The solar plexus chakra is associated with the color yellow and its Sanskrit name is Manipura. Its symbol is represented by a lotus of 10 petals. Chakra three takes us further into the individuation process. As a result, this chakra deals with issues of personal power and self esteem. What accompanies issues dealing with self esteem include the fear of rejection, and how we handle criticism. This is the realm of self understanding and self acceptance—as well as the realm of the “inner critic”. If we do not truly like or accept ourselves, we can “give our power away” in many areas. For example, if one is concerned about image, decision making power is essentially “given over” to what others think about us. We define ourselves by others. As a result, our self esteem suffers, and we can find ourselves in relationships that devalue us.
When we don’t really like ourselves, our decision making capabilities are affected. We have a dense set of nerves in our solar plexus that serves as a “belly brain”, or lower “gut intuition” (which is later refined in the brow chakra). The more we follow our gut instincts, the greater our confidence and sense of personal power. The third chakra governs our personal power in how we relate to the world.
Location Solar plexus
Body parts Digestive system, liver, gall bladder
Glands Pancreas, adrenals
Malfunction Digestive troubles, chronic fatigue, hypertension
Lesson Related to the ego, personality, and self-esteem
Mental and Emotional Issues Trust; fear and intimidation; self-esteem, self-confidence, and self-respect; care of oneself and others; responsibility for making decisions; sensitivity to criticism; personal honor
Orientation to Self Self-definition
Sacred Truth Honor Oneself
Primary Fears Rejection; criticism; looking foolish; failing to meet one's responsibilities; fears related to physical appearance such as the fear of baldness, obesity, or aging; fear that others will discover our secrets.
Primary Strengths Self-respect, self-esteem and self-discipline; ambition; ability to generate action and handle crisis; generosity; ethics; courage to take risks; strength of character
Gemstones Amber, topaz, and apatite
Incense Ginger, woodruff
Element Fire
Planets Mars (also Sun)
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