The seven primary chakra systems are an illustration of ancient wisdom universalized across different spiritual and philosophical platforms. 50,000 years ago, dolls were found in caves with beads representing the location of each of these primary chakras. They play a crucial role in the mind, body, spirit connection and through understanding them and working with them we awaken a power within that cannot be sustained in any other physical entity outside of ourselves.
What is a chakra?
Chakras are focal points of our energetic body that vibrate at specific frequencies and are constantly in flux bringing in and putting out energy into our auric field. For this reason, they are referred to as vortexes of energy.
We are familiar with the fact we have a physical body but as energetic beings we go far beyond which can only be experienced with the 5 senses, experiencing emotional range is proof of this. The state of our chakras are a window into the emotional body and the link between emotional and physical wellbeing.
The energy involvement of the seven primary chakras can be visualized as a tree that runs vertically along the spine. Starting below at the dark, deep roots and growing upward to the area of the heart where branches begin to spread outward growing up into the heavens above the crown of the head.
The observation, healing and opening of the chakras are part of what is called, Tantric practice. Tantric practices in the most general sense are ways of opening to spiritual self-healing. They are theories based around attaining physical and spiritual awareness with an aim towards enlightenment. They involve esoteric practice (practice not understood by all) and sacred ritual (valued uniquely by the person participating in it).
Svadhisthana: The Sacral Chakra
The naming of the chakra system is Sanskrit, an ancient Indian language which migrated to different parts of the world finding itself across several different ancient teachings including Hinduism and Buddhism. Every chakra has a respectable Sanskrit name and symbol associated with it. It also has a color and sound frequency it vibrates at and other unique qualities that are not defined to limit the complexity of the energy.
Location: Below the naval, Sacrum
Element: Water
Seed-Mantra: VAM
(Seed Mantras also known as Bija (seed in Sanskrit) Mantras are one syllable phrases chanted to cleanse the specific energetic point for healing.)
Mudra: Palms facing up with the right hand resting on top/inside of the left, thumbs touching
(Mudra in Sanskrit means ‘gesture’, they are specific hand positions that bring intentional energy to a particular energy vortex/chakra during meditation.)
Endocrine Gland: Sexual Organs
Each of the chakras interact with a gland from the endocrine system, this is the communication with the physical body. Messages are passed through hormones secreted by the glands and communication with the nervous system.
Sacred Symbol: Orange Circle with a 6 Pedal Lotus and Crescent Moon
The crescent moon and circle symbolize feminine energy and the cycles of life. The number 6 stands for 6 modes of consciousness identified in the Hindu tradition.
The Sacral Chakra/Second Chakra is a consciousness center (instinctual) much like the Root Chakra/First Chakra. It deals with our emotional ability to experience pleasure, relinquish control, make choices, and create something uniquely personal. Its state is reflective of the relationships we have with others and ourselves.
In short, this is our bonding chakra. What bond do we have with our lives and the people in them? This center is ‘feminine’ in energy, honoring the emotional, sensual, creative side of life. This chakra doesn’t care what you’ve accomplished or where you are at; it only wants you to ask yourself, do I feel joy from my life? Do I feel connected to my life?
It is from this emotionally supportive seat of our being that we are able to expand our consciousness upwards to living an enriched, vital, and intimate life. This is our ‘life force energy’ in movement and it has a multitude of names through different ancient dogmas. Some examples are, but not limited to, prana, chi, bio-energy, source energy, ki, and spiritual energy.
At this chakra we can begin to understand the movement of energy. The water element is symbolic of the emotional realm. Its properties allude to how it is free flowing, deep, cyclical and cleansing.
Development of this chakra is synonymous to the water element in the way we reflect things as they are. Water also has no bounds; if healthy emotional boundaries are not honored by caregivers, we have no ability to realize them in our initial chakra development. Karmic energy and ancestral trauma lay dormant here as well just like the root/first chakra. It is also affected by all forms of trauma.
The sacral chakra is the home to the inner-child. Do we recognize the vitality in our emotional desires and needs being met? We live in a society that certainly doesn’t. As a child life is filled with wonder and genuine curiosity, if this isn’t quieted through development at home, school, communities, or societal norms will find a way to do so. The relationship we have with our own emotions is so important because every relationship will have us revisiting them. This energy being primarily unconscious is why healing is so important. If we are conditioned to believe we need to find a way around the immense pressure these needs put on our spirit, we will slowly lose touch with them or they will consume us in the process.
The relationship we have with our inner child and emotional body is indicative of our own perceived self-worth (again, primarily unconscious). Under the umbrella of our self-worth is the ‘accuracy’ of our intuition, our self-belief in bringing something of value into this world, feeling safe to leave the comfort zone, and knowing we are loved.
This chakra is also the home to our intuition or more specifically, ‘gut instinct’. Every single person has access to this gut instinct; it is also referred to as survival intuition. Those feelings you cannot quite explain about a situation or person are often the soft-spoken words of your own knowing.
At the sacral chakra in particular our inherent fertility waits. This is our ability to leave our unique footprint on the world, our ideas must be nurtured to be brought forth into the light of life.
When this chakra is blocked relationships are highlighted and we hold blame with a vengeance. It is so toxic to our being it can be a vacuum releasing vital energy. We struggle making decisions, doubt our abilities, and attract people and situations that mirror our lack of self-worth back to us. We have an emotional rigidity and see others or ourselves in terms of only ‘good verse bad’. With resistance to flow we get trapped in repeating cycles of people, coping mechanisms, addictions, and emotions. We struggle forming boundaries with others but just as importantly ourselves as we fall into repetitive behaviors, seek instant gratification, and escape into illusions as an attempt to have temporary control over our joy.
When this chakra is open, we are able to flow through life freely, accept change as a part of that, and allow ourselves to surrender to the waves of our own emotions. We acknowledge how we feel without judgement and can consciously forgive others and ourselves. We make decisions that are good for us without needing explanation, we beam with feelings of happiness and deep presence without guilt. We know what our emotional and sexual needs are and our relationships are filled with intimacy. We feel an unparalleled sense of peace. In this peace and knowing we bring our magic into the world through our creative being.
