Where Did My Joy Go? Sacral Chakra Healing for Emotional Balance. Creativity and Flow

Where Did My Joy Go? | Sacral Chakra Healing for Emotional Balance, Creativity & Flow

Have you been feeling stuck, emotionally drained, disconnected from your creativity, or wondering where your joy went?

In this episode of Healing Our Kindred Spirits, we're continuing A Sacred Journey Through the Chakras: Gentle Healing for Your Body, Mind & Spirit by exploring the Sacral Chakra—the energy center associated with emotions, creativity, relationships, pleasure, and flow.

Together, we'll discuss signs of sacral chakra imbalances, how stress, grief, people-pleasing, and living in survival mode can affect our emotional well-being, and gentle ways to reconnect with joy, creativity, and ourselves through mindfulness, movement, self-reflection, aromatherapy, crystals, and affirmations.

Whether you're new to the chakra system or simply looking for more emotional balance in your life, this episode offers a compassionate space to explore healing and self-discovery.

✨ Don't forget to listen to the companion guided meditation.

📧 I'd love to hear from you: healingourkindredspirits@gmail.com

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Transcript

Welcome And Series Context

SPEAKER_01 0:00

Hello, kindred spirits. Welcome back to our podcast, and I'm so grateful you're here with us today. Whether you're listening while taking a walk, folding laundry, sitting in your favorite chair with a cup of tea, or simply taking a few moments for yourself in the middle of a busy day, thank you for allowing me to spend this time with you. Today we're continuing our series, Sacred Journey Through the Chakras, Gentle Healing for Your Body, Mind, and Spirit. If you joined me for our root chakra episode, we explored what it means to feel safe, grounded, and supported. Today we're moving upward to the second chakra, which is the sacral chakra. And I have a feeling that this conversation may resonate with many of us. Because if I'm being honest, life has a way of pulling us into survival mode with responsibilities, stress, health challenges, caregiving, work, financial worries, grief, loss, the constant noise of everyday life. The list is endless. And before we know it, we can become disconnected from something incredibly important: our joy, our creativity, our emotional well-being, our ability to simply experience life. So today we're going to explore that together, not as experts, not as teachers and students, just as fellow travelers on this journey called life. Because you know what? We are all experiencing this human experience at the same time. So have you ever stopped and wondered where your joy went? Not happiness for a moment or two, but that deeper feeling of being alive. The feeling of looking forward to something, of creating something, of feeling inspired, or laughing so hard your stomach hurts, or even allowing yourself to dream. Maybe you've spent so much time taking care of everyone else that you've forgotten how to take care of yourself. Maybe you've become disconnected from your emotions because maybe feeling them became too painful. Or maybe you've been stuck in survival mode for so long that you've forgotten what thriving feels like. If that sounds familiar, you're not alone. Today we're talking about the sacral chakra, an energy center often associated with emotions, creativity, relationships, passion, pleasure, and our ability to flow with life rather than constantly fighting it. And if you've been feeling stuck, disconnected, emotionally exhausted, creatively blocked, or simply longing for more joy, I hope today's conversation offers a gentle place to begin. So before we begin, I want to offer a general reminder that today's conversation is intended for educational and spiritual exploration. The chakra system is a holistic and spiritual framework that many people use as a tool for self-awareness and personal growth. It is not intended to diagnose, treat, or replace medical or mental health care. Take what resonates with you and leave what doesn't, and always honor your own intuition and personal experience. So,

