1. Swadhishthana Chakra - Lessons 4 to 7

'Chakra' means wheel, something circular that rotates, which is how our centers look to those who can perceive them.

The chakras lie along a central line that runs up our spine from the tailbone to the crown of the head. This central conduit for energy is called Sushumna. Entwined around it on the left and right sides of the spine are two other energy lines, the Ida and the Pingala, which carry feminine and masculine energy respectively. Ida and Pingala run from the tailbone to the nostrils, weaving back and forth around Sushumna. Wherever they meet and cross lies a chakra.

Chakras are the subtle energy hubs of our body. The seven major chakras are:

Sahasrara

Ajna

Vishuddhi

Anahata

Manipuraka

Swadishthana

Muladhara

Though they have no physical location, these energy centers are present along the length of the body.

Chakras roughly correspond to, and influence the activity of, the important glands of the body. The chakras deeply impact our physical and mental health. Chakras are, in turn, affected by our thoughts and emotions. The chakras are direct channels to the boundless energy of the Cosmos.

Immoderate lifestyles, stress and negative emotions can 'lock' the chakras, or cause them to malfunction.

Without even being aware of it, we are continuously blocking off these important sources of energy.

That's why almost all physical and mental illness can be partly or wholly cured, simply by cleansing and energizing the corresponding chakra.

These chakras were discovered a long time ago during the Vedic age. In fact, in many of the spiritual chants, you will find referen Today science has proved that there is a gland located near each of these chakras that is related to that particular chakra. These seven chakras supply energy to the glands.

These seven major chakras deeply influence our physical, emotional and mental activities.

Chakras are energy centers and if they are kept in a cleansed and energized condition, they can cause us to live an ecstatic and healthy life.

Dis-ease is only an imbalance in any one of these chakras, because our body and mind are rooted in our inner consciousness. Keeping these chakras in a healthy state, we can see a transformation happening in us at the mental and physical levels

After World War I, a biplane was abandoned near a remote tribal settlement in Asia. The tribal people had never seen an aircraft in all their lives. There was a lot of excitement and commotion about it and a big crowd gathered around it. They wondered what it might be and each one started giving some suggestion about it.

They finally concluded that since it had wheels, it must be a bullock cart! News spread in the village about the new bullock cart. There was a lot of celebration in the village and the biplane was taken around the settlement yoked to bullocks, and it served as a bullock cart.

Some weeks later, a young tribal boy who had returned from the city where he was studying, saw the biplane. He got into it and looked around. He saw all the gears and mechanisms in it. He fiddled with the switches and levers.

Suddenly, the engine came to life!

He managed to taxi the plane on the ground for a short distance and the villagers were shocked at what they saw. The boy had seen tractors being used and declared to the people that the biplane was not a bullock cart but some kind of tractor.

There was great celebration once again and the biplane started being used as a tractor!

Six months passed by and a retired army officer came to the village. He saw the biplane being used as a tractor and was shocked! He told the villagers that it was not a tractor and that the plane could actually fly. They refused to believe him because the only things they had ever seen flying were birds! The army officer got into the aircraft, flew it for a short while and landed.

The villagers were wonderstruck. Then they understood its true potential.

Understand: man is a wonderful mechanism meant to fly. But we don't know our true potentiality.

We have a very limited view of ourselves. Most of us operate only as a bullock cart, at the instinct level, surrendering to our emotions.

Just like this, there are mechanisms or gears inside us, called the chakras, which are boundless energy centers. Each of them is associated with a particular emotion within us. If we understand how to handle the emotion properly, we can function as an aircraft.

Each chakra is connected to a different endocrine gland in the physical body. The endocrine glands govern our hormones and therefore also our emotions.

Any positive or negative experiences we have had relating to the emotion of a specific chakra is stored inside that chakra.

The second chakra, lying between the navel and the pubic bone, governs fear. If we have had a deep fright at some point in our lives, the feeling of it is stored in that chakra. It determines how we react to future situations that remind us of our fear. It may block us from achieving our goals in life by interfering

whenever we need courage to face our situations. The existence and location.

It has been proven that when a person is locked with a particular negative emotion, the chakra associated with that emotion shrinks to the size of a coat button. It becomes that small.

