What is the Solar Plexus Chakra?

What is the solar plexus chakra? Today’s post is going to answer that question and give you everything you need to know about this powerful energy center, including signs of imbalance, affirmations, journal prompts, and methods to balance and heal. For a refresher on chakras, be sure to check out A Beginner’s Guide to Understanding and Unblocking Your Chakras.

Also, be sure to scroll to the bottom of this page for some awesome freebies! You’ll receive 35 free printable affirmations and 30 journal prompts to open and heal the solar plexus chakra. Don’t miss these powerful healing tools!

Introduction to the Solar Plexus Chakra

Did you know that your solar plexus is an actual complex network of nerves and ganglia located in the center of your torso? If you’ve ever experienced getting hit by something hard in the stomach and feeling like you had the wind knocked out of you, it’s likely you were actually hit right in the solar plexus. (Ouch!)

I lead with this because it’s important to differentiate between the solar plexus and the solar plexus chakra:

The solar plexus is the physical network of nerves and ganglia located above your navel in the center of your torso.

The solar plexus chakra, located in the same region, is the energy center in your body associated with your confidence, self-esteem, joy, motivation, and integrity.

Why Balancing the Solar Plexus Chakra is Important

Confidence is a fickle creature.

Have you ever experienced stretches of time – maybe days, weeks, or even months – where you felt invincible? During these periods, you felt confident, capable, and strong, and you undoubtedly knew your inherent worthiness.

And then one day, it all comes crashing down on you, and suddenly, you feel fearful, lack motivation, and lose sight of your purpose.

Personally, I’ve felt the highs and lows of all these experiences multiple times in the span of a single day.

And that’s one of the biggest reasons why balancing your solar plexus chakra is so important. Because confidence, high self-esteem, and radiant joy shouldn’t be fickle; these very attributes are your birthright.

Having a practice that allows you to balance and heal your solar plexus chakra means taking back your power. Instead of allowing confidence and joy to come and go like the ocean waves, you cultivate these powerful feelings inside of you. And maybe you’ll still experience moments of doubt, but I promise, they won’t last long because you know you have the power and tools inside of you to gain back the empowered beliefs and emotions you deserve to experience every single day.

In this post, we’re going to cover all things related to the solar plexus chakra: signs of balance and imbalance, affirmations, journal prompts, how to heal an imbalanced sacral chakra, and various associated attributes.

So let’s begin!

Solar Plexus Attributes

• Sanskrit Name: Manipura (“City of Jewels”; sometimes translated as “Lustrous Gem”)
• Location: A couple inches above the navel/Below the chest (You might associated this with the pit of your stomach.)
• Color: Yellow
• Body Parts: Pancreas, stomach, liver, gall bladder
• Symbol: Ten-petaled lotus with downward facing triangle in the center
• Element: Fire
• Mantra: RAM
• Gemstones: Citrine, topaz, tiger’s eye, yellow jasper, amber
• Essential Oils: Lemon, lemongrass, coriander, juniper, lime

Signs of a Balanced Solar Plexus Chakra

Have you ever met someone that just seemed to radiate with light? They walk with confidence, always seem to have a genuine smile on their face, and just seem like they have it all together. And on top of that, they’re really, really kind.

Chances are, they have a balanced solar plexus chakra.

Your solar plexus chakra is associated with all the self words: self-esteem, self-respect, self-image, and self-worth. Confidence is the word often associated with this energy center, but note that this is not cockiness, arrogance, or conceit. A person with a balanced solar plexus chakra will feel confident in themselves without demeaning or putting down others.

Here are some of the signs of a balanced solar plexus chakra:

• Confident
• Positive
• Empowered
• High sense of self-respect
• High self-esteem
• Joyful
• Driven
• Positive self image
• Aligned with purpose
• Aligned with core values
• Motivated
• Has integrity
• Collaborative
• Decisive/Confident in decision-making

Signs of an Imbalanced Solar Plexus Chakra

Imbalances in energy centers can go two ways: they might become underactive or overactive. (You might also hear the terms deficient or excessive.)

The underactive/deficient symptoms are associated with a lack of confidence while the overactive/excessive symptoms are associated with what happens when confidence turns into arrogance and a superiority complex.

