Svadhishthana Chakra

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Svadhishthna ChakraSv = Self

Adhishthna = seat, residence

The Svdhishthna Chakra lies about three centimetres above the Mldhra Chakra betweenthe coccyx and the sacrum. It marks the second stage of human evolvement. In earlier periods ofevolvement the seat of the Kundalin Shakti was located in this Chakra, but in Kali Yuga , ourpresent age, spiritual energy has sunk down into the Mldhra Chakra into unconsciousness -because of the rampant materialism and egoistic behaviour of humans.

The colour of the Svdhishthna Chakra is ORANGE, the colour of fire. This colour symbolisespurification, activity, joy, hope and self-confidence, and shows that the energy of theSvdhishthna Chakra has become active. Orange is also the colour of sunrise and is anindication of the strength that blossoms from this Chakra once it has been mastered cheerfulness, faith, self-confidence and vigour. It is also the colour of autumn and sunset, whennature withdraws and consciousness turns inwards. When we look within and concentrate on theSvdhishthna Chakra we are able to find the answers to many questions related to our destiny.

As mentioned in the previous chapter, the Mldhra Chakra is the storeroom in which ourexperiences and Karmas lie. The activation of these Karmas now occurs in the SvdhishthnaChakra, and it is here that we have the opportunity to purify them. Even though our weaknessesand mistakes are located in this Chakra, it is here that a valuable opportunity to develop ourhuman consciousness to a higher level is offered. Through work on the Svdhishthna Chakra weare able to bring our baser instincts under control, transform them and ultimately transcend

Svadhishthana Chakra

Exercises for theSvadhishthana Chakra

The Qualities and Symbols ofthe Svadhishthana Chakra

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them.

The level of consciousness of the Svdhishthna Chakra is the SUBCONSCIOUS, the sphere ofconsciousness that lies between sleeping and waking. We have a vague idea of what is containedhere, but no complete or clear knowledge. Even when our consciousness is centred, other levelsof consciousness always influence our perceptions and actions. The field of our consciousness islike a screen upon which the entire spectrum of our experiences is portrayed.

The function of the subconscious is like that of a movie camera recording each impression thathas an influence upon us, externally or internally, irrespective of whether we were conscious of itor not. In this way the subconscious records precisely everything that we experience, think, feeland do; and this explains why inevitably our Karmas react upon us, whether we want them to ornot. We cannot prevent the consequences because the subtle tracks (Samskras) of our actionshave been imprinted upon our subconscious, and therefore the effects are pre-programmed.

This does not mean that we should just resign ourselves and simply allow things to take theircourse. It is important to understand that our future destiny is the result of our past and presentdeeds. Everything that is happening to us today was caused by our earlier actions and thoughts,and everything that happens to us in the future will be the result of our current way of thinkingand acting.

We are not victims of our past, or the puppets of external forces, but rather we are creating ourown destiny here and now. To be able to do this consciously it is important that we confront andevaluate our qualities and intentions honestly, and then direct them consciously towards thegood. Once we gain clarity about what is being fed into our subconscious we are better able tounderstand our motives and actions and recognise the connection between action and reaction.In this way we are capable of foreseeing the consequences of our behaviour, and by altering ourbehaviour we can influence our future. We are then able to shape our future beneficially andsupport our own development.

Through the Self-Inquiry Meditation technique presented in the system Yoga in Daily Life, weare given a method of penetrating our subconscious programming and resolving anydetrimental behaviour patterns with love, understanding and forgiveness. When we consciouslysend beautiful, positive and pure thoughts to the storeroom of our subconscious every day, ourdestiny will also change for the better but we should not forget that the reverse also applies!

In the course of our life the Kundalin occasionally awakens and rises to the SvdhishthnaChakra. However, here it comes up against the barrier of our negative qualities such as envy,desire, jealousy, rage and greed. These block the energy so that it again returns to the MldhraChakra. And in this way the consciousness of many people continues to oscillate between the twolowest Chakras without ever being able to rise higher.

