Riding the Waves

This week is second chakra week.  The second chakra is also known as the sacral chakra or Swadhistana (the dwelling place of the self).  The element associated with swadhistana is water.  Water is fluid, flowing, light, moldable, and is often associated with emotions.  While the root chakra was more concerned with the physical body, the sacral chakra is more focused on the emotional body.  We want our emotions - ALL of our emotions - to flow through us like water.   Unfortunately, many of us tend to repress or turn away from those emotions that we consider “bad” or uncomfortable.  When we don’t allow these things to flow, we’re creating blockages in our emotional bodies, which can eventually affect us on a physical level.  When our sacral chakra is out of balance, we may be fearful of change, either feel numb or feel overly emotional, be stiff or rigid physically or mentally, be unfocused and scattered, etc.  Things are not moving and flowing and we feel stuck.   

I experience all my emotions.
I absorb information from my feelings.

With the root chakra when we felt out of balance, it was best for us to just stop and let go.  This is also good advice for imbalances in the sacral chakra - same practice, but different intentions.  With the root chakra we were stopping in order to feel the earth underneath us and know that we are always supported.  With the sacral chakra, we are stopping in order to recognize and acknowledge what we are feeling.  We want to feel/experience/acknowledge the “good” feelings as well as the “bad” feelings.  Good and bad, likes and dislikes all tell us something about what we want in our life and which direction we want to go.  Everything needs to move through in order for us to have flow and clear out some space.  Arda Kapotasana (half pigeon pose) is a yoga posture that can be used to help bring the sacral chakra back into balance.  This posture targets the hips which is a prime area in our body for our repressed feelings, fears and traumas to be stored.  So, this pose is about gaining access to these deepest fears, anxieties, upheavals, etc.  We must allow these uncomfortable feelings to come up, acknowledge that they are there and then let them go and leave our body like a wave into the ocean. 

The yantra, or symbol, for swadhistana is a crescent moon.  The moon has a close association with water and both symbolize change - change comes with flow and movement.  The crescent moon also represents new beginnings, so with this movement and change comes the excitement of something new.  "Change is the only constant in life.”  The second chakra is about embracing this constant change and trusting that our river will always take us to where we need to go.

Swimming and being surrounded by water, dancing, doing something creative that will take you out of your mind and into your own personal flow are some other healing practices to do to balance this chakra.  Once again music is also a good way to connect with different chakras, so here is one of my sacral chakra playlists.  Enjoy!