Here’s a list of signs associated with an imbalanced solar plexus chakra:

• Low self-esteem
• Lack of ambition
• Unmotivated
• Lack of purpose
• Fear of rejection
• Sensitive to criticism
• Low energy
• Sense of worthlessness
• Superiority complex
• Arrogant
• Manipulative
• Domineering
• Power-hungry
• Competitive

Physical Signs of an Imbalanced Solar Plexus Chakra

In additional to emotional and mental symptoms, an imbalanced energy center also results in physical ailments. The solar plexus chakra is associated with the stomach, gall bladder, liver, and pancreas, so pay attention to these organs when you think you might be experiencing an imbalance. (For instance, have you recently experienced fatigue and/or poor digestion?)

Here are some of the physical ailments you may experience with an imbalanced solar plexus chakra:

• Fatigue
• Poor Digestion
• Liver Problems
• Low Metabolism
• Blood Sugar/Glycemic Issues
• Ulcers

Solar Plexus Chakra Affirmations

Affirmations are one of my favorite tools not only for healing chakras but for a total self-care routine. While it may seem difficult to come up with affirmations for some of the energy centers, there’s truly an infinite amount of affirmations a person could write for the solar plexus chakra.

Below, I’ve listed some powerful affirmations you can use to heal and balance your solar plexus chakra. But don’t limit yourself to this list; feel free to come up with your own awesome affirmations in which you assert your confidence, worthiness, joy, integrity, self-belief, self-esteem, self-worth, and limitless power to create the life of your dreams.

For more powerful solar plexus chakra affirmations, check out my post, 35 Solar Plexus Affirmations for Confidence, Motivation, and Positivity.

• I am powerful, strong, and confident.
• I can achieve anything I set my mind to.
• Today, I confidently welcome new experiences.
• I am competent, capable, and strong.
• I am aligned with my purpose.
• I am my highest and most authentic self.
• I am enough, just as I am.
• I have the confidence and power to take big leaps.
• I am enough. I have always been enough. I will always be enough.
• I will not settle for less than I deserve.
• I hold the key to my own happiness.
• Limitless joy is my birthright.
• I am worthy, strong, powerful, courageous, and always enough.

For even more empowering affirmations, check out 35 Solar Plexus Affirmations for Confidence, Motivation, and Positivity. And don’t forget to scroll to the bottom of this page to get your free printable affirmations and journal prompts!

Solar Plexus Chakra Journal Prompts

Journaling’s another practice that helps restore balance to your body’s energy centers while also supporting your overall wellbeing. Some people swear by journaling in the morning while others like to save it for nighttime to help them unwind. Choose what works best for you, and if possible, try to set aside some uninterrupted time to be alone with your thoughts, even if it’s just ten minutes.

Below are four powerful prompts you can use for healing your solar plexus chakra. As you sit down to journal, hold the intention to activate, balance, heal, or just get to understand your solar plexus chakra a little better. Let this be a time when you pledge to believe you are worthy and deserving of unconditional love, joy, and peace. And allow your words to be a reflection of that worthiness. (Because you are worthy of all these things and more!)

• Visualize a day as your highest and most authentic self living your most confident and empowered life. Describe how you move about your day. Write out the positive words you speak to yourself. Discuss your core values and purpose, and write about how good it feels to be aligned with these values. How do other people see you? How do you see yourself? Remember, you are strong, confident, empowered, and have a high sense of self-respect and self-esteem.

• Write out a list of positive qualities you love about yourself, and describe why you love each of those things. For instance, “I love my smile because it lights up a room. When I smile, I notice that other people smile, too.” Focus on both your internal and external qualities. There’s no room for negativity here. Compliment yourself. Focus on the positive. Remember that you are worthy and deserving of unconditional joy and love.

• Think about your goals and dreams. Ask yourself these questions: How do I approach my goals? Do I step forward with confidence, or do I shrink back into fear? What are some ways I can cultivate more confidence? Do I believe I can create the life of my dreams? If you find yourself feeling any uncertainties or doubts, gently probe these feelings with kindness and compassion.

• Are there any situations or experiences in my life that cause me to feel low self-esteem? What makes me feel powerless? What makes me feel fearful? Describe these situations with an objective perspective: no judgment or emotions. Ask yourself: What can I do in these situations to raise my self-esteem, hold onto my power, and rise above fear?

For more powerful journal prompts, check out 30 Journal Prompts to Open and Heal Your Solar Plexus Chakra. And be sure to scroll to the bottom of this page to get your free printable affirmations and journal prompts!

