“Being a candle is not easy. In order to give light one must first burn.” — Rumi

Weekly Focus: Manipura Chakra / Solar Plexus Chakra

Manipura Chakra is the third chakra and translates as “the city of jewels.” A chakra is an energetic source, visualized as a wheel in the body, that holds certain defining qualities related to our quality of life, and the way we present ourselves to the world.

Summer is a bold, lush + brilliant season. Let this season of brilliance inspire yourself to seek your confidence and shine bright like the sun! Let your inner light shine brightly as a beacon for those around you.

Manipura Chakra is the powerhouse of the body and the place of our agni or inner fire. The solar plexus chakra governs the fire element inside of you. It is your strength, your vitality, your ego, your willpower, your stamina, your inner power.

“The Manipura chakra is also all about being able to deal with things, it’s how you ‘digest’ your life. Can you stand up for yourself? Are you strong and courageous, worthy of love and respect? Do you feel strong in your body and in the world? Fire is action and transformation. Allowing yourself to grow and become a better version of yourself means taking action and leaving behind what no longer works for you.”

Here are [3] ways to activate Manipura Chakra:

1. Add physical exercise into your daily routine — perhaps a light jog, a rigorous hike or a workout with friends
2. Try practicing soma yoga postures that stretch and expand the belly such as bow pose, camel pose or dancer.
3. Activate your core! Gentle core activation such as a low boat hold can help you feel the fire in your belly and build up your powerhouse!

When we stand up for ourselves and show up as our most authentic selves it can serve as an inspiration and signal for those around us to do the same. Fire is catching — who knows who you might inspire!

Passive Pose of the Week:  Reclined Crescent

An opportunity to balance the agni of this focus and to open up and stretch the space of manipura.

• Lie down on your back,
• Stretch your arms overhead to the floor behind you and stretch your toes forward for a big goodmorning stretch.
• Clasp your thumb and pointer finger of the left hand around your right wrist, and walk your arms overhead and to the right.
• Walk your feet to the right edge of your mat as well and cross your left foot over the right ankle.
• Take about five breaths here before switching the clasp of your hand and walking over to the left.

As you come into this side stretch, you may feel the left side of your body start to rise onto the floor with an urge to roll onto your right side. Try to keep your back pressing into the floor, even if that means you don’t take as big of a lateral bend. Rather than trying to make a really big arc in the body, focus on breathing deep into your ribs, to help stretch the lateral side.

Active Pose of the Week: Navasana (boat pose)

pronunciation CLICK HERE

Start to feel your inner fire glow and build in this core-focused posture.

• Have a seat on the floor. Plant your feet in front of you with the knees bent up to the ceiling.
• Place your hands behind the back of your thighs and start to lean back in the upper body.
• As you lean back, think about engaging the core, activating the shoulders, and feeling a subtle lift of your heart space.
• Start to lift one foot off of the floor, and then the second.
• Hands can stay behind the back of the thighs, or you can start to release one hand at at a time alongside the thighs, turning the palms up towards the ceiling.
• Count slowly down from seven or five and hold the pose, remembering to breathe.

This pose works well anywhere that you begin to feel your core activate and burn. For some of us, that may mean keeping the toes lightly touching the ground, or continuing to hold the thighs lightly with the hands. Do what you need to keep the low back from rounding.

If you need more fire, reach your arms overhead alongside the ears and then maybe even straighten your legs. Play around with different combinations! Mixing up our variations can help to build more strength overtime.

Join us in class this week to activate your manipura chakra! See the fulll schedule HERE.