With the rise in popularity of essential oils, as well as the increased attention to the ancient healing modality of working with our chakras, we thought it would be a great time to focus on some of our most popular products, our Chakra Essence Sprays and Perfume Rollers, and tell you more about what is in them and why.

Many traditional healing practices talk of the chakras, energy centers that are a part of our etheric/energy bodies that can influence all things in our lives, from our health to our emotions. According to tradition, when these energy centers are out of balance, either too open or too closed off, we can experience imbalances in our life.

Each chakra governs different aspects of our beings, and thus when not in alignment with each other, those aspects of our life will be off. By learning more about the associations of each individual chakra, we can discern if there are things in our own life that may point to that particular chakra being misaligned, and thus can work on correcting the imbalances by actively seeking herbs, essential oils, and other healing practices that activate that particular chakra.

Last month we covered the second chakra, the Sacral Chakra, so this month is all about the third chakra:

THE SOLAR PLEXUS CHAKRA

The Solar Plexus chakra, also referred to as Manipura, is derived from two Sanskrit words: mani meaning ‘jewel’ and pura meaning ‘city’. Manipura literally means ‘city of jewels’.

It is connected to your sense of personal power, your individual expression in the earth, the ability to ‘digest life’, the fire within you as well as the element of fire itself, the conscious (waking) mind, and your self-image.

It is from here that you draw your personal boundaries and develop your own sense of morality.

Because of its association with the digestive organs, it is also related to your ‘gut feelings’ and can have a lot to do with the way you see and interact with the world on a visceral level

When the solar plexus chakra is in balance a person tends to be outgoing, cheerful, have self-respect, have respect for others, have a strong sense of personal power, have found your ‘gifts’ in life, be able to digest life, be able to digest food, is skillful, intelligent, relaxed, spontaneous, expressive, likes to take on new challenges, enjoys physical activity, and enjoys good food.

When the solar plexus chakra is deficient the person may be depressed, lack confidence in themselves, be overly worried about what others think, be confused about what their role in life is, feel that others control your life, have poor digestion, be afraid of being alone, have a constant need for reassurance, be jealous, and distrustful.

When the solar plexus chakra has excessive energy a person may be judgemental, a workaholic, a perfectionist, overly intellectual, demanding, resentful of authority, a need for drugs to relax, and have a superiority complex.

The main words associated with this chakra are I Will, it is the energy of personal power, it assists us further in the process of individuation, of forming a `self`, ego and personality separate from our inherited identity. This energy center also contains most issues related to the development of personal power and self-esteem

In our Solar Strength chakra spray and roller, we chose specific gems and oils that have been associated with their ability to balance and harmonize the volatile and powerful sacral chakra.

 

ESSENTIAL OILS FOR THE SOLAR PLEXUS CHAKRA

Geranium – has a regulating effect on the nervous system and can help dispel depression, nervous anxiety and fear.
Its scent is positive and uplifting, which instantly calms the mind and restores emotional balance. This is why it is indicated for both acute and chronic anxiety.
Workaholic people who have lost touch with their inner self will find this oil very useful as it stabilizes the mind and enhances sensory perception and imagination.

Ginger – this warming and spicy herb and essential oil helps to move energy and invigorate the body and the senses, thus helping you to reconnect with your inner power source. According to author Peter Holmes, “Clearly just as ginger provides deep warmth and stimulation on the physiological level, its fragrance works deeply into the psyche bringing energy and strength to some of the deepest sources of our power”

In moments of pessimism and low morale, ginger essential oil serves to motivate the mind and help it find direction.
If you have strong plans for the future but lack willpower or confidence to go through with them, ginger essential will inspire you to be proactive and take consequential action.

Grapefruit – The refreshing properties of Grapefruit instill positivity, joy and cheer, it is also a wonderfully energizing essential oil making it perfect for the solar plexus chakra.

Others would be Black Pepper, Cedarwood, Coriander, Cypress, Lemon, Lemongrass, Mandarin, Peppermint, Petitgrain, Sandalwood, Spearmint

 

GEM ESSENCES FOR THE SOLAR PLEXUS CHAKRA

Aventurine – strengthens the cen­tral ver­tical axis which ­sta­bi­lizes us during expan­sion expe­ri­ences; pro­vides an ener­getic sup­port struc­ture that helps us move into and through new ­expe­ri­ences with grace, sta­mina and per­se­ver­ance; good for spir­i­tual trail­blazers and pioneers.

Carnelian – recal­i­brates the 3rd chakra to draw life force energy through appro­priate chan­nels already present in the phys­ical body and the aura; increases the etheric body’s ability to access pranic energy; clears and ener­gizes the nadirs–the subtle energy path­ways between the etheric body and the meridians.