What Chakras Are In Plain Words

SPEAKER_01 3:05

what is the sacral chakra? Before anyone starts worrying that we're about to deep dive into a complicated spiritual lecture, I promise we're not. Because honestly, that isn't how I learn. And I suspect many of you don't either. So let's keep it simple. Whether you are a beginner or proficient in chakra work, let's talk about the chakra system for a moment. The chakras are traditionally viewed as energy centers within the body that are connected not only to our physical selves, but also to our emotions, our mental well-being, our sense of connection in our spiritual lives. And whether you see chakras as deeply spiritual, symbolic, energetic, or simply a mindfulness tool for self-awareness, I think there's something very beautiful about slowing down long enough to ask ourselves what parts of me need support right now? What parts of me feel depleted? What parts of me have been carrying too much for too long? Because each chakra represents a different aspect of our human experience. It affects our safety, our emotions, confidence, our ability to love. It governs our voice, our spiritual connection, our intuition. So the root chakra is the energy center traditionally associated with grounding, emotional safety, stability, security, and our connection to the physical world around us. Whereas the sacral chakra is associated with emotional flow, creativity, pleasure, self-worth, and softness. The solar plexus, which we will release next week on Tuesday, is associated with empowerment, confidence, identity, and boundaries. And then on Thursday, next week, the heart chakra, which is traditionally associated with grief, compassion, forgiveness, and love. And then we'll move on to the throat chakra, which is associated with authenticity, expression, being heard, voice. And then the third eye is associated with intuition, inner wisdom, and clarity. And we'll top it off with our crown chakra, which is associated with peace, connection, spirituality, and even surrender. And over the series, I want us to explore these gently together, one chakra at a time, in a way that feels grounded, supportive, emotionally honest, and approachable. Each episode will have a separate original guided companion mindfulness meditation that continues the journey through the chakras. But today we are going to start talking about the sacral chakra. There's a lot to cover, and when I was writing this, there was so much information that I tend to get lost in the research. So I needed to take, I needed to curate what I wanted to pick and choose for this episode and not make it so long. I was hoping to only make these episodes about 20 minutes long, and that wasn't, I wasn't able to do it justice for that. So there they are about 30 minutes long, and that may be a little long for some podcasts, but you will be rewarded with

Sacral Chakra Basics And Water

SPEAKER_01 6:10

what you will learn from the episodes, and I really hope you do. So today we're going to talk about the sacral chakra. The sacral chakra is traditionally known as Zvadasthana. It's located in the lower abdomen, just below the navel. And if the root chakra asked, Am I safe? The sacral chakra asks, can I feel? Can I create? Can I experience joy? Can I connect? It's often associated with the element of water. And I absolutely love that symbolism because water doesn't cling, it doesn't force, it flows, it moves, it even adapts and it always finds a way forward. And when we are emotionally healthy, that's often what life feels like. Not perfect, not easy, but flowing. And when we have challenges that arise, we are able to move through them a little easier. Because when they do arise, we can acknowledge them. And when life changes, we learn to adapt. We don't, we try not to uh become trapped in every feeling that comes along. But many of us struggle with that, myself included. So throughout many seasons of my life, I have felt the disconnection from joy, from creativity, from basic human connection. Whether it was after the passing of my mom uh in 2003, where I was an automatic pilot, numb to life, uh, or being a caregiver to my dad, it doesn't take much for us chakras to become out of sync or out of alignment with life. We go through so much on a daily basis, and many times we don't realize it, but over time I knew something was wrong, and that set me on my own personal healing journey. I went through some health struggles and some tough diagnoses, but through learning how to use all the tools I could learn about in addition to allopathic medicine, I was able to help myself heal parts of my life that I thought were lost forever. Because one of the things that I've noticed throughout my own life is that we often don't lose ourselves all at once. It happens slowly, a little at a time, because we become busy, become overwhelmed, we become responsible, and eventually we stop asking myself or asking ourselves, what brings us joy? What inspires me? What makes me feel alive? So when was the last time you created something simply because you enjoyed it? And when was the last time you laughed without worrying about what needed to be done next? Those may seem like small questions, but they're powerful questions because they help us reconnect with parts of ourselves that may have been neglected. I want to share a a little story from today. Um

