The Sacral Chakra: Balancing Your "Orange" Energy

If you were to ask me my favorite color, orange wouldn’t necessarily be at the top of my list. However, I have found that it is the exact color I am most lacking. Orange is the energy color of the second chakra and the color associated with happiness. The second chakra, or sacral chakra, is located about two finger-widths below your navel. This chakra is also referred to as the “sex chakra” and encompasses the lower abdomen, pelvis, hips, and reproductive organs.

The second chakra is defined by the water element, which corresponds to our emotional feelings of love and desire. This chakra is also responsible for sensuality, intimacy, self-confidence, self-esteem and self-worth. As the sacral chakra relates to our physical bodies, it addresses our feelings of attractiveness, body image, and our intimate personal relationships. It also rules how attractive you think you are. If you think you are overweight, too skinny, too hippy, etc. then your body and thoughts will resonate with this negative output of energy. This negative energy can become trapped within the second chakra areas where it eventually is absorbed and manifests as emotional and physical imbalances. Trapped orange energy creates imbalances related to frigidity, PMS, endometriosis, infertility, and alcohol/substance abuse in order to mask feelings of inadequacy.

Wearing orange clothing and makeup and consuming orange foods are two great ways to balance the sacral chakra. Here's a quick tutorial to show you how you can incorporate orange and bronze into your makeup palette by Alicia Westly:

Personally, the second chakra is the area of my body that I am too shy to show. Having delivered four children, my lower abdomen isn’t as toned as it was when I was younger. For the most part, I hide my tummy in strategically placed clothing. However, I recently came to the conclusion that I should practice what I preach. I put myself on the “You Are What You Think You Are Plan,” or the Mindful Body Makeover. This makeover is actually very easy to implement. First you must forgive your tummy. Bless your belly for giving your children life. Accept that one body part doesn’t define you. Look in the mirror and say encouraging words to your belly or any body part to wish to change. For example, you could say: “wow, you really are getting firmer and toner,” “thank you beautiful body for being healthy and toned,” or “I love you, body - thanks for carrying me around!”

My chiropractor also suggested I do pelvic lifts to strengthen my core. These are easy to do at home every other day and cost nothing. Surprisingly, I DO feel toner, more desirable, and happier about my body. I am more aware of my stomach in a positive way, and I have actually lost a few pounds. And the bonus is I feel more desirable, thus I am attracting more desire.

Now, let’s talk about the color orange. Of course when you think of the color orange, you connect it with orange fruit and vitamin C. The importance of vitamin C was discovered during the 16^th-18^th centuries when sailors commonly died of scurvy due to the lack of vitamin C. Vitamin C was also the answer that the world’s oldest person alive gave when asked about her secret to longevity. Ms. Hendrikje Van Andel-Schipper said she ate an orange every day of her life. This totals approximately 41,975 oranges, as Ms. Andel-Schipper died at the age of 115! Given the importance of vitamin C for our skin and our health, I would bet she looked much younger than 115 years old! 

Our skin needs vitamin C, but the body does not manufacture this vitamin on its own. We therefore need to eat vitamin C rich foods and supplements to get this important vitamin. Vitamin C is a co-factor in building our skin’s collagen. It’s also needed by our capillaries to allow the diffusion of nutrients to the cells alongside its orange bioflavonoid partner vitamin P. The “P” in vitamin P stands for permeability, as capillaries allow nutrients in the blood to seep through the capillary walls. Vitamin C has been shown to accelerate healing and is an antioxidant that can helps to repair our cells.  Unfortunately, vitamin C is quickly displaced in the body through stress, pollution and cigarette smoking - in fact 25 mg of vitamin C are lost with every cigarette! This is why smokers age more quickly than non-smokers.

As a natural health advocate, I say get your vitamins through food first, supplements second. Juicing fresh, organic produce is the best and fastest way to change your health. Sip one of the following juices while you balance your second chakra with the following self-care massage you can do at home:

Excellent Food Sources of Vitamin C

• Citrus Fruits
• Bell Peppers
• Tomatoes
• Rose Hips

Second Chakra Balancing Orange Foods

• Carrots
• Apricots
• Mangoes
• Peaches
• Pumpkin
• Sweet Potatoes
• Cantaloupe

A Self-Care Massage to Balance the Second Chakra Orange Energy

First, make your own citrus salt scrub.

• Mix 1/3 cup of fine sea salt (or Epsom salt if your skin is sensitive) into 1/3 cup of skin regenerating sunflower or safflower oil.
• Add the juice of ½ a squeezed orange.
• Slice the remaining ½ of the orange and place the orange slices into the bath water.

Then, enjoy a balancing bath!

1. Begin by filling your bath tub with warm water.
2. Prepare one bath towel by folding it lengthwise and rolling to make a neck pillow. Grab a second bath towel to dry off after treatment.
3. Carefully ease into the filled bathtub and place the rolled towel neck pillow under your head and neck for support.
4. With both hands, begin to massage the back of your neck and the tops of your shoulders.
5. With your right hand, massage by firmly squeezing your hand on your left shoulder. Concentrate your massage on the backside of the shoulders, where muscle tension is stored.
6. Continue to massage down your arm in 2 inch increments using firm pressure. Stop the arm massage when you reach the hand.
7. Repeat the arm massage using your left hand on the right shoulder and arm.
8. Wet a washcloth with very warm water and place it across your tummy area. Place both hands on the washcloth and gently press into your tummy. Perform light tapping movements, or circular movements in a clockwise motion, over the washcloth to release tensions and restore energy for body balance.
9. Next, lace your fingers together. Stretch your hands by twisting your locked fingers back and forth, right to left, then up and down.
10. Massage your hands one finger at a time using circular movements over each knuckle. Gently pull each fingertip. Note: continue to add warm water to comfortable temperature.
11. Rest your left foot on bottom edge of the tub. Using both hands, massage the left leg from ankle to thigh slowly moving up the leg. Repeat this massage on the right leg.
12. Warm up both washcloths. While your foot is still resting on the tub side, position a warm washcloth on the bottom of your foot, placing a corner of the washcloths over the toes, and fold in the sides to wrap your foot completely. Massage over the wrapped foot, pressing the washcloth firmly while squeezing each toe. Continue to massage the foot on the sides, bottom, and top of foot. Wrap your other foot and repeat the foot massage.
13. Remove washcloths and set aside.
14. Stretch arms above your head.
15. Remove neck roll.
16. Perform citrus salt scrub over entire body. Rinse and pat dry.
17. Apply your favorite body cream. I use a luxurious citrus de-aging body balm with papaya-pineapple that hydrates and tones the skin.

If you missed my article on the first chakra - the root chakra - and want to learn more, visit The Root Chakra: Balancing Your Red Energy.

And to learn about the third energy center - the solar plexus chakra - and the color Yellow, visit The Solar Plexus Chakra: Spring Clean Your Yellow Energy.