Introduction to the swadisthan chakra by Rose Dawn SWADISTHAN CHAKRA _________________ Aum Narayana Aum. This post will follow the 'Chakras 101' style of the previous postings, and serve as a very basic, simplified 'Introduction to Swadisthan.' _Swadisthan_ is the second of the 'Seven Higher Chakras.' The name of the chakra is from the Sanskrit, and means 'Her own abode,' or 'One's own place.' Its approximate location in the physical body corresponds to the region of the *internal* sexual organs in both males and females, and the lower sacral region of the spine. If you are not an anatomy specialist, as most of us are not, an easy way to access the general area of Swadisthan is to focus on the entire region from just below the navel to the upper portions of the external genitalia. Its color is orange, and can be simply visualized as a bright orange vortex, whirling deosil . The more complex visualization consists of a lotus flower with six orange petals, on which are written Sanskrit characters in luminous gold; the transliteration of the seed-syllables would be: Ba, Bha, Ma, Ya, Ra, La. Within the center of the lotus is a silver crescent moon, pointing upward. The silver should be extremely luminous, bordering on silver-white. Immediately above the center of the crescent is the chakra's seed-mantra, VAM. Remember, when chanting the _bija-mantra_ aloud, it is pronounced Vung, with an emphasis on the nasal sound of the "ng"; when repeated silently it is pronounced 'Vuhmmmmm.' To the left side of the tip of the crescent sits Swadisthan's presiding male Deity, Visnu, in his capacity as 'Lord of the Waters.' Visnu is visualized as a shiny dark blue, like the sky at midnight. He has a single head with three opened eyes, and four arms, in which he wields the Conch, a mace-like weapon, wheel, and lotus flower. To the right side of the tip of the crescent is the presiding female Deity, or, more correctly, personification of the Sakthi force; Rakini. Like Visnu, Rakini is luminous midnight-blue, with a single head and three open eyes. She has four arms, in which she bears the lotus, trident, drum, and a chisel-like device. The 'animal' of the Swadisthan Chakra is depicted below the lower curve of the crescent. This is called _Makara_, and is a 'sea monster' which resembles a crocodile with the tail of a fish. The tail is coiled three times, reminiscent of Kundalini's three-and-one-half coils--the absence of the half-coil to indicate that the Kundalini energy is no longer in a quiescent state, but active. Makara is a light grey-green in color. Swadisthan's element is Water, representing liquidity. It governs the production of the body's liquids, including blood, saliva, tears, semen, and vaginal secretions. If you have ever cried after orgasm, you've had a powerful, personal manifestation of the energy of the Swadisthan Chakra. Offerings *of* or *by* water/liquid are one of the traditional _pujas_ associated with Swadisthan. This liquid quality manifests in a 'negative' manner by over-emotionality and changeability; in a 'positive' manner through flexibility, sensuality, and pleasure. Its 'highest' manifestation lies in the quality of empathy, the ability to feel and tune oneself' into the emotions of another. Swadisthan governs the sense of taste, the quality of contraction, and the active sense of the hands. _Apas_, the water element represented by the silver crescent, is also related to the forefinger, just as the forefinger represents the element of water in C.M. tradition. While Muladhara lies in the _loka_ or 'plane of existence_ called _Bhuloka_ ; Swadisthan lies in the _Bhuvaraloka_, or Plane of Atmosphere, which relates to the 'lower' astral planes, those closest to and most easily reached from the physical plane. Although the moon plays an important role is Swadisthan--which is, in fact, sometimes called the Chandra Chakra, or Lunar Wheel--its traditional planetary associate is what we refer to as Venus. This is traditional Hindu cosmology; other systems have different placements. For instance, in _777_, Mercury is associated with Swadisthan, possibly due to its orange color, the 'malleable' quality of its energy, or some other reason. When Swadisthan has been activated, it is said that the sound heard will resemble the tinkling of a silver anklet. With its strong lunar qualities, its association with the Water element and astral plane, it is easy to associate Swadisthan with the Qabalistic Sephira Yesod. Swadisthan has been called the 'sex chakra' *not* simply for its role in human sexuality, a role