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The Sacral Chakra is located in the pelvis approximately three finger widths below the navel and it develops between 3 and 8 years of age. With proper support at this stage we learn about feelings and how to express and manage them. With adequate guidance, modeling and mirroring a healthy sense of entitlement (deserving) and self worth are developed. The second chakra is the seat of our emotions and regulates the flow and distribution of energy.

Physically the sacral is associated with the health of the reproductive organs and hips. It also governs the body’s liquids, E. G. blood, lymph, mucus, saliva. Health issues that reflect an imbalance in this chakra occur in the areas mentioned.

Metaphors From Water
The sacral chakra’s element is water. As we think about the qualities of water we can get a felt sense of how second chakra energy functions in our lives. Nature clearly demonstrates both the power and attributes of water and reflects the possible states for the manifestation of our energy.

Water can be smooth and flowing as in a river stream, it can pack the power of ocean waves crashing on the shore; it can be stagnant as a pond that receives no fresh and cleansing input. Water can be as refreshing as a mountain lake, cold as the frozen tundra or volatile as steam exploding from a too tight container. Water can be refreshing, life giving and life enhancing. However, too much or too little water can be a problem as can stagnation, or the lack of containment. These, as we all know, can be harmful or destructive. And so it can be with the emotional power of the second chakra.

Construction or Destruction—Your Choice
The sacral chakra has been described as a dark interior cave where all manner of demons lie but it also holds some of the most profound raw material for the creation of our lives. The negative interpretation arises as the second chakra is where our most challenging shadow material is registered. It is up to us whether we choose to work with these energies so they become our allies or leave them unconscious where they become our inner enemies.

At best this energy center is the womb of creation. It is a place where new life gathers its power and is gestated until it is ripe and ready to be birthed into the world. It is a profound, complex and powerful center of our core nature.

My opinion is that a useful and productive way to approach this energy center is that of getting to know a multifaceted friend full of meaning who has wisdom and great gifts for us hidden beneath some pain. This friend needs kindness, compassion and acceptance. Once embraced in this way the full power of this mysterious interior spring can nurture our lives and be a source of resilience and emotional intelligence.

Emotional Symptoms of Imbalance
One clue that something is amiss in this energy center is feelings of shame or of having done something wrong. This feeling is different than the healthy guilt that comes from having actually broken a law, done harm or crossed a line that is against one’s own integrity. Shame is a sense of BEING wrong, flawed or bad in the deep inner fabric of your being. There may be confusion and lack of understanding of where this feeling came from. Often the origin of shame is the result of projected emotions from others early in a person’s life. These feelings are rooted deeply in the disowned feelings of others that got absorbed into the field of a growing child. Once something is inside us we feel it and that being so, we believe it is ours to own.

Other signs that there are issues or blocked energy in the second chakra are: difficulty appreciating life’s goodness; nothing seems good enough and depression can result. There can also be a sense of being stuck, of having no ability to adapt or change; there may be insensitivity to one’s own feelings and emotional needs and an inability to express emotion; there may be denial of pleasure with unyielding, strict and rigid self imposed boundaries—this can include healthy practices done in the extreme. An excess of energy in this center may show itself as a compulsion for pleasure and being extremely emotional.

At its best the sacral chakra is liquid and flowing providing an ability to be flexible and adaptable. However we can go too far in this direction as well and create imbalance. You know this is a problem if you feel in a constant state of flux with an inability to ground or set boundaries; there also may be a tendency to be overly emotional and dramatic.

Opening and balancing the sacral chakra fundamentally involves letting go of shame, unhealthy guilt and frustration and learning to go with the flow of life. Balancing the sacral chakra allows emotion to freely move through our systems. Just as flowing water is purifying, refreshing and revitalizing so it is with feelings set in motion without resistance that includes proper channeling. When the energy here is open, flowing and balanced we are responsive, intuitive, buoyant, and full of dreams and healthy desire.

For Sacral Chakra Meditations:

Energy Aerobics http://bit.ly/wWnQ2J

Chakra Guided Meditations http://bit.ly/w1D4sN

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• Chakra energy system (windowsofmeditation.wordpress.com)

Image by brewbooks via Flickr

Over the past few decades the cosmos has gifted us with a steady layering in of new energies that have challenged us to adapt, change and adjust to a transforming world. Global shifts are affecting everyone even those who have not had to face a major catastrophe or natural disaster. We each are being shaken, confronted with an opportunity to wake up to a reality without  illusion –not just to accommodate, but to live from a more authentic inner core and participate in the creation of a new world. We do not need to be revolutionaries on a global level (unless we feel called to operate on that level), but we do need to and can  take care of our own corner of the world—ourselves—and manage our energy so that we can respond from strength rather than react from fear to change.

