Your solar plexus chakra has to do with your relationship with yourself. While your first two chakras, the root and sacral chakras, focus on your relationship with the outside world and with others, the third chakra, or manipura, is different. This chakra is all about your thoughts and feelings related to your self-confidence, self-esteem and sense of merit.
Practicing yoga poses for the solar plexus chakra, which is located just above the navel in the center of the abdomen, means finding balance. You don’t want any of your chakras to be underactive or overactive. When the solar plexus chakra is underactive, you may think poorly of yourself and experience low self-esteem. If it is overactive, you may feel a bit cocky and be tempted to think that you are better than other people. Neither of these extremes is what you want.
These yin yoga poses for the solar plexus chakra will help you find balance between humility and overconfidence. It mainly focuses on twists and side bends, causing compression and expansion of the solar plexus area of your body.
I also like to use affirmations as a way to connect with the themes of the sacral chakra. The purpose of this is not to deceive or convince yourself that the affirmations are true. Instead, simply repeat each affirmation to yourself and observe the feeling it gives you. Some of them will feel nice and easy to listen to, which means you probably don’t have much work to do in that area. If there are any affirmations that make you feel a little uncomfortable, or you don’t believe them to be true about yourself, these are the affirmations you’ll want to pay a little more attention to. They are like a little flag being waved telling you that a little more work and care is needed.
Yin Yoga poses for the Solar Plexus Chakra
Since the solar plexus chakra relates to the midsection, this yin yoga exercise helps you open the side of the waist as well as the hips. These poses do not require props, although you can add them.
Sit in silence
Start sitting in a way that feels comfortable for you. Close your eyes and rest your hands on your knees as you breathe slowly, in and out through your nose, to clear your mind. See if you can breathe into that solar plexus space, which is just above the navel. Bring your right hand to that solar plexus, the left hand on top, and we take a cleansing breath from here, breathe into that space, inhale through the nose and exhale through the mouth. Stay with your breath.
Say to yourself: What is your relationship with yourself? How is your self-confidence, self-esteem and self-worth?
Square pose with a twist
From seated, stack your right ankle over your left knee to stack one shin directly over the other. So my right knee is over my left ankle and my right ankle is over my left knee in Square Pose. Flex your feet. If this pose feels too intense for your hips, you can sit on a block or folded blankets, or tuck folded blankets or a pillow between your knee and ankle.
You can also opt for a less intense version by sitting with your right shin in front of your left shin instead of stacking on top of it.
From here, begin a twist by rotating your chest toward your right foot. Stay upright or start walking with your hands forward as you lean forward. To intensify the twist, you can hook your right elbow against your right foot. I like to support myself on my hands or forearms. Sometimes I support my forehead with my hand. Take your time to get into shape.
Say to yourself: I deserve to be seen and heard. I deserve to be seen and heard.
Seated side bend
Slowly begin to relax and come up and out of the pose. Before repeating on the other side, extend your right leg out to the side, bring your left foot to the inside of your right thigh and lean to the right in a side bend and hang out slightly, feeling the stretch through the left body. If you prefer, you can rest your right elbow on the mat and rest your head on your hand. Breathe here.
Say to yourself: My self-confidence inspires others. My self-confidence inspires others.
Square pose with a twist
Slowly begin to come all the way back up, continuing to focus on your breathing, even during the transition. And then move into Square Pose on the other side, so stack your left ankle over your right knee and bend both feet. Remember, you can always adjust this by placing one shin in front of the other instead of stacking them on top of each other. Then take a little turn here. You can stay here or walk your hands forward and all the way down.
Say to yourself: I am worthy of love, success and happiness. I am worthy of love, success and happiness.
Seated side bend
Extend your left leg out to the side, bring your right foot in and move into a side body stretch on your opposite side as you lean forward toward your straight leg.
Say to yourself: I like to stand up for myself. I like to stand up for myself.
Side Seal Pose
Extend both legs straight and roll onto your right hip and leg. You’re really trying to stretch through the right side of your waist, from the hip all the way to the shoulder. You support yourself on your right hand or forearm. You can deepen the feeling here by straightening your elbow and bringing the hand closer to you. Or you can make it less intense by moving your palm or forearm further away. You can spread your legs instead of stacking them on top of each other if this helps with balance. You can use your left hand for support. Simply breathe into the space you create through the right side of your body.
Say to yourself: Strength and courage flow through me. Strength and courage flow through me.
Start bending at the knees, bend at the elbow, release this position and then assume it on the other side.
Say to yourself: I respect and take care of myself. I respect and take care of myself.
Supine spinal twist
Lie on your back, bend your knees and open your arms. I like to lift the hips and move them a few inches to the left before lowering both knees to the right. You can cross your left thigh over your right thigh if you want to intensify the twist.
Say to yourself: I deserve to chase my dreams. I deserve to chase my dreams.
Slowly bring yourself back to center, moving your hips slightly to the right and your knees to the left.
Say to yourself: I am empowered and I empower others. I am empowered and I empower others.
Constructive rest
Engage your abdomen to allow your knees to float back up. Let your knees fall in and rest against each other and simply pause here as a counter-pose as you tune.
Savasana
Enter Savasana by straightening your legs, pulling your shoulders away from your ears and resting your arms at your sides, palms facing the sky. Close your eyes and make yourself comfortable here.
Say to yourself: I love and accept myself exactly as I am. I love and accept myself exactly as I am.
Sit in silence
Start by breathing deeper, moving your fingers and toes, rotating your wrists and ankles, possibly stretching your arms upwards and rolling to the side before sitting down. Sit upright in a manner that is comfortable for your hips and lower back. Pause here and concentrate one last time on the solar plexus area and observe its effects your practice and make a commitment to yourself to focus on any affirmations that may require a little more work so that you can truly find a balance between humility and hubris and find healthy self-esteem.
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