To break this cycle is not an easy undertaking, as we face an army of innumerable detrimentalemotions, prejudices, resentments and fears that have accumulated during the course of manylives. The only thing we achieve if we fight against them forcefully is that they will either persisteven more stubbornly, or recede into the depths of the subconscious and hide. Only when weconsciously let go are we able to free ourselves from them.

But letting go can be extremely difficult. We would, in fact, be very happy to be free of our fearsand complexes, but somehow we do not dare let go of these qualities; instead we hold onto themfirmly and nourish them. The ego leads us to believe that we would lose our identity andpersonality if we renounced them. And it is here in the Svdhishthna Chakra that the ego fightswith all possible means to retain its supremacy.

The yoga practitioner who has learnt to question and analyse everything that occurs within the



consciousness, recognises the causes for the emotions and reflexes that surface from thesubconscious and is therefore able to cope with them more easily. Otherwise it can happen thatwe fall helplessly from one emotion into another, and for a long time we are unable to find ourway out of the blind-alley of the Svdhishthna Chakra.

It is most important that we do not lie to ourselves or be afraid; and we should neither condemnourselves nor project the blame onto others. Our inner world is divided we have a light sideand a dark side. It is only when we take this dual reality into consideration and also accept ourweaknesses that we are able to work on it. Until we are able to accept ourselves we can perhapsgive good advice to others, but cannot develop further ourselves.

When we can simply observe the waves of emotion and unwaveringly fix our mind on ourMantra, they will finally vanish. The Mantra clears and quietens the mind and will certainly leadus out of the maze of our emotions and tendencies, and into the light of truth.

ANGER, HATRED, GREED, JEALOUSY, VIOLENCE, CRUELTY, PASSION, ARROGANCE,SELF-DOUBT and LETHARGY are the enemies that we encounter in the Svdhishthna Chakra;they make life for us and our environment very difficult. As we know from many examples inhistory, and also in recent times, people are often blinded by these qualities and commitinhumane actions. The purification of these tendencies needs lifelong vigilance and constanteffort. Discipline and wisdom (Gyna) are the tools with which we are able to keep them incheck.

However, these tendencies will not be shed completely until the end of our life, because as a partof nature they serve to preserve our physical existence. Harmful effects only develop when theyare connected to a selfish ego and deployed thoughtlessly for the pursuit of selfish goals. Whenwe become conscious of these tendencies and understand their meaning and function we are ableto control these enemies, transform their energy and utilise them for our development.

ANGER, HATE and GREED are negative expressions of our ego. The ego itself is not bad. Itspositive aspect is the will to live. We cannot exist without the ego, because without the will to liveand zest for life nobody can exist. The ego is only harmful when it degenerates into self-interestand exploitation of others.

In India anger is known as a twofold curse, as it not only sucks the lifeblood of others but alsoour own. When we are overcome by rage blood cells within our body are destroyed. Thisaggressive emotion darkens our entire Phnomen and deprives us of spiritual energy. Closelyconnected to the expression of anger are greed and hate. When one of these qualities becomesactive the other two are also roused and jointly they ravage the inner field of that person. Theimmense power of this emotional arousal also has a positive potential. When we succeed incontrolling this explosive energy we can transform it into constructive, courageous and braveactions. The mastery of anger also brings considerable progress in attaining discipline andcontrol over other negative emotions.

We can cool down and extinguish outbursts of anger and hatred when we mentally put ourselvesin the position of the person to whom our displeasure is directed, and try to understand theirreasoning. What we are able to understand we can also more easily forgive. Through empathy,consideration and tolerance our hostile feelings will finally calm down.

JEALOUSY means that we are dependent upon a possession and think that something orsomeone belongs to us. We imagine that our whole world would collapse if we are unable toobtain what we have set our heart upon, or if we lost it. We behave like a small child who fightswith other children over a toy, and even if he gets it he is not really content.

