Kate Allen

The Third Chakra- The Solar Plexus Chakra

Written by Kate • June 2, 2011 •
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The Third Chakra- The Solar Plexus Chakra

The third  of the seven chakras is known as the Solar Plexus chakra. It’s located between the navel and the solar plexus, up from the sacral chakra. Its function is to give us our will, our power, our assertiveness.  It is associated with the color yellow (yellow) and the fire element.

This is the fourth post of 10 posts on the 7 Chakras System. Here is the first post, an Overview of the 7 Chakras, here is the second post, the Root Chakra, and here is the third post, the Sacral Chakra.

Anodea Judith has a great book that really dives deep into the Chakra system, the Wheels of Life: A User’s Guide to the Chakra System. As she states: “The first two chakras combine to bring us to this new level [the third chakra]. The first chakra brought us solidity, stability, focus, and form. There we experienced unity. From this ground, we moved to chakra two and experienced difference, change, and movement. Here we embraced polarities and discovered the passion of difference, choice, emotion, and desire. We expended beyond mere survival instincts toward the desire for pleasure and merging with another.

As we put together matter and movement, we find that they create a thirst state: energy. If we rub two sticks together, we eventually get a a spark that can ignite a fire. In the physical work, we call this combustion. In the body, it relates to metabolism. Psychologically, it relates to the spark of enthusiasm that ignites power an will; in our behavior, it is the realm of activity.

This is our third chakra. Its purpose is transformation. Just as fire transforms matter to heat and light, the third chakra transforms the passive elements of earth and water into dynamic energy and power. Earth and water are passive. They flow downward, subject to gravity and follow the path of least resistance. Fire, by contrast, moves upward, destroying form, and takes the raw energy of matter to a new dimension- to heat and light.

I love this concept of fire moving upward, consuming raw energy and putting out new matter – of heat and light. By applying our will in the right way and for the right things, we are unstoppable.

Open and Balanced

When your solar plexus chakra is open and balanced, you are able to say no easily and without guilt,  can express yourself to your colleagues, boss, and loved ones with ease and truthfulness, and have no fear in addressing authority figures.  You aren’t easily threatened or intimidated in any situation.

Unbalanced or Weak

Signs of an unbalanced or weak chakra are the inability to really say what you think for fear of the reaction you’ll get, being intimidated or threatened by others who seem more powerful then you, feeling fear or nervousness in addressing authority figures, and not feeling like you’re in charge of your life.

Causes

A weak or unbalanced third chakra can be caused in a variety of ways. Some of us learn it early, to trust authority for its own sake and to not listen to our internal compass. Some of us, in a weak moment, unintentionally give it away by allowing someone in our life to have more power over us than we intended- to be loved, or admired, or wanted, or out of fear of rejection. Some of us stay in unhelpful or hostile environments, knowingly, until something better comes along. All of this shuts down or weakens this solar plexus chakra.

Symptoms of a Solar Plexus Chakra Imbalance

• Can you say no easily and without guilt?
• Is what you want the ideology that is guiding your life?
• Do you speak your mind openly and honestly?
• Can you speak with authority figures confidently?
• Can you allow others to be uncomfortable or unhappy with your decisions without changing your mind or trying to fix them?
• Are you in charge of your life?

If you answered no to some or many of the above-listed questions, your solar plexus chakra is probably out of balance.

Examples of Situations that Can Throw Your Solar Plexus Chakra Out of Balance

An extreme example of a situation that throw you out of balance is living in a hostile or abusive situation. You live in a situation in which you are abused either physically or verbally and your power has been given away.  Whenever we go against our own wants and desires and intuition in order to get along, in order to be liked or loved, we give away our power. [This is different than consciously choosing to go along with something-like watching a movie that your mate chooses- because you’re doing with love and consciously.]

Choosing a profession, choosing a house, or a style because it will please your parents, your beloved, your friends, all of this gives away your power.  Codependent lifestyles is one of imbalance, as well. We’re propping the other person up at the expense of our self.

Ways to Balance Your Third Chakra

Many of the balancing methods below don’t cost a thing and can take just a few minutes each day.

Honor Yourself

• Find out what it is that you want to do with your life or your free time
• Practice saying no so that you can begin saying it without guilt
• Sleep on it or take your time in committing to anything
• Build your courage.
• Read Steve Pavlina’s Post: How to Give Your Power Away– and then stop doing it
• Start a project and finish it. Acknowledge this accomplish and feel the power it gives back to you. Then do another.