But when the same person experiences the associated positive emotion, the chakra expands to the size of a cartwheel! This is the effect that our emotions have on these energy centers, our chakras.

Our energy flow in these chakras is blocked by our negative emotions and activated by our positive emotons and we are totally unaware of it!

Swadishthana Chakra is situated about three inches above the base of the spine' It gets blocked by fear, and gets unblocked by transcending fear. Swa means self or being and adishthana means established, therefore Swadishthana means where Being is centred. Almost 80% never transcend the muladhara where one is born. Swadishthana is the death centre. When you go beyond fear of death Swadishthana gets opened.

We can categorize all our fears into five major categories:

• The first is fear of losing our wealth, our comfort, name and fame, prestige, and other outer world things.
• The second is the fear of losing our health and parts of our body through some accident or disease; the fears concerned with our physical health.
• The third is the fear of losing our mental health, our mental stability.
• The fourth is the fear of losing our loved ones, or their love.
• The fifth is the fear of the unknown: fear of God, fear of ghosts and fear of death itself.

If your fear is activated, if your swadishthana is pressurized, you can't do anything fully, you can't do anything freely. When you understand everything is mangalattva, auspiciousness; the best thing, which can happen, is happening, suddenly you will see so much of intelligence is radiating through you. In front of your eyes, so many possibilities open. Intelligence means so many possibilities, that's what intelligence.

If you have pressure in the swadisthtana, you will have only 120-degree vision. Understand you will have only 120 degree vision. If your swadishthana is released, if you don't have the pressure of fear, you will have 360-degree vision, of you and your life.

In Swamiji's own words: "I have seen my gurukul (literally'tradition of guru' , refers totheancienteducation systeminwhichchildrenwerehanded over to a guruat averyyoungage by parents for upbringingandeducation) kids. We neverforcethemtomemorize. Just, theyarelettoenjoy,jump around andthepower,theenergyand memory they radiate, OhGod!Some of my kids, they, actuallytheystudy in the ashrambut theycompetewith the regular students, bywritingexams with the regular students.Andthey come out withninety-five,ninety,not a single kid comes out withlessthanninety percent. I tell themitisjustbecause their swadishthana(whereSelfisestablished; the groinor spleenenergycenter) is not activated,theirswadishthana does not havepressure."

Actually, if you deeply analyse our fears, all the five categories of fear are related to the fear of death. They manifest themselves in

different ways.

Most of do not know anything beyond birth and death. On the grave was written born on and died on. Someone asked why. It was said these are the only two things that one does clearly.

Life is a bridge between birth and death. Unless you live your death you can not live your life. An intelligent man lives his death. Unconscious man dies again and again even in his life. If you really want to live should be prepared to die. How can life be afraid of death. Death is the culmination of life. We never look into death, real death.

We never give ourselves time to ponder death. We want to forget everything about death. That's why we stay far from graveyards, which are usually out of our way. There are two issues: The incident of death

that happens at the end of our lives, and psychological death. Real death happens only once, but psychological death the fear of death permeates our life. The idea and fear of death decides our entire life structure; It's controlled by death. Some philosophies believe in only one birth and one death, one life. That's why they are so materialistic. Whatever you have to enjoy, you need to enjoy now. The western world is so intense, so time conscious. Value of time arises from this concept of one life. Who knows whether there is anything beyond this life. Science is the by product of the idea of only one life.

Some philosophies say there is a life after life; there is no need to hurry; let's look deeply into the cycle of birth and death. Inner science was born out of this concept; whereas outer science was born in the West.

Death is not a simple incident; not just something physical. It's something far more, if it guides your whole life psychologically. Your entire life will be transformed if you experience consciously. You will become fully awake, enlightened. You reach your peak, not your end, at the time of death.

Why are we then so afraid of death? Why do we feel frightened of this word?

One reason, we have not lived completely. If we had we will not be afraid. One who has lived fully will have deep satisfaction, fulfilment. We just carry on where our parents left off, carry our desires and their desires, and others' desires through our lives. We have lived others' lives. So we do not have the satisfaction. Why Are You Afraid Of Death ?

When Socrates was about to be poisoned to death, he was asked are you not afraid. He said: why? Either I live after death in another form if there is something called another life, in which case I shall live on in another form and name, or I will be erased completely, and I am not going to be around in any form. Either way what is there for me to worry?

