What is the Solar Plexus Chakra?

The solar plexus is the third chakra connected to the human body, and sits below the heart chakra, but above the navel.

In Sanskrit, it’s referred to as the Manipura and relates to willpower, self-belief, confidence, clarity of judgments and personal opinion. It influences the way we assert ourselves as individuals in the world.

Solar Plexus CHAKRA QUICK REFERENCE:

Solar Plexus Chakra Meaning

This chakra pertains to sense of self, personal will, and power.

Solar Plexus Chakra Position

This is the third chakra, and is located between the ribs, above the navel, and below the heart.

Solar Plexus Chakra Name

The Sanskrit name for this chakra is Manipura, and it means lustrous or resplendent gem.

Solar Plexus Chakra Colour

This chakra is yellow in color.

Solar Plexus Chakra Symbol

The symbol is a yellow 10-petalled lotus flower, surrounding a circle with an inverse triangle at its center.

What is a Chakra?

A chakra is a spinning disk or wheel of energy. In the human body, there are 7 main chakras running along the spine. Each chakra carries specific energy, and there are also as many as 114 minor chakras spread over the rest of the body.

They are believed to relate to different glands within the physical body, as well as to energetic impulses, strengths, and weaknesses.

Over the past couple of decades, the concept of chakras has entered mainstream spiritual speak here in the West. Yet the Chakras are described in the ancient Vedic Texts, which date from 1500 BC.

The seven main chakras are listed below in descending order. It’s important to understand that they’re all equally important. Where a chakra sits on the body has nothing to do with its value.

What’s the Difference Between a Healthy Chakra and an Imbalanced Chakra?

When a chakra is open and operating optimally, it’s spinning with ease. This allows it to receive information from outside, AND transmit information from within, through the physical, emotional and mental bodies, out into a person’s auric field.

Quite simply, this feels good! When our chakras are balanced, we’re healthy.

Yet, it’s not uncommon for chakras to be out of balance (over, or underactive), or worse still, have blockages. When this occurs, an individual will usually experience negativity – in the form of destructive and fear-based thoughts, difficulty holding focus or learning new things, depression or anxiety, or any host of other emotional and physical disorders. Long term chakra imbalances can also result in chronic physical illness.

Symptoms of an Imbalanced or Blocked Solar Plexus Chakra

Problems with the third chakra tend to manifest through self-esteem issues. Feelings of powerlessness, lack of control or decisiveness, as well as being over-controlling and manipulative, are all potential problems attached to the solar plexus.

Also, issues with digestion can have their root here. The solar plexus is usually connected to gastric illnesses, and anything related to metabolism.

If you think that your third chakra may be in need of healing here are the signs of look out for:

Signs of an Overactive Solar Plexus Chakra

Manipulative
Overeating or undereating
Being judgemental
Can be domineering
Inflated sense of self (egoic)
Too assertive
Can often feel too hot
Digestive issues

Signs of an Underactive Solar Plexus Chakra

Often feeling tired
Laziness and lethargy
Overeating or undereating
Lack of self-confidence and low self-esteem
Fear of intimacy
Lack of self-worth
Being self-critical
Can struggle with personal boundaries
Not assertive
Digestive issues
Overweight, especially around the middle.

5 Chakra Healing and Balancing Exercises for the Manipura

1. Take more Risks

The solar plexus is all about personal power. And this is strongly influenced by how safe you feel in your own skin. Now, if you feel fine and dandy when you’re surrounded by your home comforts that’s one thing. But if the thought of doing anything unfamiliar fills you with dread, then you need to do some work.

It’s been said that fear can be used as a signpost – if you’re just a little bit scared of something, then you should probably head directly for it!

Start small.

Speak to someone new, that you like the look of.
Volunteer for a new role at work that inspires you, but will stretch you.
Sign up for a hot yoga class, or book that skydive you’ve been dreaming of for years…!

2. Set Goals… and reach them!

The Solar Plexus governs willpower. This is like the big cousin to intention – willpower actually has the follow through and drive to take inspired action and make things manifest.

There are a hundred reasons why personal willpower waxed and wanes, yet only YOU have the ability to control yours in any given moment.

Setting clear goals, writing them down, and then checking in with yourself to manage progress will all help strengthen your will. And once you begin to see results, any solar plexus chakra imbalance will begin to right itself.

3. Do Solar Plexus Chakra Yoga Flows

With so many of us spending so much time sitting, driving, and hunched over screens these days, the solar plexus chakra (which is situated just below where the ribs meet) can become compressed, leading to blockages of energy.

Yet the solar plexus is like an internal sun! It needs space and the free flow of energy.

Working specifically with yoga tailored to the solar plexus can lead to incredible healing around confidence, and removing self-limiting beliefs, as well as serving to heal digestive issues.

4. Use Crystals

Yellow and golden crystals tend to be great for Solar Plexus Chakra healing. Place them around your home, and beside your bed when sleeping. You can also try meditating with them. Here are some ideal crystals to work with:

Citrine
Yellow Tourmaline
Yellow Labradorite
Amber
Tigers Eye

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5. Start a Self-Care Practice

So intrinsically connected to self-esteem, the solar plexus needs you to take self-care seriously! Not just an added extra, self-care should be a daily practice. As well as actually being good for your body (especially if your self-care involves massage or pampering of any kind!) it also sends a clear energetic message directly to the third chakra, that you are loved.

READ THIS POST FOR MORE ON THE IMPORTANCE OF SELF-CARE