Problems always arise when we think egoistically and want to possess something completely and



hold onto it tightly. When we feel flickers of jealousy stirring within us we should endeavour to beindependent and generous, because inner freedom is the best antidote to combat this frame ofmind.

Also we only feel jealous when we are in love. Without love there is no jealousy. Jealousydisappears when the feeling of love is pure, selfless, supportive and beneficial for others.

Many people suffer lifelong from the concept that they have not found true love; meaning a lifepartner who will balance out their personal deficits and fulfil their desires. However, what weactually need, and alone brings contentment and fulfils the desire of our soul, is true, divine love.And this consists simply of giving, merely giving. Once we overcome jealousy we gain freedomand develop our ability to give and to accept all-embracing love.

VIOLENCE and CRUELTY are found everywhere in nature, in humans as well as in animals.Their roots lie in the natural desire for self-preservation, in the instinctive desire to survive. Lifeis never totally free of violence; for example, when we drink a glass of water we destroy tinymicroscopic beings. Even when we cut flowers we also do harm because plants are also livingthings. In the ancient scriptures it is said that we should only take such nourishment as is givenfreely by nature from the various grains, seeds and ripe fruits. But nowadays if we waited for thefruit to fall naturally from the tree we would die of starvation. Therefore, unfortunately, we areunable to completely follow this rule, but should avoid any bad intention in thought word or deedin the taking of our food. Our vanity and our hedonism should not be the cause for the sufferingor violent death of another living being.

We possess the gift of empathy; we are able to understand what causes suffering to others.Therefore we can also learn to avoid violence and cruelty. Our endeavours should be directedtowards never depriving anyone of anything, never wilfully destroying anything, or intentionallyor thoughtlessly causing pain to anyone.

By overcoming the cruelty within ourselves our capacity for love and collective responsibilityincreases. Renunciation of cruelty subsequently leads to selfless service becoming a reality.

In German the word for passion is LEIDENSCHAFT, translated literally as suffering created;which means we ourselves create that from which we suffer. The causes of this are material andphysical desires (Bhoga Vsan). They blaze like red-hot flames within us and we try everythingpossible (and frequently exactly the wrong thing) to extinguish the tortuous source of this fire.Passion can completely blind and corrupt us. But in a positive sense passion is also a part of life.As part of the reproductive instinct it serves to preserve and protect partnerships andpossessions. As enthusiasm it is an expression of the zest for life, vitality and creative energy.Outstanding and ingenious works originate from this passionate love for life. But in its egoisticand unscrupulous expression it has exactly the opposite effect and works destructively instead ofcreatively and protectively.

Passion is widespread within our society as fanaticism and addictive behaviour. Addiction in anyshape is destructive and it has many faces. It is encountered as excessive eating or drinking, as adependency upon nicotine, alcohol or drugs, and also as a craving for more money, possessions,sensory pleasures, power or fame. Fanaticism also occurs within many areas of life - as racism,nationalism, in cultural matters, in religion or in politics.

The positive expression of passion is the commitment to work which serves all living beings forexample, in conservation, charitable or humanitarian activities, as well as in the arts, research,education, sport, etc. In this way passion becomes an active, structured force and a strongmotivating power in our spiritual development. In its positive expression passion reveals itself asidealism, enthusiasm and a strong will, and as such is very important for the whole of mankind,



as well as for people such as scientists, researchers, volunteers, saints, etc.

In its positive aspect PRIDE is the feeling of self-worth and an expression of success. We feel anelated sense of satisfaction about our achievements and this spurs us on to greater endeavours.However, pride is unhealthy when it is not accompanied by generosity and gratitude, and insteadleads to egocentricity, self-importance, arrogance and vanity. We should include others in oursuccess and embrace them joyfully, rather than suppressing them or placing little value on them.Pride should not be blind; we should take particular care that we never hurt others. Positively,pride is always accompanied by humility that protects us from arrogance.

