Our second chakra/ Svadhisthana
Known as the creativity and sexual chakra.
It is located above the pubic bone and below the navel, and encompasses the genital region and the hypogastric plexus.
Svadhisthana:
“the dwelling place of the self,”
Element:
water, which equals cohesiveness, the sense of taste, and the act of procreation.
When this chakra is out of balance, a person may experience:
emotional instability
fear of change
sexual dysfunction
depression
addictions
Characteristics of Svadhisthana
The six petals represent the following modes of consciousness, also known as vrittis: affection, pitilessness, feeling of all-destructiveness, delusion, disdain and suspicion.
Svadhisthana is associated with the unconscious and with emotion.
It is closely related to the Muladhara in that Muladhara is where the different samskaras (potential Karmas) lie dormant, and Svadhisthana is where these Samskaras find expression.
Svadhishthana contains unconscious desires, especially sexual desire.
It is said that to raise the kundalini shakti (energy of consciousness) above Svadhishthana is difficult .
Many saints have had to face sexual temptations associated with this chakra.
A balanced second chakra leads to:
1. Feelings of wellness
2. Abundance
3. Pleasure
4. Joy
Energy of the 2nd chakra:
Feminine, passive, and lunar.
The Focus of 2nd Chakra:
Creativity
As humans, it is part of our nature to create.
This creativity can be expressed as procreation but the second chakra energy is certainly not limited to making babies.
When we cook, bake, or garden, we are creating.
We create when we find a new solution to an old problem.
Any time we take raw materials, physical or mental, and transform them into something new, we are using our creative energy.
The problem with creativity is that we are often discouraged from creative efforts, starting with education.
Once we pass through the phase where coloring, painting, or cutting paper is completely acceptable, it seems that we must mold into less creative beings.
In order to conform, follow the rules and fit in, we sometimes lose our creative energy and thus, our unique ideas in the process.
Adults become used to following what’s right, the latest trend, or what’s acceptable to others.
Then, when asked to abstractly invent something new, we might have a difficult time doing it.
Play Like a Child to Awaken Your Creative Energy.
We might feel open and creative in some aspects of life, while self-conscious in others.
Ask me to write a book or essay and I can perform with ease. But if you ask me to draw a picture, paint, or even create a great meal without a recipe to follow, I feel much less than skilled.
But, if you told me I had to paint a nice picture because my life depended on it, I would most likely rise to the occasion.
Why?
Because I would take the risk to get the job done.
The reason, that we stopped being creative or stopped taking risks creatively, is because along the way, someone told us that we weren’t good or that we couldn’t do it.
“When opening your second chakra energy, you must take risks and not be afraid of failure.”
Play is a great way to begin this opening.
Have you ever watched a child play?
A child will spend several hours building a Lego tower, a sandcastle, or an exquisite dollhouse.
Then, the same child will smash their masterpiece in an instant and start over from scratch as if it was no big deal.
Start to play like a child. If your gourmet meal doesn’t turn out, so what?
If your potted plant dies in a week, plant another one.
Also, if your work project is a not as expected , it doesn’t mean your career is over.
Like the child at play, start again.
You have an infinite amount of creative energy within you, so use it.
How to Balance Svadhisthana:
Besides being open to creativity in your daily life, you can balance the second chakra by maintaining a healthy sexual life and honoring and respecting your body.
Get in touch with your emotions and see if there are any feelings you’re holding onto.
Make a commitment to process those emotions in a healthy way.
Recommended breathing:
Left nostril breathing called Ida Nadi breathing will help to open up the second chakra as it brings forth lunar energy.
Simply close your right nostril with the first two fingers of your right hand and inhale and exhale through the left nostril, only for 8 to 10 breaths.
Recommended Foods:
Meditation benefits:
Focusing on the second chakra brings about personal magnetism, refinement in behavior, freedom from diseases, and longevity.
One who meditates on Svadhishthana is believed to obtain the following results:
1. Freedom from enemies
2. The status of a lord among yogis
3. Eloquence and clarity (“words flowing like nectar in well-reasoned discourse”)
4. Loss of fear of water
5. Awareness of astral entities
6. Ability to taste anything desired for oneself or others.
Affirmations:
I feel my emotions, and my pain
I forgive, and let go without attachment
I surrender to this moment
I reawaken my passion
I love, and enjoy my body
I allow myself to experience pleasure
I take good care of my physical body, nurturing it with healthy food, and clean water
The sweetness of living radiates through me, and I radiate this joy
Recommended Essential Oils:
sage
jazmĂn
rose
sandalwood
Other ways to open a blocked chakra includes:
yoga
mantras
colors
gems
Below there are 2 Yoga asanas that help to open and align Svadhisthana.
The Mantra:
By chanting VAM, the vibrations will open and align this chakra.
Color for 2nd chakra:
Orange
Recommended crystals:
amber
calcite orange
carnelian
hematite
Last but not least:
“Let’s not forget that the little emotions are the great captains of our lives and we obey them without realizing it.”
-Vincent Van Gogh
Author:
Glenda Lee Santos; Humble Military and Yoga Warrior; RYT-200 hrs; Criminal Justice, BA; Holistic Practitioner with Foundation in Yoga and Ayurveda.
Courtesy of Semperlee Yoga Corp.
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