The second chakra, Svatisthana, glows orange and is connected to the reproductive system and sexuality. It is located in the pelvic and lower abdominal area. It moves in an anti clockwise direction and connects to the etheric auric body. All our creativity comes from here. Women carry babies here. Art, song, music, poetry, writing, and hobbies all spring from the sacral chakra. All our sexuality and sensuality arise from this energy center. When it’s in balance, we have access to limitless amounts of pleasure. This is also where the energy for teaching. coaching, mentoring, as well as self-love and nourishing ourselves properly. Taking pleasure in that which we create strengthens and harmonizes Svatisthana, which opens us up to creating yet again. The primordial sound here is O, as in GO. The corresponding note is D, with A as complimentary. It’s located 6 cm (2.4”) below the navel and it helps regulate the ovaries or testes, kidneys, bladder, prostate, pelvis, bodily fluids, adrenal glands, large intestines and lower back/sacrum. It governs the gonads and the reproductive system.

When this chakra is weak or blocked it contributes to being overly critical of oneself and others, blocking ourselves from pleasure due to feelings of unworthiness. When this chakra is overstimulated, a person may be overly focused on sexuality, seeking temporary pleasure without the sustaining energy of mutual love and respect. People who abuse others sexually in any way are suffering from overstimulated" and "I am worthy of giving and receiving love, and I accept this in abundance right now". 

Crystals which strengthen Svatisthana include carnelian, citrine, tiger's eye, and clear quartz. Activities which strengthen this chakra inclue taking long, relaxing baths with bubbles or epsom salts following an extra attentive session of Abhyanga, 15 minutes of yoga asanas and 20 minutes of Transcendental Meditation. Another is visiting an art gallery, an outdoor music festival, a wildlife sanctuary, or engaging in arts and crafts yourself. Painting, singing, dancing, crochet, knitting, writing and creating music all are given energetic assistance from Svatisthana. This is also the home of our intuition. When you have a gut feeling, it originates in the sacral chakra. 

Dancing without inhibition to drumming and other rhythmic instruments is an excellent way to balance and strengthen Svatisth your pelvis and hips to freely sway amplifies this energy center, especially when dancing in a group setting outdoors, with a campfire to dance around. This chakra developed at the point in time when humanity realized that there was a much greater chance of being able to survive when in a group of other people all supporting one another. It was the sacral chakra in action collectively when people first began to remain in groups and travel from one location to another together. This chakra's symbol is a 6 petal lotus flower. 

The third chakra is known as Manipura and glows yellow. It is located at the navel and is also known as the solar plexus chakra. This is the home of our own personal power and sense of confidence. It moves in a clockwise direction and connects to the vital auric body. Our morals and ability to stick to them despite the circumstances originate in this energy center. This is the home of our own personal free will. When this chakra is too weak, you might take other's comments or expressions personally, or assume that people don't have our best interests at heart. This also contributes to being a harsh critic of oneself and perhaps suffering from imposter syndrome, even if we have many qualifications. Regardless of certifications and qualifications, each of us is worthy and deserving of self-confidence. When this chakra is overstimulated, the tendency towards narcism is very marked. When this is combined with a lack of empathy, a person may become quite villainous in nature. This usually correlates with overstimulated first and second chakras. 

This chakra is connected to the pancreas and it governs the stomach, liver, gallbladder and nervous system. It corresponds with the digestive system and lower back. The resonating musical notes are E and the complimentary note is B. The sound for toning is AW, which sounds like the o's in the word DOOR. The crystals which strengthen Manipura are tiger's eye, malachite, hematite, jasper, citrine, amber and clear quartz. Its symbol is a lotus flower with 10 petals. The cat pose in yoga, which involves having both hands and knees supporting the body, and with a deep breath, arching the back as you exhale, and bring your head down to your chest. Hold this asana for several seconds. 

When Manipura is in balance, we're responsible and have confidence in our strengths and talents We have purpose and focus and are able to push forward without constantly seeking another's approval. We have the courage to not care what others think and have healthy self-esteem. We don't feel the need to manipulate others or control them. We are secure and aware of the fact that we have the power to shape our lives. We understand that it's impossible to control everything, but know that by taking charge of our own lives, we have the power to manifest the destiny we wish for. We don't allow others to manipulate us and we don't feel less than anyone else. 

The whole world is currently stuck in the energy of Manipura. Colonization along with the industrial revolution and now the technological revolution have contributed to drastically changing the world and creating limitless opportunities for each of us, but fear and hateful rhetoric has escalated out of control, contributing to the world's leaders choosing to go to war with other nations. When we evolve into living in the heart chakra, these power struggles will be resolved diplomatically, and humans will finally realize how harmful and war is, and we will finally know world peace. Digestive troubles always have a connection to Manipura, and are connected to feelings of loss of power. Asking yourself questions like “Do I have a lack of personal power in my life.” and “Is there any chance that I might be abusing my own personal power or taking advantage of another in any way, or am I allowing myself to be taken advantage of?” can help increase self-awareness and recognition of patterns of behavior, which therefore helps us to change that behavior.

