Sacral Chakra and Related Health Issues

 Sacral Chakra and Related Health issues

Our sacral chakra is our second chakra, just above our root chakra. The root chakra is responsible for stability, physical nourishment, being comfortable in the body, and feeling secure in the physical world. The sacral chakra is much less about our physical bodies and being stable, and more about transition, movement, feeling, and change. It is through the sacral chakra that we experience a connection to our emotions and feelings, which allows us to experience joy and fulfillment in our day to day activities, foster relationships with others (along with the heart chakra), and expression of ourselves through art, creativity, and sexuality. 

The sacral chakra is governed by desire, your appetite to explore, experience, and engage in your own life. It fuels your fire to pursue pleasurable activities, and a healthy sacral chakra allows you to enjoy and be present in each moment. With a healthy sacral chakra, you are able to both enforce and respect healthy boundaries with other people and yourself. This means that you recognize the nature of your relationships with others and can identify how much is appropriate to share and can open up emotionally to those that are close to you.

When the sacral chakra is out of balance, we often see issues in the:

• Reproductive organs, such as menstrual issues, PMS, endometriosis, fibroids
• A decrease in the ability to form stable, healthy connections with others
• The ability to feel, understand and interpret our feelings and emotions
• Sexual dysfunction or issues within one’s own expression of sexuality (excessive or deficiency)
• Guilt and shame surrounding pleasurable activities (Thoughts of “I should…”) 
• Issues “letting people in” or being an “over-sharer” with lack of boundaries 
• Lack of joy or zest for life

Excessive Sacral Chakra

An excessive sacral chakra may lead to neediness and cause a person to overshare with others. A lack of firm boundaries characterizes an excessive sacral chakra. A person with an excessive sacral chakra may continually crave attention from others and need frequent validation. They may not have a solid sense of self, and their personality may seem to take on what they think others around them, such as their boyfriend or girlfriend, wants. Sexuality may be over-expressed and used as a means to connect deeply with others and move relationships forward quicker than what is appropriate. 

 

Deficient Sacral Chakra

With a deficient, or closed off sacral chakra, a person may struggle to feel joy, passion, and intimacy. S/he may struggle to understand her/his own emotions as well as express them to others. In this case, boundaries are too rigid, and connection with others is a challenge. People with a deficient chakra often feel that life is monotonous, do not enjoy sexual intimacy, and lack the feeling of flow and freedom. A deficient sacral chakra leads to feelings of apathy and feeling stuck.

 

 

 

The Cause of Sacral Chakra Imbalances

The sacral chakra can become imbalanced in a number of ways. Developing a balanced sacral chakra and maintaining a harmonious sacral chakra can be challenging in today’s society. The sacral chakra first develops in response to the modeling we have as children regarding boundaries, emotions, and sexuality. As you may guess, it is common for parents to encourage their children to suppress their emotions by saying things like “You’re fine, stop” when a child becomes sad or angry. Sexuality and sexual expression are also taboo in many cultures, and exploring sexuality in a healthy way is almost impossible to navigate without some judgment. You are either a prude or too loose – is there ever any in-between? 

Taking time to enjoy yourself and do things that are not necessarily productive but simply bring you joy is often met with guilt. Ah, capitalism, is productivity and working for the man all we are here to do?

Showing emotion can be seen as a sign of weakness if you are male, or if you are female, too much emotion or passion is seen as hysteria.

As you can see, the sacral chakra, for most people, could use some healing.  

Healing the Sacral Chakra

Healing the sacral chakra is relevant to many, if not all, people. This is because from the moment we are born into adolescence and into adulthood, our society has put in place “rules” that demonize pleasure and reward “hard work” and suppressing our emotions.

Our society has taught us to deplete, ignore, and suppress many vital aspects of our sacral chakra. 

As children, we are afforded more opportunities to play, have fun, and express ourselves. However, when a child cries, becomes angry, or becomes too excitable, it is not uncommon for parents to tell a child to “stop”, or say “you are fine, stop crying” or “calm down” etc. Instead of feeling his or her feelings of anger, sadness, or glee, are validated, a child is taught that emotional expression is not ok. This is especially true for male children. Being sad or crying breaks the unwritten rule that “boys don’t cry.”

As this child grows up, he or she will be less likely to understand his or her emotions and what they are truly feeling and why. As a result, this causes emotional suppression. To encourage the healthy development of the sacral chakra, parents should instead help their child understand what feelings they are experiencing, validate them, and help them understand why.

Taking the time to relax and take care of yourself, saying “no” to extra tasks and projects, answering emails only during business hours is essential for creating appropriate work-life boundaries and taking care of your own mental, physical, emotional, and spiritual needs. Unfortunately, in our society, these practices are not rewarded and are often frowned upon or judged as “lazy” or “selfish.”

