The Sacral Chakra

"Beneath heaven nothing is more soft and yielding than water.

Yet for attaching the solid and strong,

Nothing can take its place.

Therefore the soft can overcome the hard,

The weak can overcome the strong,

Under heaven everyone knows this,

Yet no one puts it into practice."

TAO TE CHING

Now we move up to the second chakra, the element of water and our feminine energy.

The second chakra, located in the abdomen, lower back, and sexual organs, is related to the element water, and to emotions and sexuality. It connects us to others through feeling, desire, sensation, and movement. Ideally this chakra brings us fluidity and grace, depth of feeling, sexual fulfillment, and the ability to accept change.

Where the earth is solid and fixed, water is fluid and formless. Where earth is solid and fixed, water is fluied and formless. Water follows the path of least resistance and flows downward, following the shape of earth or being absorbed into it. Where earth provides consistency, water induces changes. And Through change our consciousness begins to expand. Without water, growth is impossible. Water makes life juicy.

Our bodies -- made mostly of water -- are shaped by the structure of bones and muscles, but within these bodlies flow our emotions and desires, our wants and needs, our feelings and sensations.

The Sanskrit name for this chakra is Svadhisthana, which translates as "one's on place". This refers to the personal nature of the second chakra aspects of our emotions and sexuality. It is important that we stand in "our own place" within this chakra and define our sexual and emotional issues in a way that is suitable to our individual characters. If our roots are deep and well-watered, then our fruit will be sweet -- the Sanskrit verb svadha means "to sweeten". From the centre of one's own place, we sweeten life by opening to pleasure.

Pleasure is the motivating principle of the second chakra. Pleasure promotes well-being and is a natural healin force. It teaches us how to open up, how to move, how the reach beyond ourselves. Pleasure comes to us through any of our senses: seeing a sunset, tasting a meal, listening to music, savouring a lover's touch.

The senses are the first gatewa between the outer and inner world. To open our senses is to become sensible instead of senseless. Through the senses we first get "in touch". to be in touch is to know what we feel, to be awake and aware. To be in touch is to be connected.

The pull of the erotic in this chakra represents the universal urge to connect with others. through desire, emotion, pleasure, and sensation, we enter the complex realm of sexuality -- a place where we dissolve our boundaries and enter into intimacy with another. Dissolving is the beginning of our upward journey, whose ultimate goal is to enter mystic union with divine conciousness. While some traditions teach that pleasure is a dangerous distraction on the road to enlightenment, healthy pleasures -- such as touch, play, laughter, sexuality, and experiencing beauty - lead to contentment and peace, rather than an insatiable desire for more. In fact, it is often the denial of these simple, biological pleasures that leads to overindulgence and addiction.

Emtions are a composite of feeling and sensation. They give us a powerful source of information about our well-being. But we must understand the complext nature in order to stay afloat in the watery aspect of the second chakra.

Chakra Attributes

1. Sanskrit Name: Svadhisthana, which translates as "one's on place"
2. Color: Orange
3. Element: Water
4. Function: Desire, Pleasure, Sexuality, Procreation

Interpreting excess or deficiency in the sacral chakra

Excessive characteristics:

• Sexual addictions
• Obsessive attachments
• Addiction to stimulation
• Excessive mood swings
• Excessively sensitive
• Poor boundaries, invasion of others
• Emotional dependency
• Instability

Deficient characteristics:

• Rigidity in your body, beliefs or behaviour
• Emotional numbness or insensitivity
• Fear of change
• Lack of desire, passion, or excitement
• Avoidance of pleasure, fear of sexuality
• Poor social skills
• Excessive boundaries
• Boredom

Balanced characteristics:

• Graceful movements
• Ability to embrace change
• Emtional intelligence
• Nuturance of self and others
• Healthy boundaries
• Ability to enjoy pleasure
• Sexual satisfaction
• Passion

Healing essence of the sacral chakra

Located in our lower belly, it is where we relate to our bodies through the procreative centers. Through a healthy second chakra one can heal relationship problems, transform deep and hurtful emotions, and balance life.

Keywords: Life Energy, Creative, Procreative, Giving, Receiving, Inner Truth

Affirmations to practice this week:

• I make my decisions from a place of hope and faith.
• My creative drive is strong and exciting.
• My sexuality is fulfilling and meaningful.
• I am life.

Those of you who have bought Anodea Judith's Chakra Balancing Kit can move on to their workbooks, and if you like, blog your responses and link back to this post.

For those of you who don't have the book but would like to know a bit more about the first chakra, visit Anodea Judith's site and answer the questions below:

1. Do you express your emotions clearly and honestly?
2. Are you in touch with what you truly feel?
3. Do you set appropriate boundaries for yourself and in relation to others?
4. What pleasurable activites do you bring into your life?
5. Do you move towards change and new experiences, or are you resistant?
6. What are your passions?
7. Do you value your own feelings and respond to them?

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See participants responses to this post:

1. Mich