Solar plexus chakra (Manipura): will and self-worth
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4 min read
In yoga tradition, the body has seven main energy centers, called chakras, that run from the base of the spine to the top of the head. The solar plexus chakra is the third, just above the navel. Its Sanskrit name is Manipura, usually translated as “city of jewels.” Its color is yellow and its element is fire.
What it’s about
Chakra teachers link the solar plexus chakra to ego, personality, identity, personal power and will. The tradition says it’s balanced when you love and accept yourself and have a sense of purpose. People describe that as feeling motivated, having healthy self-esteem, working toward their purpose and taking responsibility for their actions.
In everyday terms, this is self-worth and agency. Do you believe your choices matter, and do you act on them? It’s the part of you that gets up and does the thing, and then owns what happens next, good or bad. People in recovery would call it taking responsibility instead of waiting to be rescued.
When it feels out of balance
Chakra teachers link an unbalanced solar plexus chakra with insecurity, low energy, feeling unmotivated, lying in bed all day, feeling you have no purpose, and a habit of seeing yourself as the victim. The tradition says it happens when you stop working toward your purpose and stop working on yourself.
Those feelings are okay, and they deserve to be felt. The last one is worth a closer look, though. Victim thinking feels like the plain truth when you’re in it: things happen to you and there’s nothing you can do. So ask yourself where you’ve handed your power to someone else, or to circumstances. Then ask what one thing in front of you is yours to do. It’s usually something small.
If any of this is heavy or won’t lift, talk to a doctor or therapist. A chakra practice is a support, not a treatment.
Ways to work with it
Start with purpose, since that’s what this chakra is about. Work toward something that matters to you, even in small steps, and notice where your days actually go.
Simple daily things help too: a warm bath with citrus and Epsom salts, a glass of lemon water, a few minutes of meditation by candlelight.
Yoga is an easy, relaxing way to work with this chakra, and you can do it wherever you can put a mat down. It loosens you up in the morning and helps you wind down at night. Common solar plexus poses are downward-facing dog, plank, bow pose, warrior one and warrior two. If you’re new to yoga, that’s okay: search YouTube for solar plexus chakra yoga and you’ll find beginner routines.
For a short practice, sit with your hands resting on your upper belly and breathe slowly. Feel the warmth under your hands, and ask yourself where in your life you’ve been waiting for permission.
Some people also use the tradition’s extras. Because the solar plexus chakra’s color is yellow, they eat yellow foods like corn, yellow squash, yellow bell peppers, pineapple, bananas, lemons, honeydew melon and chamomile tea, cook with turmeric and ginger, and add whole grains such as whole-wheat bread and pasta, brown rice and quinoa. Some diffuse or wear lemon, ginger, peppermint, rosemary or sandalwood oil, some carry or meditate with citrine, tiger’s eye, yellow jasper or sunstone, and some listen to 320 Hz tones while they meditate.
Affirmations are short statements you repeat to yourself in the present tense. A few for the solar plexus chakra:
- I am confident, strong and powerful.
- I am motivated and successful.
- I am enough.
- I have a purpose in this universe.
Everyone finds their own way with this. You can combine things, like oils in the diffuser while you do yoga, and it may take some trial and error to find what works for you.
A question to sit with
- Where am I waiting for someone else to fix things?
- What is one thing I can take responsibility for this week?
- What do I want to be working toward?
You just have to ask yourself: what is healing to you?
The seven chakras