Manipura (Solar Plexus) Chakra

The Manipura or Solar plexus Chakra is situated three finger widths above the navel. Yellow is the color associated with this chakra. Since  fire is the associated element, it is also known as the Fire or Sun Centre.  The fire element manifests in the body as heat in the Solar Plexus. Being the center of vitality, it controls our energy balance, emotional well-being, maintains our health, and helps us in overcoming many illnesses. Like a magnet, it attracts Prana from the Cosmos.

Many health problems like digestive disorders, circulatory diseases, diabetes and fluctuations in blood pressure can be caused by blockages in this centre. It is considered the maintenance center of the body.

The symbol 

The symbolic picture of the Manipura Chakra is a Lotus with ten petals, which represent the ten Pranas or vital forces, which control and nourish all functions of the human body. It has also a triangle with its tip pointing downward, indicating the spreading of energy, growth and development. 

After we have taken our consciousness through the levels of unconscious and subconscious – the Muladhara Chakra and the Swadhisthana Chakra, it reaches the third level, the Manipūra Chakra. 

Keeping the chakra in balance

     -  To keep the digestive fire balanced, we need to eat healthy, balanced meals. Avoid over  eating and drinking ice cold water.

·         Burn lemon grass fragrance incense and essential oils like saffron, musk, sandalwood, ginger, and cinnamon.

      -   Practice yoga postures with mindful breathing to release tension in the solar plexus, physically, mentally, and emotionally. The warrior poses (Veerabhadrasana) build confidence and align the third chakra. Sun salutations (Surya namaskar) warm up the body and connect with the fiery energy of the sun. Boat pose (Navasana) is another excellent posture for strengthening the abdominal muscles, balancing digestion, and bringing a sense of personal empowerment.

      - Meditate on Manipura chakra

To access guided meditation CLICK HERE 

  

References:

https://www.chakras.net/energy-centers/manipura

https://www.goodnet.org/articles/chakra-healing-how-to-open-your-solar-plexus

 

Mantras and me

 

It was around the age of ten that I got the Gayatri mantra. I do not remember who taught me that. Being the eldest in the family, it was my duty to light the lamp at dusk every day and sing some prayer songs. About two years later, my scholarly uncle gave me a two line 'mantra' that had the word 'Shakti' on it. At that time I had no idea what Shakti meant. I thought that he had just concocted something and told me it was a mantra. But I was determined to chant it with full devotion and added it to the Gayatri mantra.

 

From then on I was chanting both of them before doing anything, like when I had to get out of the house to go to school, I would chant them, before starting to take down notes at school/ college or before starting to write the exam, I would hold the pen and chant both mantras, then open the pen and start writing. Same routine before starting to learn lessons or writing home work. In retrospect, I believe this had a great role in my being a bright student and doing well in studies.

 

About four decades later when I heard the same line with 'Shakti' being chanted  early morning in Tiruvannamalai temple, I got goose bumps! I thanked my stars that I had considered it a mantra and chanted all these years.

 

Why Mantras?

 

According to Russill Paul in his book The Yoga of Sound: Tapping the Hidden Power of Music and Chant, mantras are traditionally defined as “sonic formulae that take us beyond, or through, the discursive faculties of the mind and connect our awareness directly and immediately to deep states of energy and consciousness”. In essence, many ancient mantras serve as vehicles for the mind to cross over the material world and into enlightenment.

 

We use sound to cut through mental clutter, facilitate meditation practice, and create a deeper state of awareness. Mantras have the power to evoke holiness or positivity, and transform the reality of our perception. A Sanskrit mantra stimulates the  84 meridians on the roof of the tongue. Scientific evidence shows that mantras can facilitate the release of secretions that strengthen our immune and neurological systems. “Yogic mantras stimulate the secretions of the pituitary gland, which is located only millimeters from the palate…certain permutations send signals to the command centers of the brain—the hypothalamus, and the pituitary, primarily, and also to the pineal gland. These orchestrate a healing response and send out packets of information in the form of neurotransmitters and chemicals, in the brain and throughout the body,” writes Dharma Sing Khalsa, M.D., an expert in Kundalini yoga and researcher of Alzheimer’s disease. 

Chanting improves one's memory and power of concentration. It leads us to the path of meditation. Meditation requires focus, which is difficult to achieve. But, when you chant with concentration, the mind gets focussed. This is probably why chanting is so good for kids.

 

Sound has tremendous power.

Many spiritual traditions see sound as a key component of practice and connection to the divine or sacred. The basic symbolism of  'Om', the most important mantra of all, is creation itself. On the physical level, chanting in the prescribed way impacts the abdominal area (from where the chant notes are raised), the lungs, the circulatory system and so on. The mantra sounds create thought-energy waves, and the organism vibrates in tune with the energy and spiritual appeal of a chant. Scientists say that when a mantra is chanted rhythmically, it creates a neuro-linguistic effect, which occurs even if the meaning of the mantra is not known. But knowing the meaning of what you are chanting tunes your mind towards reaching your goal.

 

Mantras coming my way

It is interesting how so many mantras came my way over the years, sometimes from Gurus, sometimes from instructions in dreams, and many times mantras establishing a connection with me when they come across while reading something or listening. It is said that for one to get the full power from a mantra, each one has to be chanted for a specific number of times, which run in thousands. Since we travel a lot, I get long periods of free time, which I utilise for chanting mantra. And whenever a mantra has been chanted for the specific number of times, I get indication from the Universe. Since it has happened with many mantras that I have been chanting for decades, if I ask someone to chant a specific mantra, it holds some power.

