Here it is! Chakra number 2. I’m sure you’ve all been waiting with bated breath since you learned all about Muladhara (the root chakra) with me over here.
So now that we’re all good and grounded, let’s start movin’ on up.
To Svadhisthana – the Sacral Chakra.
Where is it?
Our (sacred) second chakra is located above the pubic bone and below the navel, and is home to our deepest emotions, creativity, sexuality, and intuition.
A balanced sacral chakra brings a sense of flow, flexibility, and fluidity, a deep connection to our feelings (and feeling deeply in general), sexual fulfillment, and the ability to be okay with – heck, maybe even embrace – change.
Imbalance, on the other hand, can lead us to becoming too dependent on loved ones, more intolerant of others than normal, and unwilling to let go of routine. We can even become quite manipulative with those around us, from partners to co-workers. We might experience over-ambitious tendencies, attachment issues, highly fluctuating moods, extreme sensitivity, and trust issues. If this chakra is under-active, we may become disconnected from those around us, but if over-active, we go too far in the opposite direction and become that clingy friend or partner (which as we know is just no fun for either party).
And an imbalance in this chakra is thought to lead to physical ailments too. (You know, just in case the emotional stuff wasn’t bad enough.) An imbalance in Svadhisthana can lead to lower back pain, ovarian cysts and other reproductive health issues, urinary tract infections (aka the WORST THINGS EVER amirite), complications with the bladder and kidneys, and sexual dysfunction in general, from impotence to low libido.
So that’s what it does physically and emotionally, but it has knock-on effects on a more intellectual level too. A Sacral Chakra imbalance is associated with addiction, repressed emotions, and a lack of creative energy and flow in our daily lives.
So. Lots of doom and gloom there. But never fear! When the Sacral Chakra is balanced and well-tended to, you will be able to gather the energy you need for creativity, movement, desire, pleasure, *special times 😉* and relationships, romantic and otherwise. With this energy comes emotional stability, as well as a sense of compassion, intuition, and a true lust for life. Sounds good, yeah? Yeah. So, let’s get cracking on how we can get there.
Surround yourself with the colour orange
The colour associated with Svadhisthana is orange, so a basic way to tap into it and help bring it into balance is to surround ourselves with that colour. Meditate on it. Eat a mandarin. Buy some orange flowers. Wear that orange shirt. Douse yourself with Sally Hansen (Just kidding on that last one. But you know, you do you.)
Let it rain
Despite its fiery colour and associations, the element associated with Svadhisthana is actually water. Which makes sense when you think about feelings and flow and energy. So when it rains, let it rain. Stand in it. Walk in it. Run in it. Dance in it. Kiss in it, if you have a willing partner. Take a shower. Take a bath. Go for a swim, ideally in the ocean. Surround yourself with flow and power and feel your own flow and power come into balance too.
Mantra
If mantra is your thing, try chanting Vam to balance or ignite the Sacral cChakra. It translates as ‘I feel’. If you’re more comfortable using English, even the silent repetition of I feel will have an effect. There’s no need to complete the sentence with a label. It doesn’t matter what you feel, just that you do. Try not to judge your feelings – they don’t define you in any way, whether you think of them as good or bad. Simply sit with them. Forget the ‘shoulds’ (should is a word I try to ban from my vocabulary. Along with can’t, busy, don’t have time, and low-carb.) – really listen to what you’re feeling. So often we’re going about our days so out of touch with this basic knowledge about the self.
And remember to take it to the mat.
Finally, our asanas, or yoga poses. Number one for balancing the sacral chakra are our hip openers. Any pigeon variation is great, and firelog pose is a personal favourite of mine. Baddha Konasana (bound angle pose) is another lovely option. Also – everyone’s favourite – ABDOMINALS. Try Casey’s class next time you want to ignite the sacral chakra 😉 Feel yourself come into your power here and see how strong and connected to yourself you feel after.
I hope this helped in some way – stay tuned for Chakra 3 very soon 😊 Now please excuse me while I go eat an orange and dance in the rain. (Luckily living in Ireland, rain dancing is almost always an option.)
