The most important physiological function of your Swadhisthan Chakra is the breaking down of fat particles within your abdomen to replace your brain’s gray and white matter – the stuff of “thinking.”

Excessive thinking and planning are very common in today’s world. Ultimately, the right side of your Swadhisthan Chakra can become exhausted by all that thought. When this happens, you may find that your creativity falters and your work become lifeless. You may no longer experience spontaneity and joy.

This happens because your Swadhisthan Chakra is neglecting other organs that it should be taking care of in order to replenish the brain matter you have lost through an excess of thought.

For example, your liver has to work harder to produce fat cells to meet your body’s demand. Because the liver is the seat of attention, you lose focus and pure thought is compromised.

It is important to recognize the difference between attention (which is a quality of the Swadhisthan Chakra) and thought (which is detrimental to it). Attention means close observation or listening. It is pure focus upon an object without thought. Attention is concentration, observation and witnessing.

For example, you might direct your attention to a flower, appreciating its beauty and its fragrance, without actually thinking about it. You would observe it and marvel at it without questions running through your mind such as, “What is the name of this flower?” or “I wonder if this is an annual or a perennial?”

A balanced liver sustains and nourishes your ability to be attentive by filtering out impurities, distractions and external clutter. The peace and stillness that helps you to meditate effectively comes from this purified attention.

When your Swadhisthan Chakra is balanced, excessive thinking is prevented. You will be able to maintain a peaceful mind free from worries, doubts, confusion and distraction. The creative work you do while in this balanced state will be spiritually enhanced. It will have “heart.”

If your Swadhisthan Chakra is unbalanced, you may find that you have difficulty meditating and a general lack of creativity. You may also experience insomnia and irritability. Other symptoms of an unbalanced Swadhisthan include illnesses such as diabetes, blood-related cancers, allergies and heart disease.

Reasons for Imbalances:

• Excessive thinking, planning and hyper-mental activity exhaust this center. At its extreme this can cause mental burnouts and extreme fatigue in our physical body.

Fortunately, meditation provides a simple means for balancing this Chakra. To clear your Swadhisthan Chakra, you should soak your feet daily in normal temperature water.

If you wish to focus on clearing your right Swadhisthana Chakra, soak your feet in a bowl of salted, cold (even iced) water during meditation. You may also place an ice pack on the right Swadhisthan position. This is located just above the place where your torso connects to your right leg.

To purify your left Swadhisthan Chakra, soak your feet into a bowl of salted, warm/hot (whatever is comfortable for your skin) water during meditation.

If you have persistent problems with the balance of this Chakra, you can try purifying it with a candle flame. Hold the candle in your right hand a few centimeters in front of your left Swadhisthan Chakra. The left Swadhisthan Chakra is located just above where your torso connects to your left leg.