Change typically begins with the erosion, dissolution or destruction of the old. This is naturally accompanied by feelings of anxiety, confusion and fear as foundations crumble and roots are shaken or torn out altogether. Understanding the energy and structure of your root chakra helps begin the process of moving through change with more ease and grace. Focusing on healing and building new energy at this level contributes to building a new, strong foundation for your life as you move forward.

 Our energy and nervous systems —the state of our inner nation—-has a lot to do with how we will experience, process, and respond to the new energy taking up resonance in our universe.   The strength, resonance and alignment of our personal energy also affect what and how we will create in our new world.

 Chakras in Real Life
How do our chakras operate in real life? Many in the west tend to think of the energy centers as mere metaphors; however they are very real electromagnetic spaces that exist within our bodies and affect our minds and feelings. The chakras are like mini brains that sit at strategic places along our spine. They occupy the same space as major nerve plexus and endocrine glands. In fact they are in intimate conversation with these structures and together they orchestrate our mind body communication and expression in the world.

 Root Chakra: Qualities and Influence
The root chakra is located at the base of your spine and is the first to develop after birth. This energy center is the foundation of your energy system, your physical vitality, and a cornerstone of psychological and spiritual well being.

Physically the root correlates with the adrenal glands and all bony structures….It provides support and a framework for both the physical and psychological body. We learn to crawl, walk and stand as the root chakra expands and comes online. Physically the root chakra governs the immune, skeletal and lower digestive systems. When root energies are out of balance the  physical issues that present are: poor balance, sciatica, chronic fatigue,  bowel disorders knee, and leg or foot problems.

 Psychologically first chakra energy assists us with putting down roots in the world and standing
on our own two feet.

 Trauma, family stress and a lack of appropriate nurturing during the first few years of life create an imbalance in root chakra energies. The consequence of these early experiences and the resulting imbalance amplify fearful or negative coping and reactions to change. Fear does not always show up as an outright anxiety disorder or phobia. It can also appear as shyness, dread or fear of criticism. Many people feel fear as an absence of security or as difficulty experiencing inner stability, safety and comfort.

The state of your root chakra energy affects how you respond to upsets such as loss of a job, living situation or person in your life. Directly addressing the energy of this layer of your field can heal and shift your energy to manage life and events from a place of centeredness, groundedness and inner strength.

Spirtually strong, balanced root chakras contribute to feelings of really being a child of the universe with all the security, sense of belonging and capacity to connect therin. 

 Earth Mother Energy
The positive archetype for the root chakra is the Earth Mother. A person with strong, positive root energy honors and cares for the body as a sacred vessel that carries them in the material world. Physical needs are well cared for which results in healthy vitality, as well as abundant energy to flow upward to open and expand the chakras above. The health of the lower three chakras determine how you experience and behave in the material world and the higher chakras help to expand your inner world. They open up the capacity for greater creative manifestation and expanded spiritual experience.

Emotionally a lack of first chakra energy manifests as being too rigid and not being open to options for change…change can also be difficult if you are overly grounded —-this is evidenced through being stubborn, overly controlling, lacking in imagination or initiative.

If root energy is steady and balanced you can transcend fear—thoughts of loss do not disturb your inner peace, sap your strength or drain your vitality. With strong balanced energy serving as the foundation of your system you are more able to allow yourself to see life clearly, to let life unfold as it will, and accept what is while, knowing where your power, responsibility and boundaries lie.  A strong root chakra helps to maintain a calm steady inner experience in spite of what is happening outside or around you.

If you are interested in working with your root chakra energies, our program Relaxation 101 is a great 21 minute relaxation/meditation designed to help you begin your journey. Other programs include information and techniques for the root chakra while addressing the entire energy system. You can find complete descriptions of what to expect in each program here:    https://www.livingenergyworks.com/store/?ccUser=

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Exploring and learning to manage your energy is a way to move beyond concepts to the full realization of you personal power.

The process of understanding our energy systems, overcoming the weaknesses and promoting the strengths has been referred to as the  spiritual warrior’s path. Undoubtedly this is because honest self appraisal requires courage. We cannot embark on this journey without encountering ourselves; however, it need not be difficult or painful.

An attitude of curiosity and adventure, as if you are entering into a garden filled with wonderful dicoveries awaiting you, can  turn your journey into a treasure hunt that can be fun! Remember the treasure is the real you unencumbered by fear, outmoded scripts and heavy burdens … the real you who can live with purpose, passion, creativity, harmony, balance, abundance, health and prosperity. Seems like it’s worth the trip!