that is closely linked with Muladhara, but 'sex' in the sense of *gender*. Swadisthan takes the basic energy of Muladhara, and 'tranforms' it, personalizes it. It is the seat not just of one's emotions, but one's personality. While some traditions would have Swadisthan as the 'female' chakra, and Manipura the 'masculine,' I was taught that Swadisthan contains the gender-energy that makes women female, and men male. Similarly, with 'sex' as 'sexual desire' or behavior, Swadisthan extends the undifferentiated, instinctive urge to procreate of Muladhara, to an urge to take pleasure, to seek out specific modes of sexual expression, and specific individuals to experience them with. While reproduction is an obvious function of Swadisthan, the manifestation thereof would be more along the lines of wanting to 'have a child,' 'start a family,' rather than 'continue one's DNA', a more basic, almost 'programmed' urge which would equate to Muladhara. No moral implication is implied here; without the propogation of the species none of this would matter for very long! ;> Swadisthan acts to *prevent* annihilation or premature suppression of natural drives by ascetic practices, and thus gives many celibate yogi/nis quite a bit of trouble. Traditions which practice sexual union understand Swadisthan as that which, through allowing desires to be fulfilled, also assists with these very natural instincts' 'transformation' to other than *merely* instinctual states. The _guna_ of Swadisthan is Tamas. Its Skt. vowel sound is "Oo", as in "Food." Swadisthan has a 'relationship' with the Anahata Chakra; as Muladhara does with Ajna . Activation of the two centers simultaneously is guaranteed to be an almost *unbelievably* powerful emotional experience. In the Swadisthana Practices post, a couple asanas will be given which work on Swadisthan-Anahata simultaneously. A bit of 'danger' is involved when Swadisthan flowers during lovemaking with a partner; that being that a basically 'universal' experience is likely to be 'personalized.' This 'danger' is even stronger when Anahata and Swadisthan work together. It can be surmounted by continuing chakrawork, and not, *not* NOT!! saying "I love you" unless/until you are positive that you mean it about the individual you're making love with, unless that individual is likely to understand that it may be a much more 'general' kind of love that you're feeling. It's not going to 'damage the chakra,' but can cause confusion, misunderstanding, and hurt feelings, and those are things we want to avoid if at all possible. Swadisthan's liquid energy flows across the 'earth' of Muladhara, nourishing all that lies within. When the energy rises to the next chakra, Manipura, it tends to *boil* . If the fluidity and grace which are the qualities of Swadisthan seem to manifest in an individual, rather as moodiness, weepiness, over-emotionalism, and wishy-washiness, it's probably a good idea to leave off work on Swadisthan for a time, and concentrate on the solid, grounding, centering qualities inherent in Muladhara until a bit more balance has been attained. OTOH, intense work with Swadisthan is a powerful antidote for over-attachment to pure intellect or emotional inhibition brought about by _samskaras_ . Swadisthan serves as a beautiful gateway to the beginnings of the astral realms, and work on this chakra can manifest in intense dreams, flashes of intuition, and even minor visionary states. It also serves to bring you more in tune with your own emotions in all their glory, and to connect on an empathatic level with other human beings. Swadisthan is the first glimmer of the truth that 'existence is pure joy!' Swasthi. SWADISTHANA PRACTICES --------------------- Namaste. Before proceeding with any of the practices herein, I would suggest going back and reading the Swadisthan Chakra post, for basic info regarding this chakra. It would probably be a good idea to read the Muladhara posts and the general 'Chakrastuff' post as well, for anyone who 'arrived late.' ;> These practices are meant to enable one to feel the 'pure' energy of Swadisthan, rather than to effectuate the rising of Kundalini energy, for reasons previously stated. It *is* possible that work with the Swadisthan Chakra may bring out 'emotional release,' or bring to the forefront strong emotional states. There is nothing wrong with this at all--I consider it generally positive--however, some individuals may not be ready to feel intense emotions, or break down 'barriers' they've built up for various conscious or unconscious reasons without