support, connection to the physical world, security, survival. Feeling safe, getting basic needs met. Relationship to nature, the Earth, and the physical body.
Imbalanced: Feeling unsafe, insecure, or numb. Poverty consciousness. Greed, possessiveness, can’t count on anyone. Ungrounded, uncomfortable in the body. Can’t manifest or attract abundance. Defensive, sensitive to criticism, feeling you need to justify your existence. Sense of being alone in a hostile world. Overwhelmed. Afraid of being vulnerable. Lack of self-worth.
In Balance: Sense of belonging, feeling at home on planet Earth, safe in the world. Able to trust yourself and others, able to relax and enjoy feeling alive in a body. Prosperity consciousness, desire to be here and enjoy life. Generous. Ability to trust and dare. Honoring and taking care of the body. Respect and love for the Earth. Can take a chance and try new things. Able to be vulnerable. Aware of your inherent self-worth.
Fear: Connect with insecurity, doubt, indecision, worry, confusion, anxiety, panic, and efforts to control. Heal that so you can feel what you feel without terror. Gives you energy to get information or act so that you can feel security and peace. Helps you move towards a sense that there is nothing to fear. Develop a sense of fearless security within yourself and with the Divine.
FEAR: F%ck Everything and Run. Or, Face Everything and Recover. Fear is the illusion that we are alone.
Here are some embodied practices that help you to access, bring compassionate inquiry to, and heal the First Chakra and Fear:
Stretch legs; Sufi grind; chair pose; standing poses while grounding into feet
Visualize dark red color in root and legs
Practice Root lock
Connect to the Earth
Listen to the mantra Chattra Chakkra Varti
The Step 4 Guide also includes guided visualizations to work with Fear, and Worksheets to help you take a compassionate inventory of how Fear is showing up in your life and what some potential solutions might be. May you find your fearlessness and begin your Step 4!
