Manipura - Fire
Click on the picture above to go to the 4th Chakra
The Naval Chakra is associated with the color yellow. This is the area which defines our "self-esteem". The personality that develops during puberty is housed in this chakra....otherwise known as the "EGO". Anyone experiencing dysfunction of the third chakra is having difficulty obtaining or maintaining his/her own "personal power". This intuitive chakra is where we get our "gut instincts" that signal us to do or not to do something. Strong self-esteem is a required for developing intuitive skills.
Chakra Three - Associations
Mental States
Chakra Three - Associations
- Color - yellow
- Sanskrit Name - manipura
- Physical Location - solar plexus
- Purposes - mental understanding of emotional life
- Spiritual Lesson - acceptance of your place in the life stream. (self-love)
- Physical Dysfunctions- stomach ulcers, intestinal tumors, diabetes, pancreatitis, indigestion, anorexia/bulimia, hepatitis, cirrhosis, adrenal imbalances, arthritis, colon diseases
- Mental and Emotional Issues - self esteem, fear of rejection, oversensitivity to criticism, self-image fears, fears of our secrets being found out, indecisiveness
- Information Stored Inside Sacral Chakra - personal power, personality, consciousness of self within the universe (sense of belonging), knowing
- Area of Body Governed - upper abdomen, umbilicus to rib cage, liver, gallbladder, middle spine, spleen, kidney, adrenals, small intestines, stomach
Mental States
- Negative- Arrogant, hypocritical, incompetent, inflexible; concerned with power and fame; unable to finish things; underlying selfish
- Positive- Determined and intelligent; a leader showing warmth and humor, but cool, calm and assertive when required; positive self-esteem
Meditation to help balance the Naval Chakra (Power)
Now take a deeper inhalation and lift your awareness to the third chakra, the abdominal/solar plexus center in your belly. While exhaling, let your attention settle here in your middle, your center of gravity. The color changes from orange to radiant bright yellow.
Imagine that your breath comes not through your nose, but directly into your belly. Feel the air flowing into your guts. As you meditate on this glowing power center, sense the force within your diaphragm that moves your breath in and out automatically. Allow that innate rhythm free range to determine the depth and pace of your breathing, and feel how it gently affects the surrounding areas. Continue letting all your stomach muscles relax deeper, and feel the entire diaphragm itself relaxing.
The third chakra governs the pancreas and adrenals glands, and the organs of the stomach, intestines, the kidneys, gall bladder, and the diaphragm. Feel these organs inside you. This "solar plexus" energy center controls breathing and digestion, as oxygen and nutrients catalyze and release your body heat.
The belly center, or hara; is your gravitational center and the source of your personal power. It is linked to your body's "fight or flight" mechanism, and reflects your moment to moment dynamics with the outside world: whether you feel vulnerable or trusting; in control or afraid; if you fear - if you are anxious, defensive, or aggressive - it shows up as abdominal tightness and restricted breathing.
So, tell your body that you are in a safe, secure place, and let your belly become as soft as a baby's. Every time you let out a breath, release all muscle tension, along with all remaining negative or protective feelings.
Your belly is the center of control and trust. At the "gut level" we learn to discriminate between friend and foe, distress and exhilaration, and to respond accordingly. From this center you laugh or cry. Both are important.
The color is flame yellow. The energy from below is warming up. Picture a glowing ember being fanned hotter with each breath you take, until a flame appears. Feel the radiant heat from within.
Now you begin to see more of the world and its possibilities. You have discovered others as something more than just food or threat, or sex object. You are developing a social personality. You want the security of belonging. You become concerned with family, territory, politics. You begin to use your will power to affect your environment.
Know yourself as a social being, engaging others as partners and allies, and sometimes, enemies. You can fight for what you want, or compromise for mutual benefit. Now you can sublimate your primal instincts, postpone instant gratification, and instead pursue long--range goals. Now is the time to cultivate your best intentions.
You have the capacity to experience doubt, fear, and inhibition, but you can also be altruistic and heroic. Ambition arises; for status and wealth... yet you can surrender your egocentric view by finding a larger group to give your allegiance, like your family, church, community, or nation. Your behavior is determined by cultural dynamics.
The dangers of this level are self-righteousness and aggression, but you are also learning the value of self-control.
Breathe power into your hara\belly center. Imagine you are lost in a jungle... confused and afraid. Suddenly a cleared path appears before you. The path leads to a cave inside a mountain. In the center of the cave is a fire. Now you recognize your mission is to keep the fire from dying out or raging out of control.
Imagine that your breath comes not through your nose, but directly into your belly. Feel the air flowing into your guts. As you meditate on this glowing power center, sense the force within your diaphragm that moves your breath in and out automatically. Allow that innate rhythm free range to determine the depth and pace of your breathing, and feel how it gently affects the surrounding areas. Continue letting all your stomach muscles relax deeper, and feel the entire diaphragm itself relaxing.
The third chakra governs the pancreas and adrenals glands, and the organs of the stomach, intestines, the kidneys, gall bladder, and the diaphragm. Feel these organs inside you. This "solar plexus" energy center controls breathing and digestion, as oxygen and nutrients catalyze and release your body heat.
The belly center, or hara; is your gravitational center and the source of your personal power. It is linked to your body's "fight or flight" mechanism, and reflects your moment to moment dynamics with the outside world: whether you feel vulnerable or trusting; in control or afraid; if you fear - if you are anxious, defensive, or aggressive - it shows up as abdominal tightness and restricted breathing.
So, tell your body that you are in a safe, secure place, and let your belly become as soft as a baby's. Every time you let out a breath, release all muscle tension, along with all remaining negative or protective feelings.
Your belly is the center of control and trust. At the "gut level" we learn to discriminate between friend and foe, distress and exhilaration, and to respond accordingly. From this center you laugh or cry. Both are important.
The color is flame yellow. The energy from below is warming up. Picture a glowing ember being fanned hotter with each breath you take, until a flame appears. Feel the radiant heat from within.
Now you begin to see more of the world and its possibilities. You have discovered others as something more than just food or threat, or sex object. You are developing a social personality. You want the security of belonging. You become concerned with family, territory, politics. You begin to use your will power to affect your environment.
Know yourself as a social being, engaging others as partners and allies, and sometimes, enemies. You can fight for what you want, or compromise for mutual benefit. Now you can sublimate your primal instincts, postpone instant gratification, and instead pursue long--range goals. Now is the time to cultivate your best intentions.
You have the capacity to experience doubt, fear, and inhibition, but you can also be altruistic and heroic. Ambition arises; for status and wealth... yet you can surrender your egocentric view by finding a larger group to give your allegiance, like your family, church, community, or nation. Your behavior is determined by cultural dynamics.
The dangers of this level are self-righteousness and aggression, but you are also learning the value of self-control.
Breathe power into your hara\belly center. Imagine you are lost in a jungle... confused and afraid. Suddenly a cleared path appears before you. The path leads to a cave inside a mountain. In the center of the cave is a fire. Now you recognize your mission is to keep the fire from dying out or raging out of control.