Crafts, Babies or Problem-Solving? Let's Get Our Creative Juices Flowing!

It was the end of 2019, when I found myself feeling somewhat lost about the direction of my life. To get some guidance, I enrolled in an online life coaching programme. One of the exercises asked us to reflect on the activities we enjoyed in our childhood, and look for patterns in order to find our core values. That was when it hit me, how much I used to enjoy making things. Drawing. Crafting. Origami. Beading. Cross-stitching. My list just went on and on. And how many of these creative activities was I still doing regularly in 2019? None.

2019 was also the year I was diagnosed with endometriosis, a condition often leading to reduced fertility in women. A reduced ability to create new life.

It was the end of 2019, and little did we know back then that soon enough the entire world shut down due to a global pandemic, and we would be confined within the four walls of our home. It was a deeply unsettling and tragic time. Like many others, I lost people I cared about.

But the lockdown also created space and time for me to act on the realisation from the life coaching programme, and I started to reconnect with creative outlets. Drawing mandalas. Colouring. Crocheting. Lettering. Paper craft. Slowly, I began to feel the spark return.

It was the end of 2019, and our company was growing steadily. I got to build an incredible team and implement robust tools and pipelines, in order to scale up our operations. Problem-solving, systems thinking and team building became another way to express creativity, this time in a professional setting.

And guess what? Once I managed to reignite the creative fire in my life through crafting at home and building my department at work, I became pregnant with my son in 2021.

Oh, and of course yoga helped, too.

A few days before giving birth, with the mandala I had just finished painting on our living room wall.

Yogic science speaks of seven chakras, spinning energy centres along the spine, each governing key aspects of our physical and emotional wellbeing. In the West, the idea of chakras is sometimes dismissed as 'esoteric humbug'. If I can't see them on an MRI, then surely they can't be real, right? 

But what if chakras are simply a visual representation of our endocrine and nervous systems, the (almost) invisible control centre regulating most of our body functions and emotional state? That is how I like to view them.

Situated in the lower abdomen, just above the root chakra, the second of these seven chakras is the sacral chakra, or svadhisthana (sva = self, adhisthana = dwelling), meaning 'the dwelling of the self'.

The root chakra provides grounding and stability. That stable root supports the flow and movement of the sacral chakra, feeling safe enough to freely explore our self-expression.

The sacral chakra is considered the seat of our creativity, emotions and passions, and is often linked to reproductive health.

Element: Water

Colour: Orange

Physical body: Reproductive organs, bladder, kidneys and lower back

Processes: Oestrogen and testosterone hormone production

Mandala inspired by the orange colour and the crescent moon shape, associated with the sacral chakra. Doodled by the author

Emotional Health

When the sacral chakra is balanced, we maintain emotionally healthy relationships, and feel connected to the physical side of intimacy.

It also brings emotional intelligence, governing three of the five key EQ components: self-awareness, self-regulation and motivation. Emotional intelligence is considered to be a key factor for successful leaders, who wish to build thriving, high-performing teams and a healthy, supportive company culture.

Creative Power

We feel creative, whatever that means to us. It can be an ambitious work-related project, an artistic endeavour or starting a family.

In a professional context, creative expression shows up as innovative ideas, out-of-the-box thinking and a continuous improvement mindset.

Finding Joy in Life

When this energy is aligned, we feel generally energetic and optimistic about life, finding plenty of joy in everyday moments.

We prioritise self-care and maintain healthy boundaries, the cornerstones of Sustainable High Performance.

We thoroughly enjoy what we do. And while “TGIF” is still great, we might just find ourselves saying “Yay Monday” too.

The sacral chakra is all about joy!

What Happens When the Sacral Chakra Is Out of Balance?

Physically, imbalances may manifest as:

• Lower back pain

• Ovarian cysts

• Urinary tract infections

• Reproductive issues

• General challenges related to sexual and hormonal health

Emotionally, a blocked sacral chakra may present as:

• Difficulty expressing emotions or needs

• Guilt or shame around pleasure and enjoyment

• Lack of inspiration or creativity

• A sense that life is dull or lacking joy

On the other hand, an overactive sacral chakra can result in:

• Overindulgence

• Unhealthy attachments to pleasure

How to Bring the Sacral Chakra Back into Balance?

There are many ways to support the rebalancing of the sacral chakra, helping you to find your creative power, emotional depth and joy in life.

What is the next big (or small) thing you create in this world?

Try a few of the tips below, stick with what feels right, and let me know which ones work for YOU.

💧 Connect with water, the element associated with the sacral chakra by taking a warm, soothing bath with essential oils.

🟠 Bring the colour orange into your home and wardrobe.

🍊 Introduce more orange-coloured foods, juicy fruits and healthy fats into your diet, such as oranges, carrots, mangoes, sweet potatoes, peaches, squash, walnuts, cinnamon, coconut oil and coconut water.

🎨 Tap into your creative side through arts, crafts, music, cooking, dancing or whatever your preferred expression

🧘‍♀️ Meditation Practice:

• Begin any meditation by grounding into your physical body. Direct your breath into your lower abdomen, and let the rhythmic rise and fall of your belly be your anchor. When your mind wanders, gently return your focus to this flow. I found the practices outlined in Deeper Mindfulness especially valuable for this.

• (especially good for women) Using your hands, form one the hand gestures for this energy centre: shakti mudra Bring it in front of your chest, fingers pointing up or on your lower abdomen, fingers pointing down.

• Chant the seed mantra of this chakra (VAM), or find a track on your favourite music player with this chant. Alternatively, use a track with the Solfreggio frequency of 417Hz, which is said to resonate with this chakra.

💬 Affirmation Practice: Choose an affirmation to repeat to yourself daily, saying it aloud to yourself while looking into your own eyes in a mirror. Repeat this until you start believing it. Or turn it into a piece of lettering art to put on your wall, desktop or phone lock screen to keep reminding yourself. Some examples:

• My creativity is endless.

• I express myself authentically and creatively.

• I feel joyful, energetic and alive.

• I allow my emotions to flow freely.

• Joy and pleasure are my innate birth rights.

• I take pleasure in the beauty of life.

🙏 Yoga Practice: Regularly include the following hip-opening poses in your asana practice. Goddess Pose (Utkata Konasana), Bound Angle (Baddha Konasana), Wide Angle Seated Forward Bend (Upavistha Konasana), Wide-Legged Forward Bend (Prasarita Padottanasana)

Asanas to balance the sacral chakra

Benefits of a Balanced Sacral Chakra in Leadership

• Emotional Intelligence Enhances self-awareness, self-regulation and motivation, which are core components of effective leadership and team building.

• Creative Problem-Solving Fuels innovation, adaptability and out-of-the-box thinking, which are essential for navigating complex challenges.

• Authentic Communication Supports open, empathetic expression, leading to stronger interpersonal connections and trust within teams.

• Passion and Drive Rekindles enthusiasm and energy, helping leaders stay motivated and inspire others.

• Healthy Work-Life Integration Encourages emotional balance and self-care, reducing burnout and promoting sustainable high performance.

• Vision and Joy Cultivates a positive outlook and joy in the process, not just the outcome, making leadership more fulfilling and impactful.

Thank you for reading, and have a wonderful week ahead.

The light in me honours the light in you.

Namaste