Harvest Your Health: Week 1 BE Present

Led by Gabie

This week, we begin our Harvest Your Health Challenge with one of the most important foundations: learning to BE Present. Before we can grow, expand, or flow through the seasons of our lives, we must first root ourselves deeply — into our bodies, our breath, and our sense of safety and belonging.

Root Chakra | Muladhara

This week’s energetic focus is on the Root Chakra (Muladhara), located at the base of the spine. It is associated with the element of earth, the color red, and the qualities of stability, safety, and grounding.

When balanced, the Root Chakra helps us feel secure and steady, like a mountain rooted firmly to the ground. When imbalanced, we may feel anxious, disconnected, or insecure. Through yoga, breathwork, and mindfulness, we can bring this energy back into harmony.

Ayurvedic Healing for the Root Chakra
In Ayurveda, the Root Chakra (Muladhara) is our foundation of life force and stability. Imbalances may show up as fear, anxiety, or restlessness. To restore balance, lean into grounding foods (like root veggies, warm stews, and spices such as ginger or cinnamon), create steady daily routines, and spend time connected to the earth.

✨Daily Practice Tip: Sip warm ginger tea in the morning to ground your energy and calm the mind.

🌿 Yogic Philosophy | The Yamas & Ahimsa

Alongside our chakra work, we begin exploring the 8 Limbs of Yoga, starting with the Yamas — yoga’s ethical compass for living with balance and compassion.

This week’s focus is on Ahimsa (non-harming): practicing kindness toward others, the world, and perhaps most importantly, yourself. Ahimsa reminds us that even our inner dialogue matters. Are you speaking to yourself with patience, love, and understanding?

Breathwork & Meditation

Practice: Dirga Pranayama (3-Part Breath)
This grounding breath invites us to slow down, soften, and reconnect with the body. Inhale fully into the belly, ribs, and chest; exhale slowly, releasing from the chest to the belly. With each cycle, feel your weight drop into the earth beneath you.

Meditation: Mountain Meditation
Imagine yourself as a mountain: strong, steady, and unshakable, no matter what storms pass by. In stillness, we find stability. In presence, we find strength.

Essence of the Week

Think of this first week as laying the foundation of the challenge. Just as a tree roots before it grows tall, we too must first ground ourselves in presence, stability, and compassion.

At Studio BE, you’ll notice our challenge trackers posted in the studio — and you can grab a personal tracker at the front desk to follow along and celebrate your milestones. Each Sunday meeting will also include a tea pairing curated for that week’s chakra — this week, something earthy and grounding for the Root.

Suggested Readings for Inspiration

Want to explore presence and grounding further? Here are a few recommended books for Week 1:

• Atomic Habits by James Clear — on building small, sustainable routines that root us into mindful living.

• The Immortalists by Chloe Benjamin — a novel that explores the balance between fate and presence in our lives.

• Stone Blind by Natalie Haynes — a myth retold, inviting us to consider compassion, perspective, and truth.

Journal Prompts | Reflect & Root

Take time this week to sit with these questions — maybe with a cup of tea, after practice, or in a quiet moment before bed.

1. Where in my life can I slow down and be more present?
   Notice the moments you rush through on autopilot. What would it feel like to pause — to savor your coffee, take a mindful breath before answering an email, or truly listen when a loved one speaks?

2. Where in my life do I feel most grounded and supported right now?
   It could be a place (your yoga mat, your home), a person, or a practice. Let yourself appreciate the stability you already have.

3. How can I show myself more compassion and non-violence in my thoughts or actions?
   Reflect on your inner voice. Are you quick to criticize yourself? Where could you soften and offer kindness instead?

4. What does stability mean to me?
   Is it financial security, emotional support, physical health, or something else? Define it in your own words — and notice where you’d like to create more of it.

Closing Thought

As we begin Harvest Your Health together, remember: the first step isn’t about striving or reaching higher. It’s about coming back to the ground beneath you. To BE Present is to remind yourself that here, now, you are safe, steady, and whole.

Let’s root deeply this week, so that everything else we grow during this challenge has a strong foundation.