Journey Through the Chakras: Go With the Flow
The second chakra is Svadhisthana and is symbolic of water. It is associated with taking pleasure and is located in the sacrum, genitals, hips, knees and low back.
Svadhisthana represents ‘the right to feel’. If we cannot interpret how we feel then it is very difficult to know what we want.
The first chakra is about everything solid. This solidity creates foundation, which gives us the base of support to rise up from. The second chakra Svadhisthana is about water and the ability to go with the flow. The form transforms into formlessness. The principles of water are fluid, feminine, and rhythmic.
Qualities of Svadhisthana Chakra
Pleasure:
Pleasure allows us to move more deeply into the temple of the body. Pleasure allows us to expand while pain creates contraction. Our sensations are so important to the experience of pleasure. When we taste good food, or take a deep breath in the outdoors, we are opening the pleasure centers and creating an extension of the spiritual dimension. Some may argue that we need to shut off our senses in order to tune into the subtler body. However the senses are the building blocks to our emotions and feelings. Without them we become lifeless and disconnected.
Unfortunately we are often taught to beware of pleasure. We don’t easily allow our self to do what we want and instead do what we should. Eventually this can lead to resentment and frustration. Svadhisthana invites us to turn on our pleasure centers and delve into the deep recesses of the feeling body.
Emotions:
The second chakra is where the emotional center of the body lies. In a balanced state we feel emotions, but do not get overridden with them. If this second chakra is turned on too much we are overly emotional meaning our emotions begin to cloud our rational judgment. When this chakra is repressed we are shut off from our emotions and we feel very little. Repressed emotion creates tension and tension creates lethargy. We need to find the way to send the emotion out (in an appropriate way). The absence of tension creates a harmonic flow between the mind and the body. This creates an even deeper pleasure within the body, allowing deeper connection with others.
Sexuality:
Sexuality is the ultimate expression of Svadhisthana yet it can also be the reason why we have many issues with movement, sensations, pleasure, desire and emotions. In our western culture sexuality has been gravely misunderstood and mismanaged. This affects the natural flow of excitation throughout the body. Guilt is the demon of the second chakra. It halts our pleasures and self-esteem. To reclaim the second chakra is to reclaim our right to feel and our right to healthy sexuality.
Balanced Svadhisthana: Healthy boundaries, having passion in life and feeling alive, the ability to go with the flow and movements are graceful, nurturing of the self.
Excessive Svadhisthana: Change is necessary in order for the mind to stay active and alive. An excessive second chakra scatters the liberating energies too soon so it does not flow through to higher chakras. Therefore it is important to be honest with your self when exploring how much change is too much.
Depleted Svadhisthana: Fear of change, energy gets trapped in the structure of the first chakra and resists fluidity, becoming hard and stiff. Little passion and too much self-control. If we experience chronic tension in the hips, low back, and glutes try and tap into the current and flow of life.
Rituals to restore Balance: Connect with water. Take hot baths, drink more water, sit by the river or ocean. Add a flow and pulse to your regular yoga poses such as swaying and rocking the body. Change a routine (running route, clothing color, meeting place). Start with nurturing yourself and then begin to apply the principles to your relationships.
Y oga poses to restore balance:
- Sufi Grind: This deep rhythmic movement of circulating the hips, glutes and low back is wonderful to connect with Svadhisthana’s water element.
- Lunge Pose/ Anjaneyasana: Gently pressing in and out with the hip in sync with the breath.
- Pigeon Pose/ Eka Pada Rajakapotasana: Imagine the breath can reach right into the tension within the body and as you exhale carry that tension up and out.
The second chakra is the prime mover of energy. As the energy moves upwards, the soul is carried on the currents of emotions and desires toward growth. Through the solid base of our first chakra we are able to surrender to the prana and follow its natural course without losing our center.
Image Credit: Leslie Prentice
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Balance Your Chakras with a Pendulum
Pendulums come in all shapes and sizes. They are quite simply tools that help us detect our energetic field. They are tuned to subtle vibrations and a good chakra pendulum can help us clear, balance and heal our bodies.
A pendulum is a weight hanging from a fixed point. When pulled and released, the forces of gravity and inertia create movement. However, when no force is inflicted on the weight, something begins to happen naturally; energy moves the weight with a little help from the unconscious mind. Pendulums feel magical, for even when held completely still, they begin to move in detection of the invisible energy around us.
The chakra system is the field of gentle subtle energy that animates our physical bodies. When these are out of alignment, we can be pulled in several directions and feel off center from our most natural state of well being.
