any stimulating sensations. Also when you feel inadequate or uncomfortable in social situations over your perceived inability to measure up to others. When you compare yourself to others and always come up short, or when you feel envy for what others have are indications of lack of balance. Involvement with nature, art, dance and beauty are techniques for enriching this chakra. 

Characteristics 

• The chakra has 6 petals orange in colour. They produce the sounds Bam, Bham, Mam, Yam, Ram, Lam. Pronounced for chakra activation as Bang, Bhang, Mang, Yang, Rang, and Lang. 

• The Bija sound is Vam or Vang. Vehicle is crocodile or ‘makara'. This is the vehicle of Varun the god of water. The crocodile depicts the sensuous nature of the second chakra person. The crocodile's habits of hunting, floating, diving deep in the water and sexual power is the nature of the second chakra person. 

• Presiding Deities- Vishnu (Lord of preservation) and Rakini. He holds in His four hands a conch, sudershan chakra, a club and a lotus. The sudershan is the symbol of dharma. The Dharma chakra revolves in its own axis, cuts through obstacles destroys disharmony and imbalance. It also represents time. It represents the cycle of time. Whatever is not in conformity with the cosmic rhythm must come to an end. Rakini. She is two-headed. It represents the split energy of the second chakra. The man spends his time in maintaining a balance between the world without and the world within. He is restless and confused. Basic motivation is to enjoy the sense pleasures. 

• Plane- Bhuvara Loka ( Astral plane); Element – Water; Planet- Mercury 

• Sense organs – Tongue and Sex. 

• Yantra- A circle with crescent. The moon-shaped crescent is the yantra of this chakra. It is light blue in color. 

• Behaviour- Normally a person between ages 8 and 14 acts from this chakra motivation. 

Manipura Chakra (Fig-93) 

Meaning 
The word, ‘Mani' means ‘jewel' and ‘Pura' means ‘city'. It literally means, ‘The city of jewels'. 

Location  
It is located at the navel. 

Function  
To be self assertive, to recognize oneself as an individual separate from the world and yet make an impact on the world are drives of this chakra. This is the seat of will power and the center that brings initiative, courage, enthusiasm in life. This is also the place where selfrestraint, self-control and self-discipline come from. Clue to an imbalance comes from the inability to assert and feelings of helplessness is strong. Lack of self-esteem and self-confidence prevail. This is the source of samanan vayu whose function regulates digestion, assimilation and all activities of the stomach, small intestines, the pancreas, the liver, the spleen etc. It is