Chakra 2: Water + Sacral Chakra

Chakra 2: Water + Sacral Chakra

“The artist is not a special kind of person; rather each person is a special kind of artist.” Ananda Coomaraswany

Welcome back to Bodinuity.

How are you feeling since working with your Root Chakra? Did your steps feel heavier, were you more present at dinner, did you wake up a little more content than the day before? I hope you were able to experience grounding from the exercises, and you may feel a bit closer to your truth of self.

 If you aren’t sure you made a intuitive connection, I highly recommend repeating the exercises and prompts of yesterday because the second, Sacral Chakra is all about moving on! The journey will really start rocking and rolling from here on, so PLEASE, don’t hesitate and go back to the grounding work if you need. You are the only one taking your journey and you need that foundation if you truly desire to feel connected to and influenced by this physical, mental, emotional, spiritual journey your chakras offer. 

Welcome back to your space, where you have a mat, water, and a journal. Maybe you have changed the scarf over the lamp to Orange.

As we give allowance to and space for the principle of change, I will continue to present these Chakra journeys in slightly different ways. Not the same way works for everybody, and sometimes you need to see something in a different perspective to actually want to do it.

The material presented is summarized and quoted from the book Wheels of Life by Anodea Judith, PhD. All other sources are noted. These posts will be written as both blog and journal; I have taken this journey to create it. My aim is simply to share information I have found useful. Any mistakes are my own.

First, and with every Chakra,  we will repeat the grounding alignment exercise. My wish is that you can let go of the outside noise, and trust the process. Everything I have here is for therapeutic assistance based on vetted principles and practices.

Align the chakras along sushumna. Read through the steps first and then stand to practice

1. Stand with feet shoulder width apart, stretch hands high over head, reaching with your whole body while feet are flat on the ground. Stretching out, wiggle through the space that may have been compacted, encourages the chakras to align
2. Return to a normal standing position, palms facing forward (mountain pose), trying to maintain the elongated new height. Perhaps half and inch you gained back! Remember gravity is constantly weighing on us. Tuck your pelvis so your central axis feels stacked and a clear column is running through your core body
3. Breathe slowly, deeply, in through your nose to balloon your belly with air, and fill the chest next. Out through your mouth. 3 deep breaths here
4. Imagine the vastness of the sky above you (even as you are indoors), experience the space above you. Drink in this vastness through your head, pulling it down into you like a human sized straw. Cascade this airy, clean and bright space into your face, ears, whole head, down your throat, over your shoulders, continue all the way down. 
5. It may help you to visualize this vastness as a light, a color, a stream of wind, or a column of bubbles
6. Take a few times to breathe in, getting a little further down your body each time. Till you are able to breathe through your feet releasing the breath into the floor. Earth. Grounding. We are experiencing the Manifesting Current.
7. When this feels comfortable, you are able to imagine the energy flowing from the sky to the earth, and begin working with the upward current! The Liberating Current.
8. Breathe in the earth’s energy from your feet, into your genitals, into your abdomen, cheast, heart, throat, face, spilling up into the sky above.
9. When this feels comfortable, practice running both currents at the same time!
10. Play with these two currents. Is one of them harder to control or feel, is there a particular block of tension anywhere? Thank yourself for this practice, and take a sip of water.

Cheers to you for repeating this breath alignment practice. It seems small and tempting to skip, but repeating healthy patterns is how we form habits, and experience the physical changes healthy habits create. Anything you do at least 3 times a week is a habit. You have just set a good tone (possibly a habit!) for your posture, deep breathing (clears out fascial cobwebs), and energizing your inner current. Sit how you are comfortable as we continue.