A Real-Life Story Of Small Joy

SPEAKER_01 8:55

we we don't get out of the house often, my husband and I, we both have mobility challenges, and it's usually out for doctor's appointments only. So joy has been really diminished in our household because it's like groundhog day in our home. Every day is the same. My husband asked me yesterday, he said, maybe we could get out tomorrow for a little bit. And because we both take medication that you can't drive, um, if you do take it, we needed to manage it accordingly. We we didn't take that medication. And so we decided today, and we can't plan ahead because we never know what we will feel like when we get up that day. And so we can have the idea we want to do something, but executing it may be totally different. And even the thought of it brought me so much joy because I have been devoid of that kind of joy for quite a while now, and it wears on you. It really does, it does affect your mental health after a while. And so today came and I woke up and I felt good until I coughed and I had a muscle spell. So and that put me on the heating pad in bed for a little while and I wasn't gonna give up. I did cry because I was looking forward to getting out, and our original plan was to drive to the water. We do live in New England, we are close to the coast, about 30 minutes away, and just to go go view the water because again, the saquel chakra has to do with water, and I knew I needed to bring joy back into our lives again, and so I knew that would probably be out of the question because it did get quite warm today. We pivoted just like life in life, you pivot. So we decided to go for a drive to get a light lunch, and that's what we did. We went through a drive-through at a Dairy Queen uh spur of the moment to get a light lunch, and then we didn't want to go home yet. We were just having a really good time, and it's just a simple thing, a simple joy of going for a drive to get something to eat. We ate in the car at a small little park, and it was simple, but it was meaningful because it brought us joy. And the little things in life, no matter what it is, if it brings you just a moment of joy, you need to grab on to that because you don't know when the next moment will happen. So when we were finished, we left, we left the park and were driving toward home. And again, we still didn't want to go home. And my husband said, Let's get a lemonade. And in our area, Dell's Lemonade is popular. And so we drove, you know, to Dell's Lemonade to get a lemonade. And we had that. And of course, we've been drinking this for years, and of course, it feels like it's changed a little bit for me. I don't like sweet things, and it was really sweet. But the the idea of just getting a frozen lemonade was just so inspiring. And after that, we were ready to go home because uh my husband was getting tired from from driving, which was understandable. And um I was getting anxious from all the traffic, the it was early afternoon, and there was more traffic, and I was starting to get a little anxious. And I said, Okay, no, it was time to go home. The pain was starting to come in in my hips and in my back and in my legs, and I knew, okay, we were out for two hours today. That was good. So we got home, and even though my pain level was about an eight, and my husband's was up there as well, just lying there in bed. I thought about it and I said, Oh my god, it was so joyful. I felt so invigorated, just both of us felt invigorated just getting out today, because normally we only get out for doctor's appointments, but it was really, really nice. And I know that act of joy really helped to balance my sacral chakra today. So that's just a little story I wanted to share because you have to take every little moment that you can, that you can to be able to bring joy back into your life. Because we did we don't know when it's going to be. And today didn't have to be productive, it wasn't necessary, and it wasn't like someone else was expecting it, but it did nourish my spirit. And you need to take those moments because awareness is where healing begins.

