Day 3: Solar Plexus Chakra – Personal Power – Manipura
“Honor Oneself”
Location: upper part of the belly, where the diaphragm rests.
Energy Connection to the physical body: Stomach, pancreas, adrenals, upper intestine, gallbladder, liver, and middle spine
Energy Connection to the emotional/mental body: Trust, fear and intimidation, self-esteem, self-confidence, and self-respect. Care of oneself and others,responsibility for making decisions, sensitivity to criticism, personal honor.
Physical Dysfunction: Arthritis, gastric or duodenal ulcers, colon/intestinal problems, pancreatitis/diabetes, indigestion (chronic or acute), anorexia or bulimia, liver dysfunction, hepatitis, adrenal dysfunction.
The Third chakra is our seed of personal power, Manipura translates to “city of jewels” or “seat of gems.” Our solar plexus beings to vibrate in our development during puberty. Furthermore, it helps to form our “self,” our ego, and our inner voice. This chakra leads us on a journey of self-love, respect, understanding and independence. A strong sense of self leads to high self-esteem which in turn leads to trusting your own intuition. When we can trust our intuition we have more momentum to move forward. We become brave and we follow our passions and realize it is okay to fail. When we find balance with our personal power and the world around us we exert our will, set goals, and strive in a harmonious manner . When the solar plexus is out of balance we tend to fear rejection, criticism or looking foolish, and we fail to meet responsibilities. Also, our insecurities and shortcomings become loud. A blockage can also include; low self-esteem, inability to maintain and set boundaries, lack of direction, obsessing over small details while losing sight of the big picture, lack of self-control, depression or anxiety, and addiction. Having a strong sense of self-will leads to a fulfilling life and balance in our relationships. When we can establish our personal power become more authentic, our dreams start to become realities, we let go of small preoccupations and see the whole landscape, and we become assertive about who we are and what we stand for with no apologies.
The solar plexus is an Earth element and it is closely tied with our digestive fire, called Agni. It is important to nurture our bodies with proper nutrition and eating habits. Using Bhakstrika breath can help enhance digestion and increase metabolism to keep our fire burning.
How to balance that solar plexus:
Meditation, affirmations, positive self-talk, mantra (RAM), imagine a bright yellow sun swirling in your body.
Stones and crystals: Amber, Citrine, Lemon quartz, Yellow Jasper, Yellow Tourmaline, Tiger’s Eye.
Yoga asanas that help to open and align Manicure are,
Navasana (boat pose),
Matsyandrasana(seated spinal twist), and
Warrior series
*Anatomy of the Spirit, The seven stages of power and healing, By Caroline Myss PH.D.
LauraBrown-out-loud 