We explore the fifth chakra, our center of communication, and how it governs our ability to express ourselves clearly and truthfully. Located at the throat, this energy center (Visuddha in Sanskrit) represents purification and acts as a bridge between body and mind.

• The throat chakra is associated with the color blue and governs communication, conscious creativity, and our right to speak/hear truth
• When balanced, communication flows with clarity and ease, allowing both authentic expression and deep listening
• Imbalances appear as fear of speaking up, excessive talking, poor listening skills, or gossiping
• This chakra develops primarily between ages 7-12 when we begin to seek recognition for our expression
• Major blocks include shame, fear for safety, family secrets, mixed messages, and disconnection from our authentic self
• Healing practices include emotional processing, clear communication skills, active listening, toning/singing, breathwork, journaling, and meditation

Take time to reflect on what truths you've been holding back. Try speaking them aloud, even if just to yourself, and notice what happens in your body. If you'd like to share your experience or have questions, click the message me button on Spotify or email me at rootsoftherise@gmail.com.

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Further Resources for Chakra Exploration

Episode 57 - Fourth Chakra Introduction

Episode 52 - Third Chakra Introduction

Episode 47 - Second Chakra Introduction

Episode 44 - First Chakra Introduction

Episode 43 - Introduction to the Chakras

The Chakras by C. W. Leadbeater

Eastern Body Western Mind by Anodea Judith

Wheels of Life by Anodea Judith PhD

Questions or Comments? Message me!

Explore how the transformative power of love offers a path to healing from mental, emotional, and spiritual pain when we rediscover it within ourselves.

• True love is not casual or throwaway but a divine expression in action that is always present and accessible
• Love manifests through various facets: acceptance, invincibility, authenticity, presence, gratitude, joy, forgiveness, and compassion
• Acceptance allows what is to be without judgment, recognizing there's a deeper order to life
• Invincibility comes from surviving everything life has brought, creating unshakable security
• Alignment between inner self and outer life provides inner guidance and intuition
• Presence reminds us that peace, joy and love can only be felt in this moment
• Gratitude is the key to wealth and attraction, opening the door to generosity
• Joy dissolves the illusion that fulfillment comes from outside ourselves
• Forgiveness reclaims our power and releases judgment
• The walls we build around our hearts initially protect us but ultimately imprison us
• Healing begins by honoring our protective mechanisms before gently opening our hearts

Resources

Awakening the Heart: Discover Your True Capacity for Joy, Inner Peace and Boundless Love by Paul Dugliss M.D.

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As Jamie Anderson says, “Grief, I’ve learned, is really just love. It’s all the love you want to give, but cannot. All that unspent love gathers up in the corners of your eyes, the lump in your throat, and in that hollow part of your chest. Grief is just love with no place to go.”

Grief comes in many forms beyond death, including change, loss, and unmet hopes, and can either harden us or become a quiet teacher when met with compassion.

• When denied, grief makes us numb not only to pain but to our own aliveness
• Grief requires reclaiming the part of ourselves that was attached to what was lost
• Grieving is uniquely individual - there's no "right way" or timeline
• The "pain button" analogy: grief doesn't shrink, but our lives grow bigger around it
• Relationships change during grief - some people withdraw while others try to help in ways that don't match what we need
• To heal: feel your grief, name what was lost, meet yourself with compassion, express your emotions
• Finding meaning and integrating loss means carrying what we've lost with grace
• Healing doesn't mean forgetting - it means allowing love to change form

Resources

Tear Soup: A Recipe for Healing After Loss by Pat Schwiebert

The In-Between: Unforgettable Encounters During Life's Final Moments by Hadley Vlahos R.N.

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We continue our chakra exploration series with the fourth chakra, Anahata – the bridge between our physical and spiritual selves located at the center of our energetic system.

• The heart chakra represents our core programming around love – how we give it, receive it, and whether we truly believe we're worthy of it
• Anahata means "unstruck" or "unbeaten" in Sanskrit, with green as its associated color representing balance and healing
• The heart chakra develops between ages 4-7 when children grow beyond egocentricity and develop genuine interest in relationships beyond parents
• Childhood experiences during this period shape our beliefs about whether we can be both authentic and loved
• Healthy boundaries are essential for the heart chakra – they're structures that allow the heart to stay open without becoming overwhelmed
• Abuse or conditional love creates "faulty wiring," confusing love with pain, control, or fear
• Grief – the demon of this chakra – manifests not just after death but in all forms of loss, including relationships ending or life transitions

Starting today, the podcast will shift to a Monday-Wednesday-Friday release schedule to create more breathing room between episodes. If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe, leave a rating/review, or share with a friend!

Resources:

Episode 50 - Saying No Without Guilt: Mastering Healthy Boundaries

Episode 54 - Why Loving Who You've Been Can Change Everything

Episode 11 - Forgiveness and one way to get the apology you always wanted

Questions or Comments? Message me!

Unpacking the final part of our podcast's closing mantra—"be willing to do the work to become who you want to be"—we explore what true transformation requires and why it often feels so challenging.

• Growth requires letting go and can feel like destruction because we leave behind parts of ourselves, beliefs, and sometimes relationships

• Nothing changes without correct, grounded, supported action—we must take the step even when help appears

• Awareness alone isn't enough—we need tools to release old patterns and create new neural pathways

• The path to transformation involves three key components: expanding consciousness, releasing subconscious programming, and integration

• Soul fatigue happens when we're doing work without results, often because we're missing one of the three components

• Supporting your physiological needs is essential as transformation requires energy

• A growth mindset means attaching your identity to effort rather than outcomes

• Change gets easier once you find the right combination of practices for you

Resources to Dive Deeper

Book: Breaking the Habit of Being Yourself: How to Lose Your Mind and Create a New One by Dr. Joe Dispenza This is a fabulous book, explaining in a very understandable manner some of the reasons why we get stuck in harmful patterns, as well as giving advice on how to break the habits. Personally, I find his meditation prescription to be a bit excessive and, while certainly useful, missing some really helpful pointers that can fast track the process he describes. That said, I highly recommend this book!