Associated weighty words of the Sacral Chakra: 

Water, Change, Polarities, Movement, Pleasure, Emotions, Sexuality, Nurturance, Clairsentience (gut feelings, sympathy, empathy, emotional attachments, and even physical sensations)

Sanskrit Name	Swadhisthana “Sweetness”
Location	Lower Abdomen, Genitals, Womb, L4-S4 in the Spine
Glands/Body Parts	Ovaries/Testicles, kidney, bladder, genitals, womb, circulatory system
Element	Water
Function	Desire, Pleasure, Sensuality, Procreation
Inner State	Feelings
Outer State	Liquid
Malfunction	Impotence, Frigidity, Stiff Low Back, Uterine, Bladder, Kidney Troubles
Color	Orange
Sense	Taste
Seed Sound	Vam
Celestial Body	Moon
Food	Liquids
Verb	I Feel
Yoga Path	Tantra
Minerals	Moonstone, Coral, Carnelian
Animals	Fish, Sea Creatures, Makara (Alligator like creature with coiled tail,  believed to represent consuming desire and passion which must be harnessed to move onward)
Chief Operating Force	Attraction of Opposites
Herbs	Fennel, Coriander, ginger
Essential Oils	Bergamont, Tangerine, Jasmine, Geranium, Clary Sage

Now that we have the basics, and you start to see the associations of this Chakra, look here at the location of the Chakra. Imagine an orange aura, an innertube of light, glowing, surrounding this part of your body today. When you walk, imagine your pelvis leading you there. Just go with the flow, and perhaps you will notice some of the chakras associations in your house today. Use them. Eat orange foods, heck, go right now and throw on an orange top! It never hurts to put ourselves in the mood. Never know what you may try that will sink in lovingly.

After the Root grounding exercises, we experienced the sanctity of oneness. To feel completely whole, realizing you ARE enough, is such a pleasure. Immediately after that experience, we now split into a study of duality. A new dimension where one meets another, as two. 

• Ida and Pingala Nidras begin their divergent paths, but many times intercross
  • The second chakra is where duality begins, but by the 7th chakra we will transcend the limitations imposed by duality
• This Chakra moves out from the element of earth, into the element of water, starting to FLOW
  • Stillness becomes movement
  • Gaining a degree of freedom, but adding the complexity of duality
  • We find ourselves rocking between the tides of gender, of emotion, logic and creativity, sun and moon, organic and geometric, even and odd.
    • There are the complementary forces inside us all. And they exist everywhere in nature.
    • The creative part of our lives comes by balancing these forces! This takes awareness of situations and listening for timing. 
      • You want to take your partner a cookie because you want to give a happy moment. But if you do so at a moment where he is having a discussion on the phone with his boss, he will likely be mad for the interruption, no matter the reward of the cookie. Timing is something we could all be more present and understanding with, which takes greater observance of the external world. 
        • An example of the complementary force of internal and external ying/yang
• Duality in the second chakra becomes the motivator of change. 
  • From unity, we begin seeking the return to unity
  • You (body, mind, soul) are the water’s stream, weaving through boulders that exist in the riverbed of life. Bouncing against them is natural, but a time of balanced and full passionate strength will always follow.
  • Do not let the incoming change disturb you or you may be caught in the chakra
  • “Flow allows one thing to connect energetically with another. It is the difference between a point and a line” Anodea Judith
  • From unity to unity – is our aliveness where we DANCE with polarity
    • That’s all this is…a tango, a waltz, a two step, between forces

Here is where we are…

The Action is I FEEL

And the words are EMOTION, PLEASURE, SEXUALITY, CREATIVITY, NURTURE, CHANGE

Keep these in mind today, and let yourself flow

If you remember from the Chakras History, Tantric Philosophies formed from the belief that Duality did not describe the full breadth of the universe, it left a lot unsaid. But Tantra never denied the existence of Duality…so I just wanted to clear that up. Tantra incorporated teachings from “I Ching”, The Book of Changes, speaking to the concept of change- between the polaric forces of Yin and Yang. 

Another bit of confusion with chakra is the name itself. Sacral Chakra is sometimes called the Navel Chakra. No problem. (The transition from 2nd to 3rd is at the navel) The chakras are all at transition points in the physical structure.

