Sacral Chakra Blues…and Oranges
Wow. November was a blur. NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month) was a great way to explore the Second Chakra creative energies. I finished with 26,400 words (although my official total shows 26,005; not to nitpick, but that extra 395 words I wrote at 11:35 pm should count for something!) against a goal of 50,000 words. Despite the fact that I didn’t become a NaNo “winner” — the esteemed title for those who meet or exceed the 50k goal — I feel so fulfilled and inspired by what I was able to do in one month. And, a crazy-busy holiday month, at that.
The best part about being a NaNo-er (probably not the agreed-upon moniker, as it sounds too much like Mork’s alien greeting): I have new confidence in my writing. And, I’m ready to keep going. I have a book I’ve been writing for at least 10 years that has amounted to 14,500 words. So, to bust out more than 26k words in one month is akin to running a 4-minute mile. (Or, something like that….)
But, enough about word counts! The Second Chakra represents the water element and the emotions. It’s the energy center that deals with relationships — including those with people, money, and sexuality. It is also concerned with the power and balance within relationships, as well as boundaries, creative and emotional expression, and the ability to reach out and be open with others. The color is orange.
My only regret about participating in NaNo all month is that I didn’t have a chance to do any fun Sacral Chakra explorations and had no time for blogging. Aside from indulging myself in my preferred creative expressive technique (writing), I also wore a brilliant orange scarf for much of the month, shared details about my novel-writing escapades (a significant example, for me, of being open with others), and forged or deepened relationships with some like-minded individuals.
Alas, my Chakra experiment moves on, and I have a date with the Third Chakra in December. My orange frame of mind is already mellowing into a rich yellow as I make the transition. But, I’m late getting going, and since the Third Chakra’s all about self-image, it’s probably not polite (or a good move) to stand up that energy center.
Waving goodbye to November’s Sacral Chakra focus, my Eclectic Energies test results are:
On December 2… root: underactive -31%; sacral: 6%; naval: 0% (neither under or over); heart open 19%; throat open 44%; third eye open 50%; crown open 19%.
As of October 31…. root: underactive -19%; sacral: underactive -6%; naval 0% (neither under or over); heart underactive -6%; throat open 50%; third eye open 38%; crown open 13%.
Did my Root Chakra plunge due to the fact of Thanksgiving, the biggest tribal celebration in America and, generally, a major time of stress? Or, was it the result of putting myself into an ungrounded situation (ie: writing a novel in a month)? Maybe it was due to the fact that I stayed up way too late every night writing, sitting in a really uncomfortable chair, and not attending to my physical needs? Something to think about…
I’m amazed to see the upper four chakras so open, though it makes a lot of sense in the scheme of things. To finally confront a long-time dream with faith, conviction, love, and an open-minded approach seems to have had a positive impact.
I’m excited to discover the Third Chakra in the month ahead and see what happens next!
second chakra energy: welcoming the creative
As October rapidly fades into happy but distant memories — jack-o-lantern grins fading into the air like ghosts at dawn as turkeys and pilgrims take center stage — I reluctantly take leave of my Root Chakra intensive and move up the spine to the Second Chakra, a.k.a. the Sacral Chakra, or the Svadhisthana. I’ll be focussed here for all of November.
However, before moving on, a little closure, please… I really enjoyed my Root Chakra encounter last month and feel very aware of the First Chakra’s influence in my life. I did some interesting things during October that I never had a chance to write about: an exploration of the color red
, which included doing a kundalini meditation by Susun Weed (actually created for menopausal women to move their energy, but I felt it was a great way to get close to root-red energy, in general. Read the meditation, if nothing else: it makes hot flashes and angry tirades seem gloriously sensual and delicious!); the creation of a family cookbook (nostalgia! traditions! crazy recipes from the ’70′s! Good times…); and a few eye-opening group encounters where I actually noticed myself becoming spacey and ungrounded, sort of moving outside of my body (oh, if only there were money to be made from that skill…).
I could spend at least another month, if not another decade, focussing on the Root. (I suppose all the chakras present a lifetime’s worth of experiences and challenges; for me, though, the Root Chakra is a place where I could really hang out and make a difference.) But, I feel much more in tune with my First Chakra’s needs and more confident about what I can do to keep it glowing its brilliant scarlet energy and fueling me up for the days ahead.
Chakra test results. On October 31st, I took the opportunity to re-test my chakras at Eclectic Energies. I realize this is probably a not-very-scientific, too-subjective measurement of the strength of the chakras. But, this testing method is where I started, and I wanted to see if anything had changed from October 1 to 31. It’s a gauge, if nothing else.
On September 30, my results from the self-test were as follows… root: underactive -50%; sacral underactive -31%; navel underactive -38%; heart open 13%; throat open 13%; third eye open 19%; crown open 6%.
As of October 31, my results came in as…. root: underactive -19%; sacral: underactive -6%; naval 0% (neither under or over); heart underactive -6%; throat open 50%; third eye open 38%; crown open 13%.
Some surprises there! Interesting to note that by working with one chakra, you really influence them all. And, certainly, this is work that is never static, always changing.
So, onward to November and the Second Chakra, the “orange energy vortex”! This is the 
ideal month for me, personally, to focus on the Sacral Chakra, because I’m participating in NaNoWriMo during November. This is a 30-day writing marathon that asks participants to produce a 50,000 page novel between November 1 and 30. For me, the endeavor brings me face-to-face with a dream I’ve had for decades: to breathe life into one of my fictional ideas. I’m off and writing with about 4,500 words logged so far.
I also unwittingly purchased a brilliant orange scarf — the badge color of the Second Chakra — at the end of October that has become my favorite writing accessory. My Second Chakra is ready to emerge!
How are you getting creative this month? November is definitely an easy time to allow creative pursuits to come to fruition. Because of the built-in deadlines of the holidays, there’s an urgency that helps in manifesting our creative ideas. Are you engaged in any projects that are drawing on your creative fires? Planning a Thanksgiving menu? Making holiday decorations or gifts? Harvesting your garden, or spearheading a charity project? Approaching career objectives in a new way? Or, the ultimate Second Chakra activity: having a baby? What’s stirring up your creative energies?
