Qualities: creativity, inspiration, aesthetics, intellectual perception.
Gross expression: aortic plexus.
Place on hand: thumb.
Manifestations: liver, kidney, spleen, pancreas, uterus.
Causes of catch: too much thinking or planning, too much involvement in art, making money out of your talents, alcohol, drugs, bad eating habits, artificial or crude false gurus, extreme obedience, extreme political ideas, domination or slavery, ego-oriented life, spiritualism, black magic.
Number of Petals: Six.
Element: Fire.
The Swadisthan Chakra is suspended like a satellite on a chord from the nabhi chakra (3) and moves around the void (IV) giving sustenance (Dharma) to weak areas of its ten petals which represent the ten commandments. When Kundalini first rises it passes into the nabhi chakra then along the chord to enlighten the swadisthan then returns into the nabhi.
Here, the energy for our creativity is generated. The urge to be unique to compete or be recognized for our intellectual and creative abilities comes from ego, which has a direct relationship through pingala nadi to right Swadisthan. The most important function of this centre is that it is responsible for breaking down fat particles in the abdomen to replace the grey and white cells of the brain, so generating the energy which fuels our thinking. But too much thinking drains the central channel as the right side pingala nadi is exhausted. The ego swells further to envelop the brain, pushing the super ego down to minimum and effectively severing the connection with the central channel which is governed by the Spirit, the true creative source. Instead of a sponge, the brain becomes like a rock, losing all power of absorption. The extreme effort to create kills all spontaneity which is why most modern art, whether drama, music or painting, becomes gross and lacking in joy-giving qualities. This is due to ego’s demands for pampering, which it enjoys as happiness, setting an unbreakable vicious circle.
As the pingala nadi tries to recharge itself from the centre, an imbalance is created. The problem often manifests as left nabhi freezing, and can even extend to the whole left side. In such cases, diseases like diabetes are developed. When the ego grips the heart organ which is the abode of the Spirit one gets heart disease; when such a person neglects the Spirit and runs after other things, heart attacks could result. The Swadisthan Chakra along with the Nabhi Chakra, also looks after the liver. As this centre busies itself with the thinking process, the other organs it is supposed to look after are neglected and the liver which has to work hard producing fat cells for the brain, suffers. Problems here are indicated by tingling in the thumb and middle finger of the right hand or by prickling sensations in the hands. This organ is particularly important in that it is the seat of our attention (chitta). Attention should not be confused with thought which comes from ego or super ego, it is pure concentration minus thought, which is mental activity. The liver sustains our attention and purifies it by filtering out all kinds of dirt filth and poisons. Before realization, our attention is always running after external things, getting carried away on the waves of thought and feeling and being dissipated through uncontrolled eyes. We cannot consciously take the attention inside our being. Something has to happen there. The sudden awakening of Kundalini pulls it in and then unites it to the Spirit. This is where it should rest, in enjoyment of the Spirit, pure and still in thoughtless awareness. The joy of the heart, where the Spirit resides, nourishes the liver and helps to sustain the attention. Thus the chitta (attention) becomes enlightened with spiritual joy, ananda.
Anything to do with spiritualism, black magic, disturbing or depending on the dead, using guides, occultism, getting involved in clairovoyance, ESP causes Swadisthan to catch badly. The reason for this is that we become dependant on external entities which leech on our energies depleting them. The quality of Swadisthan is pure knowledge (Nirmala Vidya), knowledge of things as they are in the absolute sense. This knowledge needs to be experienced by ourselves directly not through an external agency.
The key to true creativity is in achieving the state of thoughtless awareness (nirvichar samadhi). Like a lake, silent and still, all the beauty of the creation around You, is reflected within. You become the flute, an egoless channel for the divine music of vibrations. You are, in the words of the Poet, ‘a heart that watches and receives’.
Because of the connection with ego, which completely takes our attention from the self, the Spirit, it is very important for us at this center to develop real humility, i.e. knowing in our hearts of who we are, acknowledging our place in this creation, which for a realised soul is just to be an instrument of the divine.