2. Svadisthana Chakra
The sacral chakra, Svadhishthana, the ‘dwelling place of the self’ is associated with relationships, creativity, desires, sensuality and sexuality. Creative and procreative generativity is the task of this chakra.
Location
It is the second chakra located in the pelvic area, near the genitals, 3 inches (around 7.5cm) below the navel.
Element
Its element is water and the corresponding endocrine gland is the gonads (ovaries and testes).
Colour
Its colour is orange and its mantra is VAM.
Unbalanced Sacral chakra
An unbalanced Svadhishthana can result in:
exhibitionism
the extreme will to control things, people, events
sexual promiscuity
shame of the body, self, or sexuality
wild behaviour
shallow relationships
feeling inadequate
dependency
being controlled by your emotions
Balanced Sacral chakra
When Svadhishthana is balanced, you feel:
genuine intimacy
empathy towards others
generosity, willingness to share
creative and inspired
mutually empowering and harmonious relationships
pleasure
in touch with your emotions
you go with the flow
Affirmations to balance the Sacral chakra could be
I feel inspired and joyful
I am whole and complete
I unlock my creative potential
I am flowing with creative ideas
I deserve pleasure in my life
My sexuality is sacred
I nurture myself and others
Essential oils for the sacral chakra
orange
ylang ylang
sandalwood
cardamon
Meditation for your sacral chakra
Sit in a comfortable cross-legged position with your spine straight, or lie down in Savasana, Corpse Pose.
Take a few deep breaths through the nose to centre yourself and to start calming the mind.
Bring your awareness to the pelvic area and imagine a ball of bright orange light there. Keep breathing deeply and steadily through the nose. Visualise the ball of orange light growing, expanding and strengthening with each inhale.
You may feel the orange energy swirling clockwise and you may experience warmth or tingling in the pelvis and/or lower back. Keep breathing. Maintain your awareness on the energy and keep working on expanding it, for as long as you can.
When you wish to come out of the meditation, give gratitude for the experience and resume your day.
Journaling prompts to support your Svadhishthana
What do I value in my relationships?
What emotion do I primarily feel?
What is my favourite way of expressing myself creatively? How can I bring more of that into my life?
How can I honour my sexuality?
I feel beautiful when…
I feel inspired when…
Note: We store a lot of emotions in the hips and pelvic area. When we practise hip opening postures, it’s very common to feel emotional or vulnerable, as you release these built-up emotions. If that’s the case, take it easy, have a good cry if you need to and rest in Child pose (Balasana) for as long as you need).