Five years ago, when my three children were ages 2, 5 and 8, I took them all to visit to my grandparents. As was normal at that time, we were like a tornado coming into and out of their calm house. As we were leaving, my grandfather asked me, “How do you do it, Joy?” I replied, more truthfully than I probably meant to, “Coffee in the morning and wine at night.” If you have ever had small children or a demanding job or a big event you were in charge of, you understand my situation at that time. I was just trying to make it through the day to bedtime and I was turning to external substances to influence my energy.
That response to my grandfather was a perfect example of a Solar Plexus Chakra imbalance. The Solar Plexus Chakra is the energy center that is associated with your physical energy; you get things done, perky in the morning and focused in the afternoon energy. When the Solar Plexus Chakra is out of balance, you do not have sustained energy throughout the day and you likely turn to caffeine, sugar and alcohol to regulate your energy.
There are many other ways in which a Solar Plexus Chakra imbalance can manifest in your daily life. Each chakra or energy center can be balanced or imbalanced. When it is imbalanced, the results can manifest excessively by trying to gather even more of that specific energy or deficiently by pushing away that specific energy. The energy can also show up in both excessive and deficient ways in the same person.
When the Solar Plexus energy is manifesting excessively, a person may be controlling, aggressive, overly ambitious and driven, excessively competitive, stubborn and dominating. All types of digestive disorders can also be imbalanced manifestations.
When the energy is manifesting in a deficient manner, a person can act like a victim, blame others, have no self-confidence, be apathetic, lack self-discipline and be unreliable.
You may notice your own characteristics in the above descriptions of a Solar Plexus Chakra imbalance. If you are guzzling caffeine in the morning to wake up, searching for sweets in the afternoon to stay awake until dinner and then “relaxing” with a beer at night, here are some practices to bring sustained energy throughout your day as well as to balance the Solar Plexus Chakra as a whole.
- Pranayama or breathing practices: I love the Breath of Joy and Bhastrika as quick energizers.
- Abdominal strength work to energize and increase your fire: 15 minute yoga practice focusing on the core
- Drink water.
- Wear or meditate with gemstones related to the solar plexus chakra.
- Get outside and walk or run.
- To unwind before bed: A 14 minute evening yoga practice
- Affirmations: I have balanced energy throughout the day. I stand in my power. I am willing to take risks. I am moving towards my goal.
- Surround yourself with the color yellow.
- Eat complex carbohydrates and yellow fruits and vegetables.
The first step to bringing balance to an imbalanced chakra is to notice that there is an imbalance. The next step is to take intentional action that will bring charge to that chakra. As you intentionally work to balance the chakra, you will begin to release the old energy patterns. It is so easy to pull into the Starbucks’ drive-thru and leave with a few hours of energy for the afternoon but it is coming at a cost that is far greater than a tall vanilla latte.
To find which actions are going to be beneficial for you, ask yourself (because YOU already have the answers) “What do I need to fuel my inner fire?”
You may hear your inner self asking for:
more sleep
more help
more interesting tasks to focus on
more water
more fun
more connection
more challenging work
more laughter
more pure energizing foods.
You probably won’t hear your inner wisdom asking for chocolate chip cookies and a glass of wine before bed. That is because the work of your inner fire is to burn away anything that is getting in the way of your journey to your highest path.
When you have a strong, sustained inner fire and a balanced Solar Plexus Chakra, you are confident, energetic, responsible, ready to take on challenges and you have a warm personality. Your healthy inner fire illuminates the way forward on your path and that important of a job cannot be fueled by sugar, caffeine and alcohol. Give your fire what it needs and allow its light to guide you on your journey.
Claudia Richey
Claudia Richey is a Victoria, B.C. based Personal Trainer and Ayurvedic Practitioner. She is passionate about sharing her unique approach of training and eating according to ones Body-Mind Constitution with other health professionals as well as using it on an ongoing basis with her own clients to help them reach their goals!