Affirmations to strengthen Manipura include these; "I am worthy and capable and deserve love and respect," "I am open to the abundance the universe has to offer me," and "Today I choose to think before I speak or act." Being mindful always strengthens and balances this chakra. All our self-confidence, self-esteem, feelings of belonging, worthiness, ability to take responsibility for ourselves and learning to trust and accept our gut feelings stem from the solar plexus chakra. 

Journaling is an excellent activity for balancing this energy, as is creating a vision board. When focusing on healing Manipura, ask yourself questions about where you live, whether or not you're in a relationship (and if you're not, whether or not you seek to be in one), how much money you make, the type of work you do and if you're happy in that work, how many hours a week you work and what type of friends you have. 

The fourth chakra is the heart chakra and is called Anahata. It glows emerald green, and the higher heart glows pink. It moves in an anti clockwise direction and connects to the astral auric body, otherwise known as the Emotional Aura or Body. There is teeny tiny Bhodi tree in the center of the higher heart chakra which exists for the purpose of worshipping the Divine. Giving praise to our Creator is the highest form of prayer. This chakra is related to Unconditional Love. It enables us to love ourselves and others, to avoid being judgmental and to empathize with other's struggles. Crystals which strengthen the heart chakra include jade, aventurine and rose quartz. The symbol is a 10 petal lotus flower. 

People suffering from imbalance and weakness of this chakra are unable to express empathy. They lose their own sense of humanity while focusing on fearing others because of their differences, rather than celebrating our diversity. Indigenous cultures understand our interconnectedness and sayings like “In L’akesh” which means “I am yourself,” and the Sanskrit saying, “Namaste” means “That which is Divine within me salutes that which is Divine within you” are examples of this prescient awareness. A healthy heart chakra is accompanied by deep inner peace and serenity. Imbalances in the heart chakra can lead to people being cold, emotionally distant and self-aggrandizing. Or a person may constantly shower love on others without loving themselves first. This creates energetic imbalances and can result in situations where people may take advantage of the person who is always giving. Dinacharya deepens love for self by incorporating daily rituals of self-care into your schedule until they just become automatic. 

The heart chakra is located in the chest and it governs the lungs, heart, and thymus gland. It is also connected to the circulatory system, hands, shoulders, breasts, and upper back. It is the center of Prana Subdosha, and the seat of consciousness.It’s musical note is F and the complimentary note is D, The sound for toning is AY as in Hay. Singing and Thai Chi, involving swinging the arms up and down and expanding the chest are great exercises for this chakra. So is reciting poetry at an open mic, or watching your children in a talent show, musical presentation or sports activity, because of the love we have for them. You can literally feel your heart expand during these experiences.

When disasters strike or a much loved well-known person crosses over the rainbow, many hearts open simultaneously. The passing of Dolly Parton recently and the collapsed iceberg in Nepal are two examples of events which triggered the opening of billions of our hearts at once, Dolly was a kind and generous person who loved and accepted everyone. She rose from rags and lifted herself to great heights with her songwriting and singing and she blessed millions of people along the way, and also helped lift hundreds of her Appalachian neighbors and family members out of poverty, The flash flood in Nepal was so immense and sudden and took so many lives in a place where the world’s oldest religions were founded has reminded billions of us of the urgency of the climate crisis and our role as oil burning and polluting humans in this extremely precarious situation we find ourselves in. With open hearts and open minds, we join together to implement the solutions and seek more sustainable ways of living together on this beautiful blue planet. And we do this not for our own sake, but for the sake of our children. 

Heart Math Institute has done much research on the connection between heart and mind and have found that the heart has its own mind, as does the gut. Our feelings of love, compassion, generosity, and forgiveness arise from here, and here we are communicating to all of humanity and all of creation, I have been blessed to be in Hands Across America, when 6 million of us Americans held hands from the Golden Gate Bridge to the Empire State Building to raise awareness for the unhoused. Our hearts shone through our hands that day, and we magnified that light and love through each other from coast to coast.

My family and I were out in Palm Springs, California and it was very hot. We had to stretch quite a bit, and the moment all our hands connected a bolt of electricity and heart love surged through all of us. We spontaneously began singing “We Are The World” and as we were leaving, people held their hands out to me as we drove past them, and I touched hundreds of hands as we drove very slowly away.

I have also been in Ohm circles at National Rainbow Gatherings where several thousand of us held hands and Ohmed for about 20 minutes after a morning of silence, and then celebrated life itself and prayed and danced and sang and a double rainbow appeared, which seemed to be God/Creator talking to us. The hands are connected to the heart and when people gather together in love and peace, they not only lift their own vibrations, they help raise the vibrations of the whole world. 

Heart chakra affirmations revolve around reminding ourselves to love ourselves. “There is love in abundance in this world and Inam willing to receive and give this love to myself and others” and “The more I love myself, the more others love me and themselves and the more love there is to go around.” When making decisions in life, ask yourself, “Does this action increase the love in the Universe?” prior to meditating, and the answer will arise from deep within your heart. It is here we know truth. 

 

Exploring the higher chakras: throat, third eye, and crown