Inner Strength As Outer Foundation
Motivation. Inspiration. Determination.
This is the third blog post in the line-up of a 7-part series on Chakras. This series will culminate in a special Chakras breathwork experience.
Manipura is the Hindu word for your third house of consciousness, your Solar Plexus Chakra. It roughly translates as “City of Jewels.” This is the third Chakra that resides in your physical realm, along with your Root and Sacral Chakras. The Solar Plexus is a collection of two bundles of nerves culminating in your central abdomen and governs the emotion of anger.
The Solar Plexus Chakra is represented by a yellow ten-petaled lotus flower, with a downward-facing triangle that features three t-shaped arms in the center. This symbol represents the fiery sun. The Solar Plexus Chakra controls your digestive system, liver, gall bladder, bile, and small intestine.
Definition: Solar Plexus - a network of vessels in the abdomen situated behind the stomach and in front of the aorta and the diaphragm and contains several ganglia distributing nerve fibers to the viscera.
Self-control and self-confidence are defining characteristics of your Solar Plexus, as are willpower and identity. You derive your source of strength, determination, and personal authority by following your purpose in life. Learning impulse control and delayed gratification are important factors for success. Taking action on your most important goals and persistently staying the course will lead to life-long fulfillment.
Your Solar Plexus Chakra is tied to your emotions; it’s a consciousness center, monitoring the ebb and flow of emotions as they move through your body.
Through this center, you’re meant to let the richness of emotions flow through you as you learn from each experience. When fully open to receiving, your Solar Plexus Chakra acts as a checkpoint and a filter for your emotions. If you hold onto fear, uncertainty, or nervousness, that energy gets stuck and internalized in this center.
If you are empathetic to others' volatile emotions, it’s imperative not to absorb or magnify those emotions in yourself. Setting personal boundaries will help maintain balance in your Solar Plexus Chakra. When you practice awareness, you're better able to release harmful emotional patterns, be centered within yourself, and feel aligned with humanity.
The energy of your Solar Plexus Center is fueled by:
self-worth
ambition
determination
ego
emotional intelligence
discipline
personal authority
gut instincts
When your Solar Plexus Chakra is underdeveloped, it negatively impacts your willpower and self-confidence. It can produce bursts of anger and poor impulse control. It is the center of addiction, whether it be food, sex, drugs, or alcohol. Unresolved emotions can manifest in depression. Additionally, if you allow others to take advantage of your good nature or dictate your life direction, you risk not having a defined sense of self-worth. You can counter this by navigating with your unique set of values and goals as your compass.
It’s essential to your well-being to bring your intentions to life through action.
Allowing yourself to channel the riptides of life’s ups and downs through your Solar Plexus Chakra will provide you with a strong foundation for handling whatever lands on your doorstep. By taking measures to understand your emotional cycle, you’ll gain the clarity to make sound decisions that are right for you. Discipline will provide you with the grit, drive, and confidence to go after your dreams, knowing you have the wisdom to weather any emotional storm.
Photo by Vicky Sim on Unsplash
Insight to Action: Healing Mantra Meditation - Turn your attention inward and imagine a round sphere of glowing yellow light in the center of your abdomen. Focus on making the energy larger and brighter. Now picture the sphere rotating as it grows, and feel your Solar Plexus Chakra becoming warmer and more relaxed. After 3-5 minutes, let the energy dissipate throughout your body, take a few deep breaths again. Repeat this mantra to yourself, “I am capable, strong, and have the determination to pursue my dreams and honor my mission in life.”
Try a cup of ginger or blueberry tea to restore some calm to your Solar Plexus Chakra when you’re feeling emotionally turbulent.