Understanding what your needs truly are (and respecting them) is essential for a healthy sacral chakra. The first step is recognizing the signs and signals that your mind or body sends to you when they are in need of rest, downtime, laughter, relaxation etc. Once you have begun to pick up on these signs and signals, the next step in creating boundaries to enforce these needs. This can take work, and it does not always come easy. 

Things to ponder on - 

Nancy McShane

The 1st Chakra and Relationship to Health

 

 

The Root Chakra And What It Says About Our Health.

The Root Chakra is packed with information. November starts my launch into reopening my Healing Touch (Spiritual Healing) services AND Energywork. Two very different theories of healing. It's been 20 years in the making. I'm very excited about it. Please check out the website for detailed information on each service.

 

7 Chakras and What They Reveal

Yesterday a I shared with you 12 places that our body stores stress and the emotions tied to those areas. Today we look at the 7 Chakras and the emotions tied to them. 

Root Chakra 

This chakra is located at the base of the spine and relates to feelings of groundedness. This is our foundation in life and relates to feeling like your basic needs, those necessary for survival, are met.

When I may mention to you that it looks cloudy or out of balance, perhaps you are experiencing fear that you won't have our needs met, and this results in anxiety. We also feel like we're not good enough, or in fear, like we're not safe, this also causes this chakra to appear blacken or cloudy.

Sacral Chakra 

This chakra centers on the sacrum, which is the triangular bone at bottom of the spine, connecting it to the hipbones. It also encompasses the sex organs.

The second chakra relates to creativity, which also includes the sex organs because they're where we create life. Because this chakra is tied to the water element, it represents our emotional experience.

If you repress your emotions, this chakra is likely out of balance.

When this chakra is in balance, we gracefully allow ourselves to flow with the rhythm of life. Out of balance, we feel stuck, uncreative or dis-passionate, or ashamed of our bodies.

Naval Chakra (or solar plexus)

This chakra, located by the belly button, relates to our personal power and will. It's about the fire in the belly.

When this chakra is out of balance, you may feel angry, full of guilt, or unable to influence the world around you. It's like life happens to you and you have no power to create the life you desire.

Balancing this chakra isn't about controlling life, but about recognizing those things you do have influence over. It's about feeling worthy of taking up space. Out of balance, you likely also need external validation.

Heart Chakra

This chakra is all about love! Balance in the first three chakras supports an open heart. When you feel secure in the world, it allows you to be creative and in the flow of life. That security and fluidity then rise to create a sense of personal power.

A strong solar plexus and personal boundaries protect your open heart.

Out of balance, you may feel sad or lonely. This isn't a call to judge yourself, but to love yourself.

Throat chakra

This chakra is located — surprise! — at the throat. It relates to speaking our truth and speaking up for what we believe in. However, it also relates to comparison.

When we compare ourselves to others, it literally closes down this chakra, reducing our capacity to create our own lives. This makes sense when you think about how focusing your energy on another person naturally reduces the energy available to focus on your own life.

Where attention goes, energy flows. So keeping your attention firmly on your own life and your own possibilities will help you break free from karmic cycles of action and reaction and instead actualize your soul's highest purpose.

Here too, it's important to remember the energy of love from the fourth chakra when speaking your truth. Speaking too bluntly or harshly and without kindness is as much a symptom of imbalance as not speaking your truth at all.

The Third Eye

This center, located between the eyes, is the center of spiritual wisdom. It's a sense of knowing beyond words, or seeing what's left unsaid. This is the chakra of intuition and the sixth sense.

While blocks in the lower centers tend to be the most stubborn because they come from family or society or other deep blocks, we tend to be our own worst enemies when it comes to these higher chakras.

If you always ask everyone else's advice, trusting outside wisdom over your own inner voice, it ultimately intensifies the doubt you feel.

To enhance your intuition, take small steps. Ask yourself what you'd like to eat for a meal or wear for the day and stay present to what comes up. Does a picture emerge in your mind? A taste? An idea?

The Crown Chakra

This is where spiritual energy enters our bodies. We all have cords — kind of like umbilical cords — that rise from the crowns of our heads up into the heavens.

The more you meditate, practice yoga and overall strengthen your spiritual energy, the thicker your cord becomes. As more spiritual energy flows through your body, you radiate. You can't help but attract your destiny to you because you are the embodiment of a spiritual being having a human experience.

I know this was a very long post. Thank you for reading - til tomorrow

Nancy

 

Guidelines to Creating a Healthy Mindset

When our thoughts are healthy, our body and soul feel at ease. It is crucial to pay attention where our mind wanders, what information we’re feeding it and how this impacts our relationship with ourselves and others. As I sit here at home, my mind is constantly in a state of wondering. 