Signs Of Feeling Emotionally Stuck

SPEAKER_01 13:10

So understanding sacral chakra imbalances, when we stop flowing, one of the reasons I think so many people connect with the sacral chakra is because most of us have experienced what it feels like to become emotionally stuck. I don't mean stuck because we're doing something wrong. I mean stuck because life happened. Sometimes we don't even realize it's happening. We just know that something feels different. We don't feel inspired, we don't laugh as often, we're more irritable. Um, oh yeah, that's me. More exhausted, more disconnected. Maybe we feel numb, or maybe we feel everything all at once. And interestingly enough, both of those experiences can point us toward the same question, which is what part of me needs some attention right now? And because when we talk about the chakra imbalances, we're not talking about something being broken. We're talking about noticing where we may have become disconnected from ourselves. Let's start with what many people experience after maybe long periods of stress, grief, trauma, caregiving, chronic illness, chronic pain, or simply caring too much for too long. Sometimes we begin shutting down emotionally, not because we want to, but because our nervous system is trying to protect us. And we talked about that in a couple of episodes. Because we may notice feeling emotionally numb. We may lose interest in things we once enjoyed. Maybe we have creative blocks going on. I know when I when I feel really out of sorts, I can't write, I can't research, I can't even do a podcast, can't do anything because my creativity is so blocked. And even the lack of motivation, when you lack joy, it goes hand in hand with motivation. You can have difficulty expressing emotions, feeling disconnected from others, feeling even disconnected from ourselves. And that brings on persistent guilt and feeling like life has become nothing but responsibilities. If you feel like every day is a chore, don't you owe it to yourself to do something about that? And if you are someone who has been living with chronic pain, chronic illness, grief, caregiving responsibilities, emotional overwhelm, please hear me when I say this. You are not failing. You are not failing. Your body and mind may simply be trying to survive. Because many of us learn to shut down our feelings because feeling them seems too overwhelming. It's like a switch, you just shut it off. I'm not going to feel anything because I know this is going to hurt. I'm going to shut it down so I don't have to feel it. We do this with many things in our lives. But eventually, that emotional suppression can leave us feeling disconnected from joy as well. Because unfortunately, when we numb pain, we often numb pleasure as well. So I have a question for you. Have you ever found yourself saying, I just don't feel like myself anymore? I know I say that to myself many times, and I say it to my husband. So what do you think that version of yourself misses the most? Is it joy, creativity, connection, rest, playfulness? I know for me personally, the last nine years have been very challenging. I got sick in 2017 and almost died from sepsis. My whole life changed in just a few hours. I had to leave a teaching job that I loved. I had to learn how to do things and a body that no longer worked the way it did before. And it was just a routine surgical procedure. Like most people, my job was my identity. And honestly, most of us feel our value is tied to our jobs because we spend so much time working that sometimes it doesn't leave much room for anything else, does it? And I honestly loved my job and I loved what I did. So not being able to do that or do any of the holistic wellness sessions I offered from time to time devastated me. I had brain fog, I had pain, I had immobility. My whole world was turned upside down by a medical error and judgment. I lost a lot of joint, but I was attuned enough to realize that I needed to put myself back into therapy before I went to a dark place where I knew I couldn't come out. So for the last nine years, I went through cancer diagnosis and treatment, learned to live in a body that was battered and broken because of my inability to be able to move and function like I once did, and then watched my husband go through a devastating work accident and almost die in the job. With both of us being classified as disabled after working jobs we loved, my husband at his for 30 years and me at mine for 15, it was challenging. And joy wasn't an emotion we experienced often. And honestly, these days we have adapted to life, but there are some days that we have to really look for joyful moments. Just like today, we had an opportunity, we crafted. So we have good mindsets and we don't live in the what-ifs in the past. At least we try not to. But joy is not something that is guaranteed or always comes easy, especially when you are constantly in survival mode.

Overwhelm People Pleasing And Boundaries

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Now, an overactive sakal chakra, sometimes the opposite can happen. Instead of shutting down emotionally, we can become overwhelmed by emotions. We may find ourselves constantly seeking validation, and that includes people pleasing. We can have difficulty setting boundaries, feeling responsible for everyone's feelings, reacting strongly to every emotional wave, or becoming consumed by drama and emotional chaos. To me, that's check, check, check, check, in check. It's almost overwhelming. It is overwhelming at times because every wave feels enormous, every emotion feels urgent, and every conflict feels overwhelming. And if you're a highly sensitive person, empathic, or someone who deeply feels the emotions of others, this may sound familiar. You may spend so much time managing everyone else's emotions that you lose touch with your own. I think it's important to talk about people pleasing hair for a moment. Uh, because myself included, many of us were tort that being a good person meant putting ourselves last. Does this sound familiar? It's about being agreeable, keeping the peace, avoiding conflict, making sure everyone else was comfortable. But eventually we begin abandoning ourselves. And when we consistently ignore our own needs, our own feelings, and our own desires, it's difficult to remain connected to joy. Because you know what? Joy requires authenticity, and authenticity requires honesty, not just with other people, but with ourselves. So what would change in your life if you trusted your feelings more? Not acted on every feeling, not let every emotion drive the car, but simply honored what you're experiencing without immediately judging it. That's something worth sitting with, isn't it? One of the greatest misconceptions many of us learn is that some emotions are good and some emotions are bad. But you know what? Emotions are information, they aren't moral failures, they're messages, or as I like to call them, blessings, B-L-E-S-S-O-N-S. And a blessing is wrapped in a lesson. And I did not come up with this word, but I read it somewhere and it resonated with me. Because sadness may tell us something needs healing, anger may tell us a boundary has been crossed, fear may tell us we need support, and joy may tell us we're aligned with something meaningful. And yet many of us, many of us, spend years fighting our emotions instead of listening to them. So imagine if every emotion was simply a visitor arriving at your door. Not every visitor gets to move in, but every visitor has something to teach us. Because the goal isn't to suppress our feelings, the goal isn't to become overwhelmed by them either. The goal is to learn how to sit beside them with curiosity, and this is where mindfulness comes in. When people hear the word creativity, they often think, I'm not creative. I hear that all the time. I tell myself this all the time. I come from a family where my aunts, my mom, uh, cousins are all very creative, very artistic. I don't have any of those genes. I don't have the craft gene. I don't have that creativity. As much as I have tried over the years, it just makes me anxious and it stresses me out. But creativity isn't just painting beautiful pictures or making a craft. Project to me, my creativity isn't writing, and that's where I excel in writing poetry, short stories, writing my podcast, writing a blog. Writing is my creativity. And I had to stop comparing my my joy to other people's joy. It's not a contest, because creativity is how we express ourselves. It's off and how we solve problems, it's how we decorate our homes, plant a garden, cook a meal, tell a story, take a photo. It's how we sing in the car or even create a podcast. Because creativity is simply life expressing itself through you. And many adults lose touch with creativity because we've been taught that everything has to be productive, has to be useful, profitable, efficient. But children don't create because it's productive, they create because it feels good. Maybe part of healing our sacral chakra was remembering that we're allowed to create simply because it brings us joy. So I want to ask you, what did you love doing as a