LETHARGY, laziness and a lack of commitment to anything are not only harmful but also makeus discontented or grumpy and allow our talents to atrophy. But unwinding and relaxing afterwork are important and beneficial for our health. A period of relaxation should always followtension. As with everything in life we need to discover a happy medium. One-sided developmentof any aspect of life is not beneficial to our progress.

Through DOUBT we make life difficult for ourselves. Doubt creates conflict. It divides thecohesiveness of confidence into the duality of certainty and uncertainty. But first and foremostself-doubt burdens our existence, and the inner conflict it creates weakens our will to achieve,and through this our uncertainty increases even more.

On the other hand doubt can also be very useful when it guides us in our critical analysis ofMY. Doubt is a function of the intellect (BUDDHI). God gave us the intellect to enable us todifferentiate between right and wrong, and to make the correct decision. Dispelling doubt bringsus certainty, peace and composure. With these qualities we become a pillar of society and canhelp others overcome their doubts. When we shed the inhibiting effects of doubt, the pathtowards clarity and a deep faith in divine guidance opens before us.

Many people think they are able to deal with their emotions by expressing them. Unfortunatelythis is a serious mistake because exactly the opposite will occur immediately. If we give way to thedesires of the Svdhishthna Chakra they intensify reciprocally and poison our inner Self.

If something or someone stands in our way and we allow our desires and passions free rein, theego shows its claws. Rage builds up inside us. This draws out an even stronger weapon hate -whose fire is further fanned by envy and resentment. And joining this pernicious gathering offorces as allies are greed and vindictiveness, which finally ignite the explosive charges of violenceand cruelty. Daily we hear, see and read what terrible things have been caused throughout theworld by feelings of bitter resentment, anger, jealousy and acts of violence. When we look at thescenes of devastation caused by us, self-doubt arises. We become conscious of what we have donebut do not know what to do about it. Usually we react to this by blocking out the events,suppressing our feelings and pushing them down into the subconscious. All too often we stifle thetender stirrings of understanding and improvement by laziness and lethargy.

How we handle our tendencies and qualities is always crucial; whether we cultivate and use thempositively or negatively; whether we use them egoistically and inconsiderately, merely for ourown benefit; or whether we use them for others with love, understanding and sympathy.

When a country is at war communications and the postal services are the first to be disrupted.For as long as we are at war with ourselves, for as long as the dark qualities are in the majorityand the ego rules the roost, and for as long as we are cut off from contact with the divine Self, weare unable to hear Gods call because we are too deeply caught up in our own inner dilemmas.

We pray, Lord, make me an instrument of Your peace.

But in order to attain a state of peace and harmony we must first convert our negative energy,



which expresses itself as desire, annoyance, quarrelsomeness, bitterness and resentment, into aconstructive and creative mental attitude.

Peace is like a candle in our hands. To look upon our environment with the light of peace meansto bring to the world a loving attitude, kindness, trust and understanding. Anger and jealousymake the heart close. In reality the entire Universe is within our heart. We should open ourhearts and allow everyone to feel the love and warmth within.

The following experiment with the process of thinking is very illuminating. Try to think a friendlythought and a hostile thought at the same time; or to have a loving feeling and a hostile feeling atthe same time. You will realise that fundamentally it is impossible to unite day and night lightand darkness cannot exist together. When the sun rises darkness vanishes immediately.

Through noble and good thoughts we illuminate our Phnomen and at the same time purify theSvdhishthna Chakra. Prayer, Mantra and nurturing the good within us gradually lighten ourdark side. We should fill our meditations with love, devotion, understanding and warmth forourselves and for others, becoming like a sun that shines for all - for plants, animals and humans,so that they are able to take as much warmth as they need.

As previously said, the Svdhishthna Chakra is the second milestone in our development. Thedecision to take this step is difficult for most people. When someone says, The door is open, youcan go through now; but behind the rise there is a wild tiger lurking and the path is lined withthorny bushes and deceptive marshes filled with crocodiles, snakes and scorpions; and beyond allof these there is a seemingly endless ocean most people would be quite happy to retreat andexclaim, close the door again!

