The second chakra in our journey through the body's energy system, the sacral chakra, is located in the lower abdomen, below the navel, and is often associated with creativity, passion, and emotional balance.
When the sacral chakra is balanced, it fosters a sense of abundance, well-being, and pleasure in life. It also nurtures healthy relationships and helps us connect with our emotions and desires.
The sacral chakra is associated with the element of water and the colour orange, and it is the dwelling place of the self. When the sacral chakra is balanced and open, we feel a healthy flow of energy and a sense of vitality, passion, and creativity.
Your sacral or second chakra may be blocked if you feel…
- Afraid of pleasure and intimacy
- Lack of creativity
- Low motivation, low energy
- Low desire
- Like you’re not being true to yourself
- Insecurity
- Detachment or numbness
What Causes An Unbalanced Sacral Chakra?
The sacral chakra may become imbalanced for many reasons including, but not exclusively:
- Emotional Trauma: Past emotional wounds, especially those related to relationships or creativity, can hinder the sacral chakra's energy flow.
- Negative Self-Image: Low self-esteem and a negative body image can impact the sacral chakra, limiting our ability to express ourselves and experience pleasure.
- Stress and Overwork: Excessive stress and overworking can lead to burnout, depleting the sacral chakra's energy.
- Unhealthy Relationships: Toxic relationships can drain the energy of the sacral chakra, making it difficult to maintain emotional balance.
Symptoms of a Blocked Sacral Chakra
- Lack of Creativity: Inability to express oneself creatively or experience new ideas.
- Emotional Instability: Mood swings, irritability, or excessive emotional reactions.
- Low Libido: Decreased sexual desire and lack of interest in intimacy.
- Guilt and Shame: Feeling guilty or shameful about one's desires or past actions.
- Fertility Issues: Difficulty in conceiving or reproductive health problems.
PHYSICAL SYMPTOMS:
Even though the signs of overactive sacral chakras manifest in a non-physical way, in fact, there are also physical signs that can be shown. For instance, you may feel a persistent warm sensation in the lower abdomen especially when there is an excessive flow of energy in your sacral chakra.
Moreover, a sacral chakra that is overactive may also affect the functions of the reproductive organs, lower back, and bladder. Usually, the most common diseases related to an overactive Swadhisthana are urinary problems, gynecological issues, cysts, lower back pain, and kidney issues.
Using gemstones to heal the sacral chakra:
When looking for gemstones which work with the sacral chakra, you are generally looking for ones which are orange in colour. For example:
- Carnelian. Known as an artist's stone, Carnelian is a warm, vibrant stone that boosts confidence and the power of true expression; empowering your self-confidence in all aspects of your life – from relationships and professional pursuits to personal projects.
- Orange Calcite: Enhances creativity, emotional balance and self-confidence. Also has cleansing properties which help to clear blockages in the chakra.
- Sunstone: Associated with creativity, sexuality, and emotional balance, sunstone helps to balance this chakra, promoting feelings of vitality, creativity, and emotional well-being.
Others include: Fire Opal, Honey Quartz, Amber, Orange Aventurine,
How to use the gemstones:
- Meditate on them. You can place the stone on your sacral chakra. This will help in focusing the energy of the crystal and offer an improved healing experience. Or you can even simply hold the stone while you are meditating.
- Place crystals in your pocket or purse; or under your pillow while you sleep.
- If you wish to keep the energies of your sacral chakra stones in your auric field all the time, wear them as a piece of jewellery. For pieces that would work with the sacral chakra click/shop here
Use of Essential Oils:
There are a number of ways to use essential oils for chakra healing:
- Diffuse in the air by use of an essential oil diffuser, or burn a candle which has been infused with grounding essential oils
- Apply to the body.. Essential oils can be applied neat to the souls of the feet, or dilute in an appropriate carrier oil and apply to the body. A good blend to help stimulate your sacra chakra is 12 drops Orange, 4 drops Vanilla and 3 drops pink pepper seed with 10ml of carrier oil.
Unfortunately, I do not have the pepper seed oil, so as a substitute I used DoTerra’s Citrus Bliss blend. I filled a roller ball bottle with 20 drops and carrier oil (in this case Grapeseed, but use whatever you have available). Containing a mix of citrus fruit oils (e.g. wild orange, bergamot, lime, mandarin, etc) and vanilla it is a delicious blend. I find it energising and uplifting.
- For an instant "hit" simply inhale direct from the bottle
- Put a few drops of your chosen oil on your pillow at night.
Oils that work well with the sacral chakra include:
- Wild Orange: Assists an individual’s natural creative sense, inspiring limitless solutions for problems or issues.
- Ylang Ylang: Promotes sensuality and emotional balance, encouraging a healthy flow of energy.
- Patchouli: Grounding and calming, helping to release negative emotions and enhance creativity
It is important to note that when choosing essential oils to ensure that you choose a reputable brand to ensure the quality and purity of the oils.
Other Ways to Open and Heal Your Sacral Chakra
- Meditate/visualisation- When working with the sacral chakra, focus on the lower abdomen between your navel and the top of your pelvis. Then, try this simple sacral chakra meditation:
- Sit in a comfortable position with a straight spine. Relax your muscles, then close your eyes and take a deep breath. Inhale through your nose and exhale through the mouth.
- Focus your attention on the location of your sacral chakra: Your abdomen, a few inches below your navel.
- Since the sacral chakra is tied to the colour orange, imagine an orange glow below your navel, slowly expanding to the pelvic region, bringing warmth and healing to this region. Rest in this sensation for 3-5 minutes.
- When you are ready, slowly open your eyes.
- Affirmations - Repeating positive affirmations can help balance the Sacral Chakra. Examples include: “I express myself artistically, I am free to create”, “I move in the direction of my greatest good”, “I accept my sexuality, I am free”…
- The sacral chakra is highly influenced by the element of water. Spending time near lakes, rivers, streams, or the ocean can help restore balance to this chakra. You can wade into the healing waters to open the flow of energy in your second chakra, or simply meditate and breathe in rhythm to the water’s flow. If natural water isn’t accessible, a warm bath or shower can also help aid in balancing your sacral chakra. Putting Epsom salt in your bath will be excellent for healing.
- Creative Expression: Engage in creative activities like painting, dancing, writing, whatever it is that gets your creative juices flowing..
- Physical Activity, in particular yoga which works on balancing all the chakras. Poses that work well for the sacral chakra are ones which work on opening your hips.
- Journaling: Writing about your emotions, fears and desires can help to release pent-up feelings and work through your emotions. This is something that I started doing at the beginning of the chakra journey and I am finding it very therapeutic
- Therapy: Counselling/therapy can help to address past traumas and emotional issues thus removing blockages
IN SUMMARY
Incorporating these methods into your daily routine can help restore balance to your sacral chakra, fostering creativity, passion, and emotional well-being. Remember, healing is a personal journey, so be patient with yourself and allow the energy to flow naturally, unlocking your true creative potential and passion for life.