The second chakra is one of five Earth Chakras, which nourish and ground us to Pachamama, just like the roots of a tree. This swirling disk of energy is located four fingers below the bellybutton, and its properties are:
Element: Water
Color: Orange
Body Aspects: Digestion, intestines, kidneys, urinary tract, sexual potency, adrenaline, lower back pain, menstrual pain, loss of appetite
Instinct: Sexuality
Psychological Aspects: Power, money, sex, control, fear, fighting, passion, self-esteem, sexual or emotional abuse, inherited parental issues, incest
Glands: Adrenals
Seeds: Creativity, compassion, family
Negative Expression: Fear, fighting
The second chakra is linked to the kidneys and the element water. This chakra metabolizes energy nutrients in the Luminous Energy Field; all forms of energy feed it: It processes the Earth energy taken in through the first chakra and digests emotional energies in the nervous system. This energy center also activates the adrenals — the stress glands in the body — which manufacture more than a hundred different steroids, including sex hormones and adrenaline.
When this chakra is functioning properly, it can shred negative emotions and expel them through the first chakra as waste. When this chakra is out of balance, negative emotions fester within us, sitting in our gut, decomposing slowly. We all know people who are unable to let go of anger and carry resentment for weeks and even years. These negative emotions settle in the second chakra, turning it toxic. Eventually these emotional toxins are assimilated through the Luminous Energy Field.
While the first chakra builds fences for protection, the second chakra stockpiles rocks (adrenaline) to defend itself. The problem is we often perceive that we need more powerful rocks to do the job. The other side always seems to have a bigger pile than we do, and the perceived threat escalates. The Cold War was a perfect example of second-chakra thinking on a global scale. When the United States entered into the Cold War, many were convinced that the Russians had bigger navies and better warplanes than we did. In reality, the Russian navy was rusting and sinking, and its warplanes were no match for ours. The second chakra is the motivator of bullies and cowards. Bravado and posturing are inspired by this chakra.
Second-chakra personality disorders can take a high toll. These people live in a world where the rain falls because the sky personally wants to get them wet. At times, they believe the entire world is conspiring against them. Granted, sometimes it does rain for us, but it also rains for the trees, plants, animals and stones, as well as for its own sake. This person often has an attitude of entitlement. As he heals his second chakra he discovers that the world owes him nothing. On the contrary, he has a debt to life.
The second chakra is also home to passion. It expresses itself through creativity and intimacy. In the first chakra we reproduce. In the second chakra we make love to our beloved. The Sanskrit name for this center is svadhisthana, which means “dwelling place of the self.” Chronologically, this chakra corresponds to the ages between eight and fourteen. Adolescent longing for romantic adventure originates with the surge of activity in the second chakra. This chakra is erotic, full of lust and fantasy, propelling high-adrenaline romance. If the adolescent does not develop a clear and positive sense of self during puberty, the growth of the second chakra can become stunted. This person will not develop robust emotional boundaries and will be unable to recognize that what others want may differ from what she desires. She may feel tormented by relationships and by people who can never meet her needs.
Under the direction of the second chakra, the center of erotic love, we explore our passion and discover intimacy. Dysfunction in this chakra can lead one to confuse sex with love. The great task of the second chakra is to transform sex into love, romance into intimacy. This is no easy task, as the negative drive of this chakra are a need to control others through money, power, and sex. The second chakra passes right though the womb, where life germinates. This center germinates the seeds of passion and creativity that will bloom in our upper chakras.
The negative expressions of the second chakra are anger and fear. Shamans believe that fear is the great enemy. It is a cunning adversary that you must not engage, because the moment you do, it will sap your strength and emerge victorious. The task is to get to know and befriend your fear. Use it as a warning mechanism and not as a trigger for the fight-or-flight response. My mentor told me that fear is the absence of love and that a shaman must learn to embrace it. When we have emptied ourselves of fear we can meet our adversaries in person and know that they are no different from us. We are both expressions of the same life force.
In a future blog, we’ll discuss the third chakra — the power center in the luminous energy system.
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