THE SOLAR PLEXUS CHAKRA

Situated just below the breast bone, extending down towards the navel, is the third and last personal Chakra, many lessons can be learnt here. From this Chakra we ascend to the Heart Chakra, which is the first of the universal Chakras.

The solar plexus is the radiant sun within your body and it supplies the body with fuel. Just as the sun provides the earth with power, so the solar plexus provides the body with power. It is the body's powerhouse and generates energy. The sun gives us light and heat and fuels growth - without it there would be no life on earth. The inner sun is also essential to life: it provides us with warmth, enthusiasm, passion and inner power. The solar plexus animates the body and keeps it alive.

Psychologically, the solar plexus is responsible for digesting emotions. The experiences we encounter as we journey through life need to be swallowed, digested and absorbed - any waste needs to be eliminated. Experiences get held in the digestive organs and soft tissues of the body where they can cause illness - holding on to old emotions create inner conflict. Anger usually hides pain, which in turn hides the treasures of your inner power. We each need time to fully digest our emotions and cleanse our systems of negativity.

Anatomically you will not find the solar plexus but you will find the coeliac plexus, which is a group of nerves corresponding to this Chakra. Digestion is a main function of the solar plexus and is associated with all digestive organs, stomach, small intestine, liver, gallbladder and spleen.

The keywords are: logic, reason, opinion, assimilation, psychic intuition and identity. The developmental age associated with the solar plexus is from eight to twelve years. Its main colour is yellow, its secondary colours are gold and rose. Its kingdom is animal.

The quietening fragrances are vetivert and rose, whilst bergamot, ylang-ylang, peppermint and ginger will stimulate the solar plexus.

The crystals for this Chakra are: yellow citrine, yellow topaz, rose quartz and tigers eye.

Its symbol is the inverted triangle.