The svadhisthana chakra is the second main chakra of the body, located in your tail bone. In sanskrit, the word svadhisthana means “one’s own abode”, so this chakra deals with one’s personal feelings.

This is the chakra that represents emotions, creativity and awareness. Here is where you can overcome your fears. Often known as the “sacral” chakra, this energy wheel is where sexual desire is born and tends to focus on our own personal needs and desires. From this energy wheel, the need to seek pleasure and security are born. Being the chakra where we focus on ourselves and our own pleasure, it is also the chakra where joy and enjoyment are released. To put it simply, here is where pleasure, desire and emotions live.

A Blocked Svadhistana

If this chakra is blocked, you may be experiencing some intense emotions. Feelings of guilt and shame are also connected to a blocked svadhisthana. As a consequence, anxiety, depression, addiction… and other disorders may occur. You may find it hard to put limits when your svadhisthana is blocked. Perhaps acting in a self critical way and condemning towards yourself. “Frozen” emotions might happen, as the element water is connected here, it makes sense that if this chakra is blocked, the emotions might not flow so easily.

In order to open your svadhisthana and realign it with your other chakras, you must focus on yourself and indulge in things that make you happy. If you have this chakra nice and open you could experience a more relaxed attitude towards sexuality. Enjoyment will be easier without the attachment that often accompanies enjoyment. An open svadhisthana can make you more positive, creative and responsable with your relationships. 

Water in Svadhisthana

Water doesn’t really have a shape of it’s own if you think about it. If it weren’t for the peel, an orange would just be a ball of juice. And without a bottle or a vase, you wouldn’t be able to give a puddle of water a distinct form. So energetically, this is the element that teaches you how to go with the flow. How to react to the unexpected. How to let yourself go and give in.

The fluid movements of Krama Vinyasa (or element flow, which is what I teach) characterise a vinyasa water flow through back bends and chest openers. If we’re speaking about Ayurveda, then the Kapha dosha would be the dominant category. In the body it is manifested through the secretion of the digestive juices and in the salivary glands. Again, in Ayurveda, the sense that is most related to the element of water is taste, as without water, the tongue cannot taste. The tongue is also often related in function to the action of the genitals. Obviously, staying hydrated is fundamental for the proper functioning of tissues and inner organs.

Sing it Out Lout

As we understood through the Muladhara Chakra article, singing mantras can help calm the mind and send powerful healing vibrations throughout the whole body. The word “matra” actually means “to think” and to “free the mind”. Singing the bija mantra Vam could help you accept changes that are happening in your life. How? The vibrations that are sent out through singing come from the hypothalamus in your brain. The hypothalamus is in charge of the pituitary gland, which in turn is in charge of the endocrine system where hormones are produced. These hormones are activate multiple things in your body, such as your sexual organs. Let me put it to you this way: if by singing you send vibrations throughout your body which help release chemicals that make you happy, directly into your blood stream; it’s like a free and legal drug!

The colour most represented by svadhisthana is orange. The crystals best used to help activate or heal the svadhisthana are: Amber, Carnelian, Tigre’s Eye and Amber. 

Check out the video below with Jala Namaskar, the Vinyasa Yoga salute to the water element. Also be sure to check out my other articles for the other chakras: Muladhara, Manipura, Anahata, Vishuddha, Ajna.