Fear of death is just the fear of continuity or discontinuity. We are afraid of what next. That's why we live not in houses, but in graves, full of security. Complete security is only death. Life is never secure. In a grave yard you have to worry about nothing, nothing to pay, no one to bother you. What worse can happen?

Katopanishad talks about death. A young boy wants to die and goes to meet death. For 3 days he waits for death to come to him. Death was not there when he goes to meet death. Death is a frightening experience when it comes to you, not when you go to death without fear, voluntarily, consciously. This is not committing suicide. We are talking about facing the psychological fear of death. Nachiketa, the young lad, was finally received as a guest by Yama, God of death, and given boons and the knowledge of Death.

When you get the knowledge that you are never going to die, bliss blooms, you are in ecstasy. Your life is transformed from fear to fearlessness, from death to deathlessness.

If we think about continuity no one dies; all lives continue to exist. Once in six months your body is completely changed; not one cell remains the same. When you are forty you are not what you were when you were 10 or when you were 20 or when you were 30. But you do not feel you died, though you are completely different; you are different physically, mentally, emotionally, materially because you feel you are continuing.

If you intelligent, even a little bit, understand that everything in existence continues in one form or another. Leaves become manure and become trees again. Understand and you will lose this fear.

Nothing dies, noting discontinues; everything continues in a manner that nature dictates. Your idea about death will change if you understand this. That you are going to continue, perhaps in a different form, different way.

Once you understand this Swadishthana blossoms. When you get the courage to live your life as you want, with complete insecurity, you will transcend your fear. You will look into your fear deeply and you will be transformed; you will transcend death; death can not touch you. If you die physically its meaning will change.

Emotion: Fear

Chakra: Swadhisthana Chakra

Location: Two inches below the navel. In Sanskrit, Swadhishthana means ' where your being is established' from swa which means 'self' and adhishthana which means 'established'. This chakra is locked by fear, especially the fear of death and it can be made to flower by facing fear; by facing death itself.

Meditation Technique to be an innocent and egoless being: Nirbhaya Dhyana— a technique fromVedanta

c h a r k a

Introduce the children to conscious death experience.

GOALS: To make the children understand about conscious death experience.

Conscious death experience. We all live in constant fear of death. We are ready to escape it at all cost. Death is seen upon as our greatest enemy. Death is never a discontinuity. It is either continuity in some other form, or simply liberation, that's all. When man understands this, he will realize how foolish it is to suffer on this account.

Man is very attached to the physical form and that is why he suffers so much. The body is a mere vehicle for the soul. This has to be understood very clearly.

Although the only certain thing on planet earth for man is death, he is always taken by surprise when it actually happens! This is the most surprising thing about man.

• ¤ Do we all live in constant fear of death?
• ¤ Who is seen upon as our greatest enemy?
• ¤ Are we ready to escape death? Is death a discontinuity?
• ¤ What is death?
• ¤ Which is the only certain thing on planet earth?

Small strips of color paper, glue.

Encourage the children to make circular paper link up chain with the different color paper and make mala with it.

Death is never a discontinuity. It is either continuity in some other form or simply liberation.

Talk about an incident when they overcome fears.

Part 2: Swadhishthana Chakra - Lessons 4 to 7_English_part_2.md

Everyone forms a circle, the larger the better. Then two players are picked. They are blindfolded and led somewhere in the circle. They are spun around and told to start searching. Everyone must remain absolutely silent. The blindfolded players must try to find each other without making any sound. Whenever a player is about to wander out of the play area,someone in the circle gently and silently turns them in the correct direction.

This is a fun game to watch As players can walk past each other several times before they eventually catch each other. After they have caught each other two more players are chosen. Whoever takes the least amount of time are the winners. CONCLUSION: various disguises. gAME of the day:

Conclude the topic by reiterating the important details like all our fears are actually fear of death under themselves.

Teach the children about how adults are able to apply death to everyone else except themselves

To make the children understand when you conquer the fear of death, you conquer death itself.

CLICK OF THE TOPIC: When you conquer the fear of death, you conquer death itself.

Adults are able to apply death to everyone else except us! Everything in life we are prepared for except our own death. The irony is, everything in life is so unpredictable except death. The only certain thing in life is death. But the last thing we would like to be told is that sooner or later we are going to die!

