Let Your Spirit Play!
Our Second charka or energy center is the seat of personal
creativity and vitality. It governs our sexuality, sensuality,
and vitality. It governs our sexuality, sensuality, and creative
expression. When balanced it allows us to experience the
vibrancy and sweetness of life. When opened and balanced we
appreciate good food, good sex, good friends, good times, and
the good life. It is the conduit for our spirits to fully enjoy
the magnificence of the human experience.
The second charka is the one I see most commonly and profoundly
collapsed in people. Even in my own life, it is the energy
center that I, too, am most likely to ignore if I am having
difficulty in keeping up with my daily responsibilities.
One of the most natural ways to re-balance our vitality charka
is to step off of our daily grind, slip out of our serious
selves and engage in some lively, belly laughing play. Though
playing sounds inviting, it is amazing how few of us actually
remember how to play. And how it can even be frightening to
others. During a recent workshop I invited all the participants
to do a simple art project with crayons. One of the students
stepped up to the front of the room, looking terrified and
blurted out, "I can't do this!" and burst into tears. My heart
filled with compassion as I could tell that something as playful
as coloring was more creative freedom than she had afforded
herself in a very long time and it frightened her. In another
workshop I invited all the participants to dance as a way to
activate their creativity. Again a participant panicked as she
ran up to me and said as if in pain, "This is too hard! I don't
dance!" Looking in to her eyes I knew it was not that she didn't
dance, or didn't want to dance but rather it was that she was
ashamed to dance. She somehow had learned along the way that
dancing or playing was not OK.
In both cases I felt compassion and sadness. And empathy as well
because I to struggle with my own internal "party pooper" at
times, the voice in me that doesn't play and would rather keep
my nose relentlessly to the grindstone of life.
Fortunately, I have come to realize that when my inner "party
pooper" takes over, I doomed. My energy drains, my humor goes,
my enthusiasm dies, my temperament sours and I feel like a dark
and rainy day. In other words I now I am having a full blown
"vitality leak." It is at times like these, when I am dragging
on the floor and feeling very sorry for myself that I must
remind myself that playing in life is not optional for my
spirit. It is mandatory! In fact I believe that we all need to
let go, lighten up, and engage in soul nurturing fun as much as
we need oxygen to breath. So, if your vitality is lagging,
return to balance by coloring, dancing, singing, laughing,
telling jokes, making funny faces in the mirror or whatever
other ridiculous thing you can think of, and enjoy the hit of
life that it will bring. It's good for your spirit, and what is
good for your spirit is good for everyone's spirit.