*Podcast: How to Enhance Performance & Learning by Applying a Growth Mindset by Huberman Lab – He perfectly explains the science behind what the sages have always said about how to fast track personal development

Podcast: Manifest Anything You Desire with Tony Robbins

Podcast: Roots of the Rise Episode 5 – Journaling

Podcast: Roots of the Rise Episode 6 – Curiosity Required

Podcast: Roots of the Rise Episode 7 – Heart Based Meditation

Podcast: Roots of the Rise Episode 10 – Two things (of the many) needed for Acceptance

Podcast: Roots of the Rise Episode 29 – Is Competence Keeping You Stuck

Podcast: Roots of the Rise Episode 30 – Are you prioritizing your priorities?

Questions or Comments? Message me!

Shame deeply affects our ability to change, paralyzing us with the belief that we are inherently flawed and unworthy of love, belonging, and connection.

• Shame is universal and thrives in silence, while speaking it aloud in the presence of empathy helps break its power
• Shame often originates in childhood through unrealistic expectations, criticism, or inappropriate responsibilities placed on children
• When shame becomes fused with identity, it turns toxic and can lead to self-sabotage, addiction, and living inauthentically
• Healing requires both internal work and external connection—we need trusted others who can meet our vulnerability with compassion
• True self-acceptance comes from loving all parts of ourselves and separating our actions from our identity
• The shift from "I am bad" to "I did something bad" marks an important step in moving from shame to guilt to healing
• Finding someone safe to share your shame with is crucial, as shame cannot survive being spoken aloud in the presence of compassion

Further exploration:

Podcast: Being Well - Rediscovering Your True Self: Parentification and the “Gifted Child”

Episode 54 - Why Loving Who You've Been Can Change Everything

Episode 53 - Know Who You Are: The Foundation of Authentic Living

Episode 49 - Guilt: Guide or Gremlin?

Episode 50 - Saying No Without Guilt: Mastering Healthy Boundaries

Episode 31 - Steep hills seem easier to climb with friends

Episode 19 - Podcast Recommendation - Self Hatred with Dr. Blaise Aguirre on Armchair Expert

Episode 10 - Two things (of the many) needed for Acceptance

Episode 7 - Heart Based Meditation

Further Resources for Chakra Exploration

Episode 52: The Third Chakra: Unlocking Personal Power and Breaking Free from Shame

Episode 47 - Second Chakra Introduction

Episode 44 - First Chakra introduction

Episode 43 - Introduction to the Chakras

The Chakras by C. W. Leadbeater

Eastern Body Western Mind by A

Questions or Comments? Message me!

Self-hatred doesn't just damage us internally; it radiates outward, affecting our relationships and perpetuating cycles of pain across generations. When we can't forgive ourselves for past mistakes, we limit our capacity to love others cleanly and completely, creating ripple effects that touch everyone in our lives.

• Self-hatred often serves as a mask for deeper pain or unmet needs
• People love to their level of self-love, communicate to their level of self-awareness, and behave to their level of healed trauma
• We unfairly judge our past actions through the lens of our present wisdom
• Self-forgiveness isn't letting yourself off the hook—it's reclaiming your power to choose differently
• You cannot grow if you're still at war with the person you once were
• Breaking cycles of self-hatred requires understanding what this hatred is protecting
• Getting curious instead of cruel about our past actions is the first step toward healing

Resources:

Podcast: Roots of the Rise Episode 6 – Curiosity Required

Podcast: Roots of the Rise Episode 10 – Two things (of the many) needed for Acceptance

Podcast: Roots of the Rise Episode 11 – Forgiveness and one way to get the apology you always wanted

Podcast: Roots of the Rise Episode 19 – Podcast Recommendation – Self Hatred with Dr. Blaise Aguirre on Armchair Expert

Podcast: Armchair Expert with Blaise Aguirre (on overcoming self-hatred)

Book: calling in “the one” by Katherine Woodward Thomas

Book: Breaking the Habit of Being Yourself: How to Lose Your Mind and Create a New One by Dr. Joe Dispenza

Questions or Comments? Message me!

Self-knowledge is a multifaceted journey that requires understanding yourself on three distinct levels: who you are right now, who you want to become, and your timeless essence beneath it all. We explore practical methods to develop genuine self-awareness and connect with your authentic nature beyond programming and societal expectations.

• Five practical approaches to self-discovery: journaling, therapy, trusted conversations, meditation, and deliberate experimentation
• Understanding your triggers often reveals wounds and unmet needs that require healing
• Creating a vision of who you want to become requires identifying your personal values, not those imposed by others
• Exercises to clarify your values: narrowing down from ten values to your three core drivers
• Reconnect with childhood dreams and joys for clues about your authentic self
• Beyond personality and programming exists your true essence—the timeless, loving awareness you really are
• The deepest self-knowledge comes not through thinking harder but by remembering who you've always been

Join us tomorrow as we explore the second part of our closing mantra: "love who you've been."

Resources
Episode 5 - Journaling

Episode 7 - Heart Based Meditation

Episode 52: The Third Chakra: Unlocking Personal Power and Breaking Free from Shame

Episode 30 - Are you prioritizing your priorities? And followup Episode 38: Answering a Listener Question Regarding Priorites

Episode 29 - Is Competence Keeping You Stuck

Brene Brown’s List of Values

Questions or Comments? Message me!