When you conquer the fear of death, you conquer death itself, because death is just one more imagination! Just like how our greed makes us imagine the world to be more beautiful than it actually is, here our fear makes us imagine death to be more frightening than it actually is.

• ¤ Are we able to apply death concept to us?
• ¤ Which is so unpredictable except death?
• ¤ Which is the only certain thing in life?
• ¤ Which is the last thing we would like to be told?
• ¤ When can we conquer fear of death?

• 1. Paper
• 2. pencil
• 3. eraser

Encourage the children to imagine any picture and draw and ask them to explain what they have drawn.

Death is just one of more imagination. Our fear makes us imagine death to be more frightening than it actually is.

Talk about the last thing we would like. Vaakyartha sadhas

Prepare several small pieces of sponge soaked in strong s c ents such a s perfume, rose oil, lavender, lemon etc. Divide the group into pairs. Give each pair a blindfold and one of the sponges. The blindfolded person will have to follow the scent trail while the seeing person leads them around "by the

Conclude the topic by reiterating the important details like all our fears are actually fear of death under various disguises.

how the quality of life changes by releasing fear in the Swadhishthana energy center.

Introduce the children about how the quality of life changes by releasing fear in the Swadhishthana energy center.

GOALS: To make the children understand about how we wear glasses of greed and fear.

CLICK OF THE TOPIC: We wear glasses of greed and fear, which do not allow us to see reality.

We wear glasses of greed and fear, which do not allow us to see reality. When you experience death psychologically, you release the energy that has been locked in the fear energy center called the swadhishtana chakra in your body, which is located in the navel center. When this energy center is activated, the whole quality of your life changes.

Because of your capacity to accept death as just a continuity in another form, your capacity to enjoy life is transformed. Your whole body relaxes; your consciousness expands; your living capacity expands. By understanding death and fear of death, your life will turn out to be rich; not wealthy may be, but rich. Richness is what is really important in life.

• ¤ Why can't we see the reality?
• ¤ What happens when you experience death psychologically?
• ¤ Where is swadishtana chakra located?
• ¤ When your capacity to enjoy life is transformed?
• ¤ When your whole life relaxes?
• ¤ Which is important in life?

• 1. Paper
• 2. glue
• 3. golden
• 4. glitter paper

Encourage the children to do a collage work of golden color paper and ask them to how the collage work looks like.

By understanding death and fear of death your life will turn out to be rich.

Talk about when your life will turn rich. Vaakyartha sadhas

Two players sit on the floor. Around them are lots and lots of pairs of socks. They have to put on mittens and are blindfolded. They have 2 minutes to try to put on as many pairs of socks as

Conclude the topic by reiterating the important details like all our fears are actually fear of death under various disguises.

Introduce to the children about the five types of fear.

To make the children understand about how we wear glasses of greed and fear.

CLICK OF THE TOPIC: We can categorize all our fears into five major categories.

The first is fear of losing out wealth, our comfort, name and fame, prestige and other outer world things. The second is the fear of losing our heath and parts of our body through some accident or disease; the fears concerned with our physical health. The third is the fear of losing our mental health, our mental stability. The fourth is the fear of losing our loved ones, or their love.

The fifth is the fear of the unknown; fear of God, fear of ghosts and fear of death itself. Actually, if you deeply analyze our fears, all the five categories of fear are related to the fear of death. They manifest themselves in different ways, that's all.

• ¤ Which is the first fear?
• ¤ Which is the second fear? Which is the third fear?
• ¤ Which is the fourth fear?
• ¤ Which is the fifth fear?
• ¤ All the five categories of death is related to what?

• 1. Paper
• 2. ink bottle
• 3. ink filler

Encourage the children to put drops of ink on a paper and ask children to fold the paper in different folds and then open and see the picture formed.

All the five categories of fear are related to the fear of death. They manifest themselves in different ways, that's all.

Discuss about the five categories of fears. Vaakyartha sadhas

A circle is formed, then two players we picked to be blindfolded. One player is the lion and the other player is the mouse. Whenever the lion roars the mouse must squeak. When the lion catches the mouse the game stops and the lion picks another mouse. The

Conclude the topic by reiterating the important details like all our fears are actually fear of death under various disguises.