Here we’re continuing our series addressing the most common problems with each of the Chakras. This week we’ll be tackling the top three Sacral Chakra problems. You can check out our guide to the Sacral Chakra here. If you’re unfamiliar with the Chakras and want to get acquainted, check out our intro guide. Plus you can check out our glorious rainbow Chakra Products and clothing.
Intro:
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.
Symptom: Lack Of Passion, Desire And Enthusiasm (Deficient Sacral Chakra)
We’d like to first advise that a sudden lack of motivation, enthusiasm or losing interest in things that you used to love are serious signs of depression and should be addressed. What we are discussing here is not a serious depressive episode, but more a lack of zest for life and it’s wealth of new experiences. Being ‘stuck in a rut’ emotionally and creatively is an obstacle best dealt with quickly – as you tend to sink deeper the longer you stay there.
Solution: Reconnect With Old Passions, Or Get A New One
There’s nothing like a new creative venture to get the energy flowing through the Sacral Chakra. Is there something you used to love practicing, creatively that you could take a look at again? Has a busy life pushed your meditation, Yoga practice or creativity to the wayside? If you’re struggling with ennui, it’s time to reconnect to these little pleasures.
Want to try something brand new? How about looking for a creative outlet you loved as a child but left behind as an adult? This Chakra is the realm of the inner child after all! Why not play? Think back to what ‘little you’ found the most joy in. Don’t feel guilty for doing ‘kid stuff’ or acting immaturely. This is a societal construct designed to keep people behaving safely and predictably, and it is not constructive to your well being. Get messy!
Problem: Emotional Suppression & Outbursts
If you bottle up your emotions, real life and daily stresses will shake them until the top eventually bursts. The more you have put away, the bigger the mess. Emotional suppression is almost an expectation in western cultures – it is something that is supposed to be kept in the privacy of your own home. But to ignore the natural ebb and flow of emotions is to build a dam across your own well being. These sudden outbursts or patterns of over-emotional or manic behaviour can be frightening and destructive – especially if emotional suppression means they only explode once in a while.
Solution: Release Emotions In A Healthy Way, Often
If you’ve got 15 minutes a day to stew in anger or stuff your heart up on a shelf, you’ve got 15 minutes where you could be letting go. Much easier said than done, I know! But once you feel the benefit, suddenly that motivation to take those 15 minutes is right there at the surface. Try relaxing with a singing bowl or meditation incense. Below is a guided meditation to help release some of that emotional pressure building up!
Try to step back from your emotions and focus on the why of your reactions. Why did you react that way? Why did you decide you didn’t want to deal with or address a feeling? What practical next steps can you take to improve how you feel?
Sacral Chakra Affirmations
Try and incorporate an affirmation that really speaks to you into your everyday life to help on the path to healing.
Here are a couple from Eastern Body, Western Mind by Anodea Judith & Mindfulness Quest.
- I deserve pleasure in my life
- I absorb information from my feelings
- I embrace and celebrate my sexuality
- I move easily and effortlessly
- Life is pleasurable
- I will not allow anyone to violate my boundaries
- I allow creative energy to flow freely through me
If you’ve made progress on your healing journey and want to share, let us know what worked for you!
Good luck everyone and remember that healing is a process that we all go through – don’t be discouraged by confusion or slow progress. We’re all in this together and you’re sure to find an understanding ear if you look for it.
Love and light,
Yogamasti
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