What TMJ taught me about my Sacral Authority
The diagnosis was clear.
“Severe degenerative TMJ on the right side,” said the emergency room doctor.
Five days earlier, I awoke with excruciating pain on the right side of my jaw. A lifetime of grinding my teeth had finally caught up to me after a considerable amount of recent acute stress. As much as I meditate and do other things to ease the pressures of life, my nighttime routine of clenching and grinding was at an all-time epic high.
Needless to say, I was unable to speak without pain. I was pretty seriously- keeping my mouth shut.
With the doctor’s diagnosis and her prescription to “keep stresses low and to minimize the usage of my jaw” while I healed (how the eff does a business coach do that, I wondered), I decided to take this news to heart and take the opportunity to practice my Sacral Authority in my Human Design.
Quick notes: Human Design (HD) is an energetic profiling system synthesizing traditional wisdom and modern science. It is also known as the Science of Differentiation and is a robust tool for building self-awareness. Combining elements of Astrology, Chinese I ‘Ching, the Hindu Brahmin Chakra system, and the Kabbalah with the modern scientific technologies of genetic coding, quantum mechanics, and biochemistry, HD is a comprehensive approach to living a life you were designed to live. I teach my clients how to use HD to build a life and business that is aligned and authentic, and purposeful.
What is your Authority in Human Design?
Your Authority in Human Design is your decision-making process. It’s your inner compass, your intuition per se. Your Strategy (how you interact with external stimuli), and Authority work together to help you make decisions and move around in a way most aligned with your energetics.
According to my design, I am a Sacral Authority. This means I am designed to trust my gut at the moment. I am designed to make the best and most aligned decisions for myself when I trust my gut to lead the way. This means tuning into my yes/no response.
A Quick Note on the Mind’s Role in Decision Making
Our brains are never the best decision makers- minds are meant for thinking thoughts, ideation, and receiving inspiration. They are not meant to make aligned decisions.
My jaw pain, and now the recovery from this acute episode of pain and misery, has presented me with the opportunity to only articulate yes or no in the moment. It’s the real-time exercising of my Sacral response!
When something “lights me up” in my body, it’s a yes. When something doesn’t feel right, it’s a no. It’s simple as that. And given that I can’t articulate any fodder around whether I want something, it is a beautiful way to cut the fat of decision-making.
Here’s an example of how I realized that I could practice my Sacral response—
Husband: Do you want eggs for breakfast?
Me: (Quick, intuitive hit) Mmm hmm.
Husband: Do you want potatoes in them?
Me: (Quick, intuitive hit) Mmm hmm.
Husband: Do you want mushrooms in the eggs?
Me: (Quick, intuitive hit and pause) Hmmmm. (If I have to “think about it”, it’s a no.)
This quick series of yes and no questions provides an efficient way to practice using your Sacral response for decision-making. While I didn’t want the mushrooms right now, I immediately knew I wanted potatoes and eggs for breakfast. When he asked me, I got excited in my body about the idea. That’s the quintessential Sacral response leading my decision-making. I knew it to be so true in my body that I got hungry in anticipation of the breakfast.
Trusting your gut as a Manifesting Generator or Generator is everything to your alignment.
Your gut feeling supports you in making the right decision at the right time. A clear yes, or even a “hell yes” in some instances, comes from your gut without hesitation. Clear yesses mean you will have the energy to commit to something and you can move into action. When you hesitate, and feel a muddled “maybe”, the timing may be off for you to move into a decisive next step.
Your gut is not only a tool to know where to put your energy, but it also informs you when to put it there.
A Sacral Support Exercise for Manifesting Generators and Generators with Sacral Authority
You need two people to do a Sacral Support Exercise properly as the Sacral responds to things outside of itself so it will not work the same if you ask these questions to yourself.
You will be the “Responder” and you will need an “Asker”. Your “Asker” should be someone with whom you feel a comfortable rapport and trust.
For the Responder
The core element of this exercise is coming up with pertinent yes/no questions. As the Responder, start by getting comfortable. Allow yourself some deep breaths to access the body’s wisdom. Your role as the Responder is to be present and connect with the body. Your yesses and no’s need only be guttural sounds if that feels right to you. Practice vocalizing “Uh huh” and “uh-uh.” Watch how your body responds to the questions- are you leaning in or out? Notice if your mind tries to interfere with your answers.
For the Asker
As the Asker, your role is to ask only yes or no questions. Start it off with easy, warm-up questions then progress into questions about the topic needing clarity. Take note of the Responder- what is their body doing as you ask? Do they pause before saying or vocalizing their answer?
Ideas for Warm-up Questions
- Is your name X?
- Is it sunny outside?
- Are you comfortable?
- Do you like dogs?
- Can you hear me, ok?
- Do you like carrots?
- Do you have kids?
- Do you love the beach?
- Are you sitting down?
- Can you see me?
- Do you like coffee?
Once you have some warm-up answers, the Asker asks the Responder to answer yes/no questions about the topic they need clarity with. It could be about work, relationships, personal struggles, big decisions, etc.
As the yesses and no’s reveal themselves, the Asker keeps notes about areas in which the Responder hesitated or where their body shifted. Talk about what was discovered and experiment with the answers moving forward.
As I heal from this medical event, I listen more- and mostly, to myself as I navigate my world. I am saving elaboration and more profound articulation for when I absolutely need to use it. That’s self-care 101, in my opinion, and we can all benefit from practicing that.
Let’s talk if you’re curious to learn more about your Human Design and how you are designed to make the most aligned and easeful decisions for your Energy Type.
