Solar Plexus Chakra Your Key to Happiness by Samantha Fey

Chakra is a Sanskrit word meaning wheel. There are seven major chakras in our body, and they each govern different emotional, physical and spiritual attributes. A chakra is a spinning wheel of energy that takes in information for us throughout our day and stores it in various parts of our body. When our chakras are unbalanced, we can feel weak, tired, ill, depressed, and disconnected.

The Solar Plexus chakra is one of the most important energy centers in our body because it governs confidence, will, self-esteem, and joy. It is located between the sternum and the naval. The Solar Plexus is developed during the teen years – specifically ages 15 – 22. These are the years where we discover who we are, find our voice and decide our life’s vocation. This center stores your beliefs, judgments and opinions you have about yourself and others. There are many things you can do to keep this chakra healthy which will make you feel happier, balanced and whole.

The Shrinking Chakra

If a chakra is out of balance, it can either be too small or too large. If your Solar Plexus is too small, you will know because you’ll feel small. People who are deficient in Solar Plexus energy often have poor posture. They dislike being the center of attention and feel conflicted when making life choices. People with an underdeveloped Solar Plexus often feel shy and awkward around others. They have difficulty making decisions and have a tendency to apologize too much. If people feel guilty, anxious or worried, their Solar Plexus chakra will shrink. Other signs that a Solar Plexus chakra is imbalanced include chronic disorganization, procrastination, depression, fatigue and loneliness. People who feel like a victim, have difficulty setting healthy boundaries and tend toward passive aggressive behavior will have a smaller Solar Plexus chakra. They also tend to attract co-dependent relationships and have difficulty setting and achieving goals.

The Overactive Chakra

People with an exaggerated Solar Plexus chakra tend to carry excess weight in their stomach. They have big energy and feel safer when they physically take up more space. They are just as fearful as people with an underdeveloped Solar Plexus, but they express it through overconfidence, a tendency toward perfectionism, and a need to control situations. People with a large Solar Plexus chakra tend to have rigid boundaries and strong opinions and beliefs. They are often intolerant of others’ belief systems and feel their way is the best way. They are quick to anger and need to feel in control. They are your typical type A personality and are often workaholics. They tend to be frugal with money. They enjoy being in positions of power. They have difficulty showing emotions and have a hard time with intimacy. They have very intense energy and tend to carry a lot of weight in their stomach area. They enjoy feeling superior and have a hard time when they are not the authority figure.

Physical Symptoms of an Imbalanced Solar Plexus

An imbalanced chakra will present itself through health issues. The more imbalanced our chakra is, the more serious the health issue. If your Solar Plexus is out of balance, you may experience confusion, fatigue and difficulty with weight loss. Other symptoms include kidney and gall bladder issues, diabetes, arthritis, ulcers, gas, and fibromayalgia. An imbalanced Solar Plexus can instigate anemia, food allergies, problems with the pancreas, asthma or adrenal issues.

What causes this chakra to get imbalanced? The Ego. Our ego is a good thing when it’s properly balanced. But if you repress your ego and defer to other people, you will feel disempowered, worthless, lonely and depressed. If your ego is overinflated, you have a hard time accepting people who are different from you. You may be overly invested in one side of politics or feel that your religion is the only correct one. A larger Solar Plexus will make you overweight, tired, angry and frustrated.

Cleansing Your Chakras

It is very easy to balance and cleanse your chakras. The key is consistency. Just as we have to bathe each day, we also need to cleanse and balance our chakras. Throughout our day, these seven hard working energy centers are pulling in and distributing energy for us. Unless we help them stay clean and balanced, they will get clogged which causes emotional and physical stress for us. The best way to cleanse your Solar Plexus chakra is through visualization. Imagine a yellow ball of sunlight in your center. Feel it shining brightly all around you. See this circle of light at your core spinning and releasing all debris and old energy. Continue this visualization until the yellow spinning ball of energy is completely clean and shining clear, yellow beams of light. If you have a hard time with visualization, try a guided meditation.

Balancing a Shrunken Chakra

If your Solar Plexus chakra is smaller than it should be due to poor self-esteem, trauma, worry or anxiety, there are a number of steps you can take to balance this center. Practice saying no to things you don’t want to do. Learn to say no without giving an explanation. Learn to accept compliments. Practice being proud of yourself and your accomplishments. Every day, write down three things that you did really well. Work on healing your inner child. Many Solar Plexus Chakras get infected in childhood when our voices are suppressed and we aren’t allowed to be who we really are. Set healthy boundaries in your relationships. Don’t let anyone take your power. Eat yellow foods such as bananas, yellow peppers, papaya, lemons, butternut squash, corn and sunflower seeds. Wear yellow clothes. Soak in the sunshine. Get outside and feel the healing energy of the sun invigorate your energy.

Balancing an Overactive Solar Plexus

The best way to bring this bloated chakra back into balance is by learning to let go of people and situations you can’t control. Try to keep an open mind and entertain other people’s choices, opinions and beliefs without feeling the need to convince them of your belief system. Maintaining a daily practice of meditation and deep breathing will also help. In addition you can find positive outlets for your anger. Scream into a pillow, hit a punching bag, practice kick boxing, do yoga, lift weights. ry wearing the color purple. The Solar Plexus is governed by the color yellow. Its opposite color is purple (from the brow charka). To calm this chakra down, wear purple. Eat purple foods such as grapes, eggplant, plums, purple cabbage and prunes. The best way to balance an inflated Solar Plexus is through laughter. Laughter really is the best medicine and it does wonders to heal this chakra center. It lightens our energy, lifts our mood and helps us to let go of anger, fear and resentments.

Healing the Solar Plexus

To keep your Solar Plexus chakra happy and shining like the sun, you can turn to aromatherapy, crystals and physical exercise. When combined, these tools will help your Solar Plexus spin happily making you feel more joyful, connected and confident. Crystals that are good for the Solar Plexus include Tiger’s Eye, Citrine, Amber, Yellow Chalcedony, Golden Topaz, Sunstone. Aromatherapy that heals and balances this chakra include lemon, chamomile, grapefruit, ylang-ylang, sandalwood, and peppermint. You can diffuse these oils throughout your or drink them as a tea or wear the oils as a perfume. In addition, there are some great exercises to balance this center such as yoga, belly dancing, zumba and pilates are great ways to heal and balance the Solar Plexus. Any exercise that strengthens your core will enhance this chakra. Specific yoga exercises that help this center include Warrior Pose I and II, Bow Pose, and Boat Pose.

Maintaining a Healthy Chakra

The Solar Plexus chakra is a storehouse for old hurts and wounds. One of the best ways to maintain a healthy third chakra is by healing old issues and forgiving yourself and others. The positive word for this chakra is “choice.” People with a healthy third chakra are aware that they have choices and feel empowered enough to make positive choices. The negative word for this chakra is “shame.” When this chakra is out of balance, people often feel guilty, fearful and ashamed. If this resonates with you, consider speaking with a qualified therapist you feel comfortable with. Read about healing the inner child. Practice positive affirmations. Learn to love and accept yourself. This is the center of our will, our sense of power and self. It’s crucial to do the work to keep this center healthy. A healthy Solar Plexus is the key to a happy, fulfilling life.