The second major energy wheel in the body is the sacral chakra known as Svadhisthana. The flavour here is quite different from the first chakra Muladhara, which is focused on security, stability, and acquiring possessions. By contrast, the focus at Svadhisthana is the pursuit of pleasure and fun. Individuals with a dominant sacral chakra see the world as a playground in which to be joyful and creative.
When this chakra is well-balanced it creates a very pleasant lifestyle where we gracefully flow in the creative river of life. When it’s excessive it can lead to all kinds of addictions from alcohol, tobacco, drugs, shopping, sex, gambling, food, or any substances or behaviours that give us a quick happy fix, and relieves us from discomfort. Our addictions help us to forget our problems and to escape the challenges we encounter. Most people have had some addiction at some point in their lives, some carry it with them throughout their entire life, and some exchange one addiction for another. Excessive pleasure seeking behaviour is common in young people transitioning from childhood to adulthood, and for some it’s a very difficult habit to break.
In Chakra yoga we balance the energy of the sacral chakra by working on the pelvic region and by connecting to the emotional body. It’s not uncommon for practitioners working on this Chakra to find emotional release from deep wounds that can lay dormant deep in this part of the body. Any wounds resulting from intimate relationships can stagnate here if they haven’t been acknowledged, processed and released. When the energy flow is deficient or blocked it can show itself as stiffness in the body, a lack of humour, and a lack of desire for pleasure and enjoyment.