Digesting Life
By Kathy Van Peteghem
For those who practice Yoga or provide energy healing such as Reiki, you will be familiar with the Chakra System. The Chakra system originated in India between 1500 and 500 BC in the oldest text called the Vedas. The Chakra System shows that body, mind, and spirit are connected. When these are in balance, the body flows with vitality. If not balanced, that vitality will be distorted. Interestingly, how successful we are at “digesting” life corresponds to having a balanced Solar Plexus Chakra, and it also expresses our self-worth, self-confidence, and self-esteem.
Finding the Solar Plexus Chakra
To discover the location of the third Chakra, place the palm of your hand on the center line of your chest just below your heart and slide it downward until you feel a tender spot (usually between the sternum and belly button); you have located it. Also, this area has an acupressure point identified as Joogwan in Korean. When energy from this point cannot move, overall energy circulation is affected. Pressing the Joonwan point inward can release the stuck energy and allow the circulation of energy to flow through all the chakras within the body.
Balanced Energy Flow
When your Solar Plexus Chakra is in the flow of energetic harmony, you can “digest” life and trust “your gut” that your decisions are for your highest good. You find yourself being empowered, playful, in good humor, creative, passionate, brave, and striving to fulfill your life purpose and continued expansion toward spiritual growth.
Restricted Energy Flow
When your Solar Plexus energy becomes restricted, you may find “digesting life” difficult, often physically manifesting itself in food allergies. You may experience stomach aches, sluggish liver, pancreas, gallbladder, and intestinal upsets. Emotionally, your sleep may be affected due to worry, feeling overwhelmed, anxiety, fear, or feeling you are a victim. You may also begin to lack confidence, often casting harsh judgment on yourself. You may feel lost and no longer on your path of purpose, question if you are in the right relationships/career or spiritually, and may even develop a limiting belief that you are not worthy and separate from Source or the I AM presence.
Excessive Energy Flow
When too much energy flows from the Solar Plexus Chakra, you may exhibit fiery bursts of anger, aggressive behavior such as bullying or micro-managing others, are power driven and greedy, are self-centered with an ego in the driver’s seat. Spiritual growth shuts down.
Reinstating Proper Energy Flow
Proper energy flow in the Solar Plexus Chakra can be easily restored once these under or over-imbalances of energy flow are identified. Consider these:
Diet and Physical Exercise
Get outdoors, soak up natural sunlight, and play in the dirt and garden. This increases exposure to diverse microbes in the soil, allowing you to integrate good gut microbiome diversity for strong immune health. Dance in the rain wearing your yellow (3rd chakra color) raincoat and boots. Practice belly laughing to increase oxygen and get that core workout. Eat fresh garden veggies and fruits: think yellow or golden… pineapples, yellow beans, acorn squash, raw honey, corn, dandelion blooms, turmeric, and those who prefer to eat “out of the box” …Twinkies! Yes, those golden sponge cakes filled with white cream and never show signs of aging!
Emotional Health
Do Yoga, such as the Sun Salutation Pose, or recite positive self-worth, self-confidence, and self-esteem affirmations while incorporating an Emotional Freedom Technique (aka Tapping) to release unfavorable beliefs that keep you feeling less worthy and capable. Replace them with truthful beliefs that expand your greatness and share your unique gifts with the world. Stating “I completely and unconditionally love and accept myself,” “I seek opportunities for personal and spiritual growth,” “I am strong and courageous,” and “I embrace my talents and uniqueness that help all for the highest good.” are examples of affirmations that would help the 3rd Chakra return to balance.
Spiritual Growth/Meditation
Spiritual growth encourages the development of intellect, inner wisdom, and enlightenment. If your 3rd Chakra is blocked, your ego dominates, and you resist spiritual growth. Meditation, for many, can be a love or hate relationship. Today’s world has trained us to live with a monkey mind, full of agendas, and to do tasks that keep us from focusing on the present moment. We all are unique; therefore, strive to discover a style of meditation that works for you. Meditation helps to release the monkey mind and replaces it with feelings of calm, focus, and inner wisdom. Being present with your higher self allows you to awaken to your true life’s purpose. A good meditation for the 3rd Chakra (found on YouTube) is the “Singing Bowl Bath for the Solar Plexus” meditation. This meditation uses the 3rd chakra note E (324hz.) along with yellow visuals. These vibrations pulse through the body and clear out any energetic blockages that may be stuck in your solar plexus.
Digesting life is miraculously delicious when the Solar Plexus Chakra is in balance!
Kathy Van Peteghem enjoys the creative side that embraces the body, mind, and spirit. She is a writer, photographer, musician, artist, gardener-herbalist, and nature lover who releases a stressful day with tap dancing and Gi-gong. She loves living life from the heart and hopes to inspire others to do the same. ktvan@comcast.net
