In our journey through the Chakra system, we have moved from the tribal mind (1st Chakra) and individual consciousness (2nd Chakra), to a place where we can now begin to exert our individual energies into the world. We are now ready to express our personalities and our egos – and to use our willPower to manifest our desires!
Hail the 3rd Chakra – the center of our external Personal Power! (I will cover internal Personal Power in later Chakras.)
Located at the Solar Plexus, the 3rd Chakra is our energetic connection to our emotional / mental body and is linked to our personality and ego. It is through this Chakra that we can begin a beautiful journey of knowing, understanding, liking and even loving ourSelves. The Solar Plexus Chakra is all about Self-esteem.
During the tribal phase (1st Chakra), we were told what to think, what to believe, how to be, who to be, etc. In the 2nd Chakra, we started to develop our personal identity – who we are, what we care about, etc. And now, in the 3rd Chakra, we can focus on manifesting all the physical constructs of our developing personal identity. (Some texts make reference to the 3rd Chakra housing our “Inner Teenager”.)
Our Solar Plexus Chakra helps us to bring our thoughts and inspirations into the physical form through our willpower and Self-discipline. This Chakra helps us to use our physical energy and drive into achieving our desires. (It is the 5th and 6th Chakras that enables us to manifest goals through affirmations and visualizations.)
A strongly developed 3rd Chakra allows us to free ourSelves from “sheep-like” submission to authority and gives us the courage to act on our own initiative, with the conviction that we know what we want, we can go out and create it, and that we can ultimately take care of ourSelves.
As such a healthy 3rd Chakra reflects the following personality characteristics: Self-respect, Self-discipline, ambition, Self-confidence, the ability to take action and the courage to take risks.
On the flip side, fear is a giveaway sign of a weak 3rd Chakra. This could be fear of rejection, fear of looking foolish, fear of being judged or criticized, fear of failure, etc.
The situations we attract and the lessons we learn around building our Self-esteem and Self-worth are energetically stored in the Solar Plexus Chakra. So when we take any action that builds our confidence and esteem, or when we overcome our fears, we enhance this Chakra!
We can damage our 3rd Chakras through any of the following: repressing our anger, submitting to another’s will, subjugating our personal values, criticizing others, refusing to admit when we are wrong and not taking action to create a better life.
3rd Chakra issues can wreak havoc in relationships. When two individuals have different goals or desire different outcomes, this can give way to power struggles! Which party can exert greater will and get their way with the other party? So control, competition, domination and manipulation are very much 3rd Chakra issues. Long-term power struggles like those in a marriage or in a difficult parental relationship can leave people depleted or stuck / trapped.
I will briefly introduce the concept of “psychic cords” at this time, as these can challenge or block our Solar Plexus Chakras. We are energetic beings and we all know unconsciously or consciously how to cord other people and trap their energy. (When you try to control or dominate others to bend to your will, you are likely using a 3rd Chakra cord!)
The 3rd Chakra is a powerhouse of energy and is therefore a real target when it comes to cording (although all Chakras can be corded and all for very different reasons).
Psychic cords originate from one entity (the Corder) and effectively tie up a piece of the life force energy of another person (the Cordee). This energy is either “siphoned off” or trapped in a perpetual tug of war. Needless to say, the energy becomes unavailable to the Cordee.
For people who have the tendency to give over control to others or who lack sufficient inner strength or Self-respect, these cords can be persistent and the effects can be long lasting. This can become a vicious cycle – the weaker your 3rd Chakra is, the weaker it will become!
What I would offer you is that the more you can become aware of your Energy and your Personal Power, the less likely you are to be corded (or to remain corded), and in turn this will diminish the potential hold Corders can have on your energetic system. For the Corders, please keep in mind, there is much Karma that is accrued through cording another person, so it behooves us to be mindful of our own motivations and manipulations.
People with an underdeveloped Solar Plexus Chakra may exhibit some of the following:
- Low Self-esteem and Self-respect
- A tendency to lie or live in denial
- Inertia when action is called for / procrastination
- Staying in unhealthy situations
- Living in fear
- Being shaky, quiet, withdrawn or tired
On the converse side, those with overdeveloped 3rd Chakras are likely to show up as:
- “Power trippers” who try to control everyone and everything around them
- Impatient, pushy and manipulative
- Hard-headed
- Clinging to old ways of being
- Being unable to co-operate
The Solar Plexus Chakra is associated with the element of fire – if it is closed you may feel cold physically or detached emotionally. If it is too wide open, you may get overheated or be hot-tempered. This Chakra is usually depicted as being yellow in color.
The 3rd Chakra is linked to the stomach, gall bladder, liver and intestines – the physical organs responsible for converting food into useable energy. Hence, those with well-developed Solar Plexus Chakras will have strong digestive systems, lean torsos and high energy levels that enable them to function effectively on the physical plane. Conversely, malfunctioning 3rd Chakras may manifest physically through mid-body obesity, intestinal disorders, ulcers and liver disease.
Meditation and energy tools are the best way to enhance and heal the entire Chakra system.
A great practical way to strengthen our 3rd Chakras is through right action – by organizing ourSelves and pushing ourSelves to achieve our goals. Other tactics to build this Chakra are working out (becoming strong and developing stamina), taking creative risks and actively taking part in the world around us.
Here is an excellent exercise to strengthen your 3rd Chakra:
- Make a list of your goals or desires
- Evaluate each one of these to assess whether these are Your goals for yourSelf or somebody else’s goals for you
- Cross out any goals that are not Yours
- Pick one or more of the remaining goals, and begin to take action to manifest the desire(s)
I look forward to hearing any feedback on the above exercise! As always, please call or email me with any questions.
Next we will explore Self-love and other concepts associated with the Heart or 4th Chakra.