Dive Into The Sweet Waters of Change
Photo credit: Frantisek Janak 2022
Scroll to the end of the post for May Playlist!
May 2023 Focus
The Second Chakra: Svadhisthana (Sacral Chakra)
Emotion, Change, Creativity, Desire and Pleasure
“I believe that ultimately emotions have a spiritual function as the language of the soul”
Svadhisthana means sweetness. The second Chakra is located in your lower abs, reproductive organs, and hips. It is associated with the element of water and the color orange. This Chakra develops in babyhood from 6 months to two years- when your basic needs are met and you can develope a sense of your own desires, outside of survival. It is your right to feel and experience pleasure. Signs of a healthy root chakra are: Ability to change and adapt to change, creativity, emotional intelligence, nurturing of yourself and others, graceful movement, healthy relationship, Santosha (contentment) with deeper emotional states and healthy expression of sexuality.
In the last two months, we talked about how the root chakra can help us to become grounded, connected to nature, and fully embodied in our physical nature. This month we will explore the second chakra which truly builds on the first. Without our survival needs met, we really struggle to enjoy our lives and find pleasure. If our roots are not strong, the waters of change will leave us feeling lost and out of control instead of refreshed and ready to bloom.
“I’m not sure if there is a braver sentence than ‘My feelings are hurt.’ It’s simple, vulnerable, and honest. But we don’t say it very often. We get pissed off, or we hurt back, or we internalize the hurt until we believe we deserve it and that something is wrong with us. But rarely do we say ‘This really hurt me feelings.’ ”
Emotions are like water, sometimes a gushing flow that is hard to contain and other times a bright stream or still pond. In the second chakra, we seek balance, a flowing river that is neither stagnant nor turbulent. For someone with an overactive 2nd chakra there may be addiction to things that bring pleasure, emotional dependency, obsessiveness and oversensitivity. The reverse is of course poor social skills, denial of healthy pleasures, and dullness that comes from being closed off from desire and passion.
Emotional Stability = emotional intelligence + tools of coping + communication + support
Emotional stability starts with emotional intelligence, and assessment of how our relationships and boundaries are serving us or not. As you learn more about your emotional needs then comes the task of healthy regulation and communication. Relationships take vulnerability, honesty and work. But things will still go wrong, so how do you cope? I work with a therapist to explore where certain emotions are coming from, address root traumas and work through coping tools for depression and anxiety, and I have found a lot of peace from that. When we’ve experienced guilt, shame, or other emotional trauma we cannot relax into love, pleasure, or the vulnerability of the sacral space. This chakra can become blocked by trauma or abuse - emotional/physical/sexual. Everyone needs a solid support system, people to guide and walk alongside them, especially when working through deep emotions and experiences.
Pleasure Balancing- For me there is a pendulum which can swing easily from one extreme to the next. If I practice excessive denial, I may feel virtuous, but I am doing myself harm. Some examples might be: I don’t buy that new dress even if it’s in my budget, I don’t stop for ice cream on the hot day, or I work nonstop and neglect my needs to rest and nurture my creativity. That temporary feeling of pride turns into grouchiness and resentment. I set myself up to swing into over-indulgence. Maybe to compensate, I will go shopping without any budget, overeat to sickness, or procrastinate important things. If we over police ourselves and deny healthy joys we fall more easily into our vices. Did you only receive a treat or affection as a child when you were “good” or had earned it? That may make you feel like you need to earn enjoyment or affection as an adult. Were there no guardrails as a child? If so you may struggle to put limits of yourself to stay in healthy zones.
“Yesterday I was so clever, so I wanted to change the world. Today I am wise so I am changing myself ”
Change- Nothing is stagnant, not in nature anyway. You can’t visit the same forest or river twice, because by the time you arrive millions of little changes will have taken place. We need change even though it comes with discomfort. Without challenge how can we grow? Don’t get me wrong, we need stability as well. If we are always chasing challenge and newness then perhaps we grow, but like a plant without roots, eventually we will wither without support and grounding. When we confuse stagnation with stability that’s when we have a problem. We get comfortable with how things are and we stop asking questions. Wonder curiosity and creativity are powerful forces that we need to make room for in day to day life. Life is beautiful, brilliant and colorful and at the heart of the second chakra is that desire for more past survival which includes scary, but necessary change. As Mrs. Frizzle, from The Magic School Bus, says “It’s time to take chances, make mistakes and get messy!”
“Movement never lies. It is a barometer telling the state of the soul’s weather.”
Bodies- We need exercise, creative movement, and sensuality. In the second chakra we learn to reconnect with our bodies’ wants with intelligence, not denial or overindulgence. I am often surprised how much as a former ballet dancer and yoga instructor I forget to move. I go about my day, working, driving, and engaging with technology without really feeling my senses or moving my body all that much. Then I’ll hear a song on the radio that gets me grooving or I’ll go for a walk or I’ll teach a yoga class and all of the sudden I am hit with JOY! Wow This Feels Great! Why don’t I do this more often… Find ways to move in your day and take pleasure in that movement. Your body will thank you!
Sexual Expression- Healthy sexual expression is empowered by self-respect, and unhindered by shame and guilt. I was raised with the purity mindset, and while I thought myself very righteous for keeping my sexuality hidden in a tightly locked box inside myself before marriage, it did not serve me and made me judgmental of others. I struggled with shame and guilt about affection and intimate touch with my partner. Sex did not seem natural, but rather scary and dirty— because I had been taught that it was until marriage. That mindset did not magically disappear once safely wedded. It took time to process and heal. I have a much healthier relationship to my sexuality now, but I still have a lot of discomfort talking about it (as many people do from cultural and societal norms). I had some anxiety preparing for this month’s theme, but I know how important it is to talk about. Unhealthy sexuality is at the center of so much imbalance and pain in the world, so taking time to evaluate your own needs desires and struggles will help you clear your own path forward. When we practice self-respect, consent, and nonjudgment we will make good and healthy choices. Whether in celibacy, many relationships, or marriage there are ways to honor your body and be fully at peace with your sexuality.
In the Root Chakra we learned the many facets of “I am” and from that place we can grow into the second chakra of “I feel.” Perfect balance is impossible - we simply keep working a little one way a little the other as best we can. This month, pay attention to your body’s senses, the deep emotions and how you relate to pleasure. Explore the flow of vitality within you and remember that change is part of the dance of life. Allow your creativity, emotions, desire, love, and passion to flow.
Here’s May’s Playlist!