Activating and Healing the Solar Plexus Chakra

Color Therapy

Immerse yourself in the color yellow. Eat yellow foods such as bananas, pineapple, yellow peppers, and squash. Light yellow, lemon-scented candles. Wear yellow. Paint with the color yellow. Sit or hang some yellow objects near your workspace. You can even write some empowering affirmations on yellow post-it notes and hang them up around you!

Have a (Safe) Bonfire (or Cozy Up by the Fireplace)

The solar plexus chakra’s element is fire, so this is the perfect time to have a safe bonfire with friends or enjoy some family time by the fireplace. You could also combine some time by the fire with other practices on this list, like doing some journaling by the fireplace.

Get Out in the Sun

If it’s summer and you’re not keen on starting the fireplace, another powerful practice to balance your solar plexus is to go for a walk or have a picnic in the sun. Spending some time in nature while immersing myself in beautiful sunshine is one of my favorite ways to bring balance to this energy center. Just don’t forget the sunscreen!

Journaling

The journal prompts above can help you get started here. Another incredibly powerful method is to incorporate affirmations into your journaling. You can use the affirmations above or come up with your own empowering solar plexus affirmations. Gratitude journaling is also an awesome practice. Write about all the positive associations with the solar plexus chakra that you’re grateful for: your high self-esteem and positive self image, your sense of worthiness, your alignment with your purpose, and so on!

Just remember, as you sit down to write, set the intention to balance your solar plexus chakra and see where it takes you.

Yoga

Yoga is one of the most powerful ways to heal the chakras as each energy center has associated poses to help restore balance.

For the solar plexus chakra, here are some of the best poses to balance this energy center:

• Warrior I
• Full Boat Pose
• Bow Pose
• Reverse Triangle Pose
• Warrior III
• Plank

And here’s a great video by Allie – The Journey Junkie that guides you through using yoga to ignite your power with the solar plexus chakra.

Meditation

For an unguided solar plexus chakra balancing meditation, find somewhere you feel safe and comfortable. You can choose whether or not you want to set a timer. If you’re on the floor, sit cross-legged with your back straight. If you’re on a chair, don’t cross your legs. Keep your feet on the floor. Close your eyes. Relax your eyebrows. Relax your shoulders. Slowly relax each body part as you take deep inhales through your nose and slow exhales, either out your mouth or through your nose.

Now, imagine a bright, yellow light just above your navel, below the chest. You might also see this as a yellow sun or a yellow, ten-petaled lotus. As you inhale, visualize the light growing brighter. As you exhale, visualize the light growing bigger. Repeat this throughout your meditation. If you want, at the end of your meditation, you can recite some powerful affirmations for balancing your solar plexus chakra.

For guided meditations, here’s some awesome (free!) ones from Insight Timer:

• Solar Plexus Chakra Balancing by Loula Love
• Cleanse the Solar Plexus Chakra by Leah Vermeeren
• Solar Plexus Chakra – Heal, Open & Align by Naomi Goodlet

Affirmations

I’m a big believer in using positive affirmations to cultivate confidence and assert your worthiness, and luckily, there’s an endless amount of positive affirmations you can use to balance your solar plexus chakra. Some of my favorite methods are to write them in my journal and to stick post-it notes with affirmations written on them on my work space or on my bathroom mirror. I also love to choose the normally mundane moments of life to silently repeat affirmations to myself, like when I’m driving to work or waiting for the oven timer to go off.

Gemstones

Some of the gemstones associated with the solar plexus chakra are citrine, topaz, tiger’s eye, yellow jasper, amber. If you’ve never used crystals before, don’t feel intimidated! Some simple practices to use gemstones and crystals are to hold them during meditation, carry them in your pocket during the day, or keep them somewhere nearby while you’re working.

Essential Oils

Essential oils are a perfect way to restore balance to the solar plexus chakra, and you can easily find ways to combine using essential oils with other practices on this list. For instance, you can use them in your diffuser while journaling with some beautiful crystals nearby. Just remember, as with everything on this list, be intentional with your actions. So before you sit down to do all of these practices, set the powerful intention to balance and heal your solar plexus chakra first.

Here are some of the essential oils associated with the solar plexus chakra:

• Lemon
• Lemongrass
• Coriander
• Juniper
• Lime
• Fennel
• Ginger
• Grapefruit

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And there you have it: the slightly long but detailed answer to the question, “What is the solar plexus chakra?” Have any other questions about the solar plexus chakra? Leave a note in the comments below! And for chakra resources, positive affirmations, self-love tools, and more, be sure to follow me on Pinterest and Instagram!

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