The Second Chakra
Svadhisthana (svahd-hish-TAHN-ah), the sacral chakra, means “one’s own abode.” It’s located in the lower abdomen, and it governs the pelvic region, hips, reproductive organs, kidneys, and the fluid systems of the body. Its element is water, its color is orange, and its developmental stage is six months to two years. It’s involved with emotions, pleasure, passion, fluidity, movement, relationships in general, family specifically, and its shadow side is guilt.
With an open and balanced second chakra, we’re fluid, graceful, satisfied, emotionally connected, open to deep pleasure, nurturing of self and others with healthy boundaries and a zest for life, and able to feel deeply without drowning in emotion. An overactive Svadhisthana can lead to self-indulgence, over-sensitivity, excessive emotionality, and sexual addictions, and an underactive to emotional obliviousness, prudishness, numbness, and avoidance of pleasure.
Whereas the first chakra asks “What do I need in order to survive?”, the second asks “What do I want now that my survival is secure?”, and practices to activate the second chakra might include movement that gets our energy flowing, particularly in our pelvis and thighs. Svadhisthana’s mantra is “Vam.”
May we allow ourselves to flow with life, to feel pleasure, to feel our feelings, and to honor our relationships.
Svadhisthana (svahd-hish-TAHN-ah), the sacral chakra, means “one’s own abode.” It’s located in the lower abdomen, and it governs the pelvic region, hips, reproductive organs, kidneys, and the fluid systems of the body. Its element is water, its color is orange, and its developmental stage is six months to two years. It’s involved with emotions, pleasure, passion, fluidity, movement, relationships in general, family specifically, and its shadow side is guilt.
With an open and balanced second chakra, we’re fluid, graceful, satisfied, emotionally connected, open to deep pleasure, nurturing of self and others with healthy boundaries and a zest for life, and able to feel deeply without drowning in emotion. An overactive Svadhisthana can lead to self-indulgence, over-sensitivity, excessive emotionality, and sexual addictions, and an underactive to emotional obliviousness, prudishness, numbness, and avoidance of pleasure.
Whereas the first chakra asks “What do I need in order to survive?”, the second asks “What do I want now that my survival is secure?”, and practices to activate the second chakra might include movement that gets our energy flowing, particularly in our pelvis and thighs. Svadhisthana’s mantra is “Vam.”
May we allow ourselves to flow with life, to feel pleasure, to feel our feelings, and to honor our relationships.