Hi Friends,
It was suggested to me today to start this blog. I have been practicing yoga since the early 1990’s and teaching since 2008. I love talking about all things yoga, so it makes sense to share in this format.
On Monday evenings, I teach a class called “Sugar and Spice & Everything Nice”. It’s a class for women. This is a class I have wanted to teach for awhile. There are many different topics we can discuss in this class. I have decided to start with teaching about the chakra system and how they can effect us emotionally. Learning about the chakra system, is just another way to understand ourselves.
The first chakra we discussed was the sacral chakra or in Sanskrit, Svadhishtana chakra. The physical location of this chakra is below the belly button, in the very centre of your lower belly. It is associated with our emotional body, our sensuality and our creativity.
The sacral chakra develops when we are between the ages of 2-4. At a time in our lives when we begin to explore a little more on our own, when we start to test boundaries that have been set up for us and while we are learning to build our confidence. Emotionally, we develop our ability to relate to others during this time and express our emotions to those around us. Each Chakra has an element related to it. The element associated with Svadhishtana is the water element. Which means learning to be fluid or go with the flow is developed during this stage.
When it comes right down to it, we are learning how to relate to others in a healthy way. When this Chakra is in balance our relationship with ourselves and others, will be harmonious and nurturing. There are countless reasons why our chakras go out of balance. If we observe ourselves becoming dependent on others, feeling stuck in thoughts or patterns, and/or feeling out of touch with ourselves, this chakra may be out of balance.
So, what can we do to get in touch with this chakra? Being that this chakra’s element is water, find ways to be fluid- dance or go to a flowy yoga class. The colour associated with the sacral chakra is orange- maybe wear a touch of orange, eat some orange fruit or veggies, or put orange accents in your space, such as an orange flower or a pillow. Most importantly, feed your creative side in some way. There are so many workshops out there, that can offer those who struggle in this area, the opportunity to get into that creativity. Plus, these workshops are usually pretty fun! Easiest of all, close your eyes and imagine your breath moving down into that lower belly space.
I hope you enjoyed my first attempt at HeartFelt musings. I plan on adding to this on a weekly basis. If you have a topic or question you would like me to answer, please don’t hesitate to let me know.
Until Next time,
Sandra