Creativity Without Productivity Pressure

SPEAKER_01 23:05

child? Did you enjoy drawing, writing, building things, singing, dancing, exploring nature, collecting treasures, telling stories? Think about what you enjoyed doing as a child and maybe revisit some of those things to bring joy back into your life again. And when was the last time you gave yourself permission to do something fun, something joyful? Not because you're good at it, but because you enjoyed it. And there's a difference thing. You can be really crappy at something, but it brings you a lot of joy. Do it. For me as a kid, writing was my salvation. I would write poetry, short stories. You could give me a topic, and I would write something immediately. It would come to mind very quickly. And one of the things I love most about holistic and spiritual practices is that they remind us that healing doesn't always have to be complicated. Sometimes we think healing has to involve some grand transformation, a complete reinvention of ourselves, perfect morning routine, a thousand-dollar retreat. Or maybe it's some magical moment where everything suddenly makes sense. But more often than not, healing happens in small moments or even micro moments. Because healing is a choice, a breath, a walk, a conversation, a journal entry, a boundary, a moment of honesty with ourselves. And when it comes to supporting the sacral chakra, many of the practices are really surprisingly simple. So when we talk about one of the things, one of the things about your chakra is movement, is letting your body remember how to flow. And remember earlier when we talked about the sacral chakra being associated with the element of water, because water moves. And our bodies were designed to move. I mentioned that mine no longer moves the way it used to. I have a lot of restriction, a lot of a lot of damage to my to my body. And I used to speed walk and outwalk anyone around me. Today I use a walker or a rollator or a mobility scooter, a cane, but I will always move my body in one way or another to keep the flow going. Now, before anyone listening starts thinking they need to join a gym or become a yoga instructor, that's not what I'm talking about. Because this isn't about intense exercise. This is about movement that feels nurturing, movement that connects you or reconnects you with your body rather than punishing it. Especially for those living, those of us living with chronic pain, illness, disabilities, or even physical limitations. Because movement can look different for every person. It's not a one-size fits-all. It may be a gentle walk, stretching in a chair, swimming, water aerobics, cheer yoga, uh seated Tai Chi, dancing in your kitchen, swaying to music, gentle yoga, tai chi, or in my case, if I'm having a bad pain day and lying in bed, I will do gentle stretches to the best of my ability. Even moving your shoulders while sitting comfortably. The question isn't how much can I do? The question is, oh, can I honor my body today? So what kind of movement movement feels supportive to you? Not what you think you should do, not what someone on social media says you should do. What actually feels good for your body? And I want to talk about joy for a moment. Because I think many adults have forgotten that joy is not something we earn. Somewhere along the way, many of us have learned that joy must come after the work is done, after the house is clean, after the bills are paid, after everyone else's needs are met, after we achieve something, after we become more productive. But what if joy isn't a reward? What if joy isn't nourishment? What if joy is actually part of how we heal? What if laughter, creativity, beauty, music, and even play are not distractions from healing, but pathways toward it? That's a different perspective, isn't it? I know as a kid growing up, I grew up in the 70s, we couldn't have any fun. We couldn't play with our toys, we couldn't play with our friends, we couldn't do anything unless our chores were done and our homework was done. There was no joy to be had until everything was accomplished. And we carry that into adulthood, don't we? So it's time to, if you're still having that mindset, maybe it's time to turn that I'm gonna date myself. Yeah, that record to the other side and see if something different can be played to change that thinking. And because the sakal chakra is associated with water, many people find comfort in connecting with water intentionally. And honestly, I think most of us instinctively understand this. Because think about how often people say, I need to walk by the ocean. I just want to sit by the lake. I feel better after a warm bath. There is something deeply calming about water, something that reminds us to soften, to release, to flow. You don't have to live near the ocean to experience that connection, because you might take a mindful shower, listen to rainfall sounds, enjoy a warm bath, sit beside a river, drink water with intention, or simply pause and notice how water moves through your daily life. For me, being by the ocean is my go-to for feeling joy, just digging my toes into the sand, listening or watching the waves ebb and flow is so therapeutic for me. I don't go into the water except for up to my ankles, but I do love everything associated with the ocean. And I'm fortunate that we live in New England and we are close to the coast. And we used to take weekend trips to the Cape in May and October for many, many, many years. Uh, we even had our honeymoon on the Cape. We prefer

