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.
