Have you ever acted on a “gut instinct” or been in a new situation that stretched your comfort zone? Likely you experienced a sensation in your stomach, from butterflies to downright terror. Maybe you actually held your hand over the area under your sternum—the location of the third chakra—in a common, unconscious response to fear or challenge. And perhaps afterward, you had a great feeling in your “gut,” a rush of power or adrenaline.
These feelings of fear, power, or accessing a body-based intuition are all tied to the third, or solar plexus, chakra. Having a healthy third chakra is essential to setting and achieving goals, having a healthy will and identity, and clear mental function.
Third Chakra Basics
The solar plexus chakra is located between the belly button and the heart where your ribs meet at the sternum. It is associated with the color yellow and relates to our sense of self, our role in the world, and a feeling of personal power. From here, we step forth to meet the world and fulfill our destiny.
The third chakra is also connected with the mental body and the third layer of the aura. While the Crown chakra rules perceptions and broad concepts, the third focuses on detail and left-brain types of activity.This chakra is associated with an instinctual knowing of how to act.
Common Solar Plexus Chakra Problems
I often see problems with the third chakra in my practice as a psychic and energy worker. It is the chakra that most often contains cords from others and that suffers distortion, tears, or what I call “blow-outs.” People often try to run their whole system from their third chakra, which inevitably leads to over-energizing and, eventually, total collapse and depletion. This seems to be more common in Western culture (most of my clients); probably because we are so goal and action-oriented.
An overactive solar plexus can exhibit excessive activity—either just in the mental realm or in constant doing. There can be incessant striving and obsession with goals or measurable results. In extreme cases, there can be power trips, delusions of grandeur, and massive egos. Some clients who also have overdeveloped heart chakras will be the super-givers, allowing many others to cord into their third chakras as a sort of human battery pack. Typically, those with overactivity will be running on their willpower and underneath are completely exhausted.
A sluggish or under-active third chakra will show up as physical exhaustion, inability to make decisions or meet goals, no motivation, or a struggle to access personal power. Self-esteem can be affected via one’s mental self-perception (feelings about the self is the realm of the second chakra). Folks with impaired third chakras won’t have much access to their instincts and often will be wishy-washy and scattered in their mental energy. There can be a lot of planning but no real doing.
Strengthen Your Third Chakra
Julianne came to me utterly exhausted and unable to move forward in any area of her life. She was in transition in her career, relationship, and residence. Her life was, as she said, a complete mess! I did an initial chakra analysis reading for her, and, sure enough, her solar plexus chakra was completely blown. Vital life force energy was unable to flow, stopped by a third chakra that was failing to circulate energy. As such, she was suffering in all other areas—the second and first chakras especially.
After two sessions of healing this chakra structurally and boosting the entire system, it was time for Julianne to do some work of her own to regain her personal power. She agreed to stop supporting an adult son (he was completely capable of getting a job and his own place), refusing to let him create cords with her. She also needed to build a self-esteem practice, and for her, this began with self-care.
Like many women, Julianne felt she should take care of others before herself—in work, family, and her social life. She was in a hamster wheel of doing, doing, doing for others. It was a radical notion to take one week and do nothing for another person other than herself. She identified some activities that would make her feel cherished: getting a massage, taking a trip to the bookstore, buying a whole new skin care regimen, and not cooking for anyone. I invited her to take a week to do these things. It was a challenge, but she did it. She became receptive—in her mind, “passive”—and let others help her make choices, share their wisdom or expertise, and did nothing more strenuous that carry her load of new books in from the car. Afterward, I asked her how she felt.
“Amazing.”
It was just a start. She couldn’t spend every week like this, but she began to understand balance and boundaries, and she shifted some strong mental patterns about receiving, doing, and being.
Other third chakra strengthening exercises might include working with physical strength to help someone feel more powerful in their body, or it could include a meditation practice to help quiet the mind. I find many clients benefit from exercise, which creates both physical well-being and mental clarity. Martial arts and yoga are two great options.
The third chakra is your personal battery pack. Along with the other lower chakras, it helps you survive in the world, and create and manifest in the physical realm. Without a strong sense of self, it is hard to love others, speak your truth, or develop a conscious relationship with the Divine—all functions of the upper chakras. A spiritual advisor can help you understand how this chakra is functioning within you and hone in on ways to keep it healthy and efficient.
Are you drained? Do you crave more clarity or peace of mind? An advisor on Keen may be able to help you hit the “reset” button and find more balance. Call today!