Second, the 1st chakra emanates from the nerve ganglion in the Sacrum (wedge shaped bone at the base of the spine). The Sacral Chakra (2nd) is mainly in the Lumbar Plexus but includes Sacral vertebrae S4 + S5. That is just the Massage Therapist in me wanting to be specific about anatomy but actually, as we have learned….they are all woven together, duh! SO being specific is a non-issue. But thought I’d try to clear up a topic I was curious about.

• Even from a physical perspective you can see the 1st Chakra is protected by it’s pelvic home…uses the safety inducing stillness to create structure… our foundation that all else is built from. The 2nd chakra opens up the flow. Where we burst through with creativeness, passions are pursued, finding the highest elevation of ourselves is the work we pursue from here.

• Movement….allowing change, being flexible. If we are not open to change, if you cannot express yourself, how can we find intimacy with others. Leaving our shell of oneness, to be open to a partner can be intimidating. But we all have some amount of desire inside which begs to intertwine with another. As a lover or friend. 
  • Some texts discuss celibacy as righteous; the true way to enlightenment. One such text is of Brahmacharya. Tantra dispels the belief that feeding our pleasure is wrong.  
    • The point celibacy is making is by experiencing sensation of the senses, we deprive ourself of knowing the true nature of reality, because we are experiencing Maya, the creations of consciousness.
    • Pick your path for yourself…
  • From Hedonism, Epicureans, and Freudism, there are plenty of philosophies on the topic of pleasure and pain. And while I encourage you to look into all philosophies, our inquisition simply takes it as an example of Yin/Yang. Humans experience Pleasure and Pain equally, as the wheel of life turns. Tantra asks, why deny yourself the use of your senses while you have them?
    • Spending too much time pursuing pleasure can numb our sensitivities to reality, lessening our grasp on consciousness, and it can also deplete us financially – big house, fast car, items for beauty
    • Not enough pleasure causes the body to contract, in a state of tension to the whole system.
  • Sensations are the building blocks of emotion
    • The act of transferring energy and information around the body, this process uses the Limbic System (lower area of the brain) which controls involuntary actions like our hormone levels, heart rate, blood pressure, and breathing
    • In states of pleasure, impulses flow freely in our body without fear of suppression, creating rhythmic patterns
      • Using movement to express emotion, to uninhibit us from present tensions, this is a tool to bring emotion from the unconscious, to conscious. Movement in principal releases tension and can feel cleansing. Whether it be facial cobwebs forming, or a tense situation – movement clears the pressure.

Journal Prompt

Which is my favorite sense? Sight, sound, touch, taste, smell

How can I use this sense creatively to convey the emotion I feel when I look out the window of my room?

• Nurturing anything also aids the Limbic System. This state of being and the actions of nurturing, adds an element of stability and trust to our sacral chakra flow. We care for others (and ourselves) as a natural desire for closeness and warmth. This is especially clear when by embracing someones care, intimate connections form and you find yourself opening up to another being. Sharing a connection outside your own body. You want this comfort to always last, requires paying no attention to the boulders which fall in your stream.
  • • • Cooking food, touching with warmth and care, loving without limitations
      • Through this we say “I am here”, transcending our separateness
• Our society has given us many subtle and outright notions that emotion and sexuality are to be tucked inside, and those who enjoy simple pleasures are lazy, weak, or self-indulgent. 
  • As pleasures (close friendships between opposite gender, women wanting enjoyment in sex, women making decisions for their own happiness outside of family chores) were shamed, so began underground pleasure seeking – drugs, alcohol, and violence, and “sex you couldn’t find at home”. This correlation of pleasure with negative actions brought on by these taboos have been haunting us for centuries, and demonizing women’s equality.
    • Studies have been done showing the more strict the sexual culture, the higher the rate of violence compare to sexually permissive cultures
    • http://www.violence.de/prescott/bulletin/article.html
    • Wilhelm Reich researched bioelectric currents of the body and found that only through orgasm could we achieve a “complete circuit” of bioelectric flow through the body, essential to energies dammed up by anxiety.

Journal Prompt

Do I allow myself to follow my emotions? Do I spend too much or too little time listening to the emotional characters my brain “plays”.

