ROOT:

• Are my thoughts usually more concerned with the past or the future, or do I focus my attention on the present moment? How can I think less about the past and future, and think more about the here and now?
• Do I feel insecure about any of my personality traits or qualities? How can I begin to have compassion towards and accept those personality traits, so that I may feel more confident in myself?
• Make a list of every person in your life who is there to assist you, should you find yourself struggling (emotionally, financially, physically, etc). The key here is to NOT judge yourself for the length of your list. Instead, feel deep gratitude for ANY person on your list – even if it’s a list of one.
• Make a list of your favorite spots to enjoy nature, both near and far. Make a point to visit these locations more often.
• What actions or practices help me to feel physically and emotionally safe? (Think both big and small here; e.g., a moment of deep breathing, drinking hot tea at night, a warm bath)
• What am I fortunate to have? This can be anything, big or small – even the blue sky or the air in your lungs.
• What are some of my most profound/beautiful memories?
• What do I appreciate most about nature? What is my favorite place to be in nature? (e.g., the mountains, the beach, the desert, your neighborhood park, etc.)
• What is a hard lesson in life that I feel grateful for?
• What reminds me that I am physically and emotionally safe? (e.g., the roof over your head, running water, a close friend/partner/family member, food on the table)
• When I go about my everyday tasks, do I move quickly and hurriedly, or do I take my time and move slowly? How can I set an intention to move through my day with less hurry, at a more grounded pace?
• When I think about my finances, how do I feel? (e.g., stable, secure, worried, stressed, ashamed, excited, supported, etc.) How can I shift towards an abundance mindset– i.e., a mindset of “I always have enough”?

SACRAL:

• As a child, what were some of my favorite ways to play? (Perhaps you loved to draw, sing, dance, dress up, play board games, etc.) How can I bring some of those playful activities back into my adult life?
• Do I allow myself to celebrate when good things happen? If not, how can I celebrate more tiny victories in my life?
• Do I allow myself to feel playful, or do I condemn play as being “not productive enough”? What’s one tiny playful thing I can enjoy today? (Anything fun counts – even singing in the shower!)
• Do I feel creative, or do I tell myself that I’m “not a creative person”? List all of the ways in which I enjoy expressing my creativity, both big and small. (This doesn’t have to be drawing or painting – it can be anything, such as dancing, writing, cooking, singing, or even anything you do in your profession like teaching, coding, leading, healing, writing social media posts or press releases– get creative!)
• Do I feel worthy of joy, pleasure, and happiness? When these positive feelings come my way, do I bask in them, or do I push them away and/or tell myself I don’t “deserve” them?
• Do I feel worthy of love? When love comes my way, do I embrace it, or do I push it away?
• Do I find myself feeling highly critical of other people? How may I be criticizing myself in the same way that I criticize others, and how might I begin practicing self-compassion instead of self-criticism?
• In what ways do I suppress my emotions? Do I cover them up with food, alcohol, TV, work, or other activities? What would it feel like to stop running from my feelings, even if only for ten minutes?
• What am I still beating myself up for? How can I see this situation in the most loving way possible? If my own child did the thing I beat myself up for, what would I say to them?
• When was the last time I allowed myself to cry? Do I let myself cry when I need to, or do I feel that crying is “weak”?

SOLAR PLEXUS:

• Am I confident in my own decision-making abilities? How can I trust that, even if I make a mistake, I am capable of correcting it?
• Are there ways in which I’m overly controlling – e.g., telling others what to do or giving unsolicited advice, not allowing my partner to have a fair part in our decision-making process, etc.? With compassion, ask yourself: what am I trying to gain or hold onto by being controlling?
• Do I allow myself to feel angry, or do I shame myself for experiencing anger? How would it feel to tell myself that my anger is healthy, as long as I can express it assertively (rather than aggressively or passive-aggressively)?
• Do I experience any habitual thoughts which show up whenever I’m about to stand up for myself or make an empowering decision? Write them all down so you can observe them for what they are. (Examples might be: “Who do I think I am to do/say this? Why do I think I’m so special? They’re going to think I’m so full of myself.”)
• Do I trust that I’m capable of doing hard things? If not, what’s one tiny difficult thing I can do today to practice trusting my own power?
• Do I use shame to punish myself or to keep myself “in check”? (Shame sounds like: “I am a bad person”, as opposed to guilt, which sounds like: “I did something bad”.) How can I shift to examining and correcting my actions, rather than punishing and condemning myself?
• Is there anything I’d really like to try, but I hold myself back because I’m afraid of failing? How would it feel to reassure myself that, even if I “fail”, it was still worth trying?
• What would I do if I had no limits? If I couldn’t possibly fail?
• When I express my anger healthily and assertively, how do I feel afterwards: guilty, or empowered? Can I give myself all the permission I need to assert my boundaries with respect and clarity?

HEART:

• Do I believe that I deserve to love, forgive, and unconditionally accept myself? If I don’t believe that I deserve it, how would it feel to tell myself that no matter what I think I’ve done wrong, I still deserve my own love and forgiveness?
• Do I believe that I must “earn” love in some way? What thoughts lead me to believe that I don’t deserve love just as I am?
• Do I feel disappointed by anything in my life right now? Rather than pushing away this disappointment, can I allow myself space to feel it? Can I feel my grief for the fact that my circumstances are not quite what I wanted them to be? Use your journal to express your full range of grief and disappointment.
• Do I feel that love is weak, childish, or foolish? If so, how may I open myself to love in the tiniest of ways (even if it’s just love for a pet, a friend, or even a plant)?
• Do I often feel love and appreciation for my surroundings (i.e., my home, my city, the people in my life, etc.)? Make a list of everything that you love about your life and your surroundings.
• Following from the prompt above, what loving words does my heart long to hear, whether it’s from a parent, a partner, or a friend? What do I so wish someone would say to me?
• How often do I “fill up my own cup” before giving to others? Do I put myself first by practicing self-care, or do I always put others’ needs before my own?
• Is it difficult for me to open up and allow people to get close to me? How can I take one tiny step this week/month towards allowing a safe person to get closer to my heart? (This might look like getting coffee with a friend, sending a text to someone you care about, or even offering someone a hug.)
• Is there something in my heart that feels heavy right now? What am I grieving over? Feel free to get all of your grief and heaviness down on paper, to cry, and to offer yourself all of the love that you truly deserve.
• When I speak to myself lovingly (e.g., saying things to yourself such as, “I love all of your imperfections,” “I’m here for you,” “I will take care of you,” etc.), how does it feel? Do I feel uncomfortable, as if I’m unable to receive it? How can I practice saying loving things to myself more often, so that it starts to feel more familiar?

