Location of the Solar Plexus Chakra: In the center of the torso, in the upper abdomen, and above the navel
Core Issue: Shame
Age of Development: 18 months – 4 years
Developmental Tasks: Realizing that we are separate from one another, development of autonomy
Function: Willpower, self-confidence, personality, self-development, self-control, power
The purpose of the Solar Plexus Chakra is to govern our sense of identity as individuals and our personal power. This chakra begins to develop during early childhood, between the ages of two and four, as our personality starts to form and we begin to assert our power to control certain aspects of our lives. When the energy in this chakra is balanced, it supports a strong sense of self-confidence, personal empowerment, and the ability to make decisions. However, imbalances can lead to feelings of powerlessness and a disconnection from our authentic selves.
Solar Plexus Chakra: Foundation of Life
The solar plexus chakra represents our right to be and act as an individual.
Connection to the Physical Body
The solar plexus chakra is linked to the stomach, pancreas, adrenals, upper intestine, gallbladder, and liver.
Connection to the Emotional/Mental Body
The solar plexus chakra is the center of our personal power, the core of personality and ego.
Connection to the Spiritual Body
The energy of the solar plexus chakra represents the part of our personality that is eternal and connected to something bigger than ourselves.
When the solar plexus chakra’s energy is out of balance, it can develop either an excessive or deficient coping strategy for survival.
Excessive Solar Plexus Chakra
Too much energy stays in the body, making it overactive, dense, and stagnant. Signs of excess imbalance include:
Deficient Solar Plexus Chakra
Too much energy leaves the body, leaving it passive, empty, and feeling useless. Signs of deficient imbalance include:
Balanced Solar Plexus Chakra
A balanced solar plexus chakra means:
The solar plexus chakra can face several challenges affecting energy levels, self-esteem, autonomy, proactivity, and power.
Possible Causes of Complications
Complications can arise from experiences like shaming, living in a strict environment, physical abuse, inappropriate responsibilities for age, inherited trauma (parent’s shame).
Physical Manifestations of Imbalance
When the solar plexus chakra is imbalanced, it can show up in physical issues such as:
Therapeutic Color: Yellow Associated Element: Fire
Every trauma held in the body affects your whole system–physically, mentally, and emotionally. For example, breaking a leg not only impacts you physically but also influences your thoughts and emotions. When trauma happens it can create a gap between your mind and body and cause issues with how your system communicates with itself, keeping you from healing. When healing, it’s crucial to address trauma comprehensively and work towards reestablishing a connection between what you are thinking and what you are feeling in your body and allow it to be expressed emotionally.
The following suggestions can help to balance the energy of the solar plexus chakra. It is important to note, that healing requires careful attention and patience, especially when dealing with long-held traumas. It may be uncomfortable as you confront past experiences, but this is a natural part of the healing process.
For the best results, combine several methods that you find enjoyable and practice them regularly. Healing takes time and persistence, so be patient with yourself throughout the journey.
1. Practice deep breathing
The solar plexus chakra’s energy is about your personal strength. Your power is closely tied to how well you breathe and your energy levels. If you have trouble breathing deeply or feel like you can’t get enough air, your body might react by making your heart beat faster and raising your blood pressure. This can keep you feeling like you’re always on edge, and like you’re in constant danger. It’s hard to feel strong when your body is stuck in this panic mode.
Practicing deep breathing, where you breathe all the way down into your belly, is really helpful for balancing your energy and feeling more centered. It can strengthen your breathing muscles, ease any tension you’re holding onto, and boost your energy levels. This helps you regain control and feel more powerful.
2. Yoga poses
Yoga focused on building core strength can help balance the energy of the solar plexus chakra. Some helpful poses include boat pose, plank, and warrior poses.
3. Practice relaxation techniques (excess)
When your solar plexus chakra has too much energy, it means there’s a buildup inside your body. This can make it hard for your body to relax properly, which is important for staying healthy. It might also cause you to express your energy in ways that aren’t helpful. To let go of this extra energy, try relaxation techniques. Meditation and imagining calming scenes are great ways to start. You can also try physical activities like tai chi or qigong. It’s also helpful to figure out what’s stressing you out and why, so you can work on relaxing better.