assistance. Please be honest with yourself in this regard. If you feel you need assistance, Phoenix Rising Yoga Therapy is designed around using asanas and pranayama to assist with 'emotional release,' and there are licensed practitioners in every state in the U.S. . And, of course, more traditional forms of therapy are available all over. That said, I *seriously* doubt that anyone's going to freak out from yoga practices related to Swadisthan, but felt it would be only fair to caution that the possibility does exist, so if you are feeling especially emotionally fragile, it might be best to hold off until you feel more stable. Ok, let's go! First, let's find Swadisthan, and 'feel' it. An asana called _Devasana_ is beneficial for locating and activating both Muladhara and Swadisthan, however the area of focus will be slightly different. Begin by lying flat on your back, as in _Savasana_ , and relax completely. Now, bend your knees and bring the soles of your feet together and gently pull them up, close to or touching your buttocks with heels. Allow your knees to part and spread outward--you'll feel the stretch in your inner thigh muscles. When using Devasana for Muladhara, the area of concentration is the sacrum, the bony structure that looks kind of like butterfly-wings, in your lower back. For Swadisthan, focus your attention on the _yoni_ instead. This goes for both males and females! Remember, the perineum, the area between anus and scrotum, is referred to as the '_yoni_' in men . When your attention is focused on this area without wandering, 'pull' your concentration straight upward. In females, this will manifest as being able to 'sense' first your cervix, then your uterus . In males, you should be able to 'sense' the _vas deferens_, the 'tube' that connects the seminal vescicles to the testes, and simulatenously, the prostate gland. When this has been accomplished, shift the attention slightly to the left, and to the right. Females should be able to 'feel' their ovaries Males should be able to 'feel' the vescicles to the left and right of the area between prostate and bladder. Now, shift the attention back to the external genitalia, maintaining the posture continuously. Females, focus on the vaginal canal, the labia, the clitoris; males, on the scrotum, testes, penis. Take note of sensations produced by the stretch afforded by the opened legs. Can you 'feel' the connection of the internal and external sexual organs? Can you 'feel' the vital _prana_ flowing throughout the reproductive system? Do you feel vulnerable, exposed, in this posture? Do you feel 'open' emotionally as well as physically? Can you sense liquidity...motion...flowing? Do you feel the stirrings of sexual arousal? Something else? Note any physical and/or emotional sensations, and experience them, allowing them to wash over you as they Will. Remain in this posture as long as is comfortable, then gently stretch the legs out straight, take two or three 'complete abdonimal breaths' , and rise to a seated posture, or simply lie in _Savasana_ for a time. _Setu-Bandhasana_ is another asana that benefits both Muladhara and Swadisthan. Lie on your back, bend knees, and bring heels close to or touching buttocks, feel flat on the floor, knees pointing upward. Your arms are flat on the ground at the sides of your body. Inhale, and with weight on the feet and arms, raise the hips off the ground, arch back, and lock chin into the chest area. Hold for about 10 seconds, and gently lower your hips/buttocks to the ground. Next, grasp the ankles with your hands, and repeat the raising and chin lock. Hold about 10 seconds, exhale, lower. Repeat again, with and without grasping the ankles. This asana tones the lower sacral region of the spine. There is a short series of simple leg-lifts that benefit Swadisthan. Lie flat on your back. Inhale to the count of five, raising your right leg as you do so. Retain the breath and hold for a second or two, then exhale and lower your leg to the count of five. Repeat this five times with the right leg, then switch and do the same for the left leg. Next, stretch your arms out straight to the sides, forming a Tau or cross-figure. Inhale, and raise *both* legs simultaneously to the count of five, retain and hold, then exhale and lower them smoothly and slowly to the ground. Repeat this five times. Finally, lie flat with arms at sides next to body. Inhale and raise both legs to the count of 5, then leaving them straight up in the air, exhale to the count of five. Now, inhale and spread the legs sideways at hip