If we understand energetic principles and use energetic approaches, we can bring about change with less conflict and greater comfort as well as access our inborn natural capacities more easily. Often our attempts to change are approached from a stance of willpower, hard work and a forced focus on what to be or not to be. The world of energy provides ways to facilitate change more
easily, to integrate new patterns and abilities more effortlessly so we can become that person we see in our mind and feel in our heart.

All aspects of our Selves are important. Life is more enjoyable, balanced and fulfilling if we understand, appreciate and care for
all our parts. This may seem like an obvious statement, but often we humans tend to over value one aspect and develop it to the exclusion of others. Each aspect of our Selves provides a different level of awareness, a facet of our wholeness, and a distinctive way to experience the world. When we embrace the whole of our being we develop greater mastery, have more skill and ability to
live more fully, vibrantly and with more satisfaction and fulfillment.

Consciously developing and navigating our human energy system helps turn these concepts into reality. An energetic perspective
regarding our selves and our lives opens the door to a deeper awareness concerning our true nature; it offers a broader lens to look through; provides more options for discovery, promoting health and healing, and developing higher level human capacities including creativity, intuition and spirituality.

For a moment imagine a free flow of energy sweeping through you like a river that is free to flow through the landscape. Feel what it would be like to BE this river, at first meandering, then rushing along more strongly, perhaps stopping to pool in a happy little eddy just for the joy of it, once again picking up speed as the current moves forward toward the future, exhilarated by the prospect of a new adventure around the next corner.  Feel how this river moves smoothly and evenly through a variety of landscapes shifting, moving, and shaping itself to navigate the terrain but never fighting, stopping or stagnating. Of course rivers do hit
obstacles just as we do in life. But unlike the river we have choices, free will and the ability to not be at the mercy of the elements….if we know the appropriate skills to navigate the territory.

When our river of energy is negatively impacted by life, people, events, traumas or stresses, automatic reactions occur as mechanisms of protection and survival. Unfortunately these can then become a source of obstruction to the free flow of energy that would fully enliven us. If all of our energies are not fully charged, properly flowing and coherent, we can not meet the world with the full force of our being. Our view of the world and our place in it then tends toward negativity, limitation and feelings of
deficiency. We may experience suffering and pain in our lives as a result of these ‘wounded’ energies reverberating through our being. Working through our intellect is not enough nor is it the most elegant or powerful way to release our suffering, pain, reactive responses or troublesome patterns. The good news is that there is a lot we can do to remedy these situations. Working with our energy body/field and the chakras can release old stagnant, stuck energy, help to heal over wounds of the past, stabilize and ground us so we can live in the present fully and with ease. It is the most profound and fundamental way to reclaim our power.

As we work with our energy, we expand our selves and become better able to connect and live from an authentic center. In addition, we become large enough to hold all of life and strong enough to meet life directly which adds a depth and richness that is lacking when we live from our minds in what becomes a watered down version of life.

For those of you who know Tony Pace via Living energy, you may not know that he is a multifaceted performer, singer, song writer, comedian—the list goes on! Tony has a new music video/recording—take a look at this poignant message for our time! Tony would love to hear what you think and please feel free to share ! Thanks!

Guru Tim Reports On Stress From Across the Globe

Guru Tim has been traveling the globe with Tony Pace and observing the cultural climate in various places in the world regarding stress.

 Listen to hear:

 What are people saying?

How is stress experienced in different cultures?

What are the ways people in other countries cope with ”world stress”?

 MOST IMPORTANTLY, we will be discussing healthy ways that you can move beyond coping, away from suffering and into flourishing despite the external triggers.

Join us live or on the web at 10 A.M., Monday, June 28, 2010 or listen to the download at your leisure.

Current world events make us aware of how compelling it can be to feel overwhelmed, angry, or in conflict.  It becomes easy to blame others.  Allowing these mental or emotional states to take hold really does nothing for us. At best they can propel us toward some action that may be helpful but for most people it perpetuates an energy state that creates inner turmoil, stress and mental, emotional and physical weakness.

 At first glance it can seem uncaring to focus on shifting to a higher state of consciousness when so many are suffering so much. But we may ask, ‘how does it serve another to feel as downtrodden, sad, or grief stricken as they do’? We can only help others if we work at keeping ourselves strong and healthy. It is then we can help to raise them in whatever way is appropriate or possible.

 So we need to do what we can in terms of donations of time, money or service to those in need, but we also need to be aware of our mental and emotional states. It is easy to become caught in emotional loops and fool yourself into thinking it is the same as or part of participating, caring or helping.

 We can practice living more in the present moment through becoming aware of our troublesome thoughts and emotions, clearing them, achieving more neutrality and thus being freer to cultivate higher level states of BE-ing. Centering within yourself helps to build strong energy that fosters clear thinking and honest emotion. In is only from your “nowness” you can truly be of help to others.

