third chakra

The Fire Within

Who are you?

This is the question the third chakra often prompts us to answer. The third chakra, also known as the solar plexus, is about our relationship with our self - who we are in the universe, our belief in our self and our personal will in the outside world. It is where we take any criticism that comes our way and evaluate it. It is why we use the expression, "punched in the gut."  It is also where we come to really feel powerful in the choices we make and have confidence that we know what is right for ourselves. If we have a breakup or move houses or switch jobs, we will often find this chakra off. Or if we are even contemplating any of these changes we may find our third chakra off balance. The third chakra is also where all social movements start, many people have found with the change in presidency that their third chakra is activated. They feel fired up to stand up for what they believe it. The element associated with this chakra is fire.

Here's the breakdown on what the third chakra governs on the physical, psychological and spiritual levels. First though, where to find it - the third chakra is usually located below where your rib cage opens up.
 
Physical level: It governs the digestive system, pancreas, liver, gallbladder, adrenals and immune system. 
 
Psychological level: When it is in balance we are not easily manipulated or swayed to other's ways unless it aligns with our own. While outside approval is nice, when our third chakra is in balance, it is not necessary for us to act, we feel strong enough on our own. We are able to come from a place of strength and integrity.
 
Spiritual: This governs our ability to face life's obstacles with integrity. We know we can take risks and handle any situation we are faced with. When our solar plexus is open and in balance we can clearly hear intuitive information and act on it. 
 
If your solar plexus chakra is off you may experience the following:

  • Difficulty feeling feelings
  • Extreme highs and lows of emotions
  • Low self worth 
  • Workaholic tendencies
  • Desire to control
  • Addictive personality 
  • Stomach ulcers
  • Digestive problems
  • Judgmental
  • Need constant reassurance
  • Overly concerned about what others think

Some suggestions for bringing your solar plexus back into balance:

  • Visualize yellow light / fire coming out from your third chakra
  • Yoga poses: plank, warrior III, bow, child's pose and cobra pose
  • Breath of fire
  • Affirmations: I determine to treat myself with respect and honor. I am my own person. I am open to receiving all life's good things. 
  • Place hand on third chakra envision any criticisms bouncing off
  • Essential oils; bergamont, ginger, black pepper, lemon, clove and wintergreen.

A friend shared this video with me and I felt like it's such a brilliant example of a healthy solar plexus ~ hope you enjoy this video and also can feel "Soy Yo" or "I'm me". 
 
Bringing our third chakra into balance will bring the sense of knowing who you are. Here’s to being you in your most powerful form.

Energy Vampires

Kim's Thoughts

Energy vampires sucking you dry? Here are some tips to help keep you protected when around those hungry folks. To begin with, who am I talking about? When I refer to energy vampires, I’m referring to folks who leave you feeling either depressed, wiped out, or angry after spending time with them. They may be your coworker, a parent or acquaintance, they could even be someone whose company you used to enjoy. 

 Most people pull energy from others via the third chakra. To keep folks from doing this, you can place your hand over the third chakra; it’s the chakra that governs your self-will and personal power and is located just below where your ribs open up.  You have seen this done in situations where people go into a defensive stance by placing their arms across their chest. This is similar, but there are more subtle ways to do this. One is by resting your hand on your third chakra, another is by setting your intention that no one can drain you from this chakra, and a third way is to place essential oil on this chakra prior to having interactions with the energy sucker. I’d recommend cedarwood or ginger essential oils for protection.

 Another way to keep from getting drained is by setting a strong energetic boundary prior to your interaction.  Envision white light encompassing your entire body in an oval / egg shape. If white light is not your thing, envision that the clothes you are putting on are like Teflon, things just bounce off you and cannot take. Or another is to envision you are surrounded by a circle of pink bubble gum, nothing can get through this. Say the mantra “ I only take on what’s mine.”

If you are in the situation and all of a sudden recognize you’re feeling a little blurred on what is yours and what is theirs – take a bathroom break. Once in the restroom, take 5 deep breaths to remember your rhythm and set an energetic boundary for when you go back into the situation.

Cleanse your field afterward if you do feel like you’ve taken on someone’s stuff that’s not yours. This can be done with a shower, an espom salt bath or by smudging yourself.

If it is a coworker that’s got you down, place things on your desk or office that help ground you and refresh you. Maybe it’s a picture of the forest, or a crystal to clear negative energy or a healthy plant.

If possible decrease the amount of time you spend with them or start a conversation with them about how much time you are comfortable spending with them. 

Maybe you’re reading this and saying – what, no one can make you feel depressed if you’re not already depressed, but this has to do with field entanglement. What we do influences others, it is how when I do a healing, you experience an energetic shift. Here’s an interesting podcast talking about physics and how interconnected we are- Entanglement.

Wondering why people suck energy from others? Usually it’s unconscious and they are not aware they are even doing it. When they get filled by sucking energy from others, they are not actually satisfied and then they need more, it creates a vicious cycle.

We are ultimately responsible for our own happiness, so instead of demanding the energy vampire to shift, shifting yourself can bring you more satisfaction.  The situation may also be an opportunity for you to learn how to hold better boundaries or that a situation is not working. If you have other suggestions on how to protect yourself from energy vampires, please share. 

Elizabeth's Thoughts

As everything is energy, there is a constant flow of energy in and out of our beings. We both give and receive energy in many forms. When we are in a balance point (ongoing, I know) we are receiving as much as we are giving. This sounds like a simple mathematical process, but real life is far from simple. One big energy draining concept to be aware of is energy vampires. Often these are people, but they can also be groups or intangibles like your work or an organization of some sort. I’m sure you know some: those who are needy and take, take, take; people who or situations that leave you exhausted even when you didn’t seem to do much.~ Read more