When the Manipura Chakra is Blocked

Ulcers, diabetes, and/or hypoglycemia. Physical pain in the chakra stems from overuse. If the chakra is closed, feelings will be blocked. A person might not feel anything and would not understand the deeper meanings of emotions, and might not be connected to his/her greater purpose. Digestive difficulties, gas, food allergies, liver problems, over-sexed, gallstones, muscle cramps, spasm, depression, difficulty breathing. A misaligned solar plexus chakra can cause problems in the adrenals, nerve tissue, skin disorders, liver, spleen, pancreas and kidneys, arthritis, hiatal hernia, anorexia, body pH, and menopausal flushing, and eating disorders.

Many healers believe that this center, if afflicted and out of balance, causes someone to be crazy about being in power and controlling everything and everyone around them all the time. Seems like we have a lot of people who are out of balance in their 3rd Chakra!

 

When the Manipura Chakra is Open and Spirals are Free

Self-definition, ego identity, vitality, spontaneity, self-esteem. There is a feeling of being “home” wherever one is. There is a sense of strength from the center of the body, in the region of the solar plexus, and this creates a sense of belonging everywhere.

The functions of digestion, assimilation and metabolism all work together in harmony. Someone with a strong 3rd Chakra will be able to use their feet swiftly. Many good dancers have a very powerful 3rd Chakra.

Healing Visualizations and Meditations

• While you visualize your breath moving in and out of you, chant the sound RAM.
• Visualize a golden sunflower or lotus, whichever is easiest for you. Watch it rise to the sun and feel that same sensation with your solar plexus as it rises to the sun and stretches your spine and torso up as high as possible. Inhale as you do this. Exhale and relax, and repeat.
• Visualize the color of the sun, bright yellow at noon, streaming into your solar plexus and radiating out to your entire body with warmth and light.
• Take a walk and feel your feet firmly rooted to the earth and how healthy they are. As you walk, breathe slowly and watch your breath as you walk. Try to bring your breathing together with every step you take and count how many steps you can inhale, without any tension at all. Once you have done that, double the steps for exhalation. Continue to do this until you feel exhilarated.
• Sit in front of a candle flame and watch the flame. Close your eyes and try to visualize that same flame in your solar plexus down to your navel and up again through the trunk of your body.
• “The person who focuses intensely and who meditates on this center of force gets the ability of discovering hidden treasures, will never be touched by illness, will not fear fire, and even if that person sits amidst fire, he will not be harmed. Such a person does not fear death, and his will and power are amazing.” —Swami Shivananda
• Learn how to breathe with your diaphragm either with a voice teacher or a Yoga teacher who really knows the Complete Yoga Breath. If you can't find one, try this: Inhale and then sing (in front of a mirror): 'La La La La La La' until all the breath is gone. Keep your mouth and jawbone completely relaxed as you do this. Your shoulders should not rise, but should remain relaxed. But the area where your diaphragm muscle is (following the bottom of the ribcage all the way around) - this is where you will feel it. It moves down when you inhale and rises up again when you exhale. (Remember, it is the largest muscle in your body!) If you do this correctly, you will feel you have used this muscle.

 

One way to check if you are doing this right is to put the palm of your hand in front of your mouth (about 3 inches away). If the breath is cold, you are doing this right. If the breath is warm, you are using your throat and need to keep practicing until you feel the muscle working and the breath is cold. The breath will always be cold when it is coming from deep down in the body with the 'breath muscle' - the diaphragm.

Be careful what you say to teachers in high school though! When I was in 10th grade, I asked the choir teacher if he was going to teach us how to use our diaphragms and he pointed at me with a stern look and said, “Kathryn Howard, get out of this class!” He obviously knew nothing about voice control. I had no idea why he was angry, because I obviously didn't know the other definition of the word. He taught me something new. My mother had to explain it to me in front of the principal of the school, and I will never forget that.

Laughing Meditation

And here is my very favorite meditation to do in the morning. This is how I end every yoga class. My students love it and they practice it with great success upon awakening at home in bed.

• Every morning upon waking before opening your eyes, stretch like a cat. Stretch every fiber of your body. After 3-4 minutes, with eyes still closed, begin to laugh. For 5 minutes just laugh. At first you will be doing it, but soon the sound of your attempt will cause genuine laughter. Lose yourself in laughter. It may take several days before it really happens, because we are so unaccustomed to the phenomena. Before long, it will be spontaneous and will change the entire nature of your day.