Creative Break

Blind Contour Drawing Challenge

• This is a quick, easy, creativity boost, so don’t think twice, grab your journal!
• What is something you can see even when you close your eyes? What is something you know like the back of your…HAND. That’s it! 
• Even if you have never drawn a hand before, this is an object you know the general shape, size, and contour without thinking twice. 
• Take about 90 seconds to 2 minutes outlining the palm, fingers, including the wrinkles
• Close your eyes, no peeking, draw your hand. Any position works!
• When you open your eyes, make any additions you want. Close some lines, or add a character, but make sure you admire it 🙂

Journal Prompts

• Describe my perfect day
• Who is someone I personally know that I am inspired by, and why?
• What practical skill do I wish I had?
• How do I typically react to physical or emotional change?
• What things occur to make me feel most sensual? Am I honoring and respecting my own needs when it comes to intimacy?
• What am I craving?
• How can I bring more movement into my life?

The Sacral Chakra is the seat of creativity and Passion is its fuel. 

As you examined your roots, and saw the seed of power inside you, I ask you to think about your current state of affairs as a baseline. From this Wheel of Life diagram, place your own blue line. From here you can determine which aspects of your life may need the most energy. From there you can get creative in ways to get more involved. This graph is a basic way to visualize how your emotional state connects to tangible matters.

If you have time, Mrs. Oprah Winfrey herself recommended this passion chart.

http://static.oprah.com/pdf/passion-hexagon.pdf

Okay I hope you are still with me, this is where I want you to get physical and feel the magic! Open your heart and your mind, as I walk you down a 5 part Sacral Journey tonight. I encourage you to do these all together, so it’s okay if you need to take a break now. Enjoy when you get to it!

1. This Yoga Class hits all the right moves to open and align that Sacral Chakra in the hips and low back. She has other Chakra Yoga Classes which I’m sure are equally rewarding.

2. Run a Bath – this is the water chakra after all! Trust me, after the work you have done for your Sacral Chakra emotionally, a hot bath/shower will be just the right touch. If you have any bath bombs or bath oils, toss them in. Listen to this absolutely lovely musical session, maybe twice 😉 Open a window if you can. Don’t sweat yourself out on this one, it is powerful to feel a fresh breeze with the heat, as you continue exploring Yin/Yang.
3. While you are in the tub take some time with your feet, putting pressure on and massaging the points of your Sacral Chakra (Around the ankles and above the heel)

3. After you towel off, robe up, or put on a FUN OUTFIT! who cares, no one is watching. How we dress is an expression of what we embrace: comfort, sparkle, power, simplicity. Little acts of positive emotional expression will build up for the better.
4. We discussed movement earlier. This is going to be our true meditation today; not holding judgement and clearing out everything except the instinctual pull of your body to music. If you are a natural in the art of dance, put on the music you are in the mood for and groove out – let energy spill out. After a lethargic bath, moving around is necessary to get the blood flowing back in the normal rhythm. I don’t want to steer you to a particular musical style because this is all about you and where you are emotionally.
   1. If you are like me, and struggle to have fun dancing, I found an adorable video teaching a few moves to “Club Dance”, along with the requisite musical lyrics about “shots, shots, shots, and I’m drinking”, they are enough to make you laugh and say YOLO. It is a fun 3.5 minutes to get a shy dancer started. Bonus – the first move is all about movement in our Sacral Plexus!

5. Last one for tonight, and I’m dead serious here. Men and women of these apocalyptic times… pour yourself a sexy glass of wine or sip your Spirit with a fancy fat ice cube, put your feet up and relax…Pornhub Premium is FREE all over the world!  https://www.thedailybeast.com/how-the-porn-world-is-helping-fight-coronavirus

Chakra 2 Conclusion: Your whole life is a creative dance; the way you move through pleasure, pain, emotion, and disturbance. You do it so uniquely. Your family, friends, lover, they all see it, and they encourage you to own it.

Thank you guys for spending time here, I’ll be back soon with Chakra 3!

With Health and Happiness we go,

Kaitlin

4/14/2020