You can find the third or solar plexus chakra somewhere between the navel and the base of the sternum, a couple of fingers above the belly button. You may like to visualise it in the centre of the body, rather than at the front.

In Sanskrit this chakra is called Manipura meaning city of jewels. Together with the first (the root) and second chakra (the sacral) these energy centres are often referred to as the lower triangle. These energies are the most clear and easy to understand.

The components of Manipura

Element:

The navel chakra governs the fire element inside of you. It is your strength, your vitality, your ego, your willpower, your stamina, your inner power.  It’s the centre where you get things done and your sense of self.

Physical Body:

Digestive system, gall bladder, pancreas, adrenals and liver.

Emotional Body:

The Manipura chakra is also all about being able to deal with things, it’s how you ‘digest’ your life. Can you stand up for yourself? Are you strong and courageous, worthy of love and respect? Do you feel strong in your body and in the world? Fire is action and transformation. Allowing yourself to grow and become a better version of yourself means taking action and leaving behind what no longer works for you.

Fire is action and transformation. Allowing yourself to grow and become a better version of yourself means taking action and leaving behind what no longer works for you.

Mental Body:

Being free to choose your path in any situation, being proud of your achievements and being the master of your own destiny. To know where you’re going and how to get there. To understand you have the strength to achieve your goals.

Imbalances

Due to stress in any layer of the body (physical, mental, emotional and energetic) you can slow down, stagnate or completely go into overdrive. When life gets too overwhelming and you’ve experienced a couple of significant experiences one after the other, it can be difficult to process. So we might feel our fire is not burning as strongly, we need time to ‘digest’ what has happened. Therefore, it may be hard to get out there and deal with everyday situations, because you are simply already full.

Getting to know your body and its different layers and learning about the chakras can give you valuable insight into where you have imbalances and stagnation.

Checklist for the third chakra

• Do you feel you can do anything you set your mind to?
• Do you digest your food easily? Or do you suffer from indigestion and an upset stomach?
• Is your energy stable and do you wake up in the morning eager to start the new day?
• Is there enough spice in your life? Things that make you feel excited and want to do things.
• Do you feel your life has too many toxic elements in it?
• Do you always feel tired?
• Do you get snappy easily?
• Do you feel like a victim of the world?