Creative Block and the Sacral Chakra
Do you feel like you aren’t creative? Or maybe you feel like you are creative, but your creativity is only channeled in a few directions? For years, as either a primary or sole support of a large family, I funneled my creativity through the filter of “can it be monetized?” If I could justify my creativity with a “yes” answer to that question, I’d pursue it. I got very creative at figuring out how to monetize my creativity – my writing, teaching, speaking, and design.
But there were a lot of things I never pursued because I didn’t see a way to monetize them. Or I didn’t want to monetize them and possibly take the joy out of them, so I didn’t do them at all. Those years when the financial burdens were on my shoulders, I wouldn’t have taken a pottery class. I wouldn’t have spent hours bird watching. Even my time in nature was with the purpose of clearing my head so I could be more effective in my work.
Recently, a friend suggested I get my Human Design chart done. Human Design is based on when and where you were born and is the most thorough, comprehensive assessment of personality and how we’re wired, that I’ve ever seen. I got my chart and the first thing I thought was, “I have no idea what this means!” It’s quite complex. My friend explained enough about my chart for me to get the gist. Then, I dove into studying Human Design for about two days so I could get a decent handle on it.
I was completely amazed at how well it summed up my life experiences and how I’m wired. I learned a lot about myself in the process. For example, I am operating from a defined Sacral Center and an undefined (or open) Solar Plexus Center. This means I’m operating from what they call Sacral Authority.
Sacral Authority and the Sacral Chakra
If you know anything about Chakras, you’ll recognize that word Sacral as describing the second chakra which is about two inches above the naval. This energy center correlates with creativity, sexuality, relationships, money, power and control, and ethics.
Typical emotions that block the Sacral Chakra are guilt and blame or relate to creativity, sexuality, relationships, money, power and control, ethics, or honor in relationships (or lack thereof).
Creativity and Money Issues
The two that stood out to me were money and creativity. As I’ve stepped more into creative interests without trying to monetize them, I’ve seen how hardwired I’ve been to monetize everything I create. Figuring out how to make money became exhausting. Now I’m in a space where I know not to worry about monetizing my creativity, and yet I have a lot of old patterns that want me to justify my creativity.
For example, I calculated the other night that the investment in my pottery class averages out to $8/pot. I told Dave this and then told him, “That’s not a bad deal.” He looked at me and said, “No one else would even think to calculate that.” He wanted to know why I would even do that.
I told him I liked the class and was considering taking another 6-week course after I finish the one I’m doing. I was trying to see how good of a deal it was and … yes… whether I could justify another 6 weeks. Obviously, as much as I’ve worked on disengaging monetization of my creativity over the last 4 years, creativity is still getting funneled through the money test. Ugh!
The Inner Knowing of Sacral Authority
Those with “Sacral Authority” like to stay busy and are always “moving” aka “doing.” We’re sort of like sharks who can’t breathe unless they’re moving. I’ve always got to be doing something. The danger in all this movement is that we sometime don’t listen to the Sacral (or Gut) Response. The answers to everything for a person with Sacral Authority is in our gut response.
Those with Sacral Authority tend to use sound or movement to help them know what is good for them or not good for them in any moment … or what is true and what isn’t. Our gut response can tell us what we have time and energy for … or not. An immediate “Uh-Uh” is No. An immediate, “Uh-Huh” is yes. Or a movement toward something or an answer that immediately makes us feel compelled to take action is a good sign of a “Yes” Sacral Response.
The Price of Betraying our Sacral Authority
If we take time to check in with our guts, we’ll usually immediately know what’s right. I usually have an immediate knowing or gut response that I can rely upon. The challenge is that as I needed to earn money to support my family, I betrayed that gut response on too many occasions. In the beginning I’d take on any client project that would bring cash into our family… even if I had a gut feeling that said, “No.” I almost always regretted ignoring that gut feeling.
Money and Its Power to Get Us To Betray Ourselves
It wasn’t that I did anything unethical or immoral. But I’d take on clients who weren’t willing to pay me what I was worth. Or I’d take on projects that would use up too much of my time. Or maybe I got a gut feeling that a particular person wouldn’t be a good match for me as a client. One of the first lessons I learned in business was to trust my gut about people. If something felt off about a client fit, and I ignored my gut, I learned the hard way that my gut knew in an instant that I shouldn’t be working with that person. A few times ignoring my gut quickly taught me to turn down projects with an initial, “Uh-uh” gut response.
