The Solar Plexus Chakra

The third of the seven chakras is the Solar Plexus or Navel Chakra. It is called the Manipura which means city of jewels because it is derived from two Sanskrit words mani or jewel and pura meaning city. It can be found in the Solar Plexus which is considered the seat of our emotions or the seat of fire.

Oftentimes referred to as the fire of material consciousness because of the umbilical cord cut at birth connecting us to the material world, it is deemed to be the center of the lower mind – objective and material but influenced by emotions. Being the chakra of the life force, it is connected to our sense of personal power in the world. It actually provides us the sense of satisfaction and contentment while regulating our center of needs like food, love, relationships and roles. It is related to energy, assimilation and digestion, and plays a valuable role in converting the food we eat into energy for the body. Because it is related to higher vitality, it manifests to inner strength, dynamism, self-confidence, will and achievement which is best exemplified by having a purpose in life, and a career.

Manipura or Yellow Chakra plays a pivotal role in the entire chakra system in as much as it is the middle ground. It is where balance is attained between lower and higher chakras. When the physical need is satisfied, and there is material satisfaction, the Spirit can manifest. We can now focus on inner spiritual pursuits and ascent. Material needs will now become mundane matters.

Manipura Chakra is very much concerned with the notion of Dharma or right conduct whereby we derive satisfaction from leading upright lives. Because the emphasis is more on the spiritual plane after satisfaction of material needs, enlightened by the Kundalini we seek the path of righteousness and morality. We have laws of Dharma to serve as guidelines and show us that an act is either fundamentally right or wrong. The Ten Commandments is a perfect example.

We are made conscious of our acts by the Manipura which gives us a strange sensation or butterflies in the stomach when we feel so strongly about something. Sometimes we refer to it as ‘gut feel’. When we are assured of the rightness of our acts and decisions, we are able to translate this into Self-Realization and a satisfaction with life in general. We can then achieve complete balance at all levels in life.

With a well-developed third chakra, we are empowered to live our best lives, be dynamic and achieve our goals. We will cease to be slaves to our senses; rather, we will have the privilege of going after the eternal freedom of the Spirit.

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