I’m The Boss Of Me: Lessons of the Third Chakra

The third chakra, located in the solar plexus region, is the center of personal power.  Through the fire of digestion, we take the raw materials of food and water and transform them into chi, the energetic fuel used to power our vision of prosperity and wholeness.  In the symphony metaphor, the third chakra is represented by the percussion section, adding fire and spark to any orchestral piece.

In order for this chakra to harmonize with the other six, we need to redefine the concept of power.  The old paradigm definition of power, as one having control over another, is restrictive – it shuts the flow of chi throughout our system, preventing a harmonic from developing between all seven chakra centers.  If instead, we hold power as a concept of integration, of wholeness within, we begin to think of it as “power to” rather than “power over”.

As an example, when we are in touch with our ground (1^st chakra), and our passions and desires (2^nd chakra) we have internal fuel to power us toward our own idea of prosperity.  If we’re loving ourselves, giving ourselves room to breathe (4^th chakra), to explore, to make mistakes, we add the air that’s necessary for the fire to burn.   In this example, we see the power as being generated from within, not from without. We are in control.  We give fire and oxygen to our own hopes, dreams and desires.  We are whole within ourselves.  This is the new paradigm of harnessing the power within.

Easier said than done!  Even if we know better, we may find ourselves looking outside for our answers. We look to others to lead the way. We look to others for approval. We know in our hearts that we are strong, but we can’t quite figure out how to stand in our own power.

I have struggled with this for years.  I was constantly looking to parents, partners, friends and society in general, for validation.  My third chakra was very weak.  Over the years, as I’ve learned to use the tools to move other people’s energies out of my third chakra, I’ve become stronger and comfortable in my own skin.  In fact, a large part of the inner critic dialog, I believe, stems from this lack of internal self-approval.  (We’ll tackle more of this as we move to the fourth chakra.)

Here are a couple of tips to include in your daily routine to help you breathe life back into your third chakra and bring added fire to the symphony of living in prosperity:

Sound Vibration 

Imagine the Golden Sun of your own life force entering the top of your head filling your whole body with more of your own life force energy.  As it enters the third chakra, hold it in place as you intone, or hum, the  “ah” vowel sound.  Feel the note settle in your belly as the sound melds with your Golden Sun of life force.  Now imagine this Golden Sun radiating from your solar plexus and sending healing and balancing energy to the vital organs supported by your third chakra.  Intend for this to act as a bellows, breathing life and fire into your dream of a prosperous life.

Chakra Breath 

Do the “Breath of Fire.” The Breath of Fire is a rapid breath through the nose, down into the diaphragm and the solar plexus. Two cycles per second is about the right speed. In out, in out in one second. Do this for one minute whenever you are feeling low energy and it will recharge you.