IN A NUTSHELL
The swadhishtana chakra is located approximately two inches above the muladhara chakra and two inches below the manipuraka chakra. The energy in this chakra is blocked by fear, especially the fear of death, and made to flower through facing our fears and by accepting the fear of death.
All of our fears are actually manifestations of the fear of death. If we can look at and embrace our fears and totally accept them, they will no longer have power over our lives.
In the diagram alongside, the fears have been depicted inside an inverted funnel. We have five major categories of fears: fear of loss of name and reputation and outer world things, loss of love or family members, loss of physical health, loss of mental stability and health, and finally, the fear of the unknown and of death itself. It is essential to face each one of these fears in order to have freedom from them. It is impossible to get around the fear of death in order to reach the ultimate state of enlightenment. The only way is to go through the fear of death itself and then the energy locked in the swadhishtana chakra will be free.
Go through the exercise of imagining your own death and allowing the feelings of fear associated with this experience to come to the fore. There are a number of masters who became enlightened through this process. Only when one has conquered the fear of death, is one truly able to live.
The fear of death, in fact, arises from our conviction that we have not lived our lives fully: that we have not accomplished what we have come on earth to accomplish. When we live totally, with awareness, we will be ready to let go when the time comes. We can also say 'goodbye' to people and situations which no longer serve us without regret or guilt.
Most of our fears in handling fearful situations come from resisting the experiencing of fear in the first place. Once we can look our fears in the face, they will start to evaporate. Then the energy that is locked up in the chakra will be available to us and we will know the experience of clarity and true love. We will have the confidence to embrace life and live it fully.