Living Yoga

Sanskrit Name: Swadhisthana
Color: Orange
Location: low belly
Associated Organs/ Muscles: sexual organs, stomach, pancreas, spleen, gallbladder, liver, kidney, upper intestines, hips, lower back
Vowel: oo
Yoga poses:  cat/cow, horse stance (a wide legged squat) with pelvic motion, wide angle pose, pigeon, double pigeon, backward and forward bends
Symptoms of Overactive:  Overly emotional, sexual addiction
Symptoms of closed: Being out of touch with your feelings, resisting change, pessimism 
Highest Truth: Honor One Another


The second chakra deals with our relationships with other people.  It also deals with our need to control things in our lives and how able we are to just let things go.  When we think negative thoughts about someone that pollutes our second chakra.  If we have had any negative (or positive) sexual experiences those are stored in the second chakra.  The second chakra also relates to our personal creativity.  Do we allow it and nurture it, or do we stifle it?  It relates to our feelings in general, are we in tune with them, do we bury them?  How do we feel about our personal finances?  This specifically affects lower back pain.


In yoga, past feelings stored chemically and energetically in our muscles can be spontaneously released.  Sometimes while in a pose, a rush of unexpected feelings can arise.  I've had several experiences with this and most often, for me,  it is in poses that cleanse the second chakra.  Once in my room I was in baddha konasana (wide angle, or kobbler's pose) and I felt a sudden urge to cry along with a physical heavy sensation radiating out from my hips.  I resisted the urge to leave the pose and hung in there and allowed it, without trying to define what specific thing I was clearing.  It was not tons of fun but I was glad that I was ready to release something negative, dark, and heavy from my system.

Chakra Balancing Specifics: Visualize a true orange, radiant ball in your lower belly.  If visualizing does not come easy to you try toning, "oo " aloud while allowing the region of your lower belly to feel light.  Feel all the gunk releasing and LET IT GO!- a big benefit to this chakra.  

You can also go lay on your back, with your knees bent, feet flat on the floor, and feel yourself breathing the good into your low belly as you inhale, and pressing out what you no longer need, from that region, as you exhale and lift your hips into bridge pose.  On the next inhale, lower your hips, again breathing the good into your belly.  Use this idea and apply it to any yoga pose or stretch for this chakra.

For a mantra meditation, chant honor one another.