Svadhisthana or sacral chakra

As we journey through the body in this series, it’s time to talk about the second chakra – the sacral or Svadhisthana chakra.

You can locate this chakra in the lower abdomen (a couple of fingers beneath the belly button) but you may like to visualise it in the centre, rather than at the front of the body. Imagine a straight line from the crown to the perineum going straight through the centre of the body. At the height of the lower abdomen you can visualise the second chakra radiating out forwards and backwards from that center in a cone-like shape.

In Sanskrit, Svadhisthana is often translated as dwelling in a place of the self and it is closely related to the root centre. However, the energy here is different from that of the root chakra.

The components of Svadhisthana

Element:

The sacral chakra governs the water element inside of you, all that is fluid. This energy centre relates to fun, freedom, creativity, flexibility, sex, pleasure and money. Some people say it is the seat of our emotions and in my experience that is definitely true – for others it’s the heart.

Physical Body:

The sacral chakra relates to your reproductive organs, your bladder, kidneys and adrenals and lower back.

Emotional Body:

When svadhisthana chakra is in balance you are able to feel free in expressing yourself creatively and sexually, allowing yourself to play and experience pleasure in a healthy way. Respecting your body and taking care of its needs.

Mental Body:

Allowing the flow of money freely from and to you. Being flexible in changing environments, not excessively holding on to what you thought before. Exploring your boundaries in creative and sexual ways without feelings of guilt. The ability to be fluid and playful and having a sense of self-worth.

Imbalances

Due to stress in any layer of the body (physical, mental, emotional and energetic) you can slow down, stagnate or go completely into overdrive. If you’ve had a very unpleasant sexual experience in your younger years that caused you great emotional and/or mental stress, it may still be affecting your life on some level. Strong emotions sometimes get stuck in our system on a vibrational level.

Getting to know your body and its different layers, and learning about the chakras can give you valuable insight into where you have imbalances and stagnation.

Checklist for the second chakra

Do you feel free in your creative and sexual expression? Or is there a sense of guilt or discomfort?
Is there an open sensation in your lower back and sacral area, or is there tightness and gripping?
Are you able to respond to changing situations with flexibility?
Do you drink enough water?
Do you have reproductive or menstrual issues?
How is your relationship with money?

Bringing the sacral chakra into balance

It’s wonderfully easy to work on your chakras and there are many things you can do on and off the mat.

Off the mat

Orange is the colour for this chakra, so use it in during your relaxation or meditation. Also try wearing some orange underwear!

Singing mantras or sound vibrations. VAM is the vedic bija mantra. By chanting VAM like you would OM, but more continuously, works on the same vibrational frequency.

You can chant or recite ONG NAMO GURU DEV NAMO from the Kundalini tradition. It means ‘I bow to the creative energy of the Infinite: I bow to the Divine Channel of Wisdom’.

Mudra for second chakra: Shakti Mudra. With your hands in front of your chest, press your baby fingertips together and ring fingertips together. Tuck your thumbs inside your palms, inside of your index and middle finger. Then press the knuckles of the middle and index fingers together wrapping them around your thumbs or keep them separate.

Meditate on the fluidity inside of you, visualise cleansing waves going through the body. Most importantly during the day drink water.

Move and dance more with your hips, find some form of creative expression

Try something new in the bedroom or anywhere else in any area of your life! Spicing things up and doing new things allows you to discover new ways of doing things and feel confident and comfortable about it. But try not to directly identify yourself with it or hang on to it – allow yourself to let it go too. You’ll find a newness inside yourself, a spontaneous you that can handle any situation and is not afraid to change and evolve.

Try repeating (either silently or out loud) a mantra such as: I GO WITH THE FLOW (or something to that reflects the concept that you feel comfortable with).

Sacral chakra yoga poses

I find that the most effective way to balance your energy centers is to do targeted yoga poses such as:

Baddha Konasana (Butterfly pose)
Upavista Konasana (Wide Angle seated forward bend) or do a variation of this with buttocks against the wall and legs leaning upwards against the wall.
Pelvic tilts
Kundalini Lotus
Sufi Grind (seated pelvic circles)

Practice for the sacral chakra

Get into the flow – practice for the second chakra – 45 minutes, Kundalini-inspired, all levels.
Tap into the vibrations of this svadhisthana energy centre and get your creative and sensual juices flowing.