How to Balance the Sacral Chakra

The sacral chakra, known as the Svadhisthana in Sanskrit, is the second of the seven main chakras. It is located below the navel, around the area of the perineum.

Represented by a vibrant orange color, the sacral chakra rules the zodiac signs of Sagittarius and Pisces, and is linked to the water element. It governs our creativity, sensuality, and sexuality and is linked to pleasure and joy.

When our Sacral Chakra is unbalanced, we may experience a loss of imagination, overactive or underactive sexual drive and isolate ourselves from others. A balanced sacral chakra brings harmony, pleasure, and a nurturing energy to our relationship with ourselves as well as the world at large. It gives us flexibility, freedom of expression, and flow.

Signs the Sacral Chakra is out of balance

When the sacral chakra is imbalanced or blocked, it may manifest in a number of physical, emotional, and spiritual issues. Some of the signs are:

• Lack of desire and creativity
• Fear of pleasure
• Issues with the spleen, bladder, or kidneys
• Problems with the genitals or sexual problems
• Overactive or underactive libido
• Difficulty in expression
• Experiencing mood swings
• Addictions of any kind
• Lack of personal boundaries
  

How to balance the Sacral Chakra

There are several ways to bring the sacral chakra back to balance. Some of them are:

Connect with the water element: Because the two are linked, any activity that connects you with water helps balance the sacral chakra. Take time to deeply hydrate, soak yourself in a warm bath, or go swimming.

Sound: Every chakra is associated with a unique sound. The seed sound for the sacral chakra is “vam”. Chanting this sound helps bring the chakra back to balance.

Meditation: There are various meditation techniques that can help restore the sacral chakra. Some of them are: visualizing the color orange, visualizing yourself cutting the cords to whatever is blocking your sacral chakra, and dancing.

Affirmations: These affirmations work specifically on the sacral chakra:

• I accept the flow of life.
• I honor my sensual expression.
• My creativity flows effortlessly.

Practical Application: 

• Work on setting healthy boundaries with others
• Get creative and make something with your hands.  
• Indulge in worldly pleasures, like a luxurious bath, a delicious meal or massage.
   

How can balancing the Sacral Chakra improve your life

One way to know if your sacral chakra has come back to balance is if you feel you are at home with yourself. You may notice a shift in your relationships with everything around you - people, animals, food, and nature.

You may start to feel more in tune with your intuition. Your emotions may become more balanced. You may feel that your creativity has increased. You may experience greater sexual intimacy.

Yoga poses to help balance the Sacral Chakra

Yoga is one of the most powerful ways to balance the sacral chakra. Try including these yoga poses in your sequence:

1- Ustrasana or Camel Pose

This pose beautifully opens the chest and the neck, creating confidence and giving room for expression, while rooting through the thighs and knees. It is a deep backbend that is accessible even to beginners.

Camel pose helps create space in the back body. It relieves lower back pain and is great for improving posture. The key to getting this pose right is using the breath to go deeper. Connecting to the breath is an effective way for balancing the sacral chakra.

What this pose also offers is a sense of empowerment. It counteracts the harmful effects of long sitting and strengthens almost all of the body.

2- Baddha Konasana or Bound Angle Pose

Also known as Cobbler Pose, it is a great pose to open the hips and stretch the inner thigh muscles. It also strengthens the core and improves posture.

This pose is recommended for balancing the sacral chakra because it is a hip-opener and works on the pelvic region.

Bound Angle Pose lengthens and stretches the spine. A strong core helps to make the most of this pose. The core engages to prevent the rounding of the back and dropping into the posture. Use this pose to improve posture and deeply connect with the body.

Check out my Sacral balancing meditation in the YouTube video below to help you get familiar with and open your Sacral chakra.