level, retain breath and posture. Exhale, and bring the legs back together again to the count of five. Repeat this five times, and *inhale* as you lower both legs together to the ground. You'll notice that the traditional inhalation as the body moves upward and exhalation as it moves downward has been reversed slightly with these leg exercises. This creates a pranic 'circuit' designed to 'zap' Swadisthana by gently reversing the Apanic/Swadisthana 'downward' pranic flow. The effect is subtle, as opposed to the more potent reversals sought in traditional 'kundalini yoga' practices. It won't hurt you! ;> Most of the _bandhas_ and _mudras_ that benefit Muladhara also benefit Swadisthan. Vajroli and Aswini Mudra have been described previously. Two more now introduced are _Uddiyana Bandha_ and _Nauli_. To practice Uddiyana, stand straight, then bend your knees slightly. Inhale, place palms on thighs, leaning forward. Exhale, forcefully, squeezing all the air out of your lungs. Now, pull the abdominal muscles *in* and then *up*, as if you were pressing them against the spinal column, and then up under the ribs. Hold the posture until air is needed, inhale, and straighten. Repeat this several times. _Nauli_ is an advancement on _Uddiyana_. Begin the same way, but this time, try to isolate the abdominal rictors, first on one side, then the other, then on both sides together. If it seems like nothing is happening, don't worry--it takes a *lot* of practice to perform correctly! When mastered, you'll be able to 'flex' the muscles on the left side of your abdomen, causing that side to poke out while the right side 'caves in,' and vice versa. When both are contracted together, the middle of the stomach will poke out sharply, with both sides 'caved in.' Eventually, you'll be able to move the abdominal muscles around at will, in rolling motions, and it will look very weird, but it's extremely helpful. ;> Alternate-nostril breath pranayama is very good for Swadisthan, as for Muladhara, for harmonizing the flow of current through Ida and Pingala. Two more prana exercises are beneficial for Swadisthan, due to their 'cooling' and 'flowing' natures being in harmony with the chakra's energy. _Brahmari_ is rather simple. Sit in Padmasana or Sukhasana, head and spine straight. Inhale through the nose, vibrating the nasal cavities, so that a high sound similar to a buzzing bee results. Now, exhale, with a humming sound, like a hummingbird, by vibrating the uvula and 'end' of the nasal cavities in the back of the throat. Repeat for a minute or so, adding time as you become more comfortable with the breathing. _Sitali_ is called the 'Cooling' breath, and will help you to calm down. It has a slight 'tranquilizing' effect on the pranic flow. It's also quite simple. protrude your tongue slightly through closed lips, then curl the sides of the tongue so that a 'tube' is formed. Inhale *through the curled tongue* to the count of four. Retain the breath to the count of 12, your tongue remaining protruded and curled the entire time, then exhale through the *nostrils* to the count of eight. Repeat five to ten times, to begin, maintaining the 1:3:2 ratio of in/hold/out. This is getting really long, so I'll continue in a second post. SWADISTHAN PRACTICES, PART 2 ---------------------------- Re Namaste! This is a continuation of the Swadisthan Practices post, with additional asanas designed to activate and acclimate to the Swadisthana Chakra. Please read Part 1, and the general introductory post, Swadisthan Chakra, for additional information. _Paschimottanasana_, which means 'westward stretch posture,' is one of my personal favorite asanas. :> It's more commonly referred to as the 'Forward Bend.' This asana is deceptively simple, for in yoga, forward bends symbolize surrender, as backward bends symbolize striving. The duo is always performed together, a forward bend accompanied by a backward bend, to remind us that surrender and striving are intimately and inextricably linked. No 'slavish' connotations are to be implied in this type of 'surrender.' I consider it a surrender of my self to my Self. The forward/backward combo can be done in either order. Backward/forward symbolizes striving, culminating in surrender/transcendence. However, forward/backward serves to remind one that 'surrender' is *not* the end--after the bliss of the surrendering, we must again resume striving, always reaching for more, different, deeper. To perform _Paschimottanasana_, sit up straight, with your legs stretched in front of you, arms at sides, head, chest, and