Stop Trying So Hard

• Don’t force yourself. If you’re trying and coming up against a lot of resistance. Stop. Take a deep breath. Find out about the resistance and where it’s coming from. Visualize instead how easy the task is and that you can do it easily and with grace.
• If something really isn’t working, give it up. Don’t feel guilty about it. Begin with something that is easy and comes to you without resistance. Follow your joy.

Yell. Or Hit Something

• Yell as loudly and as hard as you can. And again. And again. Yelling not only strengthens your core, it releases some of the pent up power you’ve been repressing and allows the energy to move through you.
• Hit something, like a punching bag, some pillows or the bed. This too release some of the power you’ve been holding on to.
• If you can make the time, take a kick boxing or other martial arts course in your gym or area. This will increase your sense of personal power and ability to protect yourself.

Protect Your Solar Plexus

• When you know you’re going to be in a tough situation, such as the first time you say no and stick to your guns, knowing you’ll disappoint that certain someone, or when you need to have a tough discussion with your colleagues, or it’s time to ask for a raise, don’t go “belly to belly”. In these situations, turn slightly so that you are positioned so that your solar plexus isn’t facing him/her/them directly.  This prevents their energy from entering your chakra’s aura and allows you to better maintain your power and will.
• When a conversations starts to go wrong and you can feel yourself losing your power, put your hand up and block your solar plexus’ aura so that you aren’t being bombarded with their chakra energy.
• Another way to increase your power in the middle of a situation is to, in addition to physically blocking your solar plexus, is to visualize your solar plexus as a disk or a ball of light and that it is getting bigger, warmer, and brighter. Quickly imagine it growing in intensity and you will feel your power flow back to you.

Laugh

• Laughing at life can greatly increase your sense of power by not taking everything so seriously.
• Rent a comedy and really laugh for as long as you can.

Physically Strengthen Your Core

• Sit ups and other core strengthening exercises help to anchor your solar plexus in power. By increasing your strength physically, you can increase your strength psychically and emotionally.
• Rock Climb on a local wall or take course.
• Take a Pilates Course at your local gym.
• Anodea Judithrecommends the following yoga poses as solar plexus strengtheners:
  • Breath of Fire
  • Woodchopper
  • Bow Pose
  • Pike/Full Boat Pose

Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT)

Unfamiliar with EFT? Check out this page to show you the basics, for free. There are many other sites that have a more thorough explanation of the technique but they require you to provide your email address. Your choice!

EFT at the highest level: you first state your concerns and that you deeply love and accept yourself. You then release each of the specific ideas, anxieties, and fears that you are feeling. Then you state affirmations or better ideas that should replace your anxieties and fears and that make you feel better, more empowered by thinking them.

Deeply Love and Accept Yourself

You first touch the karate chop point [as shown on the link] while releasing the block through stating, “Even though I feel I’m not strong enough, even though I think I_______ [don’t have enough power, have to please others first ], I deeply love and accept myself.

Release

Then go through each point tapping three or four times at each point; eyebrow, side of eye, under the eye, under the nose, under the chin, the collar bone, under the breast/ribcage, under arm, and crown – while releasing whatever it is you’re experiencing.

You can go around the tapping circuit a few times until you’ve fully release what you need to.

Starting tapping at the eyebrow and going through each point: I release the feelings that I’m not strong enough, I can’t succeed, I can’t express what I want without losing everything, …etc [Keep tapping].

I release all of this from my body. [Keep tapping].

I release from my solar plexus chakra, from my whole body:

Lack of success, lack of power, inability to say what I mean, ____ … [fill in whatever you’re feeling that is keeping you from being authentically you, sure in yourself, able to say what you mean -as you keep tapping]

Affirmations

Now you begin replacing the feelings and beliefs you’ve just released through saying affirmations that work for you, while tapping through the entire circuit again.

[Start tapping] I am powerful. I can create what I will.  I give myself permission to be powerful. I use my power wisely. My needs are as important as anyone else’s. I have high self-esteem. I am successful. I am confident and secure.  [Fill in what works for you….]

Keep Going

Continue with any of these suggestions from yoga, to EFT, to letting yourself really be powerful and in charge of your own life. These balancing techniques will help balance your chakra and make you able to feel more able to be authentically you without fear of loss or rejection, be able to express your power, your will and your ability to create a life you want to live.

Once you feel balanced, powerful, and strong again, consider looking at your next chakra, the fourth chakra.

What helps you own your own power? What are some things you do to keep yourself true to your own compass?

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Next up: The Fourth Chakra- the Heart Chakra