Many years ago, after a trip to India, one of my clients became a vegetarian. At the time, I was also not eating meat. I assumed her immersion in the birthplace of yoga had had a similar effect on her as it had had on me. ‘No,’ she said, ‘one day when I was making breakfast, the egg I cracked into the hot pan had been fertilized. It had a developing chick in it.’ The hot pan trauma put her off eating all animal products. This is the story of our second chakra: the meeting place of the sperm of potential and the egg of creation colliding. Where our fear and our creativity swirl.
The Sacral Chakra or Svadhisthana Chakra is a fan favorite as it is often referred to as the ‘sex chakra.’ Like many things that make my inner teenager giggle, the sophomoric view is just the egg shell of this gem of an energy center. Sva in Sanskrit means ‘self’ and adhiśthana means ‘seat’ or ‘residence.’ This chakra (if you want to know how to properly pronounce that word, review my muladhara article here: https://kkrepp.medium.com/root-chakra-74828cb8a369) is the seat of the self. On the physical body it is just below the belly button and is related to our gonads. This is where our power of creation lives. We can create and nurture new life here, a dream, an idea of the world, a desire or a passion. For any of these zygotes to grow to their fullest expression, we must be in balance with our ida and pingala (more commonly understood as yin/yang) energy. Both the sperm and the egg must be healthy as well as the place they meet to grow. Ida is yin, cooling, moon, anabolic and introverted. Pingala is yang, heating, sun, catabolic and extroverted.
Svadiśthana chakra used to be considered the seat of the kundalini shakti but given the modern lifestyle of materialism and egoistic behavior it is considered to have sunk down into the earth of the muladhara root chakra. Kundalini shakti is the coiled power of your supreme energy. Once awakened, the energy snakes up the suśumna of the spine to meet the sahasrara seventh chakra; enlightening our path and our purpose. Kundalini shakti is often represented by a snake coiled and ready to rise. The ida/pingala also climb up alternating sides like a snake; creating an infinity sign and spinning our chakra wheels. Too much pingala/yang/catabolic will create an imbalance at the wheel as will too much ida/yin/anabolic imbalance the spin. I often see this expression this time of year with my marathon runners. All hot burning running and not enough cool recovering resting inevitably leads to increased injury, adrenal drain and lower libido.
Ideal conditions for procreation must be met even if the baby we dream of is a new job, a life partner, a shift in our attention, a new poem. Nobody will invite implantation during a time of strife and stress. Not only are we biologically opposed, but the subtle energy necessary for creativity is also lacking when we are out of balance.
Svadiśthana is the place of feeling, creation and growth. The sacral chakra invites us to live in balance and remember the importance of navel-gazing. Looking to where once we were connected to our Mother, floating toward becoming. So too, as we sit in meditation, we focus our attention on the water element. If the seed has been planted in fertile ground of the root chakra, here it needs water to grow. The seat of the self is where it all begins. The water element is correlated with the womb but also the kidney system; our greatest bodily filter. Detoxifying and cleansing the self with pure clean water. Ensure the physical body is flush with hydration. Remember we must not only harbor the egg of potential but also invite the sperm fertilization. Actively releasing any blocks to open the water flow and also actively inviting the flow to fill the new space we have created.
Carl Jung’s chakra developmental model has the sacral chakra taking shape from ages seven to fourteen. Our awareness of self emerges before we are sexually reproducing beings. We have already differentiated in our early years but this is about individualism. How do you feel in this body, this life, this time? This chakra invites a tuning into our personal experience. When my client saw the embryo in the hot pan, what she felt created an opportunity to change her behavior. When open, this chakra vibrates with sexual potential and emotions. It is sealed and limited by fear. This wheel with no spin or imbalance will show up as a lack of motivation, lethargy and listlessness. Finding our sea legs on these waters can be exciting and daunting. The safe shores of what we know and can expect are like a siren song. But out on the wild waters of this energy, we begin to clarify the self and honor our feelings.
Orange is the color of the sunrise and sunset, of the leaves as they change. It is a color of transition and changeability. Our feelings are rarely singular and often from many sources. What we have been told to expect, what we have experienced so far and what we desire colors our outlook. To become a creator in this life, we must acknowledge our truth, even if it is different from others or what is expected. The greatest act of courage is to boldly clean our waters and let the seeds of creativity meet and grow.
The bija or seed mantra for this chakra is ‘vam’ and I recommend using the vibration of that sound to open and unlock this vast energy center. Gently tap the space below the navel and chant vam, vam, vam with an internal focus to align with your creative flow. This will help with activation and connection.
Svadiśthana chakra also has a deity tale to help us understand that from this place within ourselves we can create our destiny. This is the seat of Brahmā, the great creator of the world. Brahmā was born from a golden egg. He created the earth and all things on it. He is depicted with four faces turned to the four directions. He represents the four yugas ‘ages’ and the four ashramas ‘stages in life.’ He holds four objects in his four arms: an alms bowl, a bow, a book and prayer beads. He is the teacher of the Gods.
As you stand at any crossroads in your life, at any time or stage of your life; tap into your second chakra. Look down the road in all four directions and see where they will lead you. Feel the tools at your disposal: asking for help, fighting for what you want, educating yourself and connecting to your spirit guides. Let your creativity swirl. This is the place of potential and dream birth. Here we have the wild opportunity to remove our limits of fear and wander into what could be. Take courage, my friend. Feed the seed. Let it grow. We need you living your dream. I look forward to seeing you become.
