In the last couple of months, we have been slowly moving up the energy centres of our body. Now that we’ve gotten acquainted with the Base (Root) Chakra and the Sacral Chakra the next Chakra we’re exploring is the Solar Plexus Chakra, the third Chakra from the bottom.

The Ancient Sanskrit name for the Solar Plexus Chakra is Manipura, which translates into “lustrous gem,” or “the dwelling place of the self.” This Chakra is considered our power centre. The Manipura Chakra is strong and vital as it represents the emergence of personality into the outer world. It’s the seat of our ego!

Your third Chakra location is between the navel and the sternum. Its name comes from the spaghetti junction of nerves known as the solar plexus (solar because they radiate out like the sun’s rays). The related organs of the Solar Plexus Chakra are the ones closest to it, like the stomach, gallbladder, spleen, liver and the endocrine gland- also associated with it is the pancreas.

The Solar Plexus Chakra is represented with the colour yellow. Frequently, you will find its symbol- a ten-petalled lotus, in the middle of which is an upside-down triangle representing fire. Since it’s associated with the element of fire, it is also sometimes depicted with yellowish red. It has a connection with the sun, heat, the energy of light, and all forms of power.

Can you recall a time when you activated your Solar Plexus Chakra?

It’s that feeling when you muster the courage to do something that scares you! Those feelings of butterflies running through you, and it might even feel a bit jittery, but you feel confident!
It could have even been one of those times that you spoke up for yourself in a hard situation.

When you have activated this Chakra, you know because you have exerted your willpower and self-control.

There are a few characteristics that the Solar Plexus Chakra has and here are a couple you might recognize:

• Your willpower and your personal power
• Your intentions and your actions
• Your confidence and self-assurance
• Your identity and the ability to bloom into your authentic self

Having a balanced Chakra

It is honestly one amazing feeling when the Solar Plexus Chakra is balanced.

One thing I talk about a lot is boundaries, and if you’re like every other human, you struggle with them, have taken a Long-time to learn them, or you’re in the making of realizing you need them! When your third Chakra is balanced, you have lots of willpower to create boundaries in life.

You will feel energized, focused, empowered, and in alignment with life.

A balanced solar plexus chakra gives you the ability to overcome fear, master your thoughts, and make conscious choices.

When the Solar Plexus Chakra is open and balanced, it helps grow your confidence and vitality. You feel empowered to follow your true path and create the life you want. You are easily able to seize your personal power, develop an authentic self and take responsibility for your life!

You are easily able to transform your thoughts into actions, with no hesitation and no fear.

Having an unbalanced Chakra

When your Solar Plexus Chakra is unbalanced/blocked/deficient, it means not enough energy is flowing into this Chakra.

You feel more prone to issues such as fatigue, low self-esteem, and unfortunately, you tend to have weak willpower. When the Solar Plexus Chakra is unbalanced, it’s easy to become more difficult to make decisions about even mundane things, and sometimes things feel too big, and also overwhelming. There is this feeling eating away at you that you can’t seem to take control of your life.

Other characteristics of an unbalanced, blocked, deficient Solar Plexus Chakra are:

• Low self-esteem
• You tend to seek approval from other people
• Your body temperature is usually very cold OR very hot
• You tend to form co-dependent relationships with others
• You suffer from a digestive system disorder such as IBS, ulcers, hypoglycemia, diabetes, etc.

But then it’s also possible that you can have an overactive Solar Plexus Chakra.

When your Solar Plexus Chakra is overpowered or excessive, that means too much energy is flowing in.

And let’s face it, it can be hard for energy to flow upward. An overpowered Sacral Chakra may cause you to become egotistical (believing what you want to do takes priority, and others are just irritating as they are getting in your way).

You may have controlling behaviours, and impulses that lead to lack of control and even addictions that numb you.

You may become easily aggressive and feel anger.

You become overly critical not only with others but also yourself. And overactive Solar Plexus Chakra may affect your work and your personal life. It can be causing arguments and feelings of hostility around you.

If any of these feelings are surrounding you or taking you over, there are some great ways to get that Chakra in balance (H2)

Try something new – The Solar plexus chakra is responsible for helping you discover your true self, and to find your purpose in life. Trying just one new thing may help ignite the fire inside you again.

Getting outside of your comfort zone will help stretch you further. Trying a new hobby, experiencing different cultures can help bring balance to your solar plexus chakra.

Get outside — The element of fire highly influence the solar plexus chakra. Getting out on sunny days can help open and restore balance to your third Chakra. Taking a walk, meditating, or simply sunbathing can allow your solar plexus energy to flow.

Cut ties with the negativity in your life– Sometimes it’s not possible to cut ties entirely as it could be your job or a person in your family. Taking a step back from these negatives in your life can also benefit your healing.

Release anger your feeling inside you– Releasing pent up anger can help you to unblock your solar plexus quite rapidly. This needs to be done during grounding. You can start by having a Reiki session or doing some guided meditations to help this.

Always remember when trying to clear any blockages your Chakras may have: The ability to make changes, take charge and heal is all in you. It’s the power you hold within your human self to help you heal.