This is how we can feel when we rise from the protective darkness of the unconscious andpenetrate the sphere of consciousness in the Svdhishthna Chakra. The tiger, snakes andscorpions are our own qualities everything is within us. No-one threatens us from outside;what we are afraid of are shadows that we have given substance to. We ourselves stand as anobstacle on our own path, and it is only we, ourselves, who can clear the way for us to continue.

How can we free ourselves? When we let go and give freedom! To give freedom means to havefreedom. To free the way for others, means to simultaneously free the way for ourselves.

Therefore, we should not be afraid, but rather be happy that our consciousness has reached theSvdhishthna Chakra, because a time of new and interesting experiences now begins. Here theKundalin is young and impetuous, in puberty, and subsequent developments naturally presenttheir own challenges. The ego becomes stronger and fights for its feelings and its right to exist.The more clarity we gain the stronger we become, but we also become more conscious of ourweaknesses and problems. When we lie in bed asleep we do not notice the mess in our room, butwhen we wake up and look around we are horrified and exclaim, How terrible it looks in here, Imust tidy it up! and we do the necessary work.

The element of the Svdhishthna Chakra is WATER. Water is very soft and yielding, andbecause of this it is especially difficult to bring it under control. As water is so difficult to contain,it is also difficult to counteract. Flowing water has an immense power. If a dam bursts the massof water carves its own channel and nothing can stop it. Even if we firmly close the doors andwindows the water will inevitably force its way into the house.

Water frozen into ice is hard and rigid; it only begins to flow when it becomes warmer and melts.In just the same way, the Kundalin energy rests in the Mldhra Chakra stiff and motionless, asif frozen, and only begins to flow when it reaches the higher vibrational level of theSvdhishthna Chakra. When the energy begins to flow it is important to work in a controlledway by purifying our thoughts and qualities and steering them in a positive direction. Otherwise



there is the danger that the mind can become unbalanced by an overflow of unprocessed andpreviously suppressed emotions. This can cause inner restlessness, insomnia, nervousness,aggression, melancholy and other psychic disturbances. Therefore we should not rush but gostep-by-step as advised in the system Yoga in Daily Life.

The animal symbol of the Svdhishthna Chakra is the CROCODILE. It represents the Karmalying dormant in the subconscious. The crocodile is lazy and lethargic, but once it becomes activeit develops enormous power and speed and can be extremely dangerous. We also set all ourpowers into motion when we have a strong desire or longing for something. But once this issatisfied we again sink back into the earlier idleness.

Laziness is a trap of the Svdhishthna Chakra into which it is very easy to step. When the trap issuccessful the toughest problems within the subconscious seem to dissolve, and we feel verypleasant in the state we have reached and think that there is no longer any need to progressfurther. And because of this the flow of energy falters and the consciousness withdraws again intothe Mldhra Chakra.

The Bija Mantra, the subtle vibration, of the Svdhishthna Chakra is VM. Throughconcentration on the sound of this Mantra and its inner repetition we are able to awaken theenergy of the Chakra, and also bring it back into balance when it has become the victim ofimpetuosity.

The divinities of the Svdhishthna Chakra are BRAHM and SARASVAT. Brahm is thecreator of the Universe and Sarasvat personifies knowledge. In mythology she is both thedaughter and the wife of Brahm. Brahm is also described as the Golden Womb or theCosmic Egg (Hranyagarbha) from which knowledge is born. Consciousness creates knowledge,and is at the same time shaped by it. Therefore, as the creator, Brahm is the father of Sarasvat the father of knowledge; but when knowledge reacts upon creation and sets into motion itsfurther development, Sarasvat is Brahms partner.

