The Solar Plexus Chakra
It's been a while since I've shared the Chakra Meditation Series I was a part of last winter. I mentioned in my reflection back in March that this light energy inside you doesn't work on a deadline & my solar plexus chakra was no exception. I had to wait for this Manipura (Sanskrit for "lustrous gem") to show itself to me in a positive light but my lack of patience made it difficult. Until now. Now I'm sitting on my back deck looking up at the trees bathed in golden hour sunlight. Now it feels most pure. Chakras are an energetic light within us. They affect us physically, mentally & emotionally.
As a beginner of the chakras, I currently pay attention to their individual attributes but they all play off one another throughout the body. I was antsy to learn more about the Solar Plexus Chakra because my personal brand (emilywatz.com) is shaped around what this chakra symbolizes; empowerment, creativity & optimism.
Unfortunately, I felt my inner fire dim creatively. I couldn't feel its presence after a summer full of deadlines & breakdowns. Burnout urged me to take a break. Only when I stopped moving did I discover my Solar Plexus again. In a world where busy is celebrated, the solar plexus loses her glow.
The solar plexus chakra is represented by the color yellow.
Located 2 inches above your belly button.
Governs our self-worth, willpower, ego & passion.
Element is fire.
This energy center is dynamic due to the fire it exudes. It brings your will into action & creates new behaviors, burning off old habits & unhealthy patterns (can mean facing childhood issues & laying them to rest, forgiving certain people or situations in your past, etc). Fire has both the power to create & destroy so it's up to us to listen to its presence & harness the energy to our advantage.
The symbol is a 10-petaled flower that unfolds to reveal a downward triangle, the symbol for Shakti, "sacred divine feminism" in Hinduism. Each petal represents a syllable of Sanskrit, a primal sound uttered in meditation chants to release emotion & get closer to your center.
Ailments include depression, low self-esteem, temper, & digestion issues.
Yoga poses like the Warrior sequence & Downward Dog, practicing self-love & saying silent prayers of gratitude keep this chakra in balance.
This meditation was empowering & uplifting for me. I cried for the first time in a while & realized how long it'd been since I said, "I love you" to myself. It seems silly to tell yourself you love yourself but saying it frees up gremlin-space & leaves more room to accept others as they are. Ahh, vulnerability at its most beautiful. We were guided to meditate on fire & at the end opened our eyes to smoke billowing out of the candle jar in the center of the meditation circle! The candle caught its own container on fire. It was then I knew how powerful this chakra can be.
You can use these essential oils if you feel depressed, egotistical, are lacking self-esteem, or need to exude your inner warrior.
Place a few dabs just above your navel or on soles of feet (mix with a carrier oil to prevent burning or irritation on the skin).
Empower + Balance: geranium is a great oil for women looking to channel their divine femininity & balance insecurities men in their life are feeling.
Protection + Worthiness: Valor + Cypress essential oils help men bring out their inner warrior + self-worth. Men need guidance balancing their chakras too even if they don't admit it or realize it in themselves.
Lemon + orange oil are everyday basics for combating super-ego or super low self-esteem.
Another great way to surround yourself with these powerful oils is to use them in nontoxic household cleaners (there's a great how-to zine from Raleigh Briggs at Have Company if you're local) or use earth-friendly household cleaners.
While the solar plexus has much to do with your internal fire, it's difficult to fan the flame when I'm not surrounding myself with fresh scents, good vibes, & passionate people. To have these 3 essentials around a bonfire on a cool Autumn night, well, that's what my dreams are made of! Hoping to make that a reality over the next few weeks. I hope you feed your fire this week, Em.
The Sacral Chakra
The original idea with A Replenished Chakra series was to share one chakra a week but when I sat down to write about my experience with the Svadhisthana Chakra, I couldn't do it. A funny thing happens when you listen to your gut. It isn't logic but a tiny whisper inside telling you what you need to do—or what you need not to do. I wasn't ready. So I had to wait until my gut gave me the ok. Which it did, two nights ago when Tiger & I were walking (we're always walking!) in a soft spring drizzle, the smell of wood burning from a nearby chimney. And it's the time right now with the sun shining as I paint. I've found that defining the chakras by a single hue is popular in Western culture but isn't very accurate with how these energies move throughout your body. They are interlaced, layered & the ancient texts describe them with a slew of symbols, spirits & deities. But for the sake of basics & being a beginner, I think this way is easiest to understand.
The sacral chakra is represented by the color orange.
Located in the lower abdomen, 2 inches below your belly button.
Governs our emotions, creativity, intuition & sexuality.
