Chakra Yoga Series Part 2: Sacral Chakra

After establishing a strong base at the root chakra, Muladhara, last week, this week our practice focused on softening and flow, as we worked up the sushumna, the central energetic axis that runs through the body, to explore the sacral chakra, Svadhistana.

This chakra is the energetic centre associated with creativity, desires and fluid movement. Located in the lower belly and connected to the element of water, it invites us to move into a deeper relationship with feeling, expression and flow.

Inviting Fluidity into the Body

This week in our practice we explored flowing movement. Instead of strong held postures, we enjoyed:

• Circular movements through the hips, spine and shoulders.

• Ripples through the torso

• Flowing transitions between asana’s

• And as always we invited the breath to guide the rhythm of movement

Flowing movements can feel surprisingly liberating. Where the root chakra grounds us, you can read more about that in my root chakra blog, the sacral chakra, whose element is water, invites us to explore what happens when the body begins to move more freely.

Creativity in Stillness

Creativity is often imagined as something expressive and outward, but the sacral chakra also teaches us about creative stillness. Giving us the opportunity to listen to our bodies, responding to sacral chakra manta’s like:

It is time for me to manifest what I need. I ask myself “what do I need?”

Throughout the practice we used simple hand gestures, or mudras, to support this process. We used “Relax Mudra” to help us let it flow, and used our breath like a wave through the body to help us release tension. We also explored Saraswati Mudra, which links directly to it’s namesake, the goddess of creativity. This mudra encourages us to be open to inspiration, tapping into our creativity and joyfully acknowledging out talents and good ideas.

Working with Aroma to Support Flow

Alongside the movement practice, we worked with two essential oils that beautifully reflect the qualities of the sacral chakra.

Juniper Berry has a fresh, cleansing aroma that many people experience as clarifying and uplifting. Energetically, it helps us break through times of stagnation and fortifies our will power with it’s instinctive confidence and positivity.

Jasmine brings a soft, floral sweetness that is often associated with creativity, sensuality and emotional openness. Energetically its Yin leanings help restore our capacity for creative thought. A harmonious oil it enhances our intuition and helps us tap back into our true desires.

Together, these scents supported the theme of flow, supporting students move from grounded stability into a more water inspired expressive space.

A Simple Practice to Try at Home

If you’d like to explore sacral chakra energy in your own time, try this simple practice:

Lie down in semi-supine, knees bent, feet flat on the floor.

Rest the hands on the low belly, fingers interlaced, thumbs apart (Rest Mudra)

As you exhale press the low back into the floor, as you inhale release.

Keep the belly soft at all times. repeat for 2-3 minutes.

If you have Jasmine or Juniper nearby, pop a drop of one or both onto a cotton pad or into a diffuser and let the oils take you deeper..

Notice how you feel. Just a few minutes can create space for creativity and emotional flow.

Continuing the Journey

Our chakra exploration continues next week as we move upward to the solar plexus, Manipura chakra, the centre associated with personal power, confidence and inner fire.

Having established grounding at the root and fluidity in the sacral chakra, we begin to explore how these foundations support strength and self-trust.

Each layer builds on the one before.

And as always, you are warmly welcome to join us. Click to discover my yoga classes, workshops and retreats.

Essential Oils and Themed Yoga Teaching

Working with aroma alongside movement can add a subtle but powerful layer to themed yoga classes, workshops and retreats.

Essential oils like Juniper and Jasmine can deepen the emotional tone of a practice and help guide students deeper into the qualities you’re exploring.

For yoga teachers, learning how to integrate essential oils safely and intentionally can open up new possibilities for creating meaningful, sensory-led classes, workshops and retreats. Check out my practical guide to essential oil safety in yoga classes here

If you're a teacher interested in exploring this approach, I share the framework I use for blending aromatherapy with yoga practice inside my on demand Essential Oils for Yoga Teachers CPD, where we explore safety, how to use scent to deepen your students yoga practice, and ways to weave scent into themed classes such as chakra practices.

You can learn more about the training here: Essential Oils for Yoga Teachers CPD

Sources and Inspiration

The themes explored in this class were informed by my own knowledge of traditional yoga philosophy and aromatherapy as well as inspiration from:

• Anodea Judith’s Chakra Yoga, published by Llewellyn Books

• Aromatherapy for healing the spirit, Gabriel Mojay, published by Healing Arts Press

• Mudras for Body, Mind & Spirit by Gertrud Hirschi, published by Tarotdeck

These sources often inform the framework I use when designing themed yoga classes that integrate movement, breath, subtle energy and essential oils.