Root chakra bottle

When you look at these two colours what occurs to you?  Personally I would never put red and coral together as an outfit; they almost clash.  At first glance it seems an odd combination to have in a bottle, almost clashing.  Early on in my life red was one of my go to colours in terms of my wardrobe and it’s only in the last few years that coral has had a look in. There’s a vibrancy and a power about red because it has a vital energy and in the photograph you can see that it strengthens the coral; stops it from being a “meh” colour and helps it to stand out.  By contrast the coral has a softer much more subtle aspect to it and as such can be overlooked because its power is much less obvious.  You could say that the two colours represent the masculine and feminine energy respectively

As it happens this bottle is the root chakra bottle.  It is all about building a solid foundation be that in business or in life. It’s a reminder to you that whilst it is important to have an element of your being in the fifth/ sixth dimension, you also need to have your feet firmly planted in the third dimension.  Something that is often forgotten by overtly spiritual people. Finally it is a reminder of how important it is to be grounded.  You can achieve this through a strong connection with Nature.  Each day taking time to be outside whether that’s through walking or some other form.  There is also a link to family in the broadest sense.  Your rootedness comes as you find your tribe and that appears the more connected you are to your origins in Mother Earth.  In sharing all this I am giving you a sense of what to expect in my upcoming chakra course starting in September.  Over half the places have been taken so do get in touch if you want to join us for this special colour journey.  

Understanding the spiritual principles behind colour will give you the tools to undertake deeper work with your own clients.  When you master red and coral, you become the compassionate leader.  I have been working with a team recently where the head of the service used the words sympathy, empathy and compassion interchangeably.  In fact they mean very different things.

Sympathy

It’s so sad that you just lost your best friend.”

Sympathy is feeling sorry for another’s hurt or pain. There is some emotional distancing with sympathy – you are not experiencing the pain yourself, but you are saying you understand the feeling. You might be thinking Isn’t it sad that this person is grieving or experiencing pain? Sympathy can quickly turn into pity, which can dehumanize and belittle people. Pity does not build connection.

Empathy

“I know you loved your friend deeply…I can hear you are in a lot of pain.”

Empathy is the ability to experience for yourself some of the pain that the other person may be experiencing. It is an acknowledgement of our shared experience as humans and recognition that we all feel grief and loss and pain and fear. You do not need to have experienced exactly the same events as the person who is suffering but you do need to have the ability to really imagine how they must be feeling in their situation. Being empathetic allows you to tune into how the other is feeling and I realise this takes courage.  The reward is that it can build true connection.

Compassion

I can sense that you are in a lot of pain. I am here for as long as you want me to be.”

If you take its Latin roots,  compassion  means “to suffer with.” When you are practicing compassion, you stay present with suffering and try to alleviate it. If empathy is the ability to really experience some of the feelings of pain that another person is feeling, then compassion is to translate that feeling into action. It is the ability and willingness to stand alongside someone and to put their needs before your own. This can take the form of holding space and being present, as well as something more practical like cooking a meal for someone.The key difference between empathy and compassion is how they affect your sense of wellbeing. If you keep feeling others’ pain you can end up in burnout.  Compassion is a renewable resource because although you suffer alongside them, you then take action to alleviate their pain.  Research has shown that compassion and empathy use different parts of the brain.

The key difference between empathy and compassion is how they affect your sense of wellbeing. If you keep feeling others’ pain you can end up in burnout.  Compassion is a renewable resource because although you suffer alongside them, you then take action to alleviate their pain.  Research has shown that compassion and empathy use different parts of the brain.

In conclusion there’s a closer link to sympathy in red which is also associated with “the victim.”  This is because in red you are either feeling sorry for yourself or another that is the essence of pity whereas coral is much closer to empathy because it is about embodying the other’s pain.  When you take the two colours together, empathy is expressed through coral and from that sense of feeling their suffering you take action to alleviate it in red.  In short you need to work with both these colours in tandem to become a compassionate leader.

Which three words are often used interchangeably when in fact they are very different?
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