Love Your Belly - Tips for Solar Plexus Chakra Wellness

Located along the spine at the solar plexus, is the manipura chakra (aka belly or solar plexus chakra). It governs the pancreas, adrenal glands, liver and stomach. In Chinese the written character for this chakra means "between heaven and earth" which signifies the duality of this chakra.  It is the energetic power house of our bodies and while we want it strong, helping us to manifest our worldly desires, we must also keep our ego in check. Somehow, in order for all we desire to come to fruition we must balance drive and control with acceptance and letting go. When people are always attached to the outcome of their work, then their "power" and happiness depends on that outcome. We must ignite our energy, engage our presence and then let go of the outcome.

The comparing mind resides in the Solar Plexus Chakra tempting us to look outside for our power, to create a value judgement about whether we are "better" or "worse" than someone else. The irony is that when we turn inward we let go of our ego and its attachment to outcome, we can find our inner power - we follow our instincts. Following our gut is infinitely more precious and potent than any external source of validation.

The color of this chakra is yellow.
Supportive stones and herbs include: citrine, amber, tiger eye, yellow (or gold) calcite, lemon balm, chamomile, tumeric, fennel and goldenseal.
The solar plexus chakra resonares to the musical note E.

Glowing Alignment

Image  from NASA's Hubble telesope

All energy, all the forces of the universe, are movements which emanate from one source, the center of all consciousness. We can call it what we like - God, Creator, or Universal Consciousness. Everything that exists carries this point of divinity within itself.

Our chakra system is part of our natural design. All living beings are united by the fact that we have chakras and they work in the same way for us all. Having better understanding of the chakras will increase your ability to notice when things are out of balance and to know what to do to bring them back into alignment. Chakras are collecting pools of subtle energy and subtle energy is very sensitive to mental, physical, emotional and spiritual input.

On an average day our chakras are exposed to many factors that influence and effect them;  interactions with others, self-talk (positive and negative), news reports, electromagnetic frequencies, prayer, music, meditation and movement to name a few. All these outside forces impact (for good or bad) how the chakras move energy throughout our bodies. Fortunately, bringing them back into balance is fairly easy.

One quick method involves quiet breathing and visualization;

Either at the start or end of your day, lie as flat, comfortable and straight as possible

Take a slow deep breath, pause for a moment, then slowly release the breath
Continue normal, relaxed breathing while you do the following:

Picture a red glow surrounding the base of your spine - hold the image for 3 seconds
Picture an orange glow around your navel area - hold the image for 3 seconds
Picture a golden-yellow glow at your stomach area - hold the image for 3 seconds
Picture a green glow surrounding your chest area - hold the image for 3 seconds
Picture a turquoise-blue glow at your collarbone area - hold the image for 3 seconds
Picture a purple glow on your forehead, between your eyes - hold the image for 3 seconds
At the top of your head, picture a bright violet-white light flowing between you and the Universe (or Heaven) - hold this image for 30 seconds (you may also hold it longer)

When you are ready, take a long, slow deep breath, exhale and smile.

Sacral Chakra Wakeup

The sacral chakra is located just below the navel in humans. It is also known as the Dan Tien, and its color is pumpkin orange. The second chakra is the center of emotional, sensual and sexual consciousness and encompasses creative acts.governs our passion, creativity, sexuality, and play. This chakra also manages energy exchanges. Blockages of this chakra may make us feel disconnected from our creative urges. or cause unhealthy relationship patterns. 

According to Ayurvedic texts, fruits and vegetable juices for breakfast will balance the energy of the second chakra, In this tradition, this energy is called sadhaka pitta. Ayurvedic teachings go on to say that fruit in the morning is like gold because it is the optimum time to receive the nourishing physical and spiritual properties of fruit. 

The following recipe was created by Christie McClelland, the founder of Gayatri Healing.

1/2 mango
6 tangerines
5 strawberries

Juice together and welcome the day! This cleansing elixir is best taken 30 minutes before eating other breakfast foods.

Root Chakra Care

Whew!
Far too much time has passed since I last connected with this blog and shared myself.  Perhaps, though, just the right amount of time has passed.

As I gear up and allow my increased published writing desires to guide me, I have been drawn to boosting my creativity on multiple levels.  To do so clearly and with self-authenticity, I decided to begin thoughtful clearing and activating of my chakras. By utilizing a multi-modal approach, I am delighting in the results.  As with any self examination and healthy detox, the process is not always a smooth journey.  The experience has been rewarding and the results are worth any minor bump that may have been experienced.  My approach to this process has been the utilization of crystals, herbs, food, meditation, sound therapy, and Reiki.  The recipes I will share are ones that have worked for me along the way and may be something you can add to your own personal healthy living toolkit.