buttocks aligned. Raise your arms overhead, and actively attempt to *pull* the body upward from the hip/pelvic region, as if 'separating' the pelvic floor from the buttocks. Now, simply bend forward from the hips, smoothly, slowly, gracefully, lay your hands easily to either side of your feet, and allow the head to rest on the knees. Easier said than done sometimes! ;> Do *not* bounce your head up and down trying to force it onto the knees. Simply keep practicing, and you'll find yourself limbering up naturally and probably much more quickly than you'd expect. If you have tight hamstrings, you'll feel this pose in the backs of your knees. It's Ok to let the knees bend *slightly*, just enough to keep pain at bay. Relax your shoulders, arms, legs, back. When the normal Ouch-factor has decreased due to the body's becoming more limber, you will feel the stretch in the lower sacral region, and a pleasant, slight sense of 'pressure' at the genital area. Remain in this asana for about a minute or two, to begin with, breathing normally, then exhale and raise the trunk smoothly and slowly up. To complete, we want to do the backward bend. From the sitting posture, place your hands, palms down, behind your body, with the fingers extended and pointing at the wall opposite/behind you. Your legs are straight. Inhale, and, with your weight on the heels and palms, smoothly raise your entire body up off the floor. Retain for about 10 seconds to begin, exhale, lower the body, and repeat the entire process once more. _Ustrasana_, commonly called the 'Camel' posture, means the pose of 'the warm light of Dawn .' This is a powerful pelvic stretch with an extremely beneficial effect on Swadisthana, but it may be rather uncomfortable at first. Again, as always, don't force your body to the point of pain. Repeated practice will loosen your body's tight spots easily and naturally. To do Ustrasana, kneel down with your feet together, knees slightly separated, and sit back on your heels. Place the hands, palms-down, extended fingers facing the wall behind you, behind your body, approximately aligned with each buttock. Drop the head back gently, then inhale, and place your weight on the palms and the knees, arch your back and *lift* yourself forward from the pelvic region. You should be able to open your eyes and see the wall behind you clearly. Hold this position for about 30 seconds to start, breathing shallowly but normally. Exhale, and come back to a kneeling-seated position. Repeat once more. Since the stretch can be intense if you aren't particularly limber in the areas of the pelvic and lower spinal regions, I recommend the 'Folded Leaf' posture be performed immediately after ustrasana. From the kneeling position, gently separate the knees and bend forward, resting the crown of your head on the ground between the knees, and fold the arms back around the body, as if holding yourself. Maintain this posture for at least as long as the pelvic stretch of Ustrasana was held, then sit up and continue, or relax in Savasana, as your body dictates. _Padmasana_, the full-Lotus pose, is another asana which has symbolic meaning that easily relates to the first three chakras. The Lotus is a powerful symbol of spirituality , partly because it is born from the murk of a swamp, yet floats, unaffected by the slime, upon the water, and opens its petals upward to the Light of the Sun. The 'dirt' of the swamp is easily related to the Earth of Muladhara; the water that sustains the lotus pod is the Water of Swadisthan, the Sunlight that the lotus faces is the Fire of Manipura. Pretty keen, huh? ;> To perform Padmasana, sit straight, spine, head, and buttocks aligned, with the legs stretched out in front. Take the left foot and place it high on the right thigh, heel close to groin. Now bend the right knee and place the right foot on the left thigh. You can perform various bandhas and mudras while in Padmasana, use the asana for meditation, or simply sit and experience the feeling. Hold as long as is comfortable, then repeat the process, this time placing the right foot on the left thigh first, etc. _Bhadrasana_ means 'Pleasant pose,' and is a good way of contacting the pleasures and sweetness inherent in Swadisthana. Sit straight, legs extended. Bring the soles of the feet together, and gently pull then toward the body, with the heels pointing toward/close to/touching the groin. Gently press the knees down to the floor with your hands. Breathe normally, and hold, then bend slowly forward, touching the forehead to the ground. Retain breath, hold a