Monday, October 02, 2006

True Balance ~ Sacral Chakra ~ Final Thoughts

I've had some great chakra-spiration lately. Shannon's orange collage inspired me to create one too! And thanks to Beansprout, I attended a Chakra workshop yesterday that was quite interesting. Of course it was Chakra and Yoga and I'm a complete newb, but that's okay. One thing I hadn't heard before is the association of the chakras with the elements. Not surprisingly, the root chakra is associated with earth. The sacral chakra is associated with water (which I did find surprising) and the third chakra, which we're about to move into, is associated with fire. An interesting thing the instructor did was to also tie this to the elements that appear most or least often in your astrological chart to see what elements need stimulating or balancing.

Chakra Quizzes

There's an interesting chakra quiz on Tickle, if you'd like to check in with how yours are doing. It is a bit frustrating to go through the rigamarole to get to the final report, but I did find it interesting when I got there. And remember, it will fluctuate depending on what's going on in your life, so take it whenever you feel you want to check in with your chakras.

Quicker and easier is the chakra quiz on Eclectic Energies. Enjoy!

Over and Under Active Chakras

I think it's really important to note that your chakras can be out of balance not only by being sludgy and slow, needing clearing and stimulation. They can also be out of balance by being overactive, spinning wildly and throwing things out of whack and needing to slow down. True Balance talks a bit about this in terms of addiction and over-indulgence in this chapter.

Gender

Suzie's recent post about being a woman who has chosen not to be a mother really sparked an a-ha moment for me. The sacral chakra is where your sexual identity exists. This is where woman-ness exits. If I was going to do further study in this chakra, I would definitely spend time thinking about what being a woman means to me. And for me, as with Suzie, it does not mean being a mother.

And speaking of gender...

This chapter is the first time when I had a negative reaction to anything in the book. When Sonia Choquette talked about play, which is one of my very favourite subjects, I just couldn't believe that she broke down play activities by gender. Apparently as a woman, I don't play by going camping. I'd be much better off going to the makeup counter! Luckily though both men and women can enjoy going for a walk. Thank goodness, otherwise how would men and women ever have fun together? I just couldn't believe that a book written in 2000 would suggest such a thing.

Affirmation

On a more positive note, I'll bid this delicious chakra adieu for now with this sacral affirmation from Healing Touch Yoga:
"I am a sensuous being that flows with the rhythms of life. I celebrate the creative exchange of sexual energy in the universe. I honor the union and integration of the masculine and feminine principles as I recognize and integrate these principles within myself. I give and receive freely from the wellspring of life. I am creative and have happy relationships. I accept my emotional nature, my need for pleasure and nurturing."


5 comments:

Anonymous said...

i love this photo collage!

Anonymous said...

Your posts are so inspirational! I was planning on participating in the True Balance Project but the book won't be here until Tuesday so I guess I'll be a few weeks behind. I've learned alot reading your posts and I'm surprised a book written during this day and age would actually divide activities by gender. I'll remember and take that section in stride when I get to it.

Wonderful collage!

Anonymous said...

I ADORE your collage! OM Great Goddess, it's wonderful!

I must not have read that part on the sexism and joy element, if I did and did not notice I slap my hand!

Unknown said...

Hi Jamie,
I love being on Team True Balance with you. Every time I read your blog, a new dimension opens up to me. Example: I'd not really understood the implications of an overly active chakra.

You and your sisters have made me excited about the colors associated with each chakra. I'm already on to the third chakra, and am searching for all things yellow.

Thanks for the crying movies.

Claudia said...

I did the test and it was very interesting as your posts are my first encounter with chakras. Is the book you´re reading a good one to start or would you recommend something else for a beginner? Do all yoga teachers go into this?