Practical Support Movement Water Senses

SPEAKER_01 28:55

going off season because that place brings me so much joy and it heals my body, mind, and spirit the moment I step foot on our special beach in South Yarmouth. And where we stay, we're right on the ocean. You open the door, water's right there. And when there is a full moon, oh my goodness, when there is a full moon, there is no stopping the joy we feel. I wish I could just bottle it and take it home with me.

SPEAKER_00 29:19

And after just a few hours there, I can feel my chakras healing and aligning and becoming balanced again. Just by the simple pleasure of sight, sound, smell, and even connection. I journal and all is right in my life.

SPEAKER_01 29:36

But since our health challenges, we don't get there like we used to. My husband cannot drive, usually for more than 20 minutes or so at a time, and I hardly drive anymore. And last year, when my daughter and her family visited from Texas, we took an overnight trip to the Cape. It was the one thing I wanted to do while they were here. Because we couldn't drive, and we we needed someone to drive us. And even though we my son and daughter-in-law had offered before it was never the timing was never right, but the timing was right, and it was during the full strawberry moon, and it was magical. It had been five years since we had been, and even though it was just one night, I wanted to stay up. I wanted to stay up as late as I could and keep looking at that moon because it recharged me and my husband for months. We all need to find that kind of joy and connection in our lives. It could be as simple as looking up at the moon. Because yeah, the moon makes me cry. I don't know why. It just makes me cry. The color most commonly associated with the sacral chakra is orange. And while color certainly isn't magic, color can influence how we feel, because orange is associated with warmth, creativity, optimism, energy, vitality, and even joy. No, you don't have to repaint your entire house orange, but you might consider adding touches of this color in your life: scarf, a journal, flowers, artwork, a candle, even foods that are rich in orange hues, carrots, sweet potatoes, um, squash, sometimes these little visual reminders become invitations to connect with joy. And one thing we don't talk about enough is how healing it can be to engage our senses intentionally, because the sequel chakra is often connected to experiencing life more fully. So ask yourself, what nourishes my senses? Is it a favorite scent, soft music, fresh flowers, comfortable blankets, birds, a smell of rain, a beautiful sunset? For me, I love sunrises, especially over the water, and I love the moonrise over the water as well. It's still after all these years so sacred to me. Like I said, I will actually cry. And what about a cup of tea? If you enjoy it slowly, just sipping tea or whatever beverage that you enjoy. These things may seem insignificant. Collectively, they remind us that life is happening right now. Not someday, not when everything is perfect. Now, many people enjoy using essential oils as part of mindfulness or spiritual practice. I know I do. Um, I have a lot of sensitivity these days, but I know which oils are okay for me. Uh, some oils commonly associated with this shape, sacral chakra include sweet orange, which is one of my favorites, tangerine, mandarin, yulang yulang, jasmine, geranium, sandalwood. And I like to think of aromatherapy less as fixing something, but more as creating an atmosphere. Because I love the citrus aromas and I find them energizing and uplifting. Even just putting a little bit of the essential oil on a cotton ball and leaving it out and about where it's safe for pets, um, it really can, really can add to your your environment because it's a gentle invitation, it's a reminder to slow down, to breathe, to even reconnect with yourself. Now, if you've listened to this podcast for any length of time, you know I don't believe anyone needs crystals to heal, but I do love my crystals. But I do think they can be symbols of power. And for many people, crystals become meaningful reminders of their intentions. Some commonly associated with the Sacal chakra include carnelian, orange calcite, sunstone, moon, peach moonstone, amber, fire opal. And whether you work with crystals or not, the deeper invitation remains the same. How can I connect or reconnect with my creativity, my emotions, and my joy? For me, I oftentimes will sleep with my heart-shaped free rose quartz stone in my hand, especially if I am feeling anxious. So you do what feels right for you. And one of the simplest, most powerful practice for the sequel chakra is journaling. Remember, when we were kids or teenagers, we called it a diary, but now it's called a journal. Because many of us spend our lives reacting to emotions without ever pausing long enough to really understand them. So consider asking yourself, what am I feeling right now? What have I been avoiding? What brings me joy? What drains my energy? What part of me is asking for attention? Because sometimes the answer will surprise you. And I think it's important to acknowledge something because healing doesn't mean you'll never feel sadness or grief or anger or disappointment or even pain. Healing doesn't remove your humanity, it deepens your relationship with it. Because the goal isn't constant happiness, the goal is learning how to move through life's emotions without becoming trapped by them. Like water flowing, moving, adapting, trusting. So if your emotions could speak to you today, what do you think they would want you to know? Because you know what? You may be surprised what comes up. In the final part of today's conversation, we're going to talk about affirmations of self-compassion, relationships, emotional boundaries, and what it means to give ourselves permission to fully experience life again. Because perhaps that's what the chakra