 

The path…

• Learn from a Guru, who will teach you how to pronounce the mantra perfectly, and knows which mantra you need.
• Sit on a rug to conserve body energy.
• Chant slowly and clearly, sticking to the exact pronunciation and emphasis.
• Synchronise the chant with the rhythm of your breath.
• Keep your eyes closed.
• Breathe deep and slow.
• Don't hold yourself rigid. Let your muscles relax.
• Give it time. The effects are slow but sure to come.

 

 

 

References:

https://www.sonima.com/yoga/sanskrit-mantras/

https://www.thehindu.com/features/metroplus/The-magic-of-mantras/article16366520.ece

The price for perfectionism and the snail/slug’s message

 I have been a perfectionist from the beginning and suffered the anxiety and stress associated with it for many years. Learning Reiki brought a sea change in my attitude to life. But even now when I start doing something, halfway through I will be thinking of the next task I have to start and this prevents me from putting in my best in the work at hand at the final stages as I am in a hurry to start the next work. This is not something I like and through hypnotherapy, have been trying to eliminate the last traces of this uneasiness.

Rains and the snails/slugs

We used to have rainy season from June to September end. But since three years it is raining really heavy in Belgaum and it is present throughout the year. During rains, our garden will be filled with snails and slugs, the sight of which is not pleasant for me. I will find them in all odd places like the latch of gate, below the plantain leaf etc., When I open the gate or hold the plantain leaf while giving Reiki to the plant, I will get a slimy sensation and on inspection find slug behind the latch and below the leaf.

In the center of the house

This crossed all limits when one day morning when I went into the puja room for my morning meditation at 4 am I saw a small snail inside the container of sandal paste! The puja room is in the center of the house and all our windows and doors are always closed, those that are left open are netted. I freaked out on seeing it and my husband had to remove it. In the commotion I forgot to take a picture. I wondered what route it must have taken and how much time to reach that place.

The significance

Since the snail has taken so much trouble to reach there, I thought let me find out the significance of its visit. The snail may be small and seemingly unimportant, but it has a profound spiritual message. It lets us know that one needs to slow down. It asks, ‘What’s the big hurry? It is time to let go for a moment so that you will be able to see it.”

Its symbolism is letting me know that any pace is a good pace. What seems like forever is just a moment and I must release the beliefs about not getting things done on time. The snail meaning insists that there is no sense in causing any stress and realise that I do have the time for everything. Just stay in the present so that everything gets done, and one needs to always keep moving.

To the ancient Greeks, the slug was considered an ethereal being with healing powers. They represented fertility and fruition of hard work. Being a hermaphroditic animal, it embodies the Divine Masculine AND the Divine Feminine. So it is more of a spiritual being than an earthly being. It signifies the need to be gentle and kind to oneself, also teaches to work quietly but industriously, and to celebrate victories with gratitude and wonder. The slug’s strength and physical abilities are extraordinary, so I will consider that it is encouraging me to be strong and steady in my path.

 

References:

https://otherworldlyoracle.com/slug-snail-spirit-animals/

https://trustedpsychicmediums.com/spirit-animals/snail-spirit-animal/

Swadhisthana (Hara or Sacral) Chakra

 Swadhisthana means where your being is established. ‘Swa’ means self and 'adhisthana' means established. It is associated with pleasure, sense of oneself, relationships, sensuality and procreation. Swadhisthana, the second Chakra manifests desires, boosts creativity and confidence. It can be blocked by guilt and fear, especially fear of death. When this chakra is out of balance, a person may experience emotional instability, fear of change, sexual dysfunction, depression, or addictions. It is situated three finger widths below the navel.

Its element is water and color is orange. Water is soft and pliable, but also an immense power when out of control. This is just how it is with the Swadhisthana Chakra. When negative emotions arise from the subconscious to the conscious state, we can be completely put off balance. Orange is the colour of the sunrise, which is symbolic of the rising consciousness.  

Swadhisthana is associated with the unconscious and emotion. It is closely related to the Muladhara, where the different sanskaras ( potential karmas) lie dormant. Swadhisthana is where these sanskaras find expression.

Methods to balance Swashisthana chakra

Dietary measures:

Coconuts, oranges, melons, other sweet fruits and cinnamon are good for sacral chakra healing.  Drink plenty of water.

Being with and in water:

Since the sacral chakra’s element is water, getting outside and relaxing near open water can help open your second chakra. Lakes, rivers, streams or the ocean are all useful. If possible, wade in or dangle your feet in the water to help the energy flow. Taking a bath or a shower can also contribute to balancing your chakra while providing the relaxation needed to keep your emotions flowing.

Be creative.

We create when we find a new solution to an old problem. When we take physical or mental raw materials  and transform them into something new, we are using our creative energy.

Yogasanas

Bhujangasana or cobra pose: Lie on your stomach with feet flat on the ground and pubic bone pressed down. Place your hands under your shoulders and slowly lift your head, chest and abdomen while keeping your navel on the floor.

Baddha konasana ( butterfly pose): In a seated position, bring the soles of your feet together. Let the knees drop to the sides and bring the heels close to your pelvis. Lengthen the torso and bend forward towards the floor.

Process your emotions

Get in touch with your emotions and if there are feelings that you are holding onto, process them in a healthy way

Left nostril breathing

Left nostril (Ida nadi) breathing will help open up this second chakra as it brings forth lunar energy. Close your right nostril with the  thumb of your right hand and inhale and exhale through the left nostril for 8 to 10 breaths.

Meditation

Meditation with focus on the second chakra brings about refinement in behaviour, longevity and personal magnetism.

Click here for meditation

 

References:

https://chopra.com/articles/awaken-your-creativity-chakra-svadhisthana

https://meditativemind.org/how-to-heal-sacral-chakra-aka-svadhisthana/