The Solar Plexus
The Solar Plexus
Location: Upper Abdomen, at base of sternum in front, upper lumbar spine
Spinal Nerve Plexus: Lumbar spinal ganglion
Glands: Pancreas, Adrenals
Body Parts: Digestive system, viscera, muscles
Sanskrit Name: Manipura
Element: Fire
Color Vibration: Yellow
Keynote Vibration: E
Focus: Ego, Power and Will
Stones: Yellow Stones (Citrine, Amber, Topaz)
Incense: Carnation, Cinnamon
Foods: Starches
Affirmations: I can! I will! I am capable and worthy. I am powerful. I am in charge.
Disorders: Type
"A" personality disorders: ulcers, hypertension,
anger, heartburn, gastritis; liver and gall
bladder dysfunction,
diabetes or hypoglycemia, muscular tension
and disorders, low back
pain, lordosis, passive-aggressive personality,
domineering or
controlling personality, overcompetitiveness
or lack of ambition,
loneliness, perfectionism, obsessive compulsive
disorder, bipolar
disorder, attention deficit disorder.
At this level, when our solar plexus is functioning
well, we are in
touch with our ego, treat it with respect
and honor, and acknowledge
the ego center of others with the same respect.
We value ourselves and
our efforts without need for obsession with
details. We realize that
although we are in charge of our lives, often
we are not in control.
We understand our feelings of anger as manifestation
of our fire
energy and learn useful ways to channel the
energy back through our
system without abusing or punishing ourselves
or others. We do not
need to find fault or carry guilt. We honor
our responsibilities and
do not manipulate others to serve our desires.
Interestingly, the
solar plexus is the seat of the mental level
of the aura, and this is
the place of our intelligence and motivation.
The solar plexus can be
blocked or damaged early in life, perhaps
through verbal abuse or
circumstances that injure our self esteem,
or from being raised in a
critical or uncertain atmosphere that fosters
a desire to "please" and
be perfect in order to be loved. Poor function
in this area may lead a
person to behave aggressively or conversely
to play the martyr. Many
physical disorders resulting from stress arise
here, as well as some
neurotic personality disorders. Poor performance
in school or behavior
problems may result in children, or conversely,
the child may be an
overachiever who is secretly afraid to fail.
In order to keep the solar plexus going strong,
we need to support our
worthiness and learn to accept our mistakes
with equanimity. A good
practice is to stand in front of a mirror
and compliment ourselves.
Begin with a hand mirror or a small mirror,
and work up to a full
length mirror as you become more comfortable.
Stand straight and tall,
with your chin up, and look yourself in the
eye. Be generous and
honest with your praise. Explore your talents
and learn to say "thank
you" when someone else compliments you. Be
proud of your
accomplishments, and learn that you can share
them with others without
bragging. Know that sometimes it is okay to
brag ;-) Some of the
hardest problems to overcome are internalizing
anger, combustible
temper, and manipulation of others. Like addictions,
these challenges
may need to be dealt with "one day at a time"
until we can learn
constructive methods of handling our fire
energy. The fire is good; it
keeps us warm and vital. But if we do not
tend it carefully, it can
either die away or rage out of control. If
we are good fire tenders,
we are affirming ourselves daily.
The traditional Indian correspondence animal
for the solar plexus is
the Ram. There are a lot of connections between
this energy center and
the astrological sign of Aries. It may be
useful, if you have problems
in this area, to read some information about
this sign.
These materials copyright Caroline Gutierrez Abreu, 2000