4. Practice breaking out of routine (deficiency)
If your solar plexus chakra doesn’t have enough energy, you might feel like you lack control over your life. This can lead to sticking to the same routine because it feels safe. But this routine can make you feel even more powerless and like you can’t handle anything new. To change this, try breaking out of your usual routine. It could be something small like going to a different store or trying a new coffee shop. Even swapping TV for a book before bed counts. Doing things that feel a bit risky and different can help you feel more in charge and powerful again.
5. Get regular sun exposure
The solar plexus chakra really likes sunlight. When your skin gets sunlight, it uses UVB rays to turn cholesterol into vitamin D. Vitamin D is important for lots of things your body does, including keeping your energy up. Sunlight can wake up your body and make you feel more energetic and powerful. It’s good to get about 10-30 minutes of sunlight around midday to keep your solar plexus chakra healthy and happy.
6. Release pent-up anger
Keeping emotions bottled up can zap your energy, especially if you’re holding onto anger. When you repress emotions (pushing them away so you don’t feel bad) it’s a way to protect yourself from emotional pain. But those feelings don’t just disappear–they stick around and can hurt you even more, like an untreated wound. This can make you more stressed, anxious, and depressed, which drains your energy and inner strength.
To feel better, it helps to let out pent-up anger in healthy ways. Try activities like intense exercise, crying it out, singing, dancing, or writing in a journal. These can release that built-up energy and help you feel more in control.
7. Address feelings of being a victim (deficiency)
When your solar plexus chakra lacks energy, you might feel powerless. Feeling powerless is a harmful mindset to be in because it means you’ve let other people or things control your life. If you’re in this situation, you might blame others for where you are and struggle to admit your own choices got you there. You might also feel like you’re always sacrificing for others without getting much back, which can make you feel like a victim.
To heal your solar plexus chakra, it’s important to stop feeling like a victim and take back control of your life. This means learning to say “no” when you need to, understanding your role in relationships, challenging beliefs that say you can’t control things, and owning up to your actions. It can be tough because acting like a victim lets you blame others, but taking responsibility can help you feel more in charge of your life again.
Affirmations are powerful tools for changing how you think about yourself. They help replace negative self-talk with positive statements that support healing.
Aromatherapy uses certain scents to create a focused connection with different parts of the body through the sense of smell.
Some scents that work great for the solar plexus chakra include Anise, Chamomile, Lavender, Lemongrass, Myrrh, and Sandalwood.
Color therapy uses the different wavelengths of light found in color to establish a connection to specific areas of the body.
The color yellow vibrates at the same range of frequency as the solar plexus chakra. Because of this wearing the color yellow or bringing it into your surroundings can help balance the energy of the solar plexus chakra.
Food is the most powerful medicine. It can affect different parts of the body in specific ways.
Some foods that are great for the solar plexus chakra include foods that are yellow in color (e.g., corn, yellow squash, bananas, lemons pineapple) as well as foods rich in complex carbohydrates (e.g., beans, brown rice, oats, spelt, rye).
Music therapy can be beneficial for a wide range of physical, emotional, cognitive, and social needs. It can help with emotional processing and expression, reduce stress, alleviate anxiety and depression, promote relaxation, manage pain, and support overall well-being.
Music therapy can be used in various ways. You can try listening to specific songs work through feelings like anger or to transition to a different emotional state, such as happiness. You can also try using music that promotes relaxation/reduces stress levels or music that will increase your energy level depending on your desired outcome. Including dancing and/or singing can also help you feel better both inside and out.
It's important to pick music you like and that helps you feel how you want to feel in the moment.
The solar plexus chakra is positively influenced by music that features uplifting melodies and energetic rhythms. Songs that convey themes of personal power, confidence, and self-esteem are also beneficial, as well as those that encourage the emotional expression of shame.
Some suggested songs include:
Popular Song Suggestions:
Making sounds creates vibrations in your body, which helps reconnect your mind and body. Different sounds create vibrations that can target specific areas.
To focus on the solar plexus chakra, try vocalizing the short vowel sound o (as in ought), or the mantra Ram. Focus on how the vibration feels around your stomach area (solar plexus).
Sources: A Handbook of Chakra Healing Spiritual Practice for Health, Harmony, and Inner Peace, Govinda, Kalashatra; Anatomy of the Spirit the Seven Stages of Power and Healing, Myss, Caroline; Eastern Body Western Mind Psychology and the Chakra System as a Path to the Self, Judith, Anodea
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