THROAT:

• Am I honest to the people in my life about who I am? Do I change myself to fit in, or do I show up authentically? What feels scary about showing up as my authentic self?
• Am I honest with myself about how I feel? When I feel sad, stressed, afraid, angry, or tired, do I admit to myself that I feel that way, or do I tell myself to “get over it”?
• Am I prone to spreading gossip about others? Without judging yourself, ask yourself: what am I getting out of spreading gossip?
• Do I find myself frequently saying what I think other people want to hear, regardless of whether or not it’s what I really mean? What am I afraid will happen if I speak my own truth?
• Do I frequently find myself interrupting others? Ask yourself: what part of me feels desperate to be heard and paid attention to?
• How easy or difficult is it for me to express my boundaries vocally – e.g., “I don’t like it when you talk to me that way”, or “I can’t stay at work after 6 pm”? If this is something I struggle with, what’s one tiny, achievable boundary I can practice vocally expressing this week?
• Is it difficult for me to speak up in front of others? Do people often ask me to repeat myself? Again, without judging yourself, explore: what am I afraid will happen if I draw attention to myself using my voice?
• What are some things that I think or feel, but have never expressed to anyone? What would I say if I was not afraid of what anyone thinks?
• What might it sound like for me to express those needs from the prompt above? Practice expressing them by writing them down in your journal. (For example: “I’m feeling like I need your support today. I’d love to get lunch with you later if you’re free!)
• What needs do I have that I don’t consciously express? Write down as many as you can think of. (This might include: asking your partner/housemate/family to help with the dishes more often, asking a friend to have lunch with you when you’re feeling down, etc.)

THIRD EYE:

• Am I prone to overthinking every choice I make? If so, how would it feel to trust that I always know what to do in any given moment (even if I make a mistake)?
• Do I often see the big picture in a given situation, or do I get lost in the details? Think back to the last big decision you made – were you obsessed with perfecting every minute detail, or were you instead focused on the overall outcome (even if every tiny detail wasn’t perfect)?
• Do I trust myself to make decisions, or do I ask others for advice on a majority of my decisions? What would it feel like to trust that only I know what’s best for me?
• How often do I do what I’m told I “should” do, even when it doesn’t feel right to me? How would it feel to move towards what my heart wants, as opposed to what the world wants me to do?
• If others disagree with my decision-making, do I immediately distrust myself and my decision-making abilities, or do I acknowledge that not everybody is going to agree with me all of the time?
• What are your beliefs around listening to your intuition? Do you feel that your intuition knows what’s best for you, or do you view intuitive knowing as silly or childish? Or, do you perhaps not have much of a grasp on what intuitive knowing feels like in the first place?
• What is my relationship to trust? Do I trust others blindly, often finding myself blindsided by their negative intentions? On the other hand, do I often refuse to trust anybody, even those with pure intentions? How can I bring more balance into my relationship to trust?
• When I listen to the quiet, kind, calm voice underneath all my fear and worry, what does it say? What do I really know, “deep down”? (This quiet and loving voice is your intuition. It is ever-present, and it will always be there to guide you.)
• When I make a mistake, do I use it as an opportunity for growth and learning, or do I criticize and punish myself instead? (Self-punishment blocks learning from your inevitable mistakes.) How can I strive to see mistakes as a learning opportunity, rather than an opportunity for self-criticism?

CROWN:

• After completing the prompt above, ask yourself: Who am I WITHOUT these identities? Who am I at the very core of my being?
• Do I attach any identities – negative or positive– to my personality? For example, you may habitually tell yourself (without even realizing it!): “I’m just not a confident person.” “I am the best at what I do.” “I am better than the people who _.” “I am worse than the people who __.” Write down any “identities” that come to mind.
• Do I define myself by any of the relationships in my life? For example: if I were to split up with my partner tomorrow, do I feel that I’d lose my sense of self by not having them to take care of? How can I begin to define myself by who I AM, rather than what I do for others (or what others do for me)?
• Do I feel comfortable sitting in silence and listening to my own thoughts? Why or why not?
• Do I honor all religious/spiritual beliefs or lack thereof, or am I attached to my own personal beliefs as the only “right” way? Without judging myself, how can I practice open-mindedness to all spiritual beliefs?
• Do I tie my identity in with my bank account (whether it’s a big or a small bank account)? For example, do I define myself as a “rich person”, a “broke person”, a “middle class person”, or do I see my bank account simply as a set of numbers which has the potential to fluctuate from day to day?
• Do I trust the divine to work through me in order to reach my highest potential, or do I think that I must do everything by myself?
• What “addictions” do I use to fill any feelings of emptiness or loneliness within me? These may be obvious, such as alcohol, but some are less obvious– such as food, TV, material possessions, social media, and so on.
• What people, things, or situations do I consciously or unconsciously try to control? What if I recognized that control is an illusion? How can I surrender to life?