Re-balancing your chakras: No. 3 - The Solar Plexus

The Solar Plexus - Manipura Chakra

As with all the chakras, it's important to cleanse and rebalance them. They are the energy centres connecting the physical and non-physical and influence our health, attitude, experience and emotions.

The solar plexus chakra is the centre of personal power, the place of ego, of passions, impulses, anger and strength. It is also the centre for astral travel and astral influences, receptivity of spirit guides and for psychic development.

This chakra invites us to become clear decision-makers. It gives us an expanding inner power that fuels our determination, particularly helpful if life is presenting challenges!

Located along the sternum in the area of the diaphragm between the heart and belly button. This chakra is connected to the digestive system which is linked to the gastric fire designating the digestive processes and energy production by the body. Its focal point is the pancreas, which produces the digestive enzymes. Manipura chakra is connected to the solar plexus and the diaphragm a dome-shaped muscle tendon which divides the chest from the abdomen.

It is associated with new horizons, intellect, will-power, self-confidence and fulfilment as well as digestion and intimacy. The solar plexus is the energy centre over our metabolism.

We all need access to our solar plexus in order to live our lives fully, as well as in order to be able to make healthy conscious choices for ourselves. The truth is, we all have power and control at any given time, regardless of what any situation may look like, because we all have the power to choose. The power of choice is authentic power. And it’s essentially what we utilize as we create ourselves, and our lives.

Central Function:

Manipura is translated as 'Shining City' or 'Radiant City Centre'. This chakra is a flame that is kept alive through the challenges of our lives. This fiery power burns with purpose and strengthens our will in order to remain continually motivated. Like fire this energy has to be controlled / directed otherwise risk being burnt. Manipura chakra oversees the digestion and energy production of the body. It is the centre of psychic intuition enabling a vague sense of knowing referred to sometimes as listening to the gut.

Ego Development

Internal shifts begin to take shape as the ego forms to complete our physical selves. While the ego does have a poor reputation, it puts the icing on the cake to all that is us and makes the main contribution to the core of our personality. The remaining four chakras are the spiritual chakras and we are able to evolve to attuning them once we find our balance here in the last of the physical chakras. Further, we need a strong, healthy, and balanced third energy centre to ascend through to the seventh chakra.

Foundation of Solar Plexus

The beliefs and behaviours that are given to us contribute to the foundational makeup of the ego. There’s quite a bit here to note that is additionally passed down, like our cultural and moral programming, attitudes, definitions of acceptable behaviour, conduct, and standards. These are the things we acquire in our natural upbringing throughout our formative years that largely contribute to who we are.  

The colour of the solar plexus is yellow, with the element of fire also in representation. Yellow is the last earth colour in the colour spectrum. The ruling planets here, these are the Sun and Mars.  Mars gives the solar plexus much of the strongly characterized warrior energy of the third chakra.

Thanks to the solar plexus, we hold the power for transformation and can access warrior energy. The third energy centre is the spark plug for all that moves us forward in our life, allowing us to meet challenges and move ourselves through them. Our self love, self acceptance, self-worth, and our self-respect serves as fuel to power us.

Under-active 3rd Chakra

This is commonly accompanied by neediness within relationships, timid behaviour, and an un-comfortability with being alone. With energy lacking in the third energy centre, addiction can arise and become problematic. This is the centre where all addictions are formed. And drugs turned to are likely to be stimulants with deficient solar plexus energy.

Overactive Solar Plexus Chakra

When there’s overactive energy here there are commonly issues around perfectionism and a need to be in control at all times. It creates someone who is goal oriented and someone who lives from their list of accomplishments. An overactive solar plexus makes us domineering in relationships and easily turns us into workaholics.

There could also be issues with anger and emotional outbursts as well. Physically, excessive weight gain around the midsection can happen, with more severe overactive energy physical manifestations including stomach ulcers or gallstones.

Signs of Imbalance:

1.    Liver, bile, pancreas issues

2.    Digestive/ metabolic issues

3.    Constipation

4.    Stomach pains

5.    Lack of energy

6.    Mental blocks

7.    Nervousness/ impatience

8.    Aggressiveness

9.    Near/ far sightedness

10.    Inferiority complex

11.    Megalomania

12.    Exaggerated Perfectionism

Dealing with Solar Plexus Blockages

We need to have a deeper sense of our self-worth and meaning to our life. We have to keep our accomplishments and achievements in perspective. Because in reality, we do our part, and the universe is the one that does the rest. We are in a partnership with life.

