Chakra One: Earth

At first the assigned symbols seemed a bit strange, but I think symbols are way better to describe something. There is much more information in it and in various forms. The East is more concerned with significance than facts.
So the first one hast to do with Survival. You can say that we share this one with animals. I mean we are still animals, but there seems to be something more to us, like a free will or capacity to abstract things. Animals seem to just have to follow their instinct they will not be able to choose love over mating instincts. When they have sex you can see that they are very sad, because they are forced to do it. So key elements here is earning a living and fullfill your basic needs like food, sleep, air, rest, warmth, security etc. Many westerners are just trying to survive better and better which then would belong to Chakra three. Taking care of your body and grounding are the other elements to be taken care of at this level. You have to see that even today half of the world is still even struggling with this level of conscioussness just look at the disasters in africa china and anywhere else. Most westerner have handled this though and can move on into deeper aspects of life.
Here are some examples of increasing the ability to deal with chakra one:
Grounding, bodycare, survival etc:
- sports
- work in a flow like state
- sleep enough (just enough)
- discipline yourself to be able to work at a kind of job that makes you able to keep in touch with your ground
- increase production capability, to spent less and less time on this one and to be able to got to chakra three (if you are working at a job which is not aligned with oyur true will)
- live with integrity-> more power in thoughts an action
- balance physical, mental, social activities

Traps : The physical world is not the goal but a tool, e.g. addiction to materialism, the acquisition of more and more does not lead anywhere nor makes you happy
-> it's the undue attachment to security that becomes a trap not the satisfation of the need.

Anodea Judith, Wheels of Life: A User's Guide to the Chakra System