Citrine – har­mo­nizes the mental body with higher ­spir­i­tual laws; increases access to Divine truth and intel­li­gence; helps us ­trans­late what exists on the uni­versal mental plane into usable infor­ma­tion on the phys­ical plane; ­ampli­fies qual­i­ties of ­con­cen­tra­tion and ­cen­tering; bal­ances the intu­itive and rational mind.

Gold – brings strength, solidity, and bal­ance to the 3rd chakra; helps us feel our inner value; enables us to access and bring forth into phys­ical reality the highest aspects of our per­sonal iden­tity; helps us tap into our inner truth, joy, and wisdom as a source of cre­ative power.

Orange Calcite – pen­e­trating, uplifting, ener­gizing, warming; ­ampli­fies one’s ability to ­assim­i­late light at the cel­lular level of the body; opens the heart to the energy of the Sun;  dis­pels dark­ness and grief; helps one feel joy and a sense of cre­ative con­nect­ed­ness to the phys­ical realm

Pyrite – strengthens self-esteem and ­self-trust, espe­cially with regard to group ­dynamics and peer pres­sure; helps one build an ener­getic foun­da­tion in life based on one’s highest per­sonal truth; solid­i­fies values, helps one be true to oneself.

Tiger’s Eye – self-empowerment; helps us main­tain a strong sense of self-identity when dealing with pow­erful emo­tions such as anger, fear, and jeal­ousy; strengthens the ener­getic boundary between our ­emo­tional expe­ri­ences and our true nature.

Topaz – clears energy block­ages in the 3rd chakra; strengthens our ability to act deci­sively from a clear sense of per­sonal iden­tity and Divine pur­pose; helps us access appro­priate sources of uni­versal energy

 

 

Our Chakra Sprays and Perfume rollers contain all of the above essences and essential oils and are the perfect way to work with your sacral chakra. We love using them in meditation, before or during a yoga class, or at any point during the day to help keep us feeling connected to our own sense of self and strength to move through the world.

 

 

HERBS FOR THE SOLAR PLEXUS CHAKRA

Herbs that work well for this chakra are those that are yellow in color or tend to be warming and energizing. A few to consider are milk thistle, ginger, turmeric, dandelion, lemon balm, calendula, chamomile, and helichrysum.

Other digestive herbs could also be considered balancing to this chakra, herbs such as peppermint, spearmint, slippery elm, marshmallow, fennel, cinnamon, clove, and cardamom.

A lovely healing, digestive, and chakra balancing blend would be to combine 1 part calendula, 1/2 part dandelion flowers, 1/2 part turmeric slices, 1/4 part dried ginger, and 1/4 part dried lemon peel together and allow to steep for 15 minutes, strain, and add some honey if desired, and drunk daily.

 

 

FOODS FOR THE SOLAR PLEXUS CHAKRA

The color associated with the solar plexus is yellow, so when it comes to foods for balancing this chakra, yellow foods are the way to go, as well as any foods that are warming for the digestion and energizing in general.

Some yellow foods include lemons, bananas, pineapple, papaya, corn, squash, dandelions, sunflowers, lovage, and sunchokes.

 

Here are a few recipes for the Solar Plexus

Be Strong Banana Shake (from Chakra Tonics)

• 1 frozen banana
• 1 tbsp Tamarind Paste
• 1 tsp Turmeric Powder
• 1 scoop vanilla protein powder (optional)
• 1/2 cup ice cubes
• 3/4-1 cup water or almond milk, as much need for your preferred consistency
• Place all ingredients in a blender and mix till smooth.

 

Pineapple Papaya Smoothie (from Chakra Tonics)

Because the solar plexus governs the digestion, this smoothie is particularly wonderful for this chakra as both pineapple and papaya contain digestive enzymes that have been shown to help improve digestion and absorption of food and nutrients.

• 1/2 cup fresh or frozen pineapple
• 1/2 cup fresh or frozen papaya
• 1 scoop vanilla protein powder (optional)
• 1/2 tsp dried ginger
• 1/2 cup ice cubes
• 3/4-1 cup water or almond milk, as much need for your preferred consistency
• Place all ingredients in a blender and mix till smooth.

 

All of the suggestions above are perfect ways to start working on aligning your root chakra so you feel more calm, stable, balanced, grounded, and centered in the world as you go about your daily life.

If you give any of them a try, or have a favorite option please let us know, we love hearing from you, and be sure to check back next month for the Heart Chakra.

RESOURCES

• Chakra Tonics – Elise Collins
• Caroline Myss’s Free Chakra info
• Chakra Synopsis
• Balancing the Solar Plexus Chakra from the Herbarium
• Solar Plexus Chakra Essential Oils
• Alaskan Gem Essences

 

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