Healing Your Solar Plexus Chakra
What is the Solar Plexus Chakra?
Our Solar Plexus Chakra, otherwise known as “Manipura” in Sanskrit, is our third chakra of the main seven. Manipura roughly translates to “place of shining gem”, with our Solar Plexus the element we deal with is fire and its connection to the sun. Manipura deals with our Willpower and Motivation to take action towards the things we want for ourselves. The location on the body is in the name of the chakra, our solar plexus or just below the rib cage. It primarily relates to the health of our kidney, liver, stomach and our digestive process.
The Solar Plexus Chakra is also in charge of our reception and transmission of pain throughout the body. In the Solar plexus this is where we get the “I Can'' statements and a connection to our sense of identity/ego. The presiding deities of Manipura are Braddha Rudra and Lakshmi, Rudra representing the warrior spirit to battle against what we fear and Lakshmi represents love and acceptance of all unconditionally.
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How do I cleanse my Solar Plexus chakra?
The primary function of Manipura is the regulation of Willpower, Confidence, and our sense of Power and Control. With the Solar Plexus representing our connection to the sun it helps guide us in our more masculine side of ego and identity. The journey of developing confidence and a well tamed sense of self is not easy in modern times. With distraction at every turn pulling you in 10 different directions it's difficult to stay consistent and focused on our goals and achieving them.
Our Solar plexus is primarily blocked by two emotions Shame and Pride. Intense shame about who we feel we are versus who we should be can be very stifling and on the flip side having an overwhelming sense of pride can leave us fragile and prone to burning bridges with those around us. Both of these concepts stem from a rejection of self. One of the biggest lessons within this energy center is acceptance.
In order to grow and mature as humans we must accept who we are, where we want to go, and how we want to get there. Once you create and accept your own set of core values the opinions of others will weigh much differently than they did before. Nowadays we see it everywhere of people who can't accept others and fall into behaviors that distract/ numb them from how they really feel. It's important to remember that everyone makes mistakes along their journey to maturity, when you feel like judging someone remember how many mistakes you've made in your life and how many times you've had to forgive yourself for betraying your own morals and kindly but firmly help correct them.
6 Ways To Support Your Solar Plexus Chakra
Now that we've established the importance of self acceptance and the personal power it provides, let's go over some exercises that can help strengthen and realign your solar plexus so your ready to take on the challenges of the world.
- Sunbathing is an excellent practice to help reenergize the body. Since Manipura has a direct connection to the sun and is often represented as our internal sun, natural light and fire are an excellent tool to help us realign our chakra and cleanse it of any impurities that have built up over time.
- Wearing yellow stones or jewelry. Here at Earths Elements we have a lovely assortment of crystal jewelry to choose from. When I'm feeling tired or lethargic, struggling to motivate myself to get done the things I know I need to, I like to wear Tigers Eye or Citrine. Both of these stones are amazing tools of empowerment and manifestation. Each stone contains a unique property of its own but we can figure out what chakra it aligns with by its color.
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Eating yellow colored fruits and vegetables like pineapple, mango, yellow squash, yellow bell peppers, banana, and yellow split peas are an excellent way to connect with and support our Solar Plexus especially since it's directly related to the digestive system. Spices like turmeric and ginger are also good!
- Listening to Singing Bowls, tuning forks, or binaural beats with the specific intention of motivating or musically that what you're listening to is in the key of E. All things are connected through vibration, even the energies within us resonate at different frequencies. I specifically recommend trying our Solar Plexus singing bowls!
- Physical exercise such as yoga and cardio can be a stellar way to release and stagnant energy within the body letting things flow more naturally and clearly. Since Manipura is centralized next to our main center of breathing the solar plexus, Running or any form of cardio can be an excellent way to help clear and strengthen this chakra. I always love H.I.T training when working with the solar plexus. Start your treadmill at a moderate pace with a high angle and once you're warmed up alternate to a normal incline with a high speed. Your goal is to get your breathing and heart rate up! After an hour ill wrap up with some light stretching and yoga of classical forward bend, Half spinal twist, and cobra pose.
- You can also try Meditations with specific visualizations, mudras (hand formations), and breathing techniques that stimulate Manipura. If you want to try this now start by finding a comfortable sitting position on the floor.
- Pull your shoulders back and tighten your elbows with your finger tips touching just in front of your lower rib cage.
- Start with short firm breaths slowly relaxing and lengthening the breath. Imagine each breath in and out stoking the flames of a campfire, feeding it but also controlling the reach of the flame and managing the temperature. This fire is our ego, willpower and our sense of self.
- With each breath, each thought, each action being a log we throw into our fine and be mindful of how each thing affects the flow and heat of it.
- When you're ready to exit your meditation, say to yourself “I am free of control on my thoughts and actions, I am free to choose a path towards my highest good”.
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How to Balance Your Chakras
Our Chakras are a reflection of the world around us and help represent our innate connection with nature. Much like in nature the key to a healthy chakra is found in balance and moderation. Our energetic system in the body is all about flowing and stagnant energy and the dynamic between the two. Within our Solar Plexus Chakra we find many ways of it not functioning within its peak capacity.
One such way is an excessive Manipura, also known as a Solar plexus chakra that has been opened too much. This will feel like a burning desiring to control others and judging situations and intentions way too harshly. Symptoms of such an imbalance can often come up in unexpected ways, for example when you have an over dependence on this chakra it can often come out as outbursts of unexpected anger or bouts of depression, within this we will often see a person unable to accept responsibility for perceived failures in life and often pushing the blame onto others or the situation.
The Solar Plexus is our driving force to action and purpose, it's extremely important in today's day and age to know yourself and what you want. However on our journey when we stop making progress it's important to stop and take time to reevaluate our priorities. There is nothing wrong with changing your mind about where you want your life to go.
When beginning your spiritual journey another imbalance you run across is a blocked/ stagnant chakra. This is a chakra that has a weak flow of energy to/from it. When our Solar Plexus is blocked it can often look like extreme lethargy or unwillingness to put in earnest effort. Within these people it is important to understand the central blockages that tend to gum up the works.
The core energetic blockages to Manipura are a lack of purpose, a lack of confidence and to put it simply a lack of effort. It can be very difficult to want to do anything when you are paralyzed by indecision and a feeling of helplessness. The main lesson I found with this blockage is that we cant be ashamed of getting things wrong along the way of our journey. Everyone makes mistakes and you're not always meant for certain people, places or things. True motivation is found by accepting who you are, what you want, and how you want to get there. When you have those three things act without reservation and take charge of the direction of your life.
There is no one solution to growing and healing the chakras and the journey is different for everyone. Just keep in mind you are a divine expression of the universe created to experience itself!
Sincerely Robert S
Check out our SOLAR PEXUS CollectionI hope this page found you well, please check out our store if you wish to further inquire or start your healing journey today!