2nd Chakra: Personal Power
Relationships are an important part of our spiritual journey. It’s important to be aware of patterns in how we relate, not only to others but also to aspects of our physical environment, including finances, sexuality, authority, and creativity. What is your attachment style in relationships? Are you controlling? Do you project your own characteristics onto others? What’s your relationship with money? Money is energy. How do we constrict the flow of money and abundance into our lives? Every relationship we develop helps us become more conscious and learn to live in the flow.
Many of us try to force or control situations, people, and things, not realizing there is a better, more empowering way. The second chakra is the energy center that governs the power of relationships and choice. Carolyn Myss refers to it as the partnership chakra, which includes one-on-one (personal) relationships, finances, sexuality, and creativity. These are powerful aspects of our human nature, and when we make choices in alignment with our higher Selves, we are in the flow of empowerment, acceptance, and abundance. The challenge of the second chakra is to learn what motivates us to make the choices we do—Love or Fear.
Our childhood experiences have a strong influence on our beliefs about our relationships with others, money, and creativity. We can perpetuate the same unhealthy relationship dynamics we picked up in childhood until we have emotional awareness. Some of us have learned to get what we need through manipulation and control. We form relationship patterns that mirror the dynamic we had with a parent, projecting our wounds onto the people around us. If we grew up with a lack mentality, struggling to survive, it can be hard to feel safe and secure regardless of how financially comfortable we are.
In order for the second chakra to thrive, we must let go of our need to control and trust the flow of life. This is incredibly hard for the ego. It loves to control outcomes and project expectations. As is always the case, our emotional awareness is the key to healing. I didn’t realize how much I try to control situations in my life until recently. One of my big life lessons is to accept people and situations as they are. I naively tried to change a person and unconsciously manipulate and control a situation so that it met my needs. Now that I’m aware of this dynamic within myself, I can make different choices and work towards accepting the things I cannot change. I can now work towards allowing life to flow, making empowered choices that align with who I am and what I want for myself.
As adults, we have the ability to course-correct unhealthy dynamics. For many of us, there can be a lot of shame when revealing the truth about our actions and behaviors. It’s important to open our hearts to ourselves so we can acknowledge our true feelings, which are fear-based. Becoming an empowered person means that we keep the focus on ourselves. Every relationship, every interaction, is an opportunity to understand ourselves in a deeper way. Instead of forcing our will on a situation that is not in our highest good, we must learn to accept the lesson we’re being asked to learn. Otherwise, we’ll stay in the loop of sameness.
