“Radiate your power in the world,” could say the solar plexus chakra. Characterized by the expression of will, personal power, and mental abilities, the energy of the third chakra or Manipura in Sanskrit is mobilized when we assert ourselves in the world. Discover its key characteristics and how to make the most of this powerful energy center.
Introducing the Solar Plexus or Manipura chakra
Let’s start by exploring the basics, including the location, color, and symbol of the solar plexus chakra. Then, we are going to look at possible signs of imbalance in the third chakra and what to do to heal your solar plexus center and restore its balance to its optimal state.
Chakra Key Elements
First, we’re going to look at the Solar Plexus chakra basics:
- Location: In the solar plexus area (upper part of the belly, where your diaphragm rests); it is the third chakra from the bottom in the traditional system counting 7 chakras
- Color: Yellow (higher frequencies of this chakra can turn into golden yellow)
- Symbol: A circle with 10 petals in which is inscribed a downward-pointing triangle
- Original name in Sanskrit: Manipura
- Element: Fire
Additional elements used in modern energy healing practices are healing crystals and aromatherapy. If you’re curious, here’s a list of the most common ones:
- Solar Plexus chakra healing stones: Citrine, tirger’s eye, yellow tourmaline
- Essential oils: Chamomile, bergamot, cedarwood, rosemary are amongst the most popular soothing oils
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Main Chakra Meanings
The main meanings associated with the third chakra are:
- Will, personal power
- Taking responsibility for one’s life, taking control
- Mental abilities, the intellect
- Forming personal opinions and beliefs
- Making decisions, setting the direction
- Clarity of judgments
- Personal identity, personality
- Self-assurance, confidence
- Self-discipline
- Independence
When the Solar Plexus chakra is open and the energy in this center is balanced, these functions naturally find a clear and effortless outlet. However, in case the flow of energy is disturbed, whether because the Manipura chakra is overactive or blocked, symptoms may range from energetic and emotional to physical.
Chakra Element: Fire
The Manipura chakra is traditionally related to the element of fire, though some contemporary healing movements connect it to the element of air. It has a connection with the sun, heat, the energy of light, all forms of power.
Chakra Color: Yellow
The Solar Plexus chakra is most commonly represented with the color yellow. Since it’s associated with the element of fire, it is also sometimes depicted with yellowish red.
Chakra Location: Solar Plexus
The most commonly accepted location for the third chakra is at the solar plexus level, between the navel and the lower part of the chest. That’s why it’s often referred to as the “solar plexus chakra.” Some traditions place it more loosely in the navel area.
Closely connected to the digestive system, especially the gastric and hypogastric plexi, its main function is to help transform matter into energy to fuel your body. It governs metabolism and is commonly associated with the pancreas.
Chakra Symbol
The main elements of the Solar Plexus chakra symbol [LINK] are:
- A circle with ten petals
- An downward-pointing triangle
The inverted triangle represents the fire element and the transformative power of this energy center. Fire turns matter into energy that can be used to propel, move forward. The ten petals are often represented with the color blue, like the blue color of the flame.
What does Sanskrit name “Manipura” mean?
The most common Sanskrit name for the Solar Plexus chakra is “Manipura”, which means “city of jewels” or “seat of gems”.
The third chakra is also referred to as:
- Solar Plexus chakra
- Manipura
- Manipurak
- Nabhi
- The “power chakra”
The word “nabhi” can be translated as “navel”.
What the Solar Plexus chakra is known for
The Solar Plexus chakra is associated with the following psychological and behavioral functions:
- Expression of will
- Intellectual abilities
- The “accounting mind” that categorizes everything, assesses the pluses and minuses in life
- Personal power
- Ability to establish ideas and plans into reality
- At higher levels, it conveys wisdom
The main function of this energy center is to provide actual momentum to move forward and realize personal desires and intentions in the world. It plays a fundamental role in the development of personal power. It feeds one’s direction in life and the actions taken in order to reach your goals. It influences preoccupations about social status and self-image.
Signs your Solar Plexus chakra may be out of balance
On one side, a balanced solar plexus chakra makes it easy to find balance between your personal power and harmonious relationships with others; on the other side, an imbalanced third chakra could undermine your self-esteem and social life.
When the Solar Plexus chakra is balanced, you may:
- Be assertive
- Exert your will in a way that leads to the expected results somewhat effortlessly
- Have harmonious relationships with your surrounding
Imbalances in the third chakra can manifest as:
- Excessive control and authority over your environment and people
- Or the opposite in case of deficiency or blocked energy: Feeling of helplessness, irresponsibility
- Being obsessed with minute details, seeing life through a filter of plus and minuses while losing sight of the whole picture
- Being manipulative
- Misusing your power
- Lack of clear direction, lack of purpose or ambition
- Making plans or having a lot of ideas without finding efficient ways to realize them
Author:
Lizzy is editor in chief of Chakra Magazine and chakras.info. She is trained in several energy healing modalities including Reiki and Healing Touch. In addition she has spent many years studying ancient traditions such as the chakra system and Tibetan spirituality. She merges this knowledge with her passion for sharing information through journalism. Her mission is to offer accurate, up-to-date, reliable resources about topics that matter to readers with regards to the chakra systems.