Root Chakra Fizz

2 cups spring, filtered or distilled water
3 slices ginger root 
1 teaspoon dried sassafras root
1 teaspoon dried orange peel
1/8 cup honey
1 cup seltzer water

Put the herbs and water into a stainless-steel saucepan. Bring to a boil. Turn off the heat ans let sit for 20 minutes. Strain the herbs out, add honey, stir and let cool. Once the tea has cooled you can add seltzer water and ice.  This recipe easily triples and the tea can be stored in the refrigerator for up to four days and add the seltzer water when you are ready to drink it. 

This blend is cleansing and grounding. Ginger root, in Ayurvedic tradition, is called "the Universal Medicine" due to its comprehensive healing properties. Sassafras is a root plant native to the United States known for its cleansing properties. Orange peel contains powerful citrus flavonoids, including hesperidin which has a beneficial effect on blood vessels and aids relief of health problems such as premenstrual syndrome, menopausal changes, varicose veins, high blood pressure and allergies.

A Tarot Spread for Lammas

This tarot spread works well with the spirit of Lammas, the celebration of the First Harvest.  The spread helps us to acknowledge and appreciate the abundance in our lives and gives us glimpses into what we can give, what we need to receive, and the particular skills needed to assure we reap the most from the seeds we have sown.

The layout:

Card positions:

1.  GLOWING What is the most nourishing talent/skill/offering to the world, that you carry right now?
2.  FIRST REAPING What are you harvesting?  What are the fruits of your labor?  This may include overcoming personal obstacles, completed projects, and abundance of all kinds.
3.  SCYTHE  What are the tools, at your disposal, that you use to gather your harvest?  Ideas of tools are your professional or personal skills, your spiritual practice, and your own determination and perseverance.
4.  RIPENING  What needs further time to mature?  What is already ripe?
5.  CHANGING  What is changing within you as the dark of the year waxes?
6.  GIVING  How and in what ways, will you share your abundance?
7.  RECEIVING  What are you most resistant to changing and accepting?  What do you need to receive more of in your life?
8.  DESCENDING  What do you need to focus on between now and the harvest at Mabon,  the Autumnal Equinox?

Of Insight and Feathers

   Today I had the honor of witnessing parent sparrows providing first flight lessons to their young.  I held my breath as the chick stretched its still somewhat fluffy wings and bravely let itself fall from the low maple branch, its parents singing and staying quite close.  Though a bit clumsy in air and having performed a bumpy landing in the tall lake grass, it seemed happy and the adult birds' song changed from songs of encouragement to notes of pride.  They both assisted the chick's ground level take off and the three were quickly back in the safe shelter of the giant leaf maple.  I've heard it said that, "magic is the art of bringing about wanted change".  This was an aspect of natural magic at one of its most potent life points.  

    My experience opened a flood of thoughts regarding my knowledge of birds, feathers, their accompanying metaphysical properties and my relationship with them.  Birds are messengers who grant us amazing gifts.  Insight, warnings, visions and memories that guide, support and protect us can be learned when we stop and listen to these feathered wisdom keepers.  

    After nesting season birds will begin molting their old feathers.  This is the opportune time to be on the lookout for and gather fallen feathers.  While the specific properties of a feather are a combination of the bird it came from and its color, and because the world of birds contains a vast number of species,  I will concentrate on the properties of a feather's color.

Brown - offers stability and respect - when barred with black (like a pheasant) the feather brings balance between your spiritual and physical lives

Yellow - brings cheerfulness, mental alertness and prosperity

Green - brings health, growth and prosperity

Blue - brings protection and increases mental ability, when from a bluebird it brings peace

Red - offers physical vitality, courage, good fortune and protection

Orange - brings energy, new ideas, thwarts loneliness and increases will power

White -  offers hope, protection, peace, and blessings from the moon

Gray - brings relief to doubt, supports neutrality, and promotes anonymity 

Black - represents spiritual initiation, mystical insight, balance and repels negative energy

    Water color artist, Dee McDonald, specializes in the painting of birds.  As she works, she opens herself to the subject bird and requests its knowledge.    In her self-published and illustrated book, "In the Garden of Delight", Dee, through the Great Blue Heron, invites us to, 

"Dialogue with the birds...infuse your Light into their Light".  

    So mote it be! 

Samples of Dee's artwork may be viewed on her website www.deemcdonald.org and via her artist page on facebook at Wings of Art.