The Sacral Chakra

You’ll read a lot about the Sacral Chakra being located below the navel, but it is actually located right on the sacrum. Why is this important? The sacrum is a triangular shield-like structure that fuses your hips to your vertebrae and stabilizes your pelvis – meaning that it is absolutely essential to your legs and the way that you walk, making the sacrum the “seat” of your relationships. 

• Color: Orange
• Location: Lower abdomen; the Sacrum
• Element: Water
• Development Stage: 8-14 years old

The Partnership Chakra

Also known as the partnership chakra, the Sacral Chakra evolves beyond the power of the tribe to teach us about the power of choice and balance. Developing during the ages of 8 – 14, the Sacral Chakra absorbs its core information during a time in which we’re beginning to discern who our friends are. We’re also beginning to notice that there’s a difference between our childhood world and the adult world that we don’t quite have access to.

This is a time of curiosity, of comparing and contrasting experiences, of having a constant change of opinions, confusing emotions, body changes, and puberty. It’s not an easy time, and I’d wager that most people don’t get to mature beyond this phase in a healthy manner because we see so many issues surrounding the Sacral Chakra.

Fostering Healthy Relationships

While the root chakra is about our beliefs about our environment, the Sacral Chakra teaches us about our relationships with other people. Although this might include romantic relationships, it really only scratches the surface.

Our 1-on-1 interactions with the adults who were closest to us, and the interactions between them set the template for our future relationships. In other words, we end up emulating what we saw growing up. This will encompass all of our relationships, including friendships, acquaintances, and work environments.

Romance, Expectations, and Maturity

Let’s use romance as an example and say that Mary had a loving relationship with her father, but often saw hatred and quarreling between her father & mother. It wouldn’t be surprising to see adult heterosexual Mary expecting to be loved by a man in one way, yet continually re-enacting the disastrous dynamic that she absorbed from her parents within her own relationships. It contrasts her expectations completely, yet that’s the only way she knows how. Chaos is her template and it makes her feel safe.

Emotional maturity happens when we connect the dots and realize that we don’t have to repeat other people’s unhealthy patterns. Sometimes, we’re boxed into narratives that are hard to break out of, and it might take some creativity to re-imagine the way that we approach others, and what we expect from said approach.

What are you expecting from your relationships? Is it peace, joyfulness and respect, or…. Is it really attention, approval, advantage, recognition, and/or reward? The Sacral Chakra holds up a very harsh mirror, dear reader. It’s like the parent that coaxes us into telling the truth, and although it’s an embarrassing moment, a lifelong lesson in honesty is learned in the end.

There is nothing wrong with being clear about what you expect in others, as long as you recognize what you’re giving others and make peace with that. You cannot launch into experiencing unconditional love without going through this process of self-awareness.

Healing the Sacral Chakra

The healing journey of the Sacral Chakra leads you through a difficult, yet sacred time. You may lose a lover, a friend, or be separated from an environment that you hold dear. Take advantage of this time to define what you value in yourself, and how you identify the environment and relationships that feel healthy, peaceful, and abundant to you. The Sacral Chakra brings about a powerful lesson involving our values, the choices that we make, and the faith that we have in ourselves and our own creative ability to solve problems.

What the Sacral Chakra affects:

Namely, your faith. The Sacral Chakra is about your ability to trust people, your community, and your own ability to make decisions. This affects your relationships, your creativity, and your sex life.

Is my Sacral Chakra unbalanced?

This chakra is associated with the sexual and reproductive organs, pelvis, hips, appendix, and bladder. Are you standing up straight? Issues concerning your needs being met will be a major cause for insecurity, weakness, slow movement, and slouching. Are you feeling stuck? Not being able to creatively solve your way out of a problem might require some Sacral Chakra healing. Are you honest with yourself? The Sacral Chakra is also big on honesty & lying. People who were never challenged during the ages of 8-14 to be honest or share their emotions safely during that time can expect to have an extra hard time with this chakra’s healing journey.

How do I balance my Sacral Chakra?

As always, maintaining physical health is a great way to help this chakra regain its balance. Addictive tendencies might come into play here, as some people might rely on substance abuse instead of exerting their own personal power to handle their daily lives. Are there hard choices that you need to make?

A close examination of your use of resources (creative energy), your own morals and ethics (choices), and your relationship to your own higher power might be very helpful in healing some emotional stagnation that might be holding this chakra back.