Pay attention to yourself and gain control over your mind so that consequently, you can regain some sense of control over the situation. Even when our surroundings feel chaotic and uncertain, our mind has the power to protect and heal itself.

So, let’s focus on our mindset for a moment.

I like to define mindset as: the way we receive, perceive and react to our environment and internal processes. Our mind undeniably runs our lives. When we have a healthy mindset, we are able to put ourselves first, we cope better with stress, we find ways to reframe our thoughts and focus on what is in the highest good for everyone involved.

When our thoughts are healthy, our body and soul feel at ease.

As our lives constantly change and evolve, it is important to remember that this stage too shall pass. So, how can we achieve a healthy mindset in such difficult times? Today let’s look at the most important guideline is achieving a Healthy Mindset. 

Acceptance – let’s be real, no one likes too much change. We are creatures of habit. Having a routine makes us feel in control of ourselves and our world. And when something unexpected happens, we panic, live in fear and see everything through a negative lens. People who practice acceptance also practice flexibility and letting go. Attaching to things, people and circumstances only create more resentment and powerlessness. When we align with acceptance, we surrender to the rhythms of life and we flow with the energy of the universe.

A way to practice acceptance can be done through the following affirmations:

• Find a comfortable place to sit or lay

• Close your eyes if it feels safe

• Place your hand over your heart chakra and repeat:

• As I detach from circumstances I can’t control, I allow the universe to guide me.

• I let go of my need to control and my need to plan

• Life is about phases, and this too shall pass

• I am able to keep myself safe, in spite of the chaos around me

• I was not ready to let go before, but I am now

• When I accept what is happening, I give myself the gift of peace. I deserve that peace

Again this of all the guidelines I will share with you over the next few days, is the hardest one and the one that takes the most time to master.

Wishing you and your family the very best on this day. 

Nancy

Chakra Breathing

Chakra Breathing

We are connected, through our breathing, to everything involving us, to all living beings that cohabitate the planet with us. All persons, all animals, and all plants breathe the same air. We breathe what they exhale and vice versa.

In our body air also establishes a contact, a permanent exchange, with all our cells. They all breathe the same “air” that enables them to work and that feeds our body with the so-called “Strength/ Vital Energy”.

In Yoga, different breathing techniques are used to enable us to extract, from the air, the Vital Energy (Prana in India and Ki in China). Prana, an energy too tenuous to be measured, represents the Vital Energy that penetrates everything and keeps our physical body working, without it, life would not be possible. This shows the importance of our breathing.

When directing our conscience to our breathing (what we do, for instance, during a meditation) we can reach the so-called altered states of conscience and, through the change in our vibration pattern, we are going to influence the Chakras (during meditation the connection with our Higher Self is easier).

With time, it will be possible to establish a permanent, and conscientious, connection to our Inner Divine Self and to its real nature as a Soul having a human experience and not as a “physical being” having a spiritual experience, as the majority of people still thinks ….

• Clean the room as usual;
• Sit comfortably (keeping your back upwards and chin slightly pointing to your chest) and close your eyes. Keep yourself centered in your breathing (inhale through your nose, retain the breath for three or four seconds and exhale softly through your mouth making a slight hissing sound), don’t alter your rhythm, just be aware of it. Relax and feel the flux of air in each inhalation and exhalation
• Focus on each step of your breathing and, keeping the rhythm, breathe seven times, slowly and deeply.
• Visualize the Cho Ku Rei or the Reiki Power Symbol and repeat its name three times to activate.
  
  
• While inhaling feel/visualize the Root Chakra participating in the process, breathing also.
  
  
• Visualize the Cho Ku Rei being absorbed by the Root Chakra. When exhaling, visualize and feel all the accumulated stress, all the stagnant energy being expelled by the Root Chakra (you can try to visualize a sort of “black smoke” being eliminated).
• Visualize the Cho Ku Rei, preferably in the golden color, (you can also use the violet color), harmonizing that chakra.
• Repeat the process in each of the Chakras, since the Root Chakra to the Crown Chakra;
• At the end, visualize, a big Cho Ku Rei over your head;
• Make positive statements/affirmations such as:
  • “I (name) recognize the divinity that lives in me”;
  • “I (name) am in harmony with the Universe”;
  • “God is in me”
  • I prefer to use the Supreme Being or Creating Force as Reiki is transversal to all religions –, “I AM a being of Light” and repeat them three times (the three times repletion works as a mantra, facilitating the rooting of the affirmation);
    o Never use the word no. Sentences should be precise, concise, objective and short;
• Visualize the Cho Ku Rei entering by the top of your head, going through your body and going out by the feet soles and being absorbed by the earth;
• Open your eyes returning to the Here and Now;
• Express your gratitude by placing the hands in Gassho.

Nancy
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