This week in our Chakra series, we take a deeper look at the sacral chakra. The second chakra, also referred to as Svadhisthana (translated to "the living place of the self") sits above the root chakra near the pelvic area. This chakra is represented by a beautiful and vibrant orange color. The sacral chakra is said to be our inspiration and creativity center. When this chakra is out of balance, we often experience instability, fear, anxiety, sexual dysfunction, depression, or addictions.
One of the ways we can honor our sacral chakra is by honoring and exercising our creativity. Believe me, sometimes this is easier said than done. I often hear myself saying things like, "I'm not very creative," or "I have no artistic ability." First, ability has very little to do with creativity. You can easily be creative with a project and be the very newest of beginners. Second, I bet if we found the right medium, you would absolutely be creative! For example, I may not be a skilled painter or chalk artist, but I do alright for myself on stage acting or directing a show. I even think I'm a decent writer and enjoy blogging. Creativity and what being creative means is in the eye of the creator, so embrace that project you've been wishing you could try. Embracing our creativity is one way to balance our sacral chakra.
One of the best pieces of advice I've ever gotten in regards to maintaining an open sacral chakra is to play like a child. When we embrace the joy and fearlessness of a child at play, we honor the self in the most sacred of ways. We let down our inhibitions and enjoy the experience, rather than focus on the "what-ifs." Decide one afternoon that you are going to prepare a meal without a recipe. Start stirring and mixing things together to see what you come up with. There's a good chance in might flop, but there's an equally good chance you will create something that you'll enjoy! Take the plunge! You can also do something like run through the garden sprinkler or play in the dirt, grass, or sand. As soon as you forget your worries about what the neighbors might think, you'll find that you really are more relaxed, and you may even find you enjoy life a bit more.
If you should find that your sacral chakra is blocked, there are a few things you can try. First and foremost, maintaining healthy emotional and sexual relationships can help maintain a healthy sacral chakra. We're not talking about just romantic relationships; this also includes friendships, familial relationships, work relationships, etc. Now, go back and read that last sentence again! As always meditation to learn to process your emotions is always a great way to bring your sacral chakra back into balance. If you meditate, a good mantra to use would be the VAM sound. This sound will vibrate in sync with the sacral chakra. You can also try sitting in the lotus position and doing pelvic circles, move your pelvis clockwise five or six times. If you're familiar with Yoga, you can also use the butterfly pose to increase your energy to this chakra.
If you're looking for a stone to help maintain this chakra or bring it back in balance, I would recommend a piece of carnelian. Other stones that might be helpful are amber, orange calcite, and hematite.
If you start to feel stagnant, anxious, or just plain out of sync, consider working on your sacral chakra. In a perfect world, we could work with all seven of our chakras every week. If you notice this chakra out of balance regularly, try consistent maintenance. Assign the sacral chakra a day of the week to work on opening and balancing this energy. Also make sure that you are fair to yourself and process those emotions you've been holding onto. Remember, nothing is more sacred that ourselves. Love, light, and blessings to you all this week!