Element is water.
It's through the movement of this energy center that provides a balance of the polarities in our life (light/dark, feminine/masculine, self/others), which is why none of us should be sitting for 8 hours or more at a desk. Do you ever feel imbalanced from lack of movement? I do!
The symbol is a 6-petaled lotus flower that opens to full & crescent moons, representing a connection to the lunar qualities of the moon. Each petal represents a syllable of Sanskrit, a primal sound uttered in meditation chants to release emotion & get closer to your center.
Ailments include anxiety, depression, creative block & low libido.
Drinking water, swimming, being open about emotions, human touch & trusting our intuition (a.k.a. that tiny whisper inside you) keep this chakra in balance.
This meditation was tough for me. It didn't flow as easily as the root chakra did. A lot of thoughts & decisions have been weighing on my mind in relation to this chakra so the discomfort didn't surprise me. There wasn't anywhere for me to go, though. I couldn't run away from it by hopping on Facebook, turning up the music, or going out for drinks. I had to sit there with my thoughts & accept who I was & where I am presently. I loved that. Now I know where to begin. Plus, I really do miss my soul sisters! They're running around all over the nation, dream chasin', & I just get sensitive about that (always, always so proud of them).
You can use these essential oils if you're feeling anxious or depressed, to ease muscle spasms or if you're experiencing a creative block.
Place a few dabs on the lower abdomen or soles of feet.
Bloom + Energize: these oils have a floral scent & are very uplifting. They spark movement. I've been putting jasmine on every morning for this reason (not a morning person!).
Nurture + Sooth: Clary sage & nuroli can be used for menstrual cramps because they stop muscle spasms & ease cramping.
Jasmine also curbs sweet cravings.
We often hold our fears & emotional heaviness in the sacral chakra. These rejuvenating oils help to regain focus on what's really bugging us, accept it & then graciously let it go so we can get on with following our desires & pursuing our passions. Go do that crazy & fulfilling thing your gut has been telling you to do this weekend. Your sacral chakra will thank you profusely. I'm on your side, brave one. xo, Em
The Root Chakra
I have had an amazing experience with the Chakra Meditation Series at On The Path Yoga that I must share with you! At the beginning of the year, I wanted to focus on replenishing my mind, body & spirit so I jumped headfirst into this opportunity.
Each week, the yoga instructor guided us through a meditation where we focused on a specific chakra throughout our body. She was so calm & patient, I immediately felt at ease in the meditation circle. My hopes were to quiet mind chatter & get closer to my center but it quickly became more than that. A whole new world opened up for me! I found myself counting down the hours until the next meditation every week.
We started at the root—the Muladhara Chakra—and worked our way up through the 7 most common chakras.
The root chakra is represented by the color red.
Located at the base of the spine.
Influences our primal instinct & sense of smell.
The symbol is a 4-petaled lotus flower that encircles a square. The square represents its element, Earth & each of her directions; North, West, South, and East. The downward triangle represents the spirit forming into matter, that sense of groundedness that makes us feel open & secure when we are balanced here.
Ailments like lower back pain, a poor immune system & anxiety happen when the root chakra isn't in balance.
Eating foods directly from the earth, exercising & establishing some daily routines help keep this chakra in balance.
Needless to say, I had quite the meditation. I couldn't stop smiling the rest of the day because I had finally accepted the whirlwind of change that has happened in the last year. Accept first, then transform. The Replenished Chakra Series is my first delve into each of the 7 energy centers. It has been a very personal experience I love to share because of how good it's made me feel. It led me to wonder how I could help any of you who may feel similar energy imbalances like I have found in myself.
You can use these essential oils if you're feeling stuck, have an imbalanced digestive system, anxiety, or lower back pain.
Place a few dabs across lower back (sacrum, near the root chakra) or soles of feet.
Strength + Groundedness: Cedarwood & sandalwood come from trees, rooted deep into the earth.
Relax + Unwind: put any of these oils on before bed.
Aphrodisiac: Sex is one of the best ways to balance your root chakra so these oils can help stimulate that desire. Always a plus!
Patchouli has a very intense smell. That could mean a lot of things. It isn't for everybody but I love it because it's what my mom wears often.
There are many ways to use essential oils for a more clean & natural living. Teas, food, candles, an alternative to house cleaners, etc. I'm going to begin with cedarwood for my root chakra & borrow some of my mom's patchouli.
Anyone else feeling a bit stiff & rigid from hibernating all winter?! This girl is. So I'm going to soak up some cedarwood, let my hair down & dance those blues away this weekend. My root chakra told me so! xo, Em.