Last week we looked at the base chakra and discussed the concepts of grounding, limitation and manifestation. This next article on our journey through the chakra system will focus on the sacral chakra which is all about transformation and change.
The sacral chakra is located just beneath your navel and it resonates with the colour orange and the moon. Crystals associated with this chakra are carnelian, sun-stone and moonstone, to name but a few. The Sanskrit name for this chakra is Svadisthana which translates as “own’s own abode”. This is the seat of our creativity and our needs.
We move up through the system from our firm grounded foundations, from solid to liquid, stillness to movement, from form to formless. The sacral chakra’s element is water and the concepts we will focus on are polarity, movement, pleasure, emotion, sexuality, nurturance and sentience. As we journey from the base chakra we find that we require duality from unity – we long to unite, reach out and grow. Just as the seeds in the earth need water to grow and change, to reach up and break through the soil, we too need growth and movement in order to live. Without change there is no growth, no movement and no life! Whereas the first chakra seeks to hold on and create structure the second chakra encourages us to let go and create flow.
The constant motion is similar to the concept of polarity, yin and yang, opposites attracting – a cosmic dance, one becoming the other. Just as the moon affects the tides and they rise and fall this chakra is governed by the moon and water. Physically it concerns itself with bodily functions such as blood circulation, the urinary tract and sexual and reproductive organs. Malfunction of this chakra can lead to problems such as impotence, frigidity, uterine, bladder or kidney problems and a stiff lower back. These are all signs of low or blocked energy in this chakra. Over-activity of this chakra can cause you to be overly emotional or sexual and perhaps lead you to make unhealthy choices with regards to how you get your kicks.
It is our natural instinct to move away from pain and towards pleasure. Pain generally indicates a threat whereas pleasure is safe – healthy pleasure obviously – not forced as in when using drugs, excessive alcohol or over-indulgence. We are sentient human beings and we should readily drink the waters of pleasure. Healthy pleasure allows us to feel more fulfilled and provides us with a solid foundation for power, love, creativity and meditative concentration which are all aspects of this chakra.
Balance, as always, is the key. We must avoid falling into the trap of avoiding pleasure or over-indulging in an unhealthy way. We need to tune into our bodies and listen to its needs and desires. Allow our body its nurturance and pleasure – this is essential for our health and well-being. From a young age we are taught in our society to repress our needs and desires – it is often viewed as dirty or wrong. Why is it acceptable to show violence on television but not consensual love making? We need to re-focus and remove our limiting beliefs. We need to allow ourselves the pleasures that life affords us. As the base chakra promotes we have a right to be here and a right to live fulfilling lives. The sacral chakra teaches us that part of living a fulfilling life is to allow ourselves pleasure. The delight of a little extra sleep, a relaxing walk, comfortable clothing or a hug from a friend. All these things are important and should not be denied.
Repressing our needs and desires can lead to a backlash in emotion.
Blocking or suppressing our feelings will inevitably lead to distress. The emotion will get stuck in our unconscious minds and may lead us to act out of character or have an emotional blow out. The pent up emotion needs to be released to release tension and stress. Depriving ourselves of pleasure can lead us to crave unhealthy ways to overindulge to satisfy our primal needs. Pleasure and emotion are the root of desire through which we create movement and change.
Be tender and loving to yourself. Care for yourself with good healthy food, energies and touch. Nurture your body and listen to its needs. Do not underestimate the power of touch. Do not shut yourself off from feeling. A hug, a kind word and smile all go a long way both for yourself and the person you are with. The pleasure of uniting with another person should not be denied as we are naturally gregarious, sentient human beings and we need the company of others in order to thrive.
Exercises such as wearing orange, eating orange foods, colour therapy baths or wearing orange glasses can help to bring this chakra into balance. As this chakra is governed by water you can try a simple exercise such as drinking a glass of water slowly and really feel it moving down into your stomach, cleansing and nurturing as it goes. Bathe in water and visualise all negativity leaving your body as the water washes it away and then it leaves through the plug-hole to be transmuted into the Earth.
Move your body – dancing and stomping are all brilliant ways to invigorate a sluggish sacral chakra. Move your hips in circles, shout out loud, jump around or get creative – drawing or making things. Meditations on the chakra can also help bring it into balance as you visualise the area beneath your naval as a beautiful orange flower opening and closing as the energy waxes and wanes. Other things you can do are hug a friend, get out into the sunshine, have a belly laugh and last, but most certainly not least, have healthy, pleasurable sex with your partner!
Next week we will move up to the third chakra – the solar plexus and we will learn about the power of fire!
