Yoga for balancing your energy system: aligning into one’s own place

I like to think of my body as a temple that facilitates the full expression of my soul. It puts a whole new meaning on how I care for this body temple! As we continue our theme of extreme self care, what could be more important than honouring our own temple? In my last post, we explored the first chakra and the importance of grounding to establish your foundation within your body. I hope you felt the difference some intentional grounding can make to centre the base chakra. This week we will explore the second chakra, svadhisthana, and its meaning and importance as we work our way up the chakra system and learn how we can manage our energy to bring about transformation in ourselves and our lives. We’ll look at how this chakra can have a huge impact on aligning us with our values and vision.

Hopefully you have already started with my last post by deeply grounding and forming a firm foundation for this work to sit upon; if not, go back and read it here and do a little grounding work. Moving into the realm of the second chakra, we start to work with feeling and sensation and how harnessing this power of feeling can empower our values and vision.

Feeling into our emotions is vital so we can allow the releasing that takes place when we open up to unexpressed emotion that may be ready to let go. When we allow ourselves to feel we bring consciousness into our body. Feeling in the svadhistana chakra includes emotional and sensory experience. Sensation is like a gateway between the inner and outer worlds. As we allow our senses to come alive, we become fully present to feeling, sensing, hearing, smelling and we allow the outside experience to be felt on the inside. Through our second chakra, we enhance our ability to relate deeply in the  moment.

Great yoga practice for our second chakra is hip opening movements. To start with, try some gentle figure-of-eight movements starting with one hip then swap over and go the other way. Circle your hips around one way then the other. Latin dance moves are great for this so maybe put on some Latin music, leave any inhibitions behind and move those hips, get that body swaying and transmute some energy. If you attend my classes you might remember our hip release sequence where we lie on our back with feet on the floor, interlace your fingers and place hands under your head. Then with feet hip width apart let your knees lower to one side then the other, repeat a few times then do the same again with feet and knees touching. Take hold of both knees and hug them into your chest, gently circle around and massage your sacrum into the mat. That should leave you feeling a little freer in the sacral region.

As we open to this centre we may discover pockets of stuck emotion ready to bubble up. When we are grounded in the base we find the courage to go deeper into our practice, stay a little longer, and let the amazing wisdom of our body/mind/heart to come more into balance. I encourage you to start to notice the sensations and feelings that may be there during your practice and when you notice something have a sense of wonder. Explore with your breath as you breathe into this feeling and breathe out of it, letting your breath transform this feeling and release it.

“Let the breath be the thread that weaves your mind and body together.” Rodney Yee

In the practice of extreme self care be kind to yourself. When you feel emotion bubbling up go with it, feel it, express it then allow yourself to rest. Give yourself the gift of yoga nidra, relaxation practice or restorative yoga that soothes your whole being.

Some other acts of self care may be:

• walk barefoot on the beach and let your feet be washed by the salty sea
• take a walk in the bush, breathe deeply and take in the freshness of nature
• read something inspiring; you may have a book of quotes that inspire you or some spiritual reading that nourishes your soul
• listen to music
• light a candle and prepare a nourishing meal for yourself

A balanced second chakra will allow you to feel more balanced, less reactive, to come from a place of understanding and acceptance not only with yourself but when relating to others. Balance here will also allow a sense of flow in life and easeful creating; therefore, spending time to bring balance here will allow you to clear the way forward to align with your values and vision, raising your vibration to match your vision.

Happy exploring of your second chakra, let the feelings flow, let light flow in, move with ease and grace into more balance and harmony and see your life in more colour.

Namaste

Sarah