January feels like a sacred month, doesn’t it?
I distinctly recall, in years gone by, the feelings of gloom that accompanied January; the hangover from Christmas and New Year celebrations, cold, wintry days, and the extra daylight only serving to shed light on the harshness of the world.
These days. I like the quiet of winter. I’ve learned that you can decide how you view things, and I choose to see January as a magical month.
Winter is bone time, the only time it’s really possible to go right to the core, and this month, in my classes in-person and online, we’ll be focusing on the sacrum, that most sacred of bones.
Os sacrum
In Latin, the sacrum was os sacrum (sacred bone).In ancient times, it was associated with fertility and life force, and is said, in the yogic texts, to be where kundalini resides: that potent, vital energy oft-described as a coiled serpent. When the snake awakens, it is said, it moves up the spine, bringing nourishment, cleansing and transformation.
I was taught the sacrum was the last part to burn during funeral rites, but this turns out to be a myth. No bone fully burns, and many large bones will remain intact: the skull, pelvis, femurs and spine, as well as the sacrum.
But still, the sacrum has its own charms.
Crucial for spinal health and stability, your sacrum is a bony structure that was once five extra vertebral segments. They fused when you were around ten years old, so there’s not much movement there these days. However, it does move gently:
When you walk (from side to side)
When you breathe (backwards and forwards)
In rhythm with the fluid that bathes your spine and brain.
Your brain and spinal cord are wrapped in a fibrous membrane that attaches inside the sacrum. Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) rises and falls along the spine, making wave-like movements to nourish your nervous system, bring safe movement into the spine and remove waste.
This wave moves in time with your breath and your heartbeat, and your body, rather than attempting to control it, adapts to its rhythms. The movements affect your sacrum, creating tiny changes in tension in the membrane, so that it responds with its own minuscule movements.
You don’t necessarily feel these movements, but they ease pressure in the spine, pelvis and legs, guiding how forces move through these areas. You can imagine your sacrum like a rudder, gently navigating, balancing movement, responding to your breath.
Bridge between heaven and earth
In ancient times, the sacrum was seen as the seat of the soul, linked to resurrection. It was regarded as the home of your spiritual energy, nicknamed one’s own dwelling place.
As a centre of gravity in your body, the sacrum can be experienced as a bridge between the grounding sensations coming from the forces in your legs and the lightness you feel in the upper body when breathing smoothly and easily.
Your sacrum is a meeting point where balance and movement organise themselves. A yoga practice focused on the sacrum can be soothing and anchoring. What better for a cold January day?
Just as your vagus nerve plays a major role in the ‘rest and digest’ functions of organs in your upper body (heart, lungs, liver), so your sacral region houses nerves that support ‘rest and digest’ functions in the lower body (bladder, bowel).
Sacral problems
Your sacrum can become a holding place for trauma and stuck emotions and its central position can make it a hub for pain and discomfort.
Here are some things to look out for:
SI joint issues. Your SI (sacroiliac joint) links your sacrum to the pelvis and is responsible for transferring weight between the upper body and legs. Excessive ‘hip opening’ poses can stress the SI joint, leading to pain here.
Sciatica. Inflammation of the sciatic nerve, which is part of the sacral plexus nerve bundle.
Being a woman. Women are more likely to have problems here than men, because a woman’s wide hips (for birthing) can increase torque on the SI joint.
Prolonged sitting and leg crossing. This can put more torque on the joint, leading to pain and discomfort.
Mid-winter practices for soothing and anchoring
If you have pain in the sacral region, proceed with caution. But do proceed. You want your pelvis and SI joint to move with your spine, so letting go of tension here (through mindful breath and movement) can help.
Remember, while gentle forward bends may release tension, asymmetrical poses can torque the ligaments. If you’re experiencing a flare-up, practice symmetrical movements only.
As always, move with care and curiosity.
Find your sacrum. Place your hands on your hips to find the hip bone, then walk them around to your back. Your sacrum is the triangular bone that sits between the iliac crests and above the tailbone.
Child’s pose. Curling upon yourself, your sacrum widens as your spine lengthens and your pelvic floor softens. This is a perfect position for introspection.
Lie on your back. Draw your knees to your chest. This is child's pose in reverse. What happens to your sacrum as you make gentle circles? As the knees come together, do you feel a gentle pressure? As they come apart, can you connect with the spaciousness?
Pelvic tilts. Flatten your lower back onto the floor and then gently arch it away. You can move with your breath. See what naturally arises.
Lie on your front. How does your sacrum feel here? You might experience a ‘pulling in’ sensation. Maybe it’s uncomfortable. Prone backbends (sphinx or cobra, for example) can build tone and strength in this region.
When moving from your sacrum, you’ll notice that all movement is connected to either your:
Lumbar spine (above)
Pelvic bones/hip joints (next to)
Tailbone (below)
On this cool winter morning, I wish you joy in your practice and beyond.
The Sunday Wind-Down
I’m offering all paying subscribers the opportunity to join me once a month for a 45-minute Sunday wind-down session.
This month’s session will happen at the earlier time of 2-2.45 PM on Sunday, 25th January.
I’ll be sending the Zoom link to paid subscribers soon. If you’re not a paid subscriber but would like to join a session, you can do so here.
Interested in becoming a paid subscriber?
What you’ll get for the price of a posh coffee
🪷 All free subscriber benefits.
🪷 A monthly recording of one of my online yoga classes and access to the full archive.
🪷 Join my 45-minute Sunday wind-down session every month.
And don’t forget,
If you upgrade to a founding member, you can also join me for a gentle yoga session EVERY Monday morning, 9-9.45 am (UK/Lisbon time).
Please note. I’m taking a break from online classes in February.
One last thing
If you’re a paying subscriber, scroll to the bottom of this page for your free 45-minute class recording.
Have a beautiful and sacred month, dear one.