Our human connection to water cannot be overstated. It quenches us, cleanses us, and dominates our very being. When we are in flow with this element, we have a greater awareness of our feelings and find ourselves adaptive and receptive, able to swim with changes more easily.
Water is also the element associated with our sacral chakra, and can help us tap into our sensual and creative power. When this chakra is healthy, we do not feel guilty indulging in pleasure, but recognize it as a sacred form of communication between the body and the self. As we learn to translate our body’s messages, we can use pleasure as a tool for healing and transformation.
“Emotions emerge from our physical identity and yet brings in an added dimension. We have to feel our bodies in order to feel our emotions, and learn to interpret their messages. Emotional identity expands the experience of the body and gives it dimension and texture, connecting us to the flow of the world.”
When we are out of touch with our self, we are disconnected. When we are disconnected, we cannot feel. When we cannot feel, it is difficult to know what we want, and it is therefore difficult to embrace or be aware of our right to healthy sexuality. Pleasure allows us to find these feelings, because it offers sensation, which is the basis for starting to interpret our bodies in the form of feelings. Our senses are data input for the world around us, and are also always changing. Pleasure becomes the most important part of this experience because it invites us to “extend our awareness throughout the intricate network of nerve endings that constantly connect the inner and outer worlds through the medium of consciousness.” It invites integration. Pleasure also allows us to to let go, and when we flow freely in this way we carry more energy in the body.
“Pleasure is a primal means of inviting that flow. When pleasure is denied, an essential part of our second chakra program never gets installed. This creates a person who is missing a vital ingredient to wholeness but does not know what it is, how to find it, or even that it is missing. The result is rigidity in the body and disconnection from the outer world.”
In the same way water can cleanse and energetically charge our Chakrubs, we can work with this element to strengthen our pleasure center. Bathing balances our hormones and promotes blood circulation; it can even ease birthing pains. Relaxing near open bodies of water can induce a meditative state and inspire us to be more compassionate. Even a quick shower can help us return to ourselves when we are feeling disjointed.
As we embrace the sacral chakra through our sexuality, we can heal past traumas and cleanse ourselves of shame and negativity. Being in touch with pleasure heals trauma because it allows us to be more connected, to have a physical identity that is capable of feeling. Having this physical identity is essential in order to the feel the emotions that need to be reclaimed, and most of all feel that we deserve them. Pleasure can allow these sensations to surface, and Chakrubs can help pave the way.
Quotes from Eastern Body Western Mind by Anoeda Judith
Photos, Video and Soundtrack by Jenny Sotelo and Samuel Alderson for Chakrubs