Color Oils Crystals And Journaling

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is really inviting us to do. Not become someone new, but reconnect with parts of ourselves. Maybe we've forgotten. As we begin to bring today's conversation full circle, I want to talk about something that feels incredibly important: permission. Because so many of us are waiting for permission. Permission to rest, permission to say no, permission to create, permission to change, permission to grieve, permission to heal, and even yes, permission to feel joy again. And perhaps one of the greatest gifts we can give ourselves is realizing that we don't have to wait for someone else to grant permission. We don't need the permission, fairy. We can just do it ourselves, right here, right now, because the sacral chakra teaches us that emotions are not inconveniences, they are part of the human experience. They are not weaknesses, they are not flaws, they are not signs that we're failing, they are evidence that we are alive. And while emotions can sometimes feel uncomfortable, they also connect us to some of the most beautiful parts of life: love, compassion, wonder, creativity, connection, hope, joy. Let me ask you, what emotion have you been trying hardest not to feel? For me, it's pushing away hope and even joy at times. It's oftentimes hard for me to think about the future without thinking of the things that could go wrong. And I know that is detrimental to the process, but I always said when I started this podcast, I was not going to censor or filter my vulnerability. If I feel like emotion bubbling up, I'm going to leave that in. I am not going to edit it out. Because I am a work in progress. Even at 62 years old, I am a work in process. And as much as we are learning and talking about the chakras, I do this work on myself all the time. Does it work? Yes, it does. Do you have to do it faithfully? Sometimes you do, depending on what your life looks like. But it is worth it to feel joy and peace and connection. Because the sacral chakra, we know, is often also associated with relationships, not just romantic relationships, all relationships of friendships, family, co-workers, neighbors, even the relationships we have in our community. And perhaps most importantly, the relationship we have with ourselves. Because here's something I've learned over the years. The way we treat ourselves often becomes the blueprint for how others treat us. Let me say that again. The way we treat ourselves often becomes the blueprint for how others treat us. If we constantly dismiss our needs, we may allow others to dismiss them too. If we constantly criticize ourselves, we may become more accepting of criticism from others. You see the vicious circle here? And if we never honor our own feelings, we may attract relationships where our feelings are not honored. And that isn't about blame, it's about awareness. And awareness always creates opportunities for change. So when was the last time you treated yourself with the same kindness you offer other people? That's not always an easy question to answer, is it? Because many compassionate people are wonderful at extending grace to others, but terrible at extending it to themselves. And I'm guilty of this as well. I am my own worst enemy, but I'm trying to be better. So can you relate? I know I can. And sometimes people think spiritual growth means becoming more disciplined, more enlightened, more productive. Perfect. But what if spiritual growth also means becoming more compassionate toward ourselves? What if healing isn't about becoming someone else? What if healing is about returning to who we've always been, beneath the expectations, the responsibilities, the wounds, and the fears? That's a very different journey. And in many ways, I also think it's a much gentler one. I thought it might be nice for us to share a few affirmations that you can return to throughout throughout your week or throughout time, whenever you listen to this. And remember, affirmations aren't about pretending everything is perfect. There's no toxic positivity here. They're simply reminders of what we're choosing to cultivate. You might repeat, I honor my emotions with compassion. I deserve joy and peace. I am allowed to express myself authentically. Creativity flows naturally through me. I trust my inner wisdom. I release guilt and embrace self-compassion. I welcome healthy and supportive relationships into my life. I am worthy of pleasure, joy, and fulfillment. I allow myself to experience life fully. And perhaps the affirmation I think many of us need most is I do not need to earn my worth. Take a moment and let that one settle in. Because your worth was never, ever something that you had to earn. So before we wrap up today's

