The Second Chakra – Svadhisthana (Dwelling Place of Self)

 

Location: Lower Abdomen (flower) / Sacral Spine (root)

Colour: Orange

Element: Water

Sense: Taste

Overview:

Whilst the First Chakra is concerned with survival, the Second Chakra seeks pleasure and enjoyment. It is the centre of feeling, emotion, pleasure, sensuality, intimacy and connection. The energy of this chakra allows you to let go (“go with the flow”), to move and embrace change and transformation. The Second Chakra is also the well-spring of our creativity, the raw creativity and passion artists draw from. If we consider ourselves as vehicles, then the First Chakra is the car itself, and the Second Chakra is the spark – the passion that fires up the engine so that we can make our dreams happen.

The First Chakra relates to our time in the womb and our first year dominated by having our basic needs met. The Second Chakra develops in the time just beyond that, up to 24 months, when we start to explore the world around us. Rather than just needs, we start to experience desires. We explore, play, move our body in random ways, We begin to experience feelings of pleasure and pain, and build up an impression of the World around us. We also begin to develop our sense of identity.

The influences we have in our life at this time are key to the Second Chakra development. Do we have parents that encourage our curiosity, creativity and self-expression? Is our play stifled? What parts of our personality are reprimanded and suppressed? Do our parents experience the World as an abundant place to be enjoyed and explored, or is it a fearful place, to be controlled and restrained? Healing the Inner Child is an important part of healing the Second Chakra. Reconnecting to our sense of play, body, feelings and fun.

There is a watery quality to this chakra – this is the domain of the hips, think of the panther like grace of the dancer. Our ability to adapt to change is also rooted here – that yielding, go with the flow type mentality, gracefully moving around obstacles. This energy centre is also said to govern our emotional life – how we experience, express and process our feelings. Do we suppress, sugar-coat, or exaggerate our emotions? Can we harness their power to fuel our passions and achievements, or do they destroy us? Perhaps we no longer feel them and have removed the colour from our life?

The Second Chakra also encompasses our relationships whether that involves boundary issues, sex, or how we express ourselves. Again much of this is rooted in our early interactions with parents and others. The main challenges with this chakra are centred around guilt, fear of change, shame, religious rigidity, inhibitions, social conditioning and subconscious scars.

Body Associations:

Hips, inner thighs, knees, sacrum, lower abdomen sexual organs, bladder, kidneys, large bowel, prostate.

Key Words:

Desires, emotions, play, creativity, sexuality, change, self-respect, flow, feeling, fertility, balance of polarities (especially expansion & contraction).

Issues:

Movement, balance, sensation, emotions, sexuality, change, guilt, the Shadow, relationships (with others, with money etc), unconscious blocks, trauma.

Physical Issues:

Disorders of reproductive organs & urinary system, hip problems, menstrual difficulties, sexual dysfunction, lower back or pelvic pain, knee problems, lack of flexibility, deadened senses, loss of appetite for life, hormone imbalances.

Balanced Characteristics:

Graceful movements. Ability to experience pleasure. Empathy, generosity and a willingness to share. Genuine intimacy. Passion for life. Mutually empowering relationships. The ability to change. Healthy boundaries. Patience. Able to feel and contain emotions. Creative. Able to balance desires and needs. Able to deal with conflict.

Deficient Characteristics:

Rigid body and attitudes. Frigidity or fear of sex. Poor social skills. Denial of pleasure (religious, workaholic etc). Excessive boundaries. Fear of change. Lack of desire, passion, and excitement. Feelings of shame around the body and/or sexuality. Inadequacy.

Excess Characteristics:

Addicted to pleasure, indulgent. Sloppy. Excessively strong emotions (hysteria, crisis junkies, mood swings). Oversensitive. Poor boundaries.  Seductive manipulation. Emotional dependency. Obsessive attachment. Exhibitionism.

Possible Addictions:

Alcohol, sex, heroin.

Essential Oils:

Neroli, Sandalwood, Coriander, Cinnamon, Patchouli, Ylang Ylang.

Gemstones:

Amber, Carnelian, Tiger’s Eye, Moonstone, Garnet, Firestone Agate.

Healing Practices:

Be in or by water (preferably flowing water) and drink plenty of water. Express yourself creatively and experiment (singing, dancing, writing, cooking etc). Eat really flavoursome foods (spices in particular). Surround yourself with vibrant colours (especially orange). Indulge in healthy pleasures. Work with your “inner child”. TRE (trauma release). Pelvic balancing. Psoas stretches. Work with your emotions – feel them, release them where necessary and contain them. Sexual healing. Relationship counseling – family constellation therapy. Work through guilt. Any movement therapy – check out 5 Rhythms and Qigong. Orange foods (papaya, mango, oranges, carrots, yams). Keep a journal. Left nostril breathing for moon energy. Awareness of self-identity.

Yoga Postures:

Hips openers such as pigeon pose, lunges and butterfly. Pelvic tilts and lifts. Sufi Grind. Frogs. Cat – Cow. Cobra or Sphinx,  Sun Salutations (helps us to move with flow). Back bends.

Mantra (Bij or Seed):

Vam (pronounced Vum) – meditate on the space below the belly button, hips and knees – inhale and exhale silently (or out loud) Vam into the area. Become aware of the sort of energy that exists in this part of the body.

Meditation:

Inner Child Meditation (Hunsani) Aka Meditation on the White Swan
1. Fold your fingers into your palms with the thumbs extended. Press your thumb tips together until they turn white. The tips are facing down in a V-shape.
2. Place your hands 6 to 8 inches in front of the brow, with the backs of the hands facing you. Fix your eyes on the white of your thumb tips and get a clear mental image of your thumbs.
3. Then close your eyes and clearly “see” the thumb tips through the eyelids.
4. Let the mind meditate on the breath or the bij mantra Vam (vum) as you inhale. Continue for 5-11 minutes.
6. To finish, touch the tongue to the roof of the mouth, gently swallow,  float your eyes open.