You know when you have a gut feeling that you’re in a new situation, making you leave your comfort zone? Have you ever wondered why this happens?
The source of all of this is your solar plexus chakra, found in your naval. This is known as Manipura, and it’s the source of our inner drive.
It’s a fire in your gut that you need to keep healthy and balanced so your self-esteem and drive remain at their best.
Our article will teach you everything you need to know about stoking your inner fire using your solar plexus chakra.
We’ll teach you where it’s located, how to keep it balanced, and affirmations and exercises that are great for keeping it balanced. But first, let’s delve into what Manipura is and its characteristics.
Characteristics Of Manipura
We’ve already told you about how important your sacral chakra is to your personal desires, but did you know that by using Manipura, you can turn that drive into action.
Using the chakra in your solar plexus, you can turn your desires into reality which is a massive boost in your self-esteem.
In a way, it’s a lot like eating good food. Digesting the right foods is great for your body, so experiencing challenges can fuel the drive in your Manipura.
It will give you courage, and you’ll become more confident by balancing this fiery chakra.
There’s a reason many people refer to a fire being in your belly when facing tough situations. It’s all about courage and self-control.
By having balanced Manipura, you’ll notice that you will have a clear sense of self-direction and complete mastery over your emotions. If you want to have a clear path in your life, then keeping that fire in your gut burning is how to do so.
By being able to think clearly, you can put your ideas into action, and you’ll be able to focus on letting your actions speak louder than words.
This chakra will usually develop early in your life, often when you’re between eighteen months and four years old. It is all relative to feelings of self-determination.
Like the sacral chakra, it begins when a child starts to assert their independence from their parents. When a child can ascertain their independence, they will develop good relationships with their peers and better self-acceptance.
Where Is Manipura?
When you’re looking for your solar plexus chakra, you should look six inches above your belly button. It’s within your diaphragm, and it covers your upper abdominal area.
If you’re wondering which organs it affects, it will affect your whole digestive system. Your gallbladder, liver, pancreas, and spleen, along with your adrenal glands, are all affected by it.
As it controls your adrenal glands, you’ll notice it produces adrenaline, driving you forward. It will also produce cortisol, which is a stress hormone.
As it corresponds to the epigastric nerve plexus in your gut, you’ll know that it can greatly impact your metabolism and digestion.
There’s a reason Manipura is known as your second brain. It communicates with your brain through the neurons in your gastrointestinal tract.
These also impact your emotions, as it releases serotonin, which is essential to help you feel calm and happy.
Most of the serotonin is released through your gut, so it’s through the solar plexus chakra that your mood is affected. Consider that 90% of your body’s serotonin is from your gut.
So, it can have a major impact on your sense of self-affirmation.
If you want to envision your solar plexus chakra, consider it associated with the sun. The color yellow and the element of fire correspond with one another, so you can stoke the inner fire within to ensure you’re happy.
The Danger Of Solar Plexus Chakra Imbalance
First, let’s talk about how we know whether your solar plexus is balanced or not. When you’re confident and motivated, it means your third chakra is open and healthy.
However, let’s say that your confidence has taken a hit. You may feel angry, or you might feel like you need to be in control. Are you struggling with any decisions? If so, it might mean that your Manipura is at its weakest.
However, an imbalance doesn’t only mean your solar plexus chakra is weak. Let’s say that you have been having an increase in your ego.
Perhaps you’ve been accused of controlling behavior or manipulating your loved ones? That may be because you have too strong a solar plexus imbalance.
Sometimes, it may take the form of your personality. Some would say that anyone with a Type A personality, where you are competitive and ambitious, is because of having too much Manipura.
If you have weaker Manipura, there may be a need to form co-dependent relationships. You may feel powerless and insecure or take comfort in overeating and overindulgence.
You may find that you’re feeling a lot of fatigue for physical issues. You may have digestive issues or low blood sugar and struggle with IBS. Any feeling of illness or weakness in your digestive issues may be due to an imbalance.
If you’re struggling with any of these issues, then you should consider balancing your Manipura. The good news is that there are many ways for you to do this.
With our help, you will balance your solar plexus chakra and fan the flames if it’s too strong. So, let’s look at how to bring balance to your third chakra.
Bringing Balance To Your Manipura
Flames can be unpredictable, and it takes a lot of dedication and determination to ensure your solar plexus chakra is stable.
Fire is regularly associated with anger, so you should consider finding safe and conductive ways to release any pent-up rage inside you.
The good news is there are ways to do this. You can always run or do any other vigorous exercises. Consider heading to the gym and releasing any anger you have inside.
Of course, vigorous exercise isn’t the only way to get rid of that anger. Creative pursuits are just as helpful. Consider art and writing to remove some of that negative energy inside of you.
Even creative exercises such as dancing or listening to music and singing can help stoke the fire within you.
Here are a few of our favorite methods to take control of your life and help you control that restless energy.
Change Your Routine
There is safety in having a routine you can trust, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t adjust your routine slightly to spice things up.
When you’re doing the same thing day-in-day-out, then you may struggle with the power you have. You can become lethargic, so it’s time to try something new.
You don’t have to do much to change your routine. You could make minor adjustments. If you don’t go outside for walks, head out into the sunlight to embrace the fire element.
Or, you can go to a new shop or café. Even a slight change in the atmosphere can help you get your motivation back and restore your energy.
Take A Moment To Breathe
Whether you’re feeling like you’re taking too much control or losing it, you should take a moment to step away and take a deep breath.
By doing this, you’ll be able to look at the situation through a realistic lens. Sometimes, you’ll find that giving yourself and others room to breathe will allow everyone around you to decompress.