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suddenly sound in the solar plexus. I dont know what it is but feel like end of my life….
raj
It’s feels like to me the death of an immature, and birth of someone with power
ok i got a question and i hope someone can help me. every now and again i have a strange dream and wake up with a overheated solar plexus. and only the solar plexus the rest around it is normal tempereture. i would like to know what this means and what to do about it?
with high regards enz.
I HAVE CITRINE AND IT DOING GOOD TO ME.THANKS
Hey Han,
I feel very similar to what you have mentioned in the same timeframe. Just keep fighting bro, like you said, you do have complete control on how you feel. Keep believing and things will really work out.
Thank you everyone for sharing, Evita for starting with your experience…….
I personally have been depressed with life and confusion the last several years and whether I worked hard or loved hard I realize now I was not taking care of myself. I let everything go and clinged to any one who would let me be around them. Which isn’t good. Especially for someone who trusts. I hit rock bottom this year in 2017 when my gf and work stressed me to the max. I have not worked for 4 months due to confusion of why is life getting me down.
Come to find out I AM the reason for it all. I Can change things, you can, we can. The depression can be shed. Work at it. Write things down, delete the stress.
I recently had this crippling fire inside me, anxiety. Pain I can not describe. I think my body was purging in a way… that had to do with the solar plexus. I’m still reading on it.
I do not mean to upset anyone that reads this.
Hey Han,
Been there and still struggling. I feel your pain. Keep trying bro, you are a good human being and worthy of every good thing in life. Keep believing, i am doing that things are improving.
Hope you’re doing well now <3 Smile and be courageous!
Hello, I have had a very strange experience a few weeks ago, and it’s left me pondering what it all meant. I just snapped out of a 3 year long depression, literally! It felt like I just “woke up” on March 6, 2017, the day a close friend of our family for about 40 years died of cancer. It made me snap out of it with zero medication or Doctors, thankfully! As I study all that I said & did while in this negative state, I feel I am returning to my correct path.
With a bit of background out of the way, let me tell you what happened: While depressed, my husband of 9 years and I had no physical relationship other than hugs and peck kisses. We had started a new medication & thought it was to blame for the crash of our libido. (It wasnt, I was experiencing hormone issues due to very, very premature ovarian failure, aka early menopause. I have cried over 400 times since 3/06/17 they’re called crying spells. I cand control it, I think about my lost yout wsated years, my fear of bein g widowed & I juse canot stop myself from crying and crying.) So when I came out of depression, he & I immediately reconnected sexually & it was like we hadn’t skipped a single beat, I actually think we’ve fallen more in love than ever in the last 2 months.
Okay, so this is my strange occurence: We were being intimate a week or 2 ago & all of the sudden, I got a feeling, a very, very, very intense feeling I’ve never felt in my life! It was not an orgasm or anything like it, the best way I can describe it, it was like someone was blowing up my solar plexus like a balloon, in a good way, not bad at all. It felt like my solar plexus was expanding and filling up completely & radiating out. Has anyone ever experienced this feeling? At anytime, it doesn’t have to be limited to during intimate encounters. I would love to hear anyone’s thoughts or experiences, pretty please? Thank you so much!
By the way, I’m only 30, so menopause at this age is a devastating event. Symptoms are severely exaggerated the youngER you experience it.
Thank you for sharing! That’s extraordinary interesting! My best friend did something that changed who he is in a negative way and when i was near him i could feel a deep cold tightness in my chest. I had always battled with feelings of worthiness and heart chakra issues but this was on another level. The relevant part is i focused on changing my life to follow my will and felt the warm expansive and pulsating glow of energy.
Another story. I was once guided through all my chakra blockages one by one with a highly spiritual woman who id say can almost read minds, and when i was finally able to shed my worry of what society thought of me the most amazing thing happened and my entire body felt like it vibrated in increasing intensity which was really only the beginning of a hard to articulate experience!
A lesser but equally interesting experience is when i focus on the merkaba energy that flows from your head and below your feet, meeting in the chest; resonating your intent into the universe. This even opened up two other energy points in my mid back/sides.
I keep forgetting and remembering this stuff through the series of events we experience as a collective
Evita, I had almost the exact same feeling you felt. It was so powerful I felt like I was going to break down in to tears. I wish I could concretely pinpoint the who what when where why.
One day I may.
All I know is I felt true love/joy/and happiness on a level never before experienced.
I once experienced the same thing, it felt like had suddenly realized myself. By then I didn’t have any clue about chakras, but after research I found out it was the Peneal. It sometimes get activated due to extreme fear or stress. I believe that is what happened to me for I remember this severe pressure on my fore head few days before realizing myself.
Evita
Reading your post made my heart so happy! I find it so amazing how when our energies are in a good place and flowing freely that we begin to have such extraordinary experiences! I hope you’re still in that amazing energy place. x
I would like to know more about pranic healing. I have done the following courses in pranic healing.
1.Basic course.
2.Advance course.
3.Psycotheraphy.
4.Cristal healing.
Atma Namaste. you have done 4 courses which are enough to understand what pranic healing is.but if you want to know more , I think by doing Arhatic course you will get the deep knowledge about the law of karma, your existance and about pranic healing… After doing this course my thought process is changed completely.
Hello,
Where do you take these courses? Are these online or classrom courses. I am just beginning to explore chakras and I believe there is a lot for me to learn. Dont know where to start. Please help. Namaste.
This article is very helpful. I am currently in the process of bringing more realization to the chakras on the individual level to see what blockages I currently may have.