The sacral chakra is an often overlooked chakra that many don’t want to deal with because it’s so heavy, which means it needs to be worked on all the more!
There is so much to be gained from balancing your sacral chakra, especially since it is a lower chakra. The upper chakras may seem more exciting but the lower chakras really provide the base and foundation for you to build upon.
Balancing the sacral chakra allows you to let go of heavy, low vibe emotions such as guilt, shame and jealousy and makes room for what the sacral chakra is all about, creativity and sexuality! The second chakra is where women hold onto their sexual energy (for men it’s the first, root chakra).
Yoga is just one powerful tool that you can use to help balance your emotions and spark your creativity through breath, movement and mindfulness.
Get ready to feel a shift in your energy with just a couple of poses that you can do at any time to help you feel more balanced, creative and confident.
Sacral Chakra Basics
Location: Between the belly button and pelvic area, in the centre of the lower abdomen
Element: Water
Colour: Orange
Meaning: The sacral chakra governs one’s creativity and is strongly linked to one’s emotions such as sexuality, shame, guilt and jealousy.
Other names: Second chakra, belly chakra, svadhisthana chakra
Translation: The place of the self
How Does Yoga Help Balance the Sacral Chakra?
The sacral chakra is all about balancing emotions, being stable enough to spark creativity and allowing oneself to feel worthy enough to express themselves as they desire with friends, family, partners and so on.
Through a number of poses, yoga allows you to feel more grounded which leads to strength and confidence (boosting your self-worth). Twists clear energy and work deeply into the sacral chakra that is often forgotten and many other yoga poses give you the opportunity to engage your lower belly and expose it more so than you would in the average day.
Many people hunch over or are taught to hide their bellies which leads to a lot of shame, which makes sense because the sacral chakra is where shame and guilt are held, often from childhood. Through yoga, by acknowledging and practicing poses that allow the sacral chakra to open gives one a sense of confidence, freedom and creativity.
READ MORE: Sacral Chakra Affirmations for Creativity
Yoga for Sacral Chakra Sequence
Join me in a vinyasa flow that combines all of the sacral chakra yoga poses below for a fluid, opening yoga sequence.
Prefer a more relaxed class? Opt for this yin sacral charka yoga one instead!
Yoga Poses for Sacral Chakra that Balance Emotions
These 5 poses will help you release low vibe emotions that you are holding onto and will help you to feel clearer, less heavy and more grounded so you can express yourself however you desire!
Cross-Legged Twist Pose (Parivrtta Sukhasana)
Sit with your legs crossed, with whatever foot feels comfortable in front and your hands on your knees. Ground your sit bones into the mat and with an inhale lengthen your spine, reaching the crown of your head towards the sky. Exhale.
On your next inhale reach your hands up, exhale, twist from your core to the right, placing your right hand directly behind you, close to your spine. Your left-hand lands on top of your right knee. Look over your right shoulder as far as is comfortable without straining your next.
With each inhale lengthen your spine and with each exhale twist a bit further. Aim to twist from your core and the base of your spin, avoiding pulling yourself further into the twist with your hands.
Take 3-5 deep breaths, release on the exhale. Repeat on your left side.
Modification: Depending on the length of your arms, your hand behind your back can be flat on the mat, on your fingertips or use a block to bring the ground to you. Modify so that your spine is straight.
Goddess Pose (Utkata Konasana)
Standing facing the long side of your mat, walk your feet out until you’re in a wide stance. Turn your feet out so that your toes are facing the corners of your mat.
Place your hands on your hips and bend your knees so that you are in a deep squat. Your knees can be stacked over your ankles or slightly in. If they are past your ankles, widen your stance.
Engage your thighs and feel your legs pulling your knees into alignment with your ankles. Tuck your tailbone so your lower back is straight. Engage your core by pulling your belly button to your spine. Keep your spine as straight as possible and look directly ahead.
Keep your hands on your hips, in prayer or a mudra of your choice.
With each inhale feel your strength and with each exhale deepen your squat. Take 3-5 deep breaths.
For an added challenge, do small pulses, lift one heel, then the other and then both.
Wide-Legged Forward Fold Pose (Prasarita Padottanasana)
Facing the long side of your mat, bring your hands to your hips and step into a wide stance with your feet slightly pointing inwards.
Take an inhale to lengthen your spine. On the exhale fold your body forward with a straight spine. When you are fully folded forward, place your hands on the mat. Inhale to lengthen your spine in a half-way lift, exhale to fully fold.
Place your hands between your feet, in line with your feet, under your shoulders, grab your ankles and pull lightly or walk your hands forward so that your arms are in a downward dog position.
Have a micro bend in your knees and tilt your pelvis forward so that your sitting bones shine towards the sky. This will help you balance.
Modifications: If the ground is too far use blocks to place your hands on and bring the ground to you. Remember to keep a straight spine. If it’s a lot on your legs to have such a wide stance, shorten it.
Bridge Pose (Setu Bandha Sarvangasana)
Lay on your back with your knees bent, feet planted on the mat and hip-distance apart. Move your ankles close to your bum. Your arms are resting, palms facing down, by your sides.
Inhale, push evenly through both feet as you curl your hips and lift them off of the mat, the rest of your spine following, until you come to rest on your shoulders, feet still planted on the mat.
Push firmly through your hands and arms or opt to pull your shoulder blades together and clasp your fingers under your bum.
Continue to push through your heels and the balls of your feet, keeping your knees in line with your hips and your pelvic area reaches up. Let your chest shine towards the sky and pull your chin away from your chest just slightly.
Hold for 3-5 breaths.
To release first unclasp your hands and allow your spine to come back down onto the mat vertebrae by vertebrae starting with your upper back.
Modifications: For a more relaxed bridge pose place a block under your lower back, on any level that feels comfortable. Option to extend your legs if it doesn’t strain your back.
Reclined Butterfly Pose (Supta Baddha Konasana)
Come to lay on your back with your arms relaxed by your sides, palms facing up.
Bring the bottoms of your feet to touch and allow your knees to fall to either side. Bring your feet closer to your groin for a deeper stretch, further away for a more relaxed option.
Allow yourself to feel fully supported by the mat. Your arms can stay where they are by your side or place one hand over your heart and the other on your lower belly, on your sacral chakra.
Close your eyes for 3-5 deep belly breaths or however long feels good.
Modification: To release any tension from your hips (as this can be a deep hip opening pose) or knees place blocks below your knees.
Enjoy and let that creativity flow!