All of our accomplishments and achievements are things that feed the ego. The soul yearns to contribute and is focused on what we’re able to give, which is why giving is so fulfilling within. We have to relax into the flow of life and keep our ambition, willpower, and action, in balance.

If we are holding beliefs that were given to us that are stunting our growth, warping our self identity and the way we see ourselves, we will have difficulty finding and establishing our place in the world.  If we received a lot of negative feedback about ourselves when we were young, or if we grew up in an unsafe environment, such dynamics can explain why the third chakra is underdeveloped. Ironically, sometimes when we grow up in these types of environments there’s actually an inflation of energy here and it develops people into tyrants.

Along with the examination of our belief systems we must also examine the cultural and moral programming that was given to us.  This can also hold us back in different areas of our life and we’ll never get to where we have the potential to be, or grow and evolve to higher levels without adjustments here.

We will have our own authentic personal power after this development. A big part of the solar plexus that’s also connected to our personal power is related to our perception of who we are. This second coming of age in our adult years expands our perception of self.

How to Re-balance:

1.    Fasting

2.    Reduce salts/ sweets

3.    Reduce Coffee/ stimulants

4.    Soften ego

5.    Relax the exhalation

6.    Increase awareness

7.    Yoga for the Eyes

A person with a balanced Manipura Chakra possesses accountability, reliability, honesty, prudence, luminosity, self-sacrifice, and respect for traditions, industriousness, technical ability, heightened energy and a fighting spirit.

Gongs associated with the Solar Plexus

• Sun Gong

• Sedna

Yellow Foods such as

• Bananas

• pineapple

• corn

• lemons

• yellow curry

Yoga poses

• Cow Pose

• Seated Spinal Twist

• Camel Pose

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Aromatherapy Oils

• Geranium & Bergamot

• Clary Sage

Animals connected with Solar Plexus Chakra

• Ram

• Lion, tiger, jaguar and other big cats

• Horse

• Dragon

Gemstones

Lemon Quartz

Citrine

Yellow Jasper

Amber

Also known as the Stone of Healing, amber is used to heal and unblock both your solar plexus chakra and root chakra. Although not a crystal (amber is a fossilized tree resin), amber contains flora, fauna and other powerful minerals that soothe and heal the solar plexus chakra.

The stone stores powerful energies from the earth and the sun, exuding warm and sunny energies that resonate with the 3rd chakra. Amber can help boost self-confidence and patience in problematic situations, especially in relationships.

Other associations:

Element: Fire

Number of Petals: 10

Location: Between 5th, 6th, 7th thoracic vertebra

Action organ: Anus

Sense organ: Eyes

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What do I need for a Cleansing-Chakra-Gong-Bath?

The process is simple.  Whether you listen to the gongs online, a recording or in person, using the principal of entrainment the gongs’ pure and powerful harmonics soothe and slow your busy mind into a relaxed, meditative state while their vibrations gently shake up and loosen the energy debris from around or within the chakra centres.  

This vibrational detox helps to restore the natural resonance and harmony throughout your physical and non-physical body resulting in an increase of energy and a return to vitality. By focussing on one chakra at a time, each gong bath allows the energy system of each chakra to cleanse and rebalance restoring the free flow of energy and symptoms associated with previous blockages.

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😍 Join me for a live online session with the gongs to cleanse and re-balance the 3rd Chakra, Thursday 13th May (8pm – 9pm BST) as part of a series of online monthly gong baths to cleanse and re-balance the chakras. In addition, recordings of these live streamed experience will also be available to purchase as well as individual chakra-cleansing gong baths in person based in Sound-Well’s treatment room in Dunster, West Somerset.

For more information on each chakra and what they represent you can request a chakra chart by emailing: alex@sound-well.co.uk

Selected gongs being played at this session will specifically include the Sedna and Sun Gong.  Both are powerful generous gongs associated with the Solar Plexus. Their energy and frequency assists with clearing and re-balancing the 3rd chakra.

• All you need is to have somewhere quiet to sit or lie down, headphones/speakers, a blanket, pillow, eye-mask and anything else that will make you cosy, warm and comfortable!

To book your spot, visit: Sound-Well's Events and Booking Page Select the event of your choice and follow the booking process.

I accidentally found Sound-Well while searching for other events and thought: "Why not give it a shot?!" And I'm so happy I did. It's the most calming and relaxing experience I've had so far and Alexandra does wonderful work. I nearly join her Gong sessions weekly and can highly recommend it. Andrea

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