Sacral Chakra blockages hinder the way we interact with pleasure. Whether lacking or excessive, a poor relationship with pleasure can be catastrophic to our daily lives. Everyone knows someone (or is someone) who’s overindulgence has caused terrible damage to themselves or others. Conversely – everyone knows (or is) someone who’s unwillingness to take or allow pleasure holds them in place. We are taught to both crave and repel indulgences in equal measure. Each pleasure has an equally powerful counterargument in the public consciousness. For example:
A cake is delicious and beautiful. (A cake is unhealthy and is not worth it)
Sex is one of the joys of life. (Sexuality should remain unspoken)
You need rest and relaxation to heal. (Resting is unproductive and therefore pointless.)
Emotions are the core of being human. (Emotional displays are embarrassing and should be kept at home)
The strength of societal pressure is immense, whether we like to admit it affects us or not. We must always be aware of when the potential judgement of others is coloring our attitudes, restricting us from the balance of pleasure that we need to stay well. When focusing on healing this Chakra using these tips, always keep this in mind. Matters of the Sacral Chakra are particularly vulnerable to the effects of societal pressures, as matters of sexuality, pleasure and emotions are so contentious, and often politicized.
So what can you do to balance the Sacral Chakra and live a pleasurable life? Let’s have a look at some common Sacral Chakra Problems along with some tips and solutions.
Symptom: Overindulgence In Food And Alcohol (Excess Sacral Chakra)
For a lot of us, when our emotions are out of control, so are our indulgences. Taking pleasure in food and our senses is natural and necessary. But if you find you overindulge to the point of damaging your health and lifestyle, it’s time to look at things a little differently. Pleasure from food and alcohol is a helping of ‘free’ positive feelings. You get an experience of pleasure without the emotional labor of maintaining relationships, or the difficult process of heart healing. Indulgence is capitalism’s expensive alternative to human connection. Once a habit or dependence is built it can be incredibly difficult to break the cycle of self comfort ( this is discounting serious addition issues – these are the realm of medical professionals and addiction coaches, not Yoga blogs!).
Solution: Eat Less, Enjoy It More. Drink Less, Enjoy It More
It’s time to have a good hard look at why food and alcohol take up such a large slice of your life. It’s partly cultural of course – every social occasion seems to involve food or booze. But if you’re struggling with putting the glass of wine down, there’s some great advice from the NHS about taking control back here.
Mindful eating can be an amazing tool in keeping an eye on your eating and learning to really stay present in the moment. When we’re overindulging, we seem to blink and there goes half the cheesecake. If you’re taking the time to relish every bite, time can’t run away from itself.