With Nia there are a lot of healing movements pertaining to all the chakras and in this session we will focus with the second chakra known as the Svadhisthana or the sacral chakra or even the sex chakra. As we are going beyond the correspondence, please check out the following link if you want to learn more about the correspondences: http://www.chakra-colors.com/Sexual-Chakra/
The Svadhisthana involves emotions, sexuality and fluidity/flexibility of the body. It is located at the sacrum, genitals, affecting hips, knees and the lower back. So, movement will be based on those areas. But, before we get into the movements let’s discuss what creates an unhealthy sacral charka.
What Creates an Unhealthy Svadhisthana
As Svadhisthana chakra is ruled by water, water-signifying emotions. Know that, water should naturally flow. So, think of good, healthy flowing water that is drinkable. Where stagnant water is undrinkable because it’s poisonous. So, the question needs to be asked, “How does one become undrinkable?”
A unhealthy Svadhisthana chakra signifies restrictions. Parents who are restrictive equal a child not allowed to speak. I’m sure many of you heard the saying, “A child should be seen and not heard.” This child will not be allowed to speak out when he or she needs to be heard. This child will cry and will not get the response that she is crying for. Neglect plays a big role in this child’s life when proper nurturing is needed.
This child will be denied the creativity and live in an environment that shuns creativity. These restrictions will deny the good healthy natural pleasure that balances us emotionally, physically and spiritually. Children love to interact with their parents, they loved to be heard, and they should be heard. Plus, children are naturally creative, we can learn a lot from a child’s natural creativity. Parents should be receptive to their child needs. Otherwise, as Anodea Judith puts it so well in her literature, a child will become emotionally illiterate.
So, if this programming is set into our minds and our bodies, what are the consequences?
If this chakra is deficient, we are subjected to fear:
- Fear of change,
- Fear of contact,
- Fear of intimacy,
- Poor social skills,
- Feeling emotionally numb
- Avoids pleasure, looks at pleasure like its evil.
- Lacking that spark to life, lacking desire, and passion.
- Depression
If this chakra is excessive:
- Very sensually driven, prone to sexually act out
- Sexually addictive
- Constantly have to be stimulated by sights and sound. Watches a lot of tv, constantly going to the movies, constantly listening to music. They have to be stimulated all the time and can’t sit or be silent for a minute.
- Drug addiction/alcohol addiction
- Addicted to drama, only feels alive when drama happens.
- Easily hurt, always off on emotional roller coasters.
- Have a tendency to emotionally attach to a person, and can go as far as stalking them because they feel that this person is the only one who can satisfy them emotionally.
- Manipulates people emotionally, seducing people to get their needs met.
What happens to the body?
Emotions play a pivotal role with the physical body and its muscles. As emotions must naturally flow like water, if it doesn't then naturally there will be physical consequences. Stagnation will occur; the body becomes stiff, losing its flexibility and we are only as healthy as we are flexible.To go deeper, check out “The Chakra System, A Complete Course in Self-Diagnosis and Healing.” By Anodea Judith. There she will go deeper into the Svadhisthana, how if affects your desires, emotions and fear of pleasure. It’s a fantastic course where she breaks down the chakras, what causes excessive or deficient chakra, mental dis-ease and health dis-ease, blockages, the psychology behind each chakra that affects us, plus ways to heal them.
Healing the Svadhisthana with Your Nia Practice
Start off mentally focused on the idea of “change.” Change is pivotal in healing the Svadhisthana. So, invite change into your life. Since emotions are related to desire, focus on those types of emotions and work through them with your Nia practice. Now, if you notice that you get caught up in those emotions and you start to cry. It’s ok, it’s good that you are crying, however if you feel that those emotions are overwhelming. Focus on a word, that word can be anything. It can be the name of your deity, saint, or just a word. The purpose of the word is to ground you. Chant it in your mind or out loud. Sometimes just saying “Ahhhhhhhhh” is a great way to ground.
Nia Movements:
When ever the opportunity occurs and it will because Nia works with all 13 joints, which includes the hip joints. Focus intently on your hips movements. Hip bumps, pelvic circles, free movements that involve hip movements. This is the time to connect to the emotions that involve the Svadhisthana. Nurture those emotions, recognize them for who they are then, recycle those emotions by sending them into the earth then ground. Ground them by pushing those emotions down through your legs with pelvic pushes. Emotions will spiral into the earth.
As you continue your Nia practice, you will start to feel more natural ways to move that energy, those emotions and go with it. This is what Nia is about, it’s natural, it’s The Body’s Way.
Chanting During Nia
– Vam is the mantra for the Svadhisthana. While you are practicing any Nia movements or you feel compelled to, chant “Vam” vocally or mentally.
Replenishing and Reprogramming with Healthy Emotions
Now that you have released unhealthy emotions, it’s time to replenish/reprogram your body with new emotions. Those of you who have taken Nia will understand the next bit of info.
- When you extend your arms to the heavens, invite joy and happiness into your heart.
- When you extend your arms to the community then embrace yourself, embrace joy and happiness.
- When you extend your hands to heavens, use your body to spiral happiness and joy throughout your body. Shifting your upper then lower body, spiral head to toe pushing that energy throughout your body saying to yourself, I accept and deserve joy and happiness.
When ever your work with space, your space around you, and the three different levels extend joy and happiness energy to your aura.
