Svādhiṣṭhāna Cakra

The second cakra, located in the sacral region. Sva means “own”; adhiṣṭhāna, “dwelling” or “seat”. It is where the individual sense of identity resides before elaborating into thought.

Associated with the water element (ap), the sense of taste and the seed syllable VAṂ. Its yantra is a six-petalled lotus with a white crescent moon, symbol of fluidity and movement.

Svādhiṣṭhāna governs creativity, sexuality and emotion —everything that flows. It is linked to apāna vāyu, the downward current of prāṇa that governs elimination and reproduction.

In the Haṭha Yoga Pradīpikā, this centre connects with practices that work with sexual energy: vajrolī mudrā (3.83-96) seeks to sublimate the creative potency of this region, redirecting bindu upward rather than letting it fall.

It does not feature as prominently as mūlādhāra or ājñā in classical Haṭha texts. But its function is clear: it is the zone where the raw energy of the first cakra begins to move, to take shape, to seek expression.