Awakening is a process, a journey with a road that  reaches behind and before us.

Awakening allows for: eyes that open wider, ears that hear more clearly, a mind that broadens and expands to include more and exclude less, and a heart that both widens and opens.

 Awakening is an imperfect course, one with jagged edges that can pierce the smoothness of our contentment and explode the inner space of our reality.

 Awakening requires courage, perseverance, commitment and practice:

Courage to face the day, to see how far we’ve come AND how far we have yet to go

Perseverance to show up, shift and move forward while honoring the missteps

Patience to ride the currents—the updrafts and the troughs

Commitment to practice even in the stuck times

 Awakening is allowing our humanness to be touched our spirit and be shaped by it. It is then that resistance can fall away and we can open into the ease of soul, and let it lead the way.

Music, laughter and viewing happiness or beauty helps to keep your energy strong, positive and flowing…all good things to help you bring more strong positive energy to your day/intentions/goals. 

Learning and using the language of energy helps you to reduce stress, let go of fear and expand your consciousnsess without the heavy lifting!

We often speak about the importance of centering and grounding energy as a key way to reduce anxiety and stress as well as a means of maintaining your energy supply. Those methods are certainly two important ways to maintain and manage your energy as you move through your day. However, we are human and are not always going to be successful at remembering to practice such techniques. 

With that in mind, we’d like to suggest another simple technique that you can use to help you become aware of how you are depleting your energy and recoup some of what you have ‘lost’. This methods also helps you to  develop greater awareness about how you are “spending” your energy so you can shift the pattern and learn to remain energized throughout your days.

Before you drift off to sleep at night take a moment to identify where you sent your attention and intention throughout the day. (Remember energy follow intention and attention-so if you do not actually sense energy just paying attention to these areas can help you do what you need to).

What thoughts about the past or future have you been thinking about? What worries or unresolved issues came up? What feelings re: certain people, places or things have been preoccupying you? What have you been fearful of, anxious about, or ruminating over? These questions help  to increase your awareness about where your energy has gone. They are not meant to begin a stream of self judgment about how you create your own stress! This is simply one more way to increase self knowledge and thereby gain more mastery over your mind and your energy. 

The next step is to take a few moments and settle down into a relaxed state of body and mind. Once you have settled, begin to imagine that you can drink the dissapated energy back into your body with the in breath. With the exhale feel as though you are ”depositing” the energy into your body’s core. (Most people will experience their core somewhere in the center of their body–let your intuition guide you as to what feels right for you.)

It may be helpful to imagine that the energy you sent out is contained in many brightly colored streamers. Imagine that you are drinking the energy back to you just like you would drink liquid through a straw.  Use whatever imagery helps put you more in touch with the feelings of this exercise.

You may be surprised at how simple it is to feel more relaxed and energized once you begin to be more in charge of your energy supplies! AND, if done at bedtime you may find that you sleep better!! Obviously if you find that this process energizes you then you may want to pick a different time of day to do it.

1. Each strong thought or emotion creates a response in your energy field
2. Fear & stress reactions tend to vibrate more intensely and easily
3. Disturbances in your field cut you off from higher level functions
4. Habitual thought and feeling patterns affect body’s energy, health & well being     
5. Inconsistencies in energy field show where disturbances may manifest in future
6. Changing thought patterns takes persistence
7. Changing emotional patterns takes will and strength
8. Working directly with energy & consciousness provides you with an easier and more powerful method for change, health, development of higher level functions and achievement of goals  

When you understand and manage your energy you can offset field disturbances and introduce a healthy pattern e.g. shift frequency, enhance coherence,  dissolve blocks to assist with healing or avoid illness. You can physically bring in new energy at the pre cellular level and create new patterns. 

Your energy field is your primary immune system and you can learn to support and strengthen it so it will serve you in every facet of your life!

 As youwork with your field, enhancing its strength and coherency, you’re not locked in to energy patterns unconsciously. This means you can adapt to circumstances and flow with life more easily. This ability provides you with a profound sense of empowerment anda deep inner peace in addition to the health and relationship benefits!

 The ability to manage your energy is a major bonus in attracting healthy relationships, as well as in maintaining them and being able to create deep and lasting bonds.

 Join us for our radio show on Diva Toolbox on Monday Dec. 7, 2009 as we discuss how energy operates in relationships  and how you can use the magic of energy to not only attract, but to sustain and build healthy, happy and rewarding relationships.

If you cannot join us live, the show is recorded and available for listening later.
http://www.divatoolbox.com/diva-toolbox-radio-/hosts/2007-peg-donahue-and-karen-kallie-living-energy.html