How to Balance the Sacral Chakra for Greater Sensuality, Intimacy, and Creativity

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If you’re looking for a way to tap into your creativity, sensuality, and sexuality, some people say to look no farther than your own body — specifically, the sacral chakra.

The chakras are believed by some to be energy centers distributed throughout the body, with seven of the main chakras located along your spine.

These wheel-like energy points are associated with different physical and emotional functions in the human body, affecting your overall well-being.

The second of these main chakras is the sacral chakra, also known by some as the “sex chakra.” Some people believe it:

• enhances creative expression
• improves sexual intimacy
• increases intuition

Though there’s no scientific evidence to support the existence of the chakras, they’re part of religious and spiritual belief systems around the globe, including Buddhism and Hinduism.

The sacral chakra is believed to be located below the navel, where the perineum is. It’s said to be associated with the sex organs and the kidneys, though this isn’t supported by scientific research.

It’s also associated with the water element and portrayed as a vibrant orange color. It’s often represented by a six-petalled lotus flower.

Some believe this chakra is governed by Parvati, the Hindu goddess of fidelity, fertility, and power.

“The Sanskrit name [for the sacral chakra] is Svadhisthana,” says certified chakra and crystal healer Laura Konst. “The symbol of the sacral chakra is a moon crescent, which represents the relationship between the tides of water and the phases of the moon.”

In Sanskrit, Svadihsthana means “where your being is established.”

According to some traditions, the sacral chakra is linked to pleasure, sexuality, and joy.

Most of these claims are based on anecdotal evidence, religious texts, and ancient traditions, many of which are still practiced by millions of people today.

While there’s no scientific evidence to support the metaphysical properties of chakras, many cultures and traditions believe that chakra work is beneficial.

According to Candice Covington, author of “Essential Oils in Spiritual Practice,” the sacral chakra is associated with several characteristics.

These include:

• sensuality, sexual intimacy, and giving and receiving pleasure
• creativity and unstructured expression
• birthing environments, things that wax and wane, and the principle of nonpermanence
• healthy emotions and the inner child
• the divine feminine
• synchronicity

Shadow issues — or negative qualities — associated with the sacral chakra include:

• wounded emotions
• secrets
• fear of judgment, getting into trouble, or being “found out”
• repression
• inability to experience emotional or sexual intimacy
• nightmares and not remembering or understanding dreams

“With [overactivity in] this chakra, in particular, you exhibit being consumed by and drowning in emotions, being emotionally tempestuous, and using escapism to avoid life,” says Covington says.

According to Covington, signs of an overactive sacral chakra can include:

• feeling consumed by your emotions, as if drowning in them
• experiencing emotional ups and downs
• using escapism to avoid life
• showing obsessive affection that isn’t returned
• engaging in inappropriate expressions of sexuality

Konst says an overactive sacral chakra often results in emotional highs and lows.

“You may try to retain a sense of control by lashing out and exhibiting controlling and manipulating behaviors toward others,” she says. “Imbalances can manifest in both spectrums and lead to emotional outbursts or an apathetic and disconnected attitude.”

According to Konst and Covington, one of the first signs of a blocked sacral chakra is emotions that feel unbalanced or off-kilter.

These include:

• detachment
• isolation
• anxiety
• loneliness
• low libido
• lack of creative inspiration

“A closed sacral chakra can make you feel detached from your own emotions as well as the emotions of the people around you,” says Konst. “You may feel isolated and anxious to be alone and lonely. It’s a vicious cycle that can cause loneliness as well as anxiety.”

To tell if your sacral chakra is blocked, Covington advises closely observing the energies, actions, and traits that are active in your life.

“When a chakra is blocked, its energy becomes stagnant and your ability to access the gifts associated with the sacral center become difficult,” she says. “Its shadow aspects are also active and dominant in your life.”

Many people believe chakras can become blocked and unbalanced. This is said to affect our physical and emotional functioning.

While there are no scientifically backed methods for healing the sacral chakra, one 2018 study in people with substance use disorders found that complementary and alternative medicine — including healing energy techniques — may be useful in treating stress and anxiety.

Though energy and chakra healing shouldn’t be relied on alone, they can be a supportive part of a well-rounded treatment plan.

If you want to restore balance to your sacral chakra, Covington and Konst suggest a few practices, including:

• meditation and yoga
• affirmations
• essential oils
• crystals and stones
• reflection
• supplementing your diet

Meditation and yoga

Covington says a meditation that invokes the water element of the sacral chakra can be incredibly powerful.

“This seemingly simple act will clear the shadow energies and bring the gift aspects of the sacral chakra into sharp focus to be utilized in your life,” says Covington.

Konst recommends yoga as well.

“Yoga is a great practice for chakra healing and many poses specifically connect with certain chakras,” she explains. “It’s all about being conscious of your body, breath, and mind, and learning to manipulate the flows of energy through your chakras.”

Popular yoga poses for the sacral chakra include:

• Camel Pose
• Bound Angle Pose
• Garland Pose

Affirmations

Affirmations are short, positive statements that you regularly repeat to alter your outlook. Konst says they’re a great tool for chakra healing.

She suggests the following affirmations to balance the sacral chakra:

• “I trust my feelings. I trust myself.”
• “I am safe to express my sexuality.”
• “I allow my creativity to flow freely.”

Essential oils

Some people believe that essential oils can help balance the chakras.

Different oils are said to correspond to different energy centers. They’re often applied to the skin or added to a bath after being diluted with a carrier oil.

