Help! I can't feel my Sacral Response!
I’ve gotten a lot of questions over the last year about instances where people can’t seem to feel their Sacral response. I’ve definitely been in that situation.
So…what could be causing this? Let’s walk through some possibilities:
Your life is so jam-packed with obligations and expectations that you don’t have the opportunity to flex your decision-making muscles
If you are overbooked and stretching yourself too thin, it can be hard to listen to your inner guidance. The Sacral Response (and Emotional Authority if you have it) require some space. We need to feel that we have the opportunity and room to tune into our bodies and, most importantly, the ability to honor what we feel and act on it. When we’re stressed or overburdened by expectations or other people’s needs, your own inner guidance can shut down since it hasn’t had the opportunity to express itself. Basically, it hasn’t been asked anything in a long time, so it might not speak confidently right away!
If this is the case for you, I recommend trying the Deconditioned Day exercise here and clear out even an hour to give your Sacral some space to express itself.
2. You’ve been doing things that you don’t like for so long that you’re drained and burnt out
When you’ve been channeling your energy toward things that are not energizing you for a long time, you can end up drained and completely burnt out. Burnout can make your insides and your inner guidance feel completely numb because the life force energy that resides in your Sacral has been completely drained.
When this happens, what you’re actually experiencing is one big Sacral “no,” but it can be hard to distinguish that when you’re in the middle of it.
In order to restore and reset the Sacral, finding time to rest, relax, and care for yourself will be very important.
Burnout is complex, and I’ve written more about it here.
3. Your more basic needs are not being met and you’re living in a state of stress
© Pure Generators. This image cannot be used without permission.
The pyramid above shows the hierarchy of needs for Sacral beings.
At the foundation of our existence, we need to have our basic needs met. We won’t be able to listen to our inner guidance (an advanced way of moving through the world for humans!) unless we have food, shelter, financial security, and emotional security. Things don’t have to be perfect (they never are!) but generally, we should be physically and emotionally safe and surrounded by people who support us.
Until then, it’s unrealistic to ask our Sacral to speak confidently and guide us.
So, what do we do? Well, if you determine that you’re not living with a basis of physical and emotional safety, don’t worry about your inner guidance for now and instead make decisions based on these questions:
How can I help myself feel safer?
How can I feel more secure and confident?
This could involve doing some emotional and inner child healing, rethinking friendships, rethinking your job situation, seeking help with an unsafe situation, etc. Basically - instead of worrying about whether or not you can hear your Sacral, put your energy toward resolving obstacles to feeling safe.
4. Your mental health is affecting your ability to hear your body’s signals
This is another part of the base of the Sacral being’s pyramid, but I believe it deserves its own mention. Anxiety, depression, or any other mental illness can also stop us from being able to hear our Sacral Response and inner authority. When we’re struggling with mental health issues, it’s not always realistic to expect ourselves to flow with our highest soul potential.
Sometimes anxiety and depression are symptoms of not listening to our Sacral and they resolve once we finally honor our truth and get out of the relationship/job/situation that wasn’t a fit for us. Sometimes it’s a deeper, long-term issue that is stopping us from finding enjoyment in, well, anything. I’ve experienced both of these scenarios.
If you’re really struggling with mental health, getting some help with that will be an important first step before expecting yourself to be able to honor your inner guidance.
5. You might not be aware of all the ways your Sacral can speak
Classic Human Design always says that the Sacral says “uh huh” or “uh uh” but in my experience, this is not always the case.
Depending on your design, you may hear/feel/experience your Sacral differently.
You may experience it as:
An expansive feeling (yes) or contraction (no)
An excited “eee” sound (yes) or “ughhh” sound (no)
An immediate “yes” or “n” coming out of your mouth
An immediate feeling of energy and wanting to get up and do something, or an immediate draining of energy and not wanting to move
Or…you may have another unique way you receive guidance from your body. But overall, it will feel like you are able to distinguish whether you have the energy for something or not.
If you’d like to learn more about the Sacral response, check out:
Guide to the Sacral Response for free. This guide thoroughly explores all the most common questions about the Sacral!
Love,
Rachel
Make sure to keep in touch!