By focusing on your breathing, you’ll see that by focusing on your ego, you’re actually crying out for love and attention. However, if you’re struggling with low energy, you should try a special breathing technique: Bhastrika.
Bhastrika is otherwise known as bellows breath, and it’s a vigorous breathing technique that allows you to build the capacity of air in your lungs.
When you release that breath, it stimulates your solar plexus, so it will release your energy through your body.
To perform Bhastrika, you should sit comfortably with a straight spine. Take some deep, even breaths, and allow your abdomen to expand while you inhale.
Then, when you begin, exhale quickly by contracting your abdominal muscles quickly. You should then quickly inhale through your diaphragm and allow your abdominal muscles to relax.
It’s all about coordinating your abdomen and diaphragm so that all air moves around your lungs quickly. Do this exercise roughly three times daily, and do it on an empty stomach.
However, we recommend avoiding this activity if you have any digestional issues.
Ease Your Digest
Your solar plexus chakra is aligned with your gut, so you must ensure you eat food you can easily digest. We recommend eating foods that you eat whole grains. Rice, oats, and rye are perfect foods to help you with an upset stomach.
Other known foods include legumes and heating spices. Add more lentils, beans, or even turmeric and cinnamon to your diet.
Likewise, yellow is the color of the Manipura, so you should eat foods of the same color. Add more bananas, pineapple, lemons, and corn to your diet.
Use Essential Oils
Our final recommendation is to use essential oils to cleanse the air around you. You can use these oils for massages or to offer fragrant scents in your home.
If you want to use essential oils for massages, we recommend massaging your stomach. After all, the solar plexus chakra is closer to your stomach.
Massaging your stomach will help your gut instincts and any stomach pain or tense muscles you may have there. For oil, we recommend you use eucalyptus to activate it. However, helichrysum or vetiver is perfect for calming it.
When diffusing an essential oil to appreciate a fragrant scent, we recommend using lemon, bergamot, or grapefruit. Not only are these wonderful smells, but they are uplifting and will keep your solar plexus in balance.
Remember that when using essential oils, you dilute them in a carrier oil first. However, you may also use a diffuser to keep the scent in the air.
Yoga Techniques For Your Manipura
The best technique for your solar plexus chakra is yoga poses that strengthen and improve your core. To help you, we’ve devised a practice routine for you to participate in at home.
However, if you only want some quick poses to run through, then we have a few suggestions here:
- Bow Pose
- Cobra
- Upward Facing Dog
- Warrior I
You can also do twists to help your digestive organs. Consider reclining twists or a Revolved Triangle if your issues lie in digestion.
However, let’s say you’re looking for an activity for your solar plexus. Here is our routine:
- Before you begin, ensure you have a chair and a yoga mat available for you. While you don’t need a chair, we recommend one as it will make some exercises easier.
- Place your hands on your abdomen and close your eyes. Take four or five deep breaths, and focus on the movement of your abdomen in your hands. This is a form of Bhastrika, as mentioned earlier in the article.
- On your final breath, spread your legs further apart and straighten your tailbone. You should rotate your body on your chair by circling your torso around you as you exhale. Imagine you’re stirring a pot of soup; this is the motion you should make. Don’t move quickly; you should move slowly and focus on your movements. Do this four or five times.
- Now that you’ve done this technique four or five times, you should pause. Take a moment for yourself, then circle yourself in the other direction. While you don’t need a set number, we prefer counting four or five until your next exercise.
- Bring your feet together while sitting on your chair, then separate them. Bring your hands back to your abdomen, and rest them on it. Move back and forth slowly. As you do this, lift your hands off your abdomen, and raise them in the air. Pull your navel in as close to your spine as you can as you exhale. Then, look down. Do this four or five times.
- As you move on to the next exercise, imagine the sun inside your gut. Envision the yellow color. Now, it’s time to stand and put your chair at the top of your mat. Now, it’s time to move into Warrior I and Warrior III. Feel free to use your chair for balance.
- Once you’ve done this a few times, shake your legs out and rest your hands on your abdomen. Focus on your solar plexus once more. Then, do Warrior I and Warrior III again with your opposite legs. Do this for the same number of times.
- Now that you’ve shaken your legs let’s move on to the Eagle Pose. Like the Warrior Poses, you can use the chair to help you balance. Then, move the chair over or turn yourself around and do the Eagle Pose with the opposite leg.
- Once you are out of the Eagle Pose, you should do a Forward Bend. However, you should be careful if you have any spinal issues.
- Finally, shake your legs out once more, and it’s time to sit straight on your chair and perform a Dynamic Twist. Reach your arms out, and bring them in as you twist your body.
With the help of this routine, you should have no issues improving your solar plexus chakra.
Affirmations And Mantras For Solar Plexus Chakra
Now that you know some yoga poses, let’s take a look at some affirmations and mantras for you to recite.
- I can make my own decisions with conviction and confidence.
- I have a fire within me that will burn through all fears.
- I am worthy of love. I am worthy of kindness. I am worthy of respect.
- I will accept every experience to help me grow and learn.
Final Thoughts
We hope this guide has helped you keep your solar plexus chakra balanced. With our help, your confidence will grow, and the fires will continue to burn within.
Simply follow our advice; you will find everything you need to stoke your inner flames.
Frequently Asked Questions
This is the third chakra, Manipura, which governs our ability to be assertive, confident and make our own decisions.
We recommend you eat yellow foods, carbohydrates, and legumes. Yellow curry is a popular dish that will also help.
I created this website to help newcomers to yoga and enthusiasts alike, and to share our common passions for yoga.
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