Finding Passion and Creativity: Understanding the Sacral Chakra

Sacral Chakra: Emotional Balance
Location: Sacrum, Lower Belly, Sexual Organs
Bija Mantra: Vam
Sanskrit Name: Svadhistana (her favorite standing place)

The sacral chakra is located below the belly button, in the area of the lower abdomen and the sacrum. It includes the sexual organs, and is dominated by the element of water. Like the mandala image of the chakra (pictured above), imagine the pelvis as a bowl of water that we want to keep upright and fairly still. This is not only beneficial for our posture and the support of our lumbar spine, but also a great metaphor for the power of the sacral chakra.

This energetic center governs our ability to taste life, to have zest and passion for all our experiences. This is the storehouse of our creativity and the birthplace of our procreativity (children, or projects!). We also engage in intimate relationships on this level of consciousness, and let’s be honest, nothing stirs the waters like our intimate partners. Intimate partnership at any stage of the game is a wild ride; from the initial interest to getting to know each other and building trust to a commitment and potentially a disastrous end, intimate partnerships are often the crucible by which we learn the most about ourselves.

Intimacy is challenging for most everyone because the real trick to intimacy is that the relationship is only as deep and honest as you are with yourself. The measure of depth occurs with the depth that you allow yourself to be seen and witnessed by the other. The measure of honesty is only as great as the amount of honesty you have with yourself. Intimacy requires great trust and faith both in ourself and in the other—to be accepted by them, and accept ourselves in the process.

The greatest gift we give the beloved is knowledge of the self. Often, we only come to know ourselves in light of the presence of someone else! When we engage in an intimate partnership, things come up from within us that would never arise if we were on our own. It takes the mirror of relationship to see ourselves clearly, and extraordinary presence of mind not to blame the other for what we see. Often, when we don’t like what the mirror shows us, we turn it around, and blame our partner for the image. True intimacy requires us to stand in front of the mirror, accept and love ourselves for who we are…so that our partner may also accept and love us.

The blame game starts resentment. Resentment breeds contempt. When we harbor contempt for someone else, there is little chance of salvaging the relationship. This requires great personal work, and even though we are with someone else on the journey, the work is ultimately our own.