When placed over the 7 chakra centers (the 7 primary centers are most used) the pendulum will move, showing us both the direction and size of the energy the chakra is emitting. The energy level will reveal balance, imbalance, or energy blocks.
The pendulum for chakra balancing is a tool of diagnosis to help us better maintain our energy, spirit and physical body.
Choose Your Pendulum
Choosing a pendulum is a very personal task and I prefer having hands on access.
Allow yourself the chance to be drawn to one. Is there one that catches your eye or calls your attention? Don’t touch at first, just observe. Look at the shapes and colors. Some are made of wood, metal or crystals. I find crystals work best for me, but the choice is solely yours and yours alone. Which one are you drawn to? When you do choose one, hold it it to feel its energy. What is the message coming from the pendulum before you do anything at all?
Hold the string between your thumb and forefinger. Extend your arm so the pendulum resides at the level of your heart for this first encounter. When holding the pendulum, ask it if it is willing to assist you. Taking a moment to link psychically with the tool is not only good manners but sets the stage for a productive working relationship. If you feel a lift in your spirit, a clear yes has been given. If you feel any pull or resistance, kindly move along and choose another.
Once you have connected with a pendulum, clear your mind and hold it still at the level of your heart. Ask it to show you your “yes” then wait for it to stop. The ask it to show you your “no”. We always want the pendulum to stop moving on its own for this indicates it has shared all it has to reveal.
When you have found a pendulum that responds, you may also ask if this pendulum is willing to work with you in an ongoing partnership. This would be a final step to honor its wisdom and cultivate respect before your purchase.
Discover the Direction of Yes and No
My yes and no tend to be the same regardless of what pendulum I use. While mine move side to side and front and back, others may see the energy move in circles or diagonally. This will be the work of partnership in creating a relationship of trust. Once your pendulum “sets” yes and no, it shouldn’t change over time. A change in directions may indicate a deeper block in your own field.
How to Cleanse Your Pendulum
As this is a tool of the sacred, please cleanse your pendulum before putting it to work. You may choose to keep it under your pillow, on a window ledge to absorb the sun and moon, or outside in the earth. As you would cleanse crystals, also cleanse your chakra pendulum to ensure it maintains a clean working field.
How to Find Answers With Your Pendulum
I have one shiva lingham stone pendulum I use exclusively on clients while others are purely for my personal work.
Pendulums will be affected by our thoughts, so it is imperative that you first be in a clear space, without attachment, so that you may rely on this tool’s unbiased response. The pendulum, as an extension of the person using it, may be influenced both consciously and subconsciously making the responses accurate, as well as inaccurate. Wishful thinking or a preconceived outcome, however slight, can be magnified, making the use of the pendulum in that instance ineffective.
Trust your pendulum and the ability to clear your mind when asking questions.
Your mind can play heavily on responses, so you must be neutral when asking and be sure not to ask questions that elevate your own energy field.
Pendulums are excellent at finding things that are lost (and therefore neutral) but can get a little muddy when relying on it to make big decisions. I once was at a workshop where a woman was using her pendulum to validate everything the teacher was offering us. This level of reliance to me feels unfair and out of balance. These are tools to assist us: they are not material things upon which we rely too heavily.
So please, don’t let your pendulum make life choices for you. While it may offer one avenue of knowingness, it is your own heart and the truth within that should direct final decisions.
How to Use the Pendulum to Balance Chakras
When you are ready to embark on your healing work, pendulums are excellent at balancing the chakras.
Place the pendulum over the chakra center (3rd eye for instance would be over the center of the forehead whereas the 2nd chakra would be at the center of the body just below the navel). Wait for the pendulum to begin moving on its own to show you the size and direction this wheel of energy is moving. Start at the root or crown and one by one, make your way through each chakra simply gathering information at first.
Ideally you should notice the direction and size of each chakra to be the same. An erratic swing of the pendulum will show you where someone is off balance. If no movement is detected, there is a block in the energy field and it will need to be addressed. Once you’ve checked all the fields, go back and invite each one to come into harmony.
Harmony is the natural frequency of the universe and needs to be restored gently.
You are not making anything happen, you are simply asking the wisdom of the body to correct itself.
If working on another person, you may ask them to invite this harmony while talking with them about the colors and functions of each center. This empowers others to know they can heal themselves and need not rely on a healer to “fix” them. The chakra pendulum is a tool for diagnosis but the healing will occur by simply asking the body to realign itself. When you have addressed all the kinks, go back and ensure the chakras are all moving in the same direction and are about the same size.
We are wise beyond our remembrance at times and come to rely on tools and others to make us better. The beauty of a pendulum for chakra balancing is that is so accessible. It is an easy tool of self care and one that requires little investment and minimal effort.
