What is the Solar Plexus Chakra?
For those unfamiliar with the concept & have no idea what a solar plexus chakra is, let’s bring things back a little bit.
The core idea is this: You, along with every other person you share this planet with, have seven chakras. They exist outside of the physical realm and are placed along your spine. They’re unique centers of spiritual energy, and each is focused on a fundamental pillar of our existence.
In order from bottom to top, they’re known as the root, sacral, solar plexus, heart, throat, third eye, and crown chakras. Even though there’s one at the bottom & one at the top, there’s no ranking of importance. If one’s thrown off, things can start getting thrown in every direction.
When things are good, however, they’re very good. Put effort into maintaining the balance of each of your chakras, and you’ll be able to find complete harmony with yourself, the people around you & the world you all live in together.
What’s more, in the process of finding that peace & common connection, you’ll also be able to lift yourself up & start off on the path of your personal development. After all, when you’ve found complete balance, the next thing left to do is see how far you can go.
Every chakra needs to be centered if you want to discover your true potential, which is why we’ve decided to put out a series of articles focusing on how nurturing each chakra can lead to development in all sorts of ways. Now, we’ll be focusing on the solar plexus chakra.
The Solar Plexus Chakra
This chakra can be found right near the navel area, with the base of the sternum being around 2 inches above. It takes care of your whole digestive system, going from your stomach & bowels to your pancreas and liver.
Outside of our anatomy, it’s associated with the color yellow & fire, and is traditionally symbolized by a bright yellow lotus with ten petals.
Concerning the spiritual energy aspect, this chakra serves as the center of what we consider to be our identity. Anything related to our sense of self, including our personalities & how comfortable we are with who we are, rests with the well-being of the solar plexus.
If you’ve noticed that you’ve been refreshingly confident lately, more content when you think about what you’ve made of yourself, and are able to have a clear idea of where you want to be in the future, chances are you’ve taken good care of it thus far.
Think back briefly, though, to a time (perhaps recently, or now) where you felt distressed about certain aspects of your identity, perhaps questioning the fundamental things that make you the type of person you are at that point. In those moments, the chakra is concerningly inactive.
While inactivity is certainly harmful, overactivity can very well end up equally, if not more so. See, when you get a little too psyched on yourself, you can end up thinking that you’re a much bigger deal than you are in reality.
That can play out lightly in minor cases, sure, but those that are especially off balance can end up becoming controlling of those around them, narcissistic, manipulative, and even outright abusive if things get bad.
Personal Growth Through Focus on the Solar Plexus Chakra
Considering everything discussed so far, let’s turn our attention to how nurturing this particular chakra can help us grow.
Since the concept began to exist in the collective human consciousness, self-awareness has been considered a superpower. I’m sure you’ve met more than your fair share of people who you wish would take a good, long look at themselves.
Maybe you’re that person you’ve met; I know I certainly have been. Like most of you (I hope), I’ve spent very long nights sitting with my own thoughts, thinking about the way I’ve acted towards other people & how it might’ve affected them.
If you haven’t been bombarded with flashbacks to the Greatest Hits in your mental cringe folder, I’m not sure if I can really trust you, because as painful as it is, that’s a sign that you care about being a better person.
Could you imagine an adult that never regretted a fundamental personality trait they had as a teenager? I don’t want to, either.
That’s not an adult, that’s just a teenager that got older. As we experience more, we update our knowledge on the difference between right & wrong, and it’s only natural that the way we express ourselves to the world alters accordingly.
Hopefully, in step with our personality, our sense of identity forms with age & experience as well. As we consider & witness more of the possibilities that live has to offer, along with meeting more of the people taking advantage of those chances, we end up understanding our own selves.
Balancing the Solar Plexus Chakra
As long as you keep the solar plexus chakra balanced, your self-awareness & acceptance will bring you to unimaginable heights in this world.
“Wait, how do I balance it?”
Right, I almost forgot. Well, there happen to be quite a few ways to bring yourself back to center, and one of them is screaming.
Yes, you read that right. The thing you do in the shower, the car, the pillow if you’re me, and crowded restaurants if the family’s talking politics. It’s one of the most foolproof ways to get your solar plexus back in order.
Have you ever let out a war cry? Maybe you were sword-fighting your best friend using sticks you found in the park, maybe you were feeling especially powerful at the company paintball outing last week. No matter when or where it was, think about what you felt after that shout.
Did you feel stronger? More confident? Perhaps even…self-validated? Do you see what I’m saying? For reasons that science has probably explained but won’t fit in this article, letting out a roar is somehow a firm acknowledgement of your own existence.
Once your voice gives out you can also try some aggressive dancing, along with core workouts, meditation on the concept of the self, exploration of personal interests, and maybe a leadership role of some sort if your schedule allows it.
Take whatever path you feel is best, but at least make sure you stay informed. You can do so by checking back in with us for the next part of this series.
