Balancing my Solar Plexus Chakra

I’m a little embarrassed to say that I didn’t know what the solar plexus was.  I mean, sure, I had heard the term before.  And, knew it was part of the body. But, other than that… not so much.  Turns out that the solar plexus is a group of nerves located in front of the aorta (main artery of the body) and behind the stomach.  This group of nerves is special because it’s a sort of intersection or junction where many of the nerves throughout the body pass through, and sometimes will branch off and split to merge with other nerves.  Literally, a power center of the body.

So, it really makes sense that the third chakra centers around your own perception of yourself.  It is the center of a person’s personal power – self-esteem, self-discipline, and confidence of self.  When this chakra is balanced, a person can face challenges, be proactive, and make choices and decisions with confidence.  If your solar plexus chakra is overactive then you’re probably prone to emotional outbursts.  If it’s underactive (something I identify with), then there is no action.  A person is very passive or will do nothing at all, allowing life to just pass by.

Below are some physical and psychological symptoms:

Physical Symptoms:

Poor digestion

Weight problems

Ulcers

Diabetes

Hypoglycemia/hyperglycemia

Arthritis

Liver or kidney problems

Intestinal Tumors

Colon disease

Psychological Symptoms:

Low Self-worth

You see yourself as powerless

You have lots of different ways of shaming yourself

You see the future as full of danger

You are highly goal oriented

Inability to set or maintain boundaries

Codependency

Lack of self-control

Addiction

I personally struggle with a lack of self-confidence.  I know that I can drive people at work crazy because I ask so many questions.  My lack of confidence also affected my last relationship.  I so badly wanted to show my ex-boyfriend how much I cared in my own little doting ways, but I was so afraid that I would do something he wouldn’t like.  And, I thought that if I did something he wouldn’t like, then he would get angry with me.  So, I did nothing.  Which is equally as bad, if not worse, because then he didn’t think that I cared.  And, I did!  I still do. 

While I continue to practice meditation, I also want to try some of the below methods to help balance my solar plexus chakra:

·         The solar plexus element is fire.  So, taking a walk in the sunshine would be greatly beneficial.  Sitting in front of a campfire or fireplace could also be therapeutic.  Unfortunately, a campfire isn’t something I come into contact with too often living in an apartment. 

·         Try new things (Something I’m already doing!)

·         Do core strengthening exercises.

·         Redefine success – Focus more on your contribution, as opposed to the accomplishment.  Contribution is its own reward, whereas accomplishment is completely attached to a certain outcome.  I know that in my past relationship, I was too focused on the accomplishment.  I based success on whether or not certain expectations were being met.  And, really, now that I’m focusing more on the experience of learning about myself and the people around me, I’m so much happier.

In my quest to be a better person, I know that once I conquer my lack of self-confidence, I will be able to work through things much more easily.  I need to focus more on the journey, rather than the destination.