Essential oils that may help balance the sacral chakra include:

• galangal
• sandalwood
• massoia bark
• pink pepper seed
• jasmine
• neroli

While research suggests there are health benefits, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) doesn’t monitor or regulate the purity or quality of essential oils. It’s important to talk with your healthcare provider before you begin using essential oils.

Be sure to research the quality of a brand’s products. Always do a patch test before trying a new essential oil, and follow the correct dosage and dilution. Essential oils are not meant to be ingested and some are toxic.

Crystals and stones

Crystals and stones are often used in chakra healing work and are usually placed over the chakra during meditation.

Covington recommends using moonstone.

“Moonstone has the rare gift of bringing what one needs versus what one wants,” she says. “It also helps us develop a profound emotional intelligence, a relationship with the deep unconscious, and a connection to the energy of the divine feminine.”

Konst recommends working with the following:

• Tiger’s eye (especially gold-colored): for heightening the primal connection and leading with courage
• Citrine: for manifesting joy and becoming reacquainted with life’s simple pleasures
• Autumn jasper: for compassion and protecting your positive space
• Carnelian: for unleashing creativity and discovering hidden gifts
• Mookalite (aka, Mookaite, especially red-colored): for embracing change and resolving difficult situations

Reflection

Before healing your sacral chakra, Konst recommends balancing your root chakra. This chakra is located at the base of the spine and is known as Muladhara in Sanskrit.

“Once your root chakra is balanced, it’s much easier to move on to your sacral chakra,” says Konst. “I would start with a reflection on your emotions, sexuality, and creativity.”

She also points out that acknowledging your true feelings is a great first step in any healing work.

Konst suggests picking one or two crystals that correspond with the sacral chakra, writing down a single affirmation each day for 7 days, and starting a regular meditation practice.

Supplement the sacral chakra

Covington says diet can also be beneficial when it comes to balancing the sacral chakra. While this isn’t supported by science or mainstream nutrition, foods with certain qualities are traditionally associated with particular chakras and elements.

Covington suggests eating foods that have qualities associated with the sacral chakra and the water element.

In her book “Vibrational Nutrition: Understanding the Energetic Signature of Foods,” Covington recommends the following foods for sacral chakra healing:

• black cherry tomato
• Padrón pepper
• peach
• gala apple
• mandarin orange
• mango
• oyster
• Venus clam

Other foods could include figs or pomegranates, which are often associated with fertility in religious lore. For more food suggestions, see the FAQs section below.

Balancing your chakras is believed to sometimes result in a process known as “awakening,” though this is said to be rare.

“The term ‘awakening’ means that the connection with your sacral chakra is fully balanced, open, and very strong,” says Konst. When this happens, “you’ve reached your own place, your sacred being.”

She believes you may notice a shift in your relationships with:

• people
• animals
• food
• spirituality
• nature

You may also start to develop:

• stronger intuition
• equilibrium in your emotions
• an increase in your creativity
• improved emotional health
• greater sexual intimacy

More questions about the sacral chakra? We’ve got you covered below.

What blocks the sacral chakra?

Certain attitudes or experiences are believed by some to play a role in blocking the sacral chakra.

For instance, if you have a persistent belief that you don’t belong or that you aren’t a creative person, your sacral chakra may become blocked.

Growing up in an environment that emphasizes sexual repression could also lead to a blocked sacral chakra, as well as experiences of sexual trauma.

How do you unblock your sacral chakra?

Unblocking your sacral chakra involves getting the energies of the creative, sexual, and emotional self flowing again. It also involves feeling at home in your body.

Some practices for unblocking the sacral chakra include meditation and yoga, affirmation, and self-reflection. For more specific practices, see the “How to balance and heal the sacral chakra” above.

What are the symptoms of a blocked sacral chakra?

Symptoms of a blocked sacral chakra can include:

• detachment
• isolation
• anxiety
• loneliness
• low libido
• lack of creative inspiration

What foods are good for the sacral chakra?

Although there’s no scientific evidence to back it up, foods generally considered good for reproductive health are believed to help balance the sacral chakra, whether you have a vagina or a penis.

Foods that are symbolically associated with fertility, sexuality, and creativity may also help balance the sacral chakra, as well as foods related to the water element.

Foods with traditional associations to the sacral chakra, fertility, and creativity include:

• seeds
• eggs
• many-seeded foods, like pomegranates, figs, or papaya
• vulvic or phallic foods
• sensual or luxurious foods
• aphrodisiacs

Luxurious and sensual scents and essential oils may help as well.

How do I know if my chakra is out of balance?

You’ll know your sacral chakra is out of balance if your emotions feel unbalanced or off-kilter. You may feel detached or numb to your feelings as well as those of others. Other signs include:

• feeling creatively or sexually impotent
• feeling unsafe or uncomfortable in your body
• inability to connect emotionally or sexually
• feeling “secretive” or afraid of intimacy
• having frequent nightmares or not remembering dreams

The sacral chakra is believed to be the second chakra in the human body. It’s thought to govern how you experience sexuality, creative expression, emotions, and more.

According to most traditions, it can become blocked and unbalanced, as can the other chakras in the body.

There are many complementary therapies that aim to heal and balance the sacral chakra, including meditation, affirmations, and working with essential oils and crystals.

While none of these practices or the existence of chakras themselves are supported by science, they are generally considered safe as a supplement to a healthy lifestyle and medical care.

Victoria Stokes is a writer from the United Kingdom. When she’s not writing about her favorite topics, personal development, and well-being, she usually has her nose stuck in a good book. Victoria lists coffee, cocktails, and the color pink among some of her favorite things. Find her on Instagram.