Often we are unable to relate to or understand the emotions that rise from the subconscious intoconsciousness. Their turbulent power together with our uncertainty about the reasons for, or ourconnection to, these emotions startles and confuses us. Nevertheless these stirrings should not beshoved to one side. The constant suppression and rejection of emotions and feelings can result inneuroses and other psychic disturbances, as well as in diseases related to the lower abdominalregion. But is is exactly those feelings that we carefully hide or deny that will re-emerge at thefirst opportunity.

Many people advise giving our feelings and emotions free rein in order to gratify them and workthem out so that they simply disappear. But this is not the right way either. When we give themroom to move we strengthen them and give them power.

The way to free ourselves from undesirable feelings and thoughts is neither tosuppress them nor allow them to run freely, but rather to remove them withwisdom.

Otherwise we could possibly miss a very valuable opportunity if we simply throw away therubbish bag of our dark side without looking inside. For there could have been a piece of goldhidden inside.

In Kundalin Yoga feelings and thoughts are never judged initially as being undesirable, inferioror bad. Rather each feeling is closely observed and analysed. In this way we learn how to handleour emotions, process them and finally transcend them. It is only in this way that the reciprocalprocess between Brahm and Sarasvat, consciousness and knowledge, takes place.

It is always important to remain aware that nothing negative, as such, exists.



It is the qualities that we have adopted that are bad, not us and it is these we need to correctand change. The easiest and most successful way for us to do this, which can never beemphasised strongly enough, is through Bhakti and repeating Mantra.

Bhakti (love and devotion for God) and the repetition of Mantra are indispensable aids on ourpath of development. In a meditation without Bhakti the ego can often gain the upper hand, andit can also happen that the subconscious will go beyond our control. For those who are practisingKriya Yoga, Bhakti (for the form of God worshipped by you) and Mantra are of particularimportance in supporting and protecting you during your practice. The Guru Mantra is the lightthat illuminates the darkness of ignorance within us.

There are two special jewels hidden in the Svdhishthna Chakra that we are able to put togood use: ICCH SHAKTI (willpower) and KRYA SHAKTI (vigour/drive).

ICCH SHAKTI and KRIY SHAKTI can be awakened and strengthened by Yoga practices. Thefollowing powerful energies help us to cultivate these:

PRNA SHAKTI life force, vital forceDHRAN SHAKTI power of concentrationCHETANA SHAKTI power of consciousness

When these three Shaktis combine we are able to turn all our ideas, intentions and wishes intoreality. Even though they are purely mental powers, they originate in the body. The free flowingof the Nds and the activation of the nerve centres (Chakras) play a big part in this, andPrnyma and concentration (eg Trtaka ) are also helpful. Concentration strengthens the mindand Prnyma strengthens and purifies the Nervous System. Here, purification means toremove blockages and thus improve and ensure the flow of energy. Concentration acts like amagnet on our consciousness pulling it in one direction only. Through this it is possible to utiliseand guide the Prna Shakti at will. With this our physical and mental nourishment also becomevery important. Therefore we should foster positive thoughts and only eat wholesome and purefood no meat, fish, eggs or alcohol, and naturally no drugs.

To control and consciously guide Prna is a science, similar to higher Mathematics. This energy islike an instrument with whose help we can attain our goal. When the nerve centres have beenpurified the Chetana Shakti develops its full potential and enlightens our consciousness. Once wehave awoken this power within us we should also put it to good use, aligning it with ourwillpower and actions towards the goal of Self-Realisation.

Everybody will one day pass through the Mldhra and Svdhishthna Chakras whether theywant to or not, whether they do Yoga or not, whether they pray and meditate, or whether they arenot concerned with spirituality. But knowledge about this stage of development, strong IcchShakti and Kriy Shakti and a well-developed gy Chakra will help us with this.

The Svdhishthna Chakra is our daily training ground and a lifelong challenge. But withwisdom, Gods help and the guidance of the Master we are able to overcome all the difficultiesthat this Chakra has in store for us.

I pray for your success and may all your thoughts and feelings change for the better.

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