Affirmations Reflection Questions And Closing

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episode, I'd love to leave you with a few questions to reflect upon this week. You may want to journal about them, you may want to think about them during a walk, or perhaps simply carry them with you. What brings you genuine joy? Where in your life are you resisting flow? What emotions are you avoiding? What creative expressions are calling to you? And how can you nurture yourself more compassionately this week? And perhaps more importantly, what would it look like to fully embrace being myself? If today's conversation resonated with you, I want to gently encourage you to listen to the companion guided meditation that accompanies this episode, because sometimes understanding a concept is the first step, but giving ourselves space to experience it where deeper transformation can often begin. The meditation was created to help you reconnect with your emotions, your creativity, intuition, joy, and sense of flow. So if you're feeling called to go a little deeper, I hope you're joining me there. There are also journal prompts at the end of the episode description. And I'd love to hear from you. Um, I'd love to hear your thoughts. Please reach out to me. Did something in today's conversation resonate with you? Have you noticed signs of being disconnected from your joy, creativity, or emotional well-being? Or practices help you reconnect with yourself. You can reach me at healing our kindred spirits at gmail.com. And you can also connect with me through our social media pages and the Healing Our Kindred Spirits community page. So one of my favorite parts of creating this podcast is hearing your stories, your insights, and even your experiences. And I am grateful for the experience because healing is really meant to happen in isolation, because we're walking this path together. And as we continue this sacred journey through the chakras, I hope you remember that healing isn't about becoming perfect. It isn't about fixing every flaw. It isn't about reaching some spiritual finish line. It's about coming home to yourself again and again. It's about honoring your emotions, making room for joy, allowing creativity to flow, setting healthy boundaries, and giving yourself grace. And remember that your humanity is not something to overcome, it's something to embrace. Because some seasons of life will feel calm and flowing, and others may feel turbulent. But just like water, you are more adaptable than you realize, more resilient than you'll ever know, and stronger than you ever give yourself credit for. May you give yourself permission to feel without judgment. May you honor your emotions with kindness and curiosity. May you discover or rediscover the simple joys that nourish your spirit. Or may creativity find its way back to you in unexpected and beautiful ways. May you release guilt, embrace self-compassion, and trust the wisdom within your own heart. May you remember that healing is not a destination, but a lifelong relationship with yourself. May you move through life with grace of water, flowing, adapting, trusting and growing. And until next time, my friends, take gentle care of yourselves and each other. And always, always remember, you are never too much, and you are always, always enough. Thank you.