Welcome back to “Wisdom Within,” an eight-article series exploring how we can tap into our inner wisdom to navigate unsettled times. In the first article last week, I introduced seven “lenses” or perspectives through which we can view life to find greater clarity, understanding, and sense of direction in any situation or relationship. We briefly explored the concept of intuitive thinking and introduced the seven chakras as sources of wisdom and understanding. I left you with several simple two-minute practices for awakening awareness.
Today, we look at life through the first lens, Common Ground. We’ll talk about the correlation between the lenses and the chakra system, and then go deeper into the Root Chakra to further open the “aperture” of the Common Ground lens. We’ll close with two simple exercises for tapping into the wisdom within through this lens.
And so, Common Ground. Feel your feet on the ground and take a deep breath. Breathe into that ground underneath you. We all stand on the same Common Ground. We all live on the same planet Earth; we all have the same cosmic home address. Everything that is happening, whether in your own house, down the street, or on the other side of the world, is happening on the same ground you stand on. Any place you might visit and any person you encounter stands on this Common Ground. Our ancestors stood on this ground, and those who will come after us many generations into the future will stand on this same Common Ground.
This idea of Common Ground can give us a sense of belonging—a sense of being part of a greater whole. It can help us recognize in a more tangible way that everything happens as a part of the greater unfolding of life. In that bigger picture, nothing exists in isolation, including us. Every event, every relationship, every circumstance is a part of a bigger unfolding story. Common Ground helps us recognize both the enormity of life and its simplicity. Feeling our feet on the ground can give us space to breathe.
The Seven Lenses and the Seven Chakras
Each of the seven lenses corresponds to one of the seven chakras. Before we explore the Root Chakra as the home base of Common Ground, just a bit more foundation for understanding what the chakra system is and how we know about it.
Chakra is a Sanskrit word meaning “wheel” or “cycle” referring to energy portals within our bio-energy system. Through the chakras, we exchange energy and information with the world around us. They were first mentioned in the Vedas, a collection of religious texts that originated in ancient India, and were first shared orally as early as 3,000 years ago. In the late 1800s, the chakra system as we know it today was introduced to the Western world through the writings of Helena Blavatsky and others from the Theosophical Society in New York City. Although today there are a variety of philosophies related to the chakra system, we will use the traditional Hindu system that is most widely accepted.
The Lens-Chakra Correspondences
Common Ground — Root Chakra
Connection — Sacral Chakra
Integrity — Solar Plexus Chakra
Relationship — Heart Chakra
Truth — Throat Chakra
Vision — Brow Chakra
Greater Wisdom — Crown Chakra
The chakras offer a deep and rich understanding of life. In this series, we will just scratch the surface of all there is to know. However, if our exploration here piques your interest, I encourage you to go further in your study. There are many books and websites devoted to the chakras, some more in-depth than others. You will find a quite extensive and experiential exploration in my first book, Intuitive Living: A Sacred Path (2001). It includes a full chapter on each of the chakras as well as chapters exploring the bridges and interconnection between the chakras.
The Root Chakra and Common Ground
The root chakra is located under the bottom of the body, between the genitals and the anus. The most primal in nature of all the chakras, its chief purpose is to maintain and sustain our physical life. It is the seat of our life-force energy as well as our instincts for survival. It’s also our physical connection to the earth and to the universal life force that flows through all living things.
Metaphorically, I think of the root chakra energy as a rocket. A rocket’s flight into space begins with a powerful downward thrust to the earth. In a similar way, our solid grounding provides an anchor for our expanding awareness. It’s our tether to the reality of right here, right now, even as we stretch the boundaries of our perspective and understanding. We can only access the portal to the Greater Consciousness through the present moment. For us to live into our greatest potential, we must be firmly grounded in the present.
It’s through the root chakra that we experience a visceral, tactile connection to the earth and to creation. Breathing into the root chakra helps us feel grounded and secure within ourselves. It anchors us in the present—right here, right now. Because root chakra awareness is so primal, it shows us what is real in the moment. There’s no “dressing it up” or making something look better or more ok than it is. It is what it is, and sometimes that can feel raw and unvarnished. It brings us face-to-face with what is happening and touches the most primal aspects of our being, our feelings, and emotions. When feelings and emotions are heightened, or when life is moving fast or feeling out of control, it takes discipline and focus to remain fully present with what is happening.
