Third Chakra - Solar Plexus
Posted by Benjamin Baron on
Sanskrit Name; Meaning : Manipura; Lustrous Gem
Location : Solar Plexus
Affirmation : “I can.”
Central Power : Volition / Willpower
Element : Fire [1]
Will-power, control, and the desire to enact your own will on the world around you and over your specific life and dominion is all the rave about this chakra. While all of the chakras can be read or sensed energetically, the blaze of fire that can erupt from this place of “enacting one’s will” is what could lead to war, assault, violence, and the ever-prominent spirit of competition. Ever get into so intense of a breathing routine during a sporting event, competition, or even the crunch of finishing something “on time”? We all have deadlines! Fire is what is enacted to cut through the stress of being. However, even flames go out.
The energy of this chakra is all about proactivity, autonomy, individuality, will, or volition, self-esteem, and confidence. If the individuated self was to find itself specifically looking to interact with that physical world, built now upon the field of its feelings that help to guide its flow or alter its course, it is in this chakra that embodies spontaneity, playfulness, and a sense of humor. If a person is balanced in their third chakra, they are likely responsible, able to meet challenges, and not too pushy or aggressive.
The power-hungry can also find themselves in this place. Authoritarianism, enmeshment, shame, and pride all evolve from this chakra, as well. Someone flowing less energy, or with less of a healthy flow of energy, through this chakra will be easily manipulated, lack discipline, and generally be passive and unreliable.[2]
If you think about an over-active or hyper-active person, you may find someone who flows energy through this portion of their body differently. Issues within the body show up in the form of chronic fatigue syndrome, hypertension, diabetes, and general disorders of the stomach, liver, and digestive system. It can even be related to medical conditions such as candida overgrowth, Epstein-Barr syndrome, Lyme disease, and food allergies.[3]
One of the glands most affected by this chakra is the adrenals.[4] Think about the basics of the “fight, flight, freeze, or fawn” responses. For those about to engage in the last conflict to save one’s life? You’d be activating the adrenals. Same for those who would get a sudden burst of energy to run away, or even be crippled with fear to not know what to do! Over-exertion can lead to adrenal burnout, which is a typical indication there is not a healthy flow of will-power.
It can also lead to addiction! Both excessive and deficient third chakras may be attracted to stimulants like caffeine, amphetamines, or cocaine. Stimulants help the deficient system feel normal and help the excessive system continue its constant activity. Highly anxious personalities may also be attracted to calming drugs such as opiates, barbiturates, and alcohol.[3] Someone who is unable to balance these energies in this center would be prone to the highs and lows afforded by substances that help to stimulate various brainwave responses and move energy throughout the system.
Thinking of fire as an element, what does it always do? It brings about change and transmutation. Fire is an element that can help cook some of your favorite meals, or it can burn everything in its path. Think of the nature of destruction when it is said “Before creation comes destruction.” Not all fire is bad, though it can be a volatile element. Fire in some ancient shamanic traditions is referred to as “The Dancing People”, because it does not follow any of the rhythm of the other elements of the world (air, earth, and water).
Personal power is the place of this chakra, and so it often finds itself as the bed of leadership. People with powerful third chakras are the kind that can help to bring change into the world through boastful actions, powerful speeches, or passionate interests. You can feel this chakra illuminate when you watch someone speak something into the world or express in a way that is designed to bring attention. You feel this energy when you can lean into someone who has an authority in your life and you can trust in their guidance and leadership.
It is also that place within us that “locks up” if something threatening or frightening happens (see above: fight, flight, fawn, and freeze). It’s that “feeling in the pit of your stomach”; it’s the “gut instinct” that helps to guide the choices of the rest of the lower chakras.
[1] Judith, A. (2006). Introduction: Sacred Centers of the Self. In Eastern body, Western Mind: Psychology and the Chakra system as a Path to the Self (pp. 10-11). essay, Alchemy.
[2] Judith, A. (2006). Chakra Three: Burning Our Way into Power. In Eastern body, Western Mind: Psychology and the Chakra system as a Path to the Self (pp. 166-167). essay, Alchemy.
[3] Judith, A. (2006). Chakra Three: Burning Our Way into Power. In Eastern body, Western Mind: Psychology and the Chakra system as a Path to the Self (pp. 213). essay, Alchemy.
[4]Bruyere, R. L. (1994). Wheels of Power. In Wheels of Light: Chakras, Auras and the Healing Energy of the Body (pp. 42). essay, Simon & Schuster.