Solar Plexus Chakra
New age Ideas
Manipura means “City of Jewels” or “lustrous gem of the city.”
Modern Manipura At a Glance
Evolution of Symbolism
The colour of Manipura chakra is yellow—a vibrant and energetic colour reflecting fiery energy. Manipura is our furnace that provides energy for transformation and manifestation. The colour has changed from the dark blue of classical Tantra to yellow, perhaps because yellow is the colour of the sun and fire.
Its association with the sense of sight reflects how we perceive ourselves and our world. The animal symbol is the ram, which symbolizes strength and courage. A ram is considered a strong and aggressive animal, which aligns with the Manipura chakra’s energy of self-worth, confidence, and inner strength.
Modern Anatomical Alignment
Manipura has changed position from the navel to the solar plexus, just below the rib cage, behind the stomach. In the original Sanskrit texts, Manipura is located exactly at the navel (Nabhi) because that is the center of the body’s physical and energetic nourishment (the umbilical connection) and the seat of the digestive fire.
The Theosophists moved the chakra slightly upward, to the solar plexus, or celiac plexus, to make the concept of chakras more rational to a Western audience, linking the Manipura’s fire energy to the adrenal glands and the sympathetic nervous system. This complex nerve system regulates our fight-and-flight response and plays an important role in the functioning of the stomach, kidneys, liver, and adrenal glands.
Traits of Manipura
Personal Power and Identity
Manipura is associated with personal power, self-esteem, willpower, and the ability to take action. The solar plexus chakra is the home of our personal identity; it is the energy centre that houses the power of the sun to ignite us to fulfill our potential. It gives us courage, personal power, discipline, strength, patience, and perseverance to walk confidently in the direction of your dreams and fulfill your purpose in life.
When you cultivate Manipura chakra, you realize that you have inherent value that doesn’t depend on external sources of happiness, such as money or your job. You develop your own self-worth.
Emotional Characteristics and Balance
Some emotions associated with this energy centre are:
- Excitement
- Happiness
- Depression
- Willpower
- Assertiveness
- Discipline
- Self-confidence
- Aggression
- Anger
A short temper is often associated with an over-active solar plexus chakra, while low confidence is caused by an underactive solar plexus. New Age ideas encourage the balancing of the chakras to balance positive and negative emotions.
Healing the Solar Plexus (Manipura)
The Power of the ‘I AM’
- Overactive Signs: Are you feeling aggressive, perfectionistic, or critical? Your inner fire might be burning too hot.
- Underactive Signs: If you are struggling with self-esteem, feeling timid, or having digestive issues, your inner sun needs a boost.
- The Solution: Use affirmations like “I am worthy of my own self-love” to rebuild your core.
- The Boundary Work: Blockages here often come from people-pleasing. Practice putting your own needs first—you cannot light the world if your own lantern is empty.
Exploring Manipura in Your Practice
Through core awareness, twists, and gentle back-bends in our yoga practice we can build heat and generate energy in this area – stimulating the organs, glands and nerve endings, and balancing the energy of the 3rd chakra.
Through core awareness, twists, and gentle backbends, we can build heat and generate energy in this area—stimulating the organs, glands, and nerve endings while balancing the fire of the third chakra.
The Awakening: Igniting the Spark
Start your practice lying on your back, placing your hands between your lower ribs and your navel. Breathe into this area and feel the rise and fall of the breath in the belly.
- Arch and Flatten: Gentle pelvic tilts to engage the core and awaken the spine.
- Supta Matsyendrasana: Gentle twists with knees side-to-side to massage the internal organs.
- Abdominal Exercises: Focused movements to activate the “furnace” of the solar plexus.
- Bitilasana Marjaryasana (Cat/Cow): Establishing a rhythmic flow between the navel and the spine.
The Rising Fire: Building Inner Heat
- Adho Mukha Svanasana (Downward-Facing Dog Variation): Threading the opposite leg under the body to introduce a stabilizing twist.
- Bhujangasana Sequence (Cobra): Flowing through backbends to open the front body and stimulate the adrenal glands.
- Anjaneyasana with a Twist: Low lunges to stretch the psoas while rotating the ribcage.
- Surya Namaskar (Sun Salutations) x3: Honoring the solar energy of Manipura through a continuous, heat-building flow.
The Transformation: Stability and Power
- Uttanasana with a Twist: Forward fold using a block for support, reaching the opposite arm toward the sky to wring out tension.
- Utkatasana (Chair Pose) x3: Building heat in the large muscle groups and testing our willpower.
- Parivritta Utkatasana (Revolved Chair): Deepening the fire through a powerful core-focused twist.
- Parivritta Trikonasana (Revolved Triangle): Finding balance and perspective through a grounded standing twist.
- Garudasana (Eagle Pose): Compressing and releasing energy to stimulate the nervous system.
The City of Jewels: Mastery of the Center
- Malasana with a Twist (Garland Pose): Opening the hips while maintaining a focused rotation in the upper torso.
- Bakasana (Crow Pose): An invitation to find balance, courage, and core strength.
- Navasana (Boat Pose): Directly engaging the solar plexus to find stability within our center of power.
- Ardha Matsyendrasana (Half Lord of the Fishes): A classic seated twist to balance the energy of the third chakra.
The Integration: Glowing Embers
Savasana (Corpse Pose): Final relaxation. Check in with your solar plexus region and feel the residual heat and energy radiating throughout your body.
Jathara Parivartanasana (Reclined Abdominal Twist): Cooling the fire while maintaining the benefits of the practice.
Pranayama for the Solar Plexus
Stoking the Fire of Transformation