Many years ago, I heard author and teacher Matthew Fox talk about the root chakra as our primal connection to the cosmos. Through the root chakra we become aware of our own primal presence. We become aware of how we are showing up in the moment and the impact of our presence on what is happening. We can better feel and sense our own primal response to situations and circumstances. Through the lens of Common Ground, we can also gain a better sense of what others may be feeling and experiencing. In this way, this first lens of Common Ground leads us to the second lens, Connection. We’ll go there next week.
Metaphorically, the root chakra is also a garden. The “seeds” of who we can be—of our individual potential—are planted there. It’s up to us to water those seeds, to nurture and nourish them so they can grow and bear fruit.
In the same way, the seeds of our collective potential are planted in the common ground beneath our feet. If we aren’t rooted in the common ground—not just standing on it, but standing in it—it can be hard to sense that potential, much less manifest it. Our collective potential lies in our common ground.
Looking through the lens of Common Ground
How might the lens of Common Ground and the Root Chakra help us perceive life differently? We’ll close with two brief exercises. The first can help you take a first look at the world around you through the Common Ground lens. It will pave the way for the second exercise focusing on a specific challenge or a situation in your life that you are not sure how to navigate. Give yourself time and space for both.
Exercise #1—Looking out at the world
Take a deep breath. Feel your feet on the ground and take three deep breaths into that ground. Give yourself the time you need to connect with Common Ground. …
We’ll start close in with people and situations in your more intimate circle.
Consider yourself, your family, and intimate friends, and relations through the lens of Common Ground. Notice who or what situation comes to your awareness first. Trust there’s a reason. Acknowledge that you are standing on the same ground, even if you are in different locations. Step beyond judgments and opinions. What is important for you to notice? … Perhaps another relationship or situation comes up as well. Give yourself time to explore. … What happens when you meet the people and situations in your close circle through the lens of Common Ground?
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Now expand your circle to consider the people and situations you encounter in your work or public life. Again, trust whatever shows up. Step beyond judgments and opinions, and acknowledge that you are standing on common ground. What feels important to pay attention to? … Then take another breath. Perhaps something or someone else shows up. Take time to explore. Common Ground.
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Consider people who might think or believe differently than you. Meet them through the lens of Common Ground. What gets your attention?
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Consider people whose lives you may not understand. What insight or awareness emerges through the lens of Common Ground?
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Consider people who are living in war or who are in crisis. Common Ground. … Consider their leaders. They are also standing on this same common ground. … Be aware of the magnitude of what is happening. What gets your attention when you stand with them on Common Ground?
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Exercise #2—Looking at a specific situation of your choice
Perhaps there is a situation or relationship that will not let go of you right now. It might be deeply personal, or it might be national or global, or something in between. Step beyond judgments and opinions and be present with it through the lens of Common Ground. What do you become aware of when you recognize that the situation and the people are standing on the same ground you stand on?
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In the coming days, practice looking at the world around you through the lens of Common Ground. Be gentle and compassionate with yourself and at the same time stay with it. Keep stepping past judgment and opinions. See what you discover through this lens. And next week, we’ll explore the Sacral Chakra and the lens of Connection.
Articles in the “Wisdom Within” Series
Tapping Into the Wisdom Within
Standing on Common Ground
The Mystery of Connection
Living Integrity
Right Relationship
The Truth of the Matter
The Power of Vision
Wisdom Greater than Our Own
Resources
Book Intuitive Living by Alan Seale, Chapter 8
Monday Meditations Recordings—In the Autumn 2023 free series of Monday Meditations titled “Wisdom in our Bones,” Alan focused on these seven lenses. The recordings of those 20-minute meditations are available to you as a free resource to deepen your experience in working with the lenses. Go to the Monday Meditations Recordings page on the Center for Transformational Presence website to listen. The recordings are listed in reverse chronological order with the most recent at the top. Scroll down to the October 16, 2023 recording to hear the meditation on “Common Ground.” Then scroll back up for each succeeding meditation through November 20, 2023.