My gut has been telling me for some time to shift how I live my life. What my gut is saying “yes” to doesn’t look monetizable in the least. My gut is telling me to trust God for my provision. It’s telling me to get off the rat wheel. It’s telling me to have faith that all the little things my gut is saying “yes” to are weaving together into something beautiful. My gut is telling me that who I become is way more important than what I earn or do for a living.
People Pleasing and Its Power to Get Us to Betray Ourselves
The message of the sacral chakra is to use our emotions to connect with others without losing our identity. It’s also about freely expressing our creativity and healthy emotional sexuality.
Unfortunately, in my prior marriages and in some of my dating, I morphed my identity to fit the men in my life. I also morphed who I was to get along with others. If I think back to dating the man who would become my second husband, I realize that my gut response after the first and second dates were – “Uh, Uh.” Yet he was a good guy, seemed to be responsible and reliable, safe, and could be entertaining. So I made a conscious choice to keep going… I did NOT listen to the Sacral Response. That marriage lasted 18 months before he was smart enough to end it.
People pleasing and a “peace at any price motto” for far too many years led to a pattern of self betrayal. I As a result, created emotional and physical problems in my body. I also created a lot of heartbreak along the way.
Sacral Self-Betrayal’s Impact on the Body
The Sacral Chakra is correlated with the womb, genitals, lower back, pelvis, bladder, hips, and kidney.
Most of my physical “aging” is happening in my sacral area – whether it’s prolapse from seven vaginal deliveries, a kidney-bladder birth defect, or hips and lower back pain that interrupts my sleep.
I decided to journal about how my sacral area is feeling. What message is it trying to send me? Here’s what I wrote:
“My sacral organs and body parts feel like I’m judging them for “falling down on the job.” My sacral area is tired and worn out from having carried a lot of heavy burdens. It feels un-thanked, underappreciated, and ignored. It’s still holding itself together without causing any serious problems, yet I’m viewing it as ‘the problem child.’ Perhaps it simply wants some gratitude, acknowledgement and attention for a job well done. And maybe it’s trying to get my attention so I don’t keep ignoring its critical messages about the choices I’m making in my life! Self-betrayal is no longer acceptable in the second half of my life!”
Journal Entry 3-16-2022
Sacral Chakra Supports and Clearing Creative Blockages
Obviously, I needed (and I’m sure still need) some emotional clearing around betraying my Sacral Response. I’m dedicating meditation, prayer, study, contemplation, and self-administered SimplyALIGN™ sessions to this area this month (or for as long as it needs). To support that work, I also looked up which essential oils and gems/crystals are good for supporting and clearing the Sacral Chakra. Here’s what I discovered:
Essential Oils for the Sacral Chakra: Ylang Ylang, Patchouli, Lemon (I’m diffusing these three in my Zen Office). Also Sandalwood and Rosewood are good for the Sacral chakra. These are on my list to acquire and try.
Gemstones/Crystals for the Sacral Chakra: Carnelian, Sunstone, Orange Tourmaline, Moonstone, Amber and Coral. I have a carnelian necklace I got from a local vendor and a carnelian bracelet my husband suggested I get at the Athens Gem and Crystal Show a couple weeks ago. I’m wearing those. I also have some moonstone and sunstone I’m using with my meditations and keeping close-by on my desk.
To summarize, when we ignore what our gut or heart is telling us, we in essence betray ourselves. When we put other people or our need for money ahead of what our gut or heart is telling us, we betray ourselves. The more we betray ourselves, the more we stifle our creativity. Ironically, the more we morph ourselves to try to please others to hold onto relationships, the more inauthentic we are, and the more likely we’ll sabotage our relationships. The more we stifle or morph ourselves to fit in, the more likely we are to destroy the relationships we’re so desperate to maintain. After all, if you can’t be true to yourself, how can you be true to anyone else?
Whether you are wired as a Sacral Authority or Emotional Authority or are one of the other five authority types, it’s important to know how to recognize your answers and live true to them. If you feel like you have been betraying yourself or are struggling with not listening to your gut (sacral authority) or your heart (emotional authority), let’s talk. You can get a free 20-minute strategy session with me here.
