In the last article, we touched upon the Chandrabhedan Pranayam as an exercise to balance the influence of the Svadhisthana chakra. It also alkalizes the body and keeps it healthy.
The ideal time to do the Chandrabhedan Pranayam is right after we wake up. The Svadhisthana chakra rules the reproductive glands and so it becomes the center for creative work. Activating this area in the morning brings creativity to the small acts of life. We may just be laying the table for dinner, but we now give it a creative touch. Whether it is gardening or listening to music, we will do it with a different attitude.
Similarly, the right practice of Vajroli Mudra is very important to awaken the positive qualities of the Svadhisthana chakra and also to awaken its shakti.
In yoga, the vajra nadi or nerve begins from the head of the penis, goes up the backbone and touches the Bindu chakra. The correct activation of the vajra nadi through the Vajroli Mudra can lead to sensations moving from the tip of the penis (or the clitoris) through the backbone to the top of the head. Mr. Tavaria says the Divine sits in the Bindu. So, we can see what a powerful practice the Vajroli Mudra is.
The shakti of the Svadhisthana chakra is the Devi Rakini. She is the energy of Raman, the God of Love or Kama. Another name for her is Ramani, the consort of Raman. She has two heads, representing duality. We saw that the first chakra, the Muladhara, is universal and that individuality comes from the second chakra, the Svadhisthana. With individuality comes duality — the in and the out, the two sides of the pendulum. Man is a slave to duality throughout his life. He lives in opposites. By awakening the shakti of the Svadhisthana, he learns to balance the opposites.
Rakini is a consciously created afferent impulse, which translates into a pause on reactions and negative emotions. Through a long period of self-observation, we study the negative emotions stimulated in this chakra — jealousy, envy, rage, prejudices, resentment, self-denial, fear of change, lack of social skills, lack of desire and no creativity.
The pause awakens the Rakini shakti or power which allows us to make the right use of the water element in the Svadhisthana chakra. We now flow through life in a kind of effortless effort. We do not lose our balance as life swings through extremes, our rigidity dissolves and we become soft and adaptable. Adaptability is the main characteristic of intelligence. It helps us transform guilt into remorse. We learn to balance our inner needs and desires with the external conditions of life. The shakti awakens the positive aspects of the six sounds or petals in the Svadhisthana chakra and completely eradicates the corresponding six negative vrittis (refer to the first article on the Svadhisthana chakra). This shakti gives the power of creativity and serves as inspiration for art and music.
It is the Rakini shakti that frees us from sexual addiction and gives us the capacity to enjoy sex in the most beautiful manner. It gives us the proficiency to work delicately and skillfully with the three energies involved in the sex act. They are the arousal energy, the loving energy and the orgasm energy. The correct joining of partners with awareness of the Svadhisthana chakra sets into flow powerful currents of energy. The energy loops and swirls through their bodies, purifying, rejuvenating and rising in consciousness. In this rise in consciousness, they lose the individual identities of the Svadhisthana chakra and merge with the Divine in total surrender. The male becomes Shiva and the female Shakti. At a higher level, they can even exchange their genders, just as Radha wore Krishna’s clothes and Krishna Radha’s. In that losing of themselves, it is just the one cosmic being. There is no recognition of Radha and Krishna. Two ecstatic dancers merge into one cosmic dance.
To reach such a level of expertise requires years of practice, starting with the Ashwini Mudra and Vajroli Mudra, both on the physical and psychic levels. Apart from that, there are deeper yogic practices which cannot be a part of this study. A time will come when the lovers will not need to touch each other to experience that ecstasy. They will always be together as they have been since the beginning of time.
This is how the higher part of the Svadhisthana chakra gives us the capacity to enjoy and be creative in each moment of life.
As noted earlier, the sense of taste is connected with the Svadhisthana chakra. At a subtle level, working on this chakra enables us to develop the taste of life, the taste of negative emotions and of the higher qualities in each moment. The organ of action is the tongue. There are many higher qualities in the tongue, and they have to be awakened through conscious effort. The tongue is representative of the penis and the cavity of the mouth is the vagina. When we hum the mkaras at the end of the Omkar or any mantra, we lift the tongue, which is enclosed in the cavity of the mouth, and allow the humming to move up through the tongue, pierce the palate and enter the brain cavity or Brahmarandhra. This is the epitome of mantra yoga.
The mantra of the Svadhisthana chakra is Vam. This means to vomit, to ejaculate. In all reactions, we vomit negativity outside. Through this mantra, we control and become free of this automatic tendency. While saying this mantra, or even while practicing the Omkar, at the time of the makara or humming, we shape the lips in a circle as if we are blowing into a tube. We will feel the lips vibrating. This posture awakens the shakti of the Svadhisthana chakra. If we practice this every morning and then in the daytime when we are reacting in the six vrittis of this chakra, we will be able to pause and bring in consciousness quite easily.
Another way to help activate the positive aspects of the Svadhisthana chakra is to meditate upon the reflection of the Moon in the still waters of a lake or river.
Next to the Devi Rakini sits Lord Vishnu. He controls the five vayus. We will expand on this in the next article.