kundalini
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)
On a foggy Fourth of July morning, 2007, the San Diego Sahaja Yogis set up a booth at the Standley Park Fair in Clairemont. We finished setting up by 8:30 am and were all set to spread the message of Sahaja Yoga to the crowds that were starting to trickle in. There were only a couple of us, as it was still early in the morning.
At about 9 am, a little girl in a brown dress and a bright, neon-yellow windbreaker walked up to our booth. She couldn’t have been more than eight or nine years old. We observed for a minute or so as she read the poster set up in front of the booth. Then Keona asked her if she would like to try meditating. The little girl said she was open to it. We went through the experience of Self-realisation with her, and she seemed to enjoy it immensely. We asked her what her name was and she said it was Emily.
Emily left the Sahaja Yoga booth, but twenty minutes later she was back. She just stood by our booth, smiled at us and waved as we were giving Realisation to other seekers. She did this about four or five times during the day. Since this was a Fourth of July fair, there were lots of other attractions for the children – face-painting, drawing contests, a balloon parade and many other events. Emily would go away from our booth, but kept returning as if the tremendous vibrations kept pulling her back.
About two hours later, she came back, this time with her mother. And then she came back with two friends, and soon a small crowd started forming in front of our booth. At one point, our entire booth was filled! We had about six children and seven mothers and other ladies crowded into our little tent, and the more the people saw this, the more they were interested in what was going on. We had to borrow extra chairs from our tent neighbours and the organisers, and people were spilling out of our allotted space to get their Realisation.
Everyone got their Realisation, and we had a long list of names of people interested in starting a new Sahaja Yoga meeting in that area. The vibrations were tremendous because the children all had their Kundalinis up in no time! And little Emily joined them a second time to sit down and meditate with us. It was the sweetest experience to see this little Angel with light in her eyes and a big smile on her face enthusiastically telling everyone about the Sahaja Yoga booth. She kept pointing people to our booth even when she was in line for the rock-climbing wall or the face-painting booth.
Towards the end of the day, she came back to the booth, hugged Keona tightly and just smiled. She said she would love to come back to meditate some more. We told her mother that she was a very special child, a Realised soul who recognised the significance of the work we were doing. We asked her mother to please bring her to every meeting once we started.
We haven’t stopped talking about our little Angel whose innocence did Shri Mataji’s great work for us that day like a little Shri Ganesha, Shri Hanumana and all the Shakti powers rolled into one!
Viraj and Keona Talpade
San Diego, USA
The reason for dreams is that when you are sleeping your attention moves either to the supra-conscious side or to the subconscious side. Your attention starts moving and then you start seeing things which are connected with your subconscious or your collective subconscious…. You may go into your supra-conscious side where you see your future and all these things.
Bu the reason why you get your dreams actually is that the unconscious pushes within you, or we can say the Kundalini or your Atma is trying to guide you to the right path. And how does it guide you to the right path, is through dreams.
But these are misunderstood. How are you guided by these dreams? Understand these dreams, because you are so confused.
First you go deep into yourself and you touch the unconscious, sushupti. But from there, you come out. And then when you are coming out, you touch your subconscious or maybe the supra-conscious. So whatever anabhuti [feeling] you had or whatever experience you had of the depth of the sushupti gets confused. And you don’t know what you dreamt and you don’t understand and you forget it.
But those who are realised souls, go to their sushupti and see exactly what they have to know. Like many people in Bombay when I came, they didn’t know I was coming, but they were at the airport because they got the dream.
So at the sushupti level, at the deep level, you get the communication with God if you know how to go in and come out fully aware. But if you get confused with supra-conscious or subconscious areas … your chitta [attention] is not so clearcut. Then there can be a big confusion.
Shri Mataji, 1983
The Mooladhara Chakra is placed at the very base of the spinal column. It has an important role as support for both the subtle body system and Kundalini, and so it is closely related to balance and stability. The Mooladhara Chakra is placed below the Mooladhara which houses the Kundalini. It is the foundation of the psyche, where it is grounded and supports the other centres. Any strong disturbance to its sensitivity throws the individual off-balance and causes mental disturbance.
The qualities of the Mooladhara Chakra are innocence and wisdom and eternal childhood. To awaken these you can use the affirmation, “Mother, please make me the innocence.”
The Mooladhara Chakra is the seat of our grounding force, our connection with Mother Earth. It is made of the Earth element and represents the beginning and primary principle of Life.
In the beginning, gross matter was created using the four-petalled Carbon atom as the first building block. Like Carbon this chakra has four petals, a stable configuration. The Earth is our vehicle for Life and is innocent in this role. She does not judge – matter simply is and supports. In the same way the innocence of a child simply is, without thinking, judgement or concern, and this quality is in concert with the innate pure wisdom of a child. Children often see and speak clearly. “From the mouth of babes”.
When this chakra is awakened its magnetic force starts working. A person whose Mooladhara Chakra is awakened has an inner sense of stability and direction. The qualities of this chakra are those of innocence, wisdom, purity and eternal childhood. These qualities are naturally inherent within each being, but we can through various practices damage this centre. This is the centre that governs the retention, elimination and sexual aspects of human beings.
An awakened and lively Mooladhara chakra brings forth spontaneous wisdom, innocence, dedication, purity and joy. Such a personality is auspicious, and contributes good fortune to his or her surroundings.
The presiding deity or personification of the Mooladhara chakra is Shri Ganesha, the child with the head of an elephant. He is innocent and helps us to remove obstacles in our way.
Clearing the chakras in the Subtle System is an important part of Sahaja Yoga. Sitting on Mother Earth is a very simple technique for clearing the Mooladhara Chakra. If you wish to find out more ways of clearing the chakras, you are very welcome to come to any of the Sahaja Yoga programs held throughout Australia. Please see the main website, www.sahajayoga.com.au, for details about meeting places and times.
(Photograph: www.sahajayogatorino.com)