The Solar Plexus: On Becoming Your Best Self
"The curious paradox is that when I accept myself just as I am, then I can change." — Carl R. Rogers, American psychologist
While the heart is a powerful conductor of love-energy, it is the solar plexus chakra that allows us to facilitate the process of our own becomingness. Though we may crave and thrive off of stability, unless we have the fortitude to weather and effect change for ourselves, we can end up resisting our own unfoldment. Another way to understand this is to realize that our becomingness is primarily a process of releasing outdated notions of who you’ve believed yourself to be, so you can move naturally to the next level in your life’s journey. The solar plexus is a key chakra in this unfoldment, because it allows us to access the acceptance needed to effect great change. Yet because its primary job is our self preservation, and security, it often gets overloaded with lots of emotional debris (fear of what others think of us, worry about provisions, doubt about capability levels, or tendencies of self-judgment) that creates resistance to our own becomingness. Carl Rogers expressed it well by calling a practice of self-acceptance a paradox because the solar plexus’s natural job is striving. However we can recondition it towards the energy of acceptance. In this article, I will share some basics on the solar plexus chakra, and how to work with it to soften energetic resistance to acceptance, so you can weather the changes that life has brought you serendipitously, or effect changes at the levels you desire. Let's start with reviewing some basics.
What is the Job of the Solar Plexus Chakra?
The solar plexus chakra is a powerhouse of energy. Its job is to literally convert denser earth energy from the lower body into finer frequencies to be used by the more delicate organs in the heart, throat and brain. But it’s also responsible for converting the finer energies from the spiritual realm into denser frequencies for the lower body. It has more work to do than your other chakras (for this we can thank it for doing a great job). This conversion process is necessary for humans to maintain health, and overall well-being. When this energetic conversion is hijacked by fear of the future, or any other stressful thoughts, the solar plexus gets over activated or slows down and we experience burn-out, procrastination, confusion or we lose motivation and focus (we can even exhibit health issues). It’s as if our momentum of becomingness is “on-hold”. When the solar plexus chakra is clear and adequately activated your sense of self and ability to experience yourself as capable and resourceful in facing change, is enhanced, which moves you easily into your next inspired activity with confidence and grace. If you are rushing, worried and feeling overworked, your solar plexus may need a little attention. Even if you don’t feel that right now, applying some of what I’m about to share can help you clear your path and prepare you for optimal outcomes.
Why The Solar Plexus Chakra Resists
Why is it often tough to shift and change? While you may think of the chakras figuratively, the wheels of light responsible for pulling in vital life-force energy, actually have a will of their own. The will of each chakra is set by the dominant thought pattern of the mind. This is why despite having some change at the cognitive level, sustained change sometimes eludes us. It’s because the will of the chakras causes them to spin at the frequency of old thought patterns. Since everything is energy and energy precedes matter, having a solar plexus chakra that is bent on holding onto old thought patterns makes it tough to gracefully step into change.
Secondly, the solar plexus chakra reflects the quality of our self-image or our self-perception. So when the solar plexus chakra has been conditioned by self-doubt, fear or panic, our confidence and belief in ourselves becomes depleted. Even after a traumatic event has passed, we can still feel incapable, insecure or doubtful and this may happen despite cognitively knowing that we are safe and sound. It’s because the energy of these feelings are locked in a cyclical motion in the solar plexus chakra.
Thirdly, since the solar plexus chakra is responsible for moving our bodies into action, we are often moved to do things in reaction to the energetic congestion that are hurtful to ourselves or others, creating more complicated life-classrooms. This can include self-scolding, self-blaming, or self-shaming or doing so to others. Again, the will of the solar plexus chakra is what we are often working with and when you inhabit the position of your Higher Soul, you unlock a powerful ability to sit with the solar plexus chakra to recondition it. So how do you work with the solar plexus chakra that’s been conditioned to doubt, fear or panic?
3 Step Process To Reconditioning the Solar Plexus
There are many ways to work with the solar plexus chakra. Below are three steps I believe can help you create change by using acceptance as the paradoxical tool for reconditioning your solar plexus chakra.
- Learn how to breathe into and from your lower rib cage (avoid shallow breathing), because a solar plexus chakra conditioned to fear, shame, guilt or anger will restrict the life force from entering your body on the breath, thereby restricting your breathing. Inhaling through the nose, for a count of 4, holding at the top for a count of 3, then exhaling through the nose, for a count of 7 or 8 and holding at the bottom for 3, is one cycle. Practice 7 cycles of this breathing pattern, 2 times a day as it decongests the solar plexus chakra and allows the body to relax into feeling the love that you ARE.
- On the inhale, be aware of your heart (activation of the heart in this manner speeds up decongestion of the solar plexus) while affirming “I AM the Love that I AM”. Then on the exhale be aware of your solar plexus area and mentally affirm, “I WILL the Intelligence and Power that I AM”. You will be affirming each 7 times, once for each breathing cycle.
- Because you are engaging the Soul Energy that is the Real YOU at the level of the mind, now you’ll need to address the reconditioning of the neuro-network, your brain. Energetic points on your hand correspond to the brain and other organs. Writing stimulates the mini-chakras on the hand feeding the corresponding organs, but especially your brain. What you write serves as a sort of energetic reconditioning for your energy field and the chakras. Here is a suggested paragraph you can use to recondition your solar plexus chakra, with the energy of loving acceptance. Remember that your solar plexus will contract with resistance if you employ forceful, punishing or scolding energies, so do this with a curious and playful approach. After your breathing practice write the paragraph below at least 4 times in the morning after waking and just before you go to bed.
“All I need to succeed is within me. I am enough and I am growing and learning everyday. I value myself. It’s okay to leave my comfort zone. I deserve to feel good about myself. I accept myself. Every challenge I handle is a success. I know I don’t have to try to be perfect, because I am already THAT love, light and power that I am”.
Remember the ways to work with solar plexus are many, and this is just a suggested routine to get you started on the practice of relaxing into the change you’re moving into through reconditioning your solar plexus chakra to the frequency of acceptance. If you are working with stubborn energies and repeated patterns of painful feelings or thoughts, a personal session might give you the jump start you need. A private session will allow me to customize a practice that might be more effective in taking you to the next level. Simply book me in the Online Reader’s Portal and we’ll jump into how we can help you shift into your next level of expansion.