few seconds, exhale, inhale, sit up, and relax. Another pranic-circuit-zapper is _Janusirasana_, which means something like 'born at this moment in consciousness.' Begin as usual, spine & legs straight, legs slightly separated in front of you. Bend the right knee and slide the right foot against the left side of the groin, sole turned upward, right *knee* remaining *on the floor*. Now, breathe *in* as you lean forward from the hips and clasp the left heel with both hands. Place the head on the shin, and concentrate the attention on the *left* ovary/teste. Hold the breath, and retain to your comfort level, then breathe *out* as you slowly sit up. Repeat with opposite legs. Here is an asana that activates Swadisthan and Ahanata simultaneously, and also contains some very interesting symbolism. It is called _Eki Pada Rajakapotasana_. Eki Pada means 'one foot,' Raja means 'Royal,' and Kapota is a sacred Dove, which represents the Anahata Chakra, its body the heart, its wings the lungs on either side. It also resembles a 'winge'd globe' somewhat. This Kapota Dove is sacred to Anahata, the center of Divine Love. Kundalini is, of course, symbolized by a coiled serpent ready to spring. Does 'there is the dove and there is the serpent' sound familiar to anyone? ;> To perform EPR, sit straight, legs outstretched straight in front. Bend the right knee and place right foot at left groin area, keeping right knee on the ground. Stretch the left leg back *behind* you, with the left thigh, knee, shin, and instep on the floor . Inhale, arch your back, and drop your head back, puffing out the chest. Next, raise your arms, reaching up and over your back, then bend the left knee upward, raising it, and grab the left foot with both hands, pulling it toward the head. If possible, rest the head *on* the foot--if not, do the best you can. Hold the pose about 10 seconds to start, then release hold, lower leg, relax, and repeat with the other leg. As _vajrasana_ nourishes Muladhara, so does _Suptavajrasana_ <'sleeping thunderbolt> nourish Swadisthan. Kneel and sit back on heels as in Vajrasana. Inhale and retain breath as you lean back, putting weight on your elbows. Arch the back and let the head drop back gently to rest on the ground. Keep most of the weight on the elbows and shins. Then raise your arms, and make Anjali Mudra at the level of your heart. Breathe shallowly and hold for about 10 seconds. Then inhale and retain breath as you place your palms on the floor and lower the back of head and shoulders till they're flat on the floor. Concentrate on the sacral spinal region, and hold about 30 seconds. Inhale, slide your palms under the small of your back, and push yourself up onto your knees, in 'straight' Vajrasana. This asana also activates the Swadisthana and Anahata Chakras simultaneously. Well, that's about enuff outa me for one day! ;> Namaskarams. SWADISTHAN AFTERTHOUGHTS ------------------------ Namaste. Oops! Forgot to include the basic Tattwa-Yantra dealie for Swadisthana. Get some silver construction paper, and cut out an upward-pointing cresent moon shape, then paste the Apas crescent onto a black square background. Set it up, propped at eye level as you sit in padmasana, sukhasana, or any comfortable meditative posture. Stare at the Yantra as you vibrate aloud the _bija-mantra_ VAM. Remember, intoned aloud, it's pronounced 'Vung' with the emphasis on the nasal sound of the final "ng." Continue this for several minutes, then allow the mantra to become silent. When vibrated silently, pronounce it 'Vummm.' If your attention wanders from the mantra and yantra, gently bring it back, consuming your mind with the sound you produce--aloud or silently--and with the silver crescent and its black background. About five minutes of this practice should do just fine for starters. A word about body piercing: piercing various areas of the body corresponding to chakras is said to activate them. It's not something I'm personally interested in, and not something I recommend to anyone who doesn't already have a strong interest in 'soft tissue modification,' but for those who do, tongue piercing is said to be a short-cut to activation of Swadisthan. Mumford states that the sharp object used should be unsterile and even rusty. Not something I'd recommend personally! If, however, you've been thinking about a tongue piercing already, you may be interested to know that this is one way of activating the energies of Swadisthan. ;> I know there's something else I wanted to post and am forgetting but...hey, that's Life! ;> Namaskarams.