The “Economy” is an eco-system composed of mutual interdependencies. It features worlds within worlds and therefore resists singular statements. For example, you can declare that “the economy is bad,” but at the same time, there are always people who make money during recessions and even depressions. The “Economy” is not just something “out there,” or something directed by big corporations or federal regulators. It is also a most accurate reflection of who and where we are as a people, and it tells us much about our own inner workings.
As I described in April, I’m sharing some ideas and practices that can help to rebalance the terrain, that can allow us to sidestep the more destructive aspects of a toxic economy: wage slavery, seeing others as objects, dependence upon the whims of markets, and being constantly caught in hope and fear.
This round: Prime Your First Chakra
When employment possibilities start to disappear, people press the “panic button” and manufacture narratives that emphasize the negative. Panic is the reactive closing of the first chakra, a kind of retreat into increasing claustrophobia. As reactions build upon reactions, it becomes increasingly difficult to imagine and open to alternative pathways and or creative solutions. By understanding and committing to a process of alignment, of cultivating the inner and outer worlds as one, a sense of spaciousness can replace ongoing anxiety.
I cannot emphasize enough how important this is: there are always hidden opportunities and resources present when you do not get caught up in the stampede. Such spaciousness also fosters clear thinking: honoring what you really need as opposed to what you think you want. By repeatedly asking, “What do I really need to be happy,” things get clarified. The haze of conditioned grasping and judgment for not having things begins to disperse.
Instead of selling everything off because you “can’t afford it,” you begin to invest in yourself and consequently in your “stuff.” This is quite significant. When there is chaos, panic, and the like; the materials around one are like a fire sale at a junk shop. On the other hand, when you keep stuff that works, when you see that every article in your possession is holding a soul energy that resonates with you, an inherent structure is created that effortlessly maintains itself.
Whether its your clothes, your car, your jewelry, or whatever; is it “you?” Is it resonant, or is it some past rot?
Live with trees, plants, and animals. Honor them and the elements by getting closer to sources of energy and thus less dependent on big corporate energy. In this way, consumption is less and less a form of panic, and more and more an art form.
