The Swadisthan chakra is placed at the level of the hip and is suspended like a satellite on a cord from the Nabhi chakra (located in the area of the navel). It moves around the Void (located in the abdominal area) , giving sustenance to any weak areas.

The quality of Swadhistan on the right side is creativity, i.e. truly inspired thoughts, ideas and actions. The quality of Swadhistan on the left side is pure knowledge, i.e. the truly discerning and discriminating power to see the innate nature of things at a new stage in our awareness called vibrational awareness.

Sahaja Yoga affirmations to open and clear the Swadisthan chakra include, “Mother, please give me the true knowledge,” “Mother, please make me the creative knowledge,” and “Mother, verily You are the doer and enjoyer.”

At the Swadisthan chakra the energy and purity of our creativity are generated. On the right side it manifests as intellect; on the left side as imagination. These aspects integrate in the central channel creating our aesthetic sense.

The development of aesthetics was the third step in human evolution when humanity transcended the audiovisual senses. For the first time humanity entered the abstract; we could imagine, forecast and conceive of images or ideas beyond the senses. Moreover, this asthetic sense can discern true beauty, and so the Swadhistan is capable of authoring truth concepts and ideas that are auspicious, i.e. pleasing to the Divine.

To create, one first has to be a visionary. One has to have the capacity to project something beyond the three dimensions. Animals don’t have this capacity; it is a special gift to humans. The one who has true genius becomes a creative force, an avant-garde, the forerunner of society. Scientists like Einstein, artists like Monet, composers like Mozart, writers like Shakespeare are capable of inspired works. Often they proclaim their minds were vacant at the time of their in-spirit-ation, and so the meditative state is best for achieving the best inspirational ideas and activities. This is consistent with being in the “zone” of high level achievement in many endeavours including reflecting on or thinking about things.

Unfortunately, human beings have a tendency to pursue everything to extremes. The Swadisthan centre is also responsible for breaking down fat particles in the abdomen to replace the grey and white cells of the brain, thus regenerating the capacity for thinking. Non-stop thinking exhausts the right Sun/Pingala channel and swells the ego. This pushes the superego down and thus severs the connection with the central channel which is nurtured by the All-pervading Spirit, the real reservoir of creativity. Instead of a sponge, the brain becomes like a rock, losing its capacity for absorption.

The Swadisthan chakra also looks after the liver, pancreas, spleen and parts of the reproductive system. If this centre is overworked by the thinking process, the other organs it has to look after are neglected and the whole attention can really suffer.

This centre on the right is particularly important in that it is the seat of our attention. Therefore, if it is not balanced we find it hard to relax and to be in the meditation state. The quality of the left side of this chakra is true knowledge. This is a pure knowledge that is beyond the ego. When our knowledge is pure we reflect the inner beauty that is like a still and silent lake. We can locate this inner pool of truth and beauty and become the reflective channel for it.

(Photograph courtesy of pdphoto.org)