Last week I talked about your comfort zone and the need to re-examine it based on the philosophy and psychology of yoga in relation to the sense of security mediated via mooladhara, the root chakra. Today, I will be talking about the chakra of happiness. Just to remind you that the chakras are energy centers within us. They are not a part of the anatomy that can be seen with the eyes. You can’t dissect out a chakra and examine it. However, it’s interesting to note that each of the chakras is located in the physical body near a major endocrine gland and nerve complex. It’s the endocrine and nervous systems that help regulate bodily functions and not just from a physical perspective. In fact, the endocrine and nervous systems influence us on many different levels, physical, energetic, and mental. So when the ancient yogis delineated the chakras and their locations, they had an understanding that each of these areas of the body greatly influences us.

This week we will explore the effects of the next chakra, swadhisthana. Swa means “one’s own” and adhisthana means “dwelling place” so swadhistana is the basis of our individual human existence. It is said that this chakra is associated with the unconscious mind with its storehouse of impressions from our actions during this life and that govern our individual responses to life as we live it now.

Unlike mooladhara where we seek security and may seek pleasure as a means to acquire security, here we seek pleasure because it just makes us feels good! Swadhisthana looks for the sensorial pleasures based on one’s samskaras or patterns of behavior that become the default, patterned behavior that helps us respond to the world around us.

The whole world is viewed according to the amount of pleasure it yields. Basically, this is the chakra that is most predominantly functioning in today’s world. Again, there are degrees of how this manifests from one person’s life to the other.

To briefly review the continuum of the gunas, the qualities of existence, you will be able to see where you fall on that spectrum to have insight into managing your desires. At the dark end of the spectrum is tamas, the sense of inertia, ignorance, stuckness. At the light end of the spectrum is sattwa, the quality of balance, purity, and luminosity. And to move from tamas to sattwa, in the middle is rajas, the quality of dynamism, action, but also ego.

Considering the gunas let’s look at this spectrum as it relates to swadhistana. Since this chakra is about pleasure, then if tamas predominates, there is no pleasure – one is stuck in darkness. This results in a lack of motivation, depression, and even suicidal thinking. There may be inappropriate feelings of guilt and pessimism. Addictions may happen in an effort to elevate this darkness and find pleasure, which, of course is only temporary leaving one unfulfilled and results in the cycle beginning again.

Generally speaking, this person needs professional help along with support from any friends or family. The likelihood is that this person won’t come to a yoga class or listen to this podcast or do anything that will help them move forward because they don’t believe they deserve to feel better.

Now, many of us have periods where tamas is influencing our lives. We experience sadness, boredom, and loneliness. There is more action, but it may be over-action in an effort to be happy. Overeating, overdrinking, overspending, indulging in sex only for one’s personal pleasure. Not caring about how others feel about these actions.

Becoming more fully established in rajas, there is more optimism and drive as long as things are moving along smoothly. All good things still come from outside oneself, but there is humor and a desire for fun.

As the light of sattwa begins to shine into swadhisthana, one becomes more interested in others, kinder, and less self-absorbed. They are considerate of others, contented, and happy.

Continuing further into sattwa, this person lights up a whole room when they walk in and people love to be with them. They are joyful and can always see the funny side of life. Without effort, they see the positive side of everyone and all of life’s situations.

So, do you know someone like this? Do you want to be someone like this? How do you get there? Well of course I’m going to suggest you do yoga! But seriously, not so much yoga on the mat, although movement is important and if done with awareness, can be beneficial. What will be most beneficial is yoga off the mat, on the meditation cushion and in your life.

Practicing meditation is essential to be able to see yourself and the ruminations of your mind. I honestly don’t think you will progress without it. With meditation you will gain some serious insights as to the number of thoughts that relate to cravings – the seeking of happiness through sensory pleasures. In watching the thoughts, you also see what emotions are attached to those thoughts and how many of your patterns are an attempt at soothing negative emotions.

Now when I speak of meditation, I don’t mean you have to do one hour sitting cross-legged on the floor. In fact, I suggest you start with about 10-15 minutes and sit however you wish, in a quiet place without distractions. The mindfulness meditation of antar mouna is an excellent beginning practice and you can get that as a bonus podcast practice last November. In this practice, you begin to find space between you as the witness of the thought so you can be proactive rather than being swept away by your thoughts into your usual patterns of conditioned behavior.

In addition, try using the practice of yoga nidra, a guided meditation where you lie down and relax deeply. Yoga nidra will help to alleviate your stress. Stress creates unhappiness so it is often the triggering mechanism for overindulging.

Remember, your cravings are a result of seeking happiness outside of you through sensory pleasures. Therefore, managing your senses is important and this requires simplicity and regularity in life. For most of us this can be difficult, especially since the pandemic has altered our lives so much.

But you can start trying. Begin to examine the overwhelming variety and amount of sensory input that you experience daily. What things stimulate your senses and cravings, but aren’t really healthy or necessary?

When I go to India and stay at the ashram, life is so busy there, but also simple. When you have hundreds of people in a limited space, things have to be organized! There is a time to get up, a regular schedule for eating simple meals, afternoon tea, time for work and time to stop working, time for learning and practicing and time for sleep. Even if I’m only staying there for a couple of weeks, I can feel layers of my usual life being peeled away and I leave feeling a sense of fullness that I rarely feel here.

You don’t have to go to extremes, but do begin to engage in some restraint, both physical and mental restraint. Cut back on unhealthy foods and adopt a simple diet. Sit less and go for a walk more. Less screen time on devices and more time in solitude. Less freedom to do anything at any time and more of a schedule for your life.

Start with small steps to begin the journey to stop looking outside of you and find the happiness that lives within, just waiting for you to set the stage for its opportunity to play out.