Hey all! Thanks again for reading the blog about the science and the anatomy of the chakras in the human body. For those of you, joining for the first time, thank you for stumbling across and my page and continue to read any of my other blog posts. There will be many more to come!
Today, I have the pleasure of combining the solar plexus chakra and the nervous system as well as organs into play with your energetic body and physical self. The third chakra, or Manipura Chakra ( "illustrious gem") is a near and dear Chakra to me. To me, this is one of the key Chakras of the body, as when it is in place and balance, you are unstoppable; however, when it is unbalanced, it is a whole heck of a mess.
As I usually do, I will start with the anatomy of the Chakra, the common threads of trigger point muscles, and also organs it may be connected to. As I state with any of these Chakras, these dysfunctions occurring in each area may have energetic and also structural connections to these area. Please always connect with your local Doctor or Primary Care in your health care system.
Anatomically, the third chakra has associations with the lower back (the nerves typically associated with this area are connected to the lumbar nerve ganglion) , but also has connections with the diaphragm, stomach, pancreas, and a majority of the digestive system. A lot of the connections to the digestive system have its correlations because of the element of the Chakra, which is fire.
The fire of the digestive system helps to move food and nutrients through the body properly and efficiently. The pancreas is the organ correlated to the area because of its deep integration into the digestion of foods, among other actions it take. The diaphragm is the trigger muscles of this area, and one could then theorize that the sympathetic nervous system, as well as the parasympathetic nervous system has innervations to this area as well. Breath is a key component to overall health and well being, and when breathing patterns go awry, other dysfunctions can occur to organs, the brain, and mood.
The secondary muscles of triggering in this area are the erector spinae muscles. The erectors are a muscle of interest in this area as they are the muscles in a metaphorical and physical sense that help us stand tall and upright. I will go into further detail about this in the subtle body portion of this blog post.
Some of the "dysfunctions" that can cultivate in this area is IBS like symptoms, Acid Reflux, Leaky Gut, and other GI tract issues. If we look above at the previous paragraph, we will also see that breathing patterns can also be an area of concern in this chakra.
For the subtle body, the problems arising in this area include Will, Power, and Choice. Your relationship to all of these will affect your power in this area. In addition, the mantras of this chakra are I can as well as Honor Oneself. This is the first chakra in the body that deals with the power internally, rather than power connected to the external.
Will is the conscious decision to take an action. When one's will power is in check, actions happen with purpose and with ease. The challenges that arise from your will power not being in check can result in taking actions with no purpose, impulsive decisions, and a disassociation to the impact of your choices and actions. Keeping will in agreement towards your goals and wants is key to this area.
Power is a huge issue and benefit in this area. Like I had stated above, this is the first energy center in the body that puts the self into concern. Gaining your own personal power, without over extending it to prove it to others, is a key dance for this chakra. Underuse your power, and you become a doormat. Overuse it, and you blow out your power and exhaust yourself at expense of your own self preservation.
Finally, choice ties in with both. When you make a conscious choice to take an action in a certain area, it has an impact on your future. When your choices have no intention, purpose, or connection, they are often taken out of impulse, fear, or indecision.
To help balance this chakra, I will provide you with three key components.
1. Yoga Postures such as plank, twists, and crow are solid ways to connect to this area. Also, as I will do this week on my Instagram, I will show you all a few breaths to help ignite this area.
2. If blown out for over usage, take a look at the deeper level to these actions. Is it out of fear of being less than? Is it out of feeling of powerlessness? Is it out of self esteem issues? Write down your experiences that you feel may be contributing to this.
3. If underutilized, do actions that build heat and confidence in the body. Whether that is dancing, writing, running, a heavy and hard workout, etc., find an action that has purpose and meaning to you and crank it up times ten.
Once again, I can't thank you all enough for reading these articles. Continue to share and comment and spread this as I want everyone to be able to experience the blend of east meets west.
Much much love-
Peak Body Integration.