Svadisthana - The Sacral Chakra

Creativity, Emotion, Sensuality.....

It is located in the sacrum - this is what gives it its name - and it relates to the genitals, abdomen, adrenals, lower back and hips. It is sometimes referred to as the sexual energy centre, and it governs creativity, enthusiasm, relationships (especially the sense of attraction between two people) and emotional needs.......and is also about making changes in our lives through personal choices. It brings about a sense of movement.

The element associated with the second chakra is water, and so it is also linked to all our bodily fluids.

A balanced second chakra helps to maintain healthy relationships, healthy emotional needs and an openess to intimacy..............and a healthy yin-yang existence. In Sanskrit, Svadisthana literally translates as 'sweetness', but it would probably make more sense if we thought of the word 'pleasure' instead, as it is partly about how we handle our pleasures and desires.

When this chakra is aligned it promotes energy, success and a positive outlook..........it makes it easier for us to be open, imaginative and creative.........to go with the flow and to be at home with ourselves. We are able to follow our creative dreams and to learn from all our experiences - positive and negative.

When it is out of balance emotional problems may occur such as sexual guilt and excesses in food, drink or sex. We may become self-centred, distrusting and cold towards others. We may also be over-emotional, obssesive about someone, depressed, have a lack of sexual drive or have an excessive libido.

Below you can see the specific associations with the sacral chakra:

Colour	Orange
Element	Water
Animal	Crocodile
Sound	VAM

Physical health problems may include:

Problems with fertility, kidney and bladder infections, impotence, lower back pain, problems with hips, chronic fatigue.

Emotional health problems may include:

Neediness, hyper-sensitivity, shyness, lack of confidence, a tendency to worry.

The best essential oils to use with the sacral chakra are uplifting, calming, aphrodisiac and those that balance the female/male energies.

Here are some good oils to help balance the svadisthana:

• Jasmine, patchouli, bergamot and sandalwood - help balance your yin-yang energies.
• Rosemary - good for focus, depression, fatigue and memory.
• Clary sage, fennel, geranium, jasmine, neroli, rose and ylang-ylang - help with menstrual problems.
• Jasmine, neroli, rose otto, ylang-ylang, sandalwood, black pepper, patchouli and marjoram - aphrodisiac oils, so helpful for lack of sexual drive.
• Basil, chamomile, eucalyptus, clary sage, juniper and rosemary - these essential oils are anti-inflammatory or antispasmodic and so can help with backache and sciatica.

Water is the element associated with this chakra, so using some drops of essential oils in your bath is particularly effective!