Being Needy, shutting people out, guilt, denying oneself or not being able to experience simple pleasures are all signs of an imbalance in the Sacral Chakra. A client who had left his organization to work as a freelancer started to experience a drop in his creative output. His working out of home where he lived alone resulted in limited interaction with people, limited exchange of feelings, emotions, touch and therefore reduced energy flow to the Sacral Chakra. Encouraging him to go out and meet people and be part of groups had a very positive impact on his work.
Blocking emotions on a continuous basis creates imbalances. The flow of emotions cleanses and heals the Sacral Chakra. Encouraging clients to express their feelings through questions i.e. “How does this make you feel”, “Can you recall the emotions that you felt when you first held your partners hand?”
As a coach we also need to be aware of a dominant Solar Plexus Chakra overflowing, leading to denial and abstinence of pleasures. The coach will then need to help the client to use the intuition and clarity of the Third Eye Chakra to balance and create synergy between the Will of the Solar Plexus and the Feelings of the Sacral chakra.
By awakening our will we can be co-creators of our lives because it is through our will that we take actions that are difficult and challenging, says Ellen Tadd in the Wisdom of Chakras, Tools for Navigating Growth. According to Ellen Tadd, restricted energy flow in the Solar Plexus Chakra results in the biggest issue which is the feeling of inadequacy, low self esteem. When clients feel powerless and controlled. The coach must get the client to recognize and embrace their own inner power by leveraging the intuition and intelligence of the
Third Eye. Asking the client to recall a situation where they were powerless, and in their minds imagining a different outcome and experiencing the positive energy of the personal power. Positive Affirmation of situations were the client has made active choices. Reframing that it is not about power over somebody but power within that is important. Overcoming the inertia, getting the client to take action is critical for energy flow in this Chakra.
A person with a healthy Solar Plexus Chakra but a blocked Heart Chakra can be very stubborn and authoritarian. The energy block happens when either Ego dominates the desire to reach out to people or when Rejection has accumulated over years. Rejection causes the energy flow to the Heart Chakra to disintegrate and fade. Using the Sacral Chakra (emotions) to navigate such blocks could result in one getting hurt again.
This could lead to the Blocking of the Heart Chakra and therefore a remorseless, ruthless and callous existence. It is important to use the Third Eye Chakra to get Clarity and not Block the third Heart Chakra. Clarity that each situation, rejection is learning that is preventing us from taking the wrong road and not to take others thoughtless, cold hearted behaviour personally. This Clarity from the Third Eye helps energy flow and helps heal the wounds of the Heart, allowing us to live a life of compassion and empathy. However for love, trust, inspiration to radiate outwards and invite people it is important to keep the Ego in check, understand that we play a small part in the larger world. Visualization exercises in which the client surrenders his needs to a community, his family and attempts to focus beyond self can help to open the heart Chakra. Encouraging clients to do Breathing Exercises, traveling, standing in a large group and feeling their energy are all ways to activate the Heart Chakra.
Clients that have an issue expressing themselves, transmitting and receiving thoughts are likely to have blocks in the Throat Chakra. The Throat Chakra is the centre for truth and expression and helps us communicate with the world. Through communication one is extending themselves beyond their physical boundaries and limitations. Unlike the lower Chakras where limitation helps focus on the self, the higher Chakras go beyond the self and are about the boundless spirit. The Third Eye Chakra therefore is critical to build the inner confidence that will allow the client to break free of limitations and physical boundaries, and ensure energy flow to the throat Chakra which will allow the client to express themselves. The Throat Chakra more than any chakra requires repeated energy flow from pure and positive thoughts. Speaking aloud and repeating positive thoughts, our own values, the word “OM” which stands for God in Sanskrit helps energy flow to the Throat Chakra.
Lack of clarity in difficult situations, sticking to conventions, not willing to see the reality, narrow minded approach are all behaviours that can result from restricted flow to the Third Eye Chakra. Ellen Tadd calls this the Kingpin of the Chakra System as it leads to new thinking and wise decision making. The Third Eye is about accessing things in our brain and being that we normally cannot with our conscious thinking. It is about the intuition that comes from our experiences and beliefs and sits somewhere in our subconscious mind. At times of difficulty, emotional problems, use of the Sacral Energy (Emotions) can make us hypersensitive to the behaviour of others. In difficult situations, the clarity and intuition of the Third Eye brings perspective to others behaviour and helps the client feel more complete and yet compassionate to others. Asking the client to think about a problem from the Head (accessing the Third Eye Chakra energy) vs. Emotions or the Heart is a great way to help them get clarity and new thinking. Activating the Third Eye Chakra is possible through visualization, focus and meditation. Visualization exercises which help create images that can influence our reality help to activate the Third Eye Chakra and create new insight and thinking.
Exercises like Concentrating at a pin in front of you, trying to focus and feel your breath on your upper lips improve energy flow to the Third Eye Chakra. Activating the Third Eye Chakra is important to integrate and harmonize all the Chakras. It allows the client to see life as a growth process and to see potential in self and others.
I am doing well at work, my employees and peers like me, I have a great relationship with my partner, love my kids and yet I don’t feel happy and am not at peace with myself.
This is the state of people who have a closed Crown Chakra. When the Crown Chakra is open, there is a light feeling, a glow on the face and the energy enters the body and enlivens the spirit. It creates Knowing, a kind of spiritual intelligence, a higher consciousness of universal principles that help give everything meaning. Why is this happening? Why are these things here? This ensures that all experiences are seen as a larger plan and does not cause any negative thoughts and energy. The opening of the Crown Chakra, the connectedness to universal principles is possible through inspiration, devotion and meditation. Encouraging clients to seek inspiration in a larger purpose that goes beyond self, being devoted to someone or something that is bigger than their immediate realm results in energy flow through the Crown Chakra and leads to sustained happiness and peace.
4. Summary
The research paper has attempted to understand the Chakra Science and its application to coaching. The second section covers the Chakras, the seven energy centres and how they function as an interdependent energy system. The third section in the research paper covers the Application of the Chakras Science to Coaching and allows us to draw the following conclusions:
5. APPENDIX A – Linking Chakras to Limiting Beliefs and Behaviours
References
Transformational Life Coaching by C. Carter-Scott
Wisdom of Chakras, Tools for Navigating Growth by Ellen Tadd
The Enlightened Leader (An introduction to the Chakras of Leadership) by Peter ten Hoopen and Fons Trompenaars
Seven Dimensions of Prosperity by Louis F. Tetu
Wikipedia on Coaching
Chakras for Beginners, A Guide to balance your Chakra Energies by David Pond
Wheels of Life. A users guide to the Chakra System by Anodea Judith