Solar Plexus Chakra

The solar plexus chakra is our third chakra. The energy of this chakra is to radiate your power in the world. Characterized by the expression of will, personal power, and mental abilities, the energy of the third chakra is mobilized when we assert ourselves in the world. This is the energy center where we make decisions, take action, have a strong sense of self, and exude confidence. The fire in our spirit is evident in this chakra.

LOCATION: above the navel center

REPRESENTS: our will power, motivation, get up and go, our action, vitality, and our sense of personal power

ASSOCIATED ANATOMY: Pancreas, liver, spleen, stomach, lower back muscles

BODILY FUNCTIONS: Metabolism, Digestion

PHYSICAL ELEMENT: Fire

COLOR: Yellow

AFFIRMATION: I do

Understanding the subtle changes in our physical body and emotions can lead us to understand more about who we are. By paying close attention we can find out throughout self discovery what we need to feel more balanced and harmonious.

Balanced: This center is open and balanced when you feel self-confident, have a strong sense of purpose, are self-motivated your third chakra is open and healthy. The third chakra is all about the perception of who you are and your relationship with yourself. This fiery chakra is the center of your self-esteem, your willpower, self-discipline, as well as warmth in your personality when balanced and open.

Excessive: When this chakra is overactive there is excessive anger issues, stubbornness, desire for control, perfectionism, and being overly critical. A person with an overactive third chakra can also display arrogance, selfishness and the desire to manipulate others.

Deficient:A deficient third-chakra imbalance may express itself through shyness, difficulty setting boundaries, and a reluctance to share our gifts and talents with others. Additionally, someone with a weaker third chakra may have trouble making decisions, following through with actions, and may be seen as weak and unable to show up in life with confidence.

ESSENTIAL OILS FOR THE SOLAR PLEXUS CHAKRA

Apply the essential oils to the bottoms of the feet and/or roll along the belly.

Aromatically: apply the oils to your palms and cup your nose and take deep, long breaths.

Cinnamon: Assists individuals in dealing with jealousy or the need to control. This essential oil encourages one to let go of control and be free. It also dispels fear of rejection and brings out confidence. Cinnamon is a great choice for helping those develop body acceptance, feeling accepted and have healthy intimacy.

Coriander: Helps individuals move from doing things for the acceptance of others to honoring and living from the True Self. Coriander teaches that there is something unique within each individual and to live with the connection of what one’s spirit urges and directs. This oil is a great choice to bring out integrity, inner guidance and the True Self.

Ginger: A dynamic oil for empowerment. This oil is a great choice for anyone looking to be fully present in life and to be committed to one’s path. Ginger empowers individuals to take responsibility for their life circumstances and to embody a warrior type spirit. This strong and spicy oil is perfect for those seeking to be empowered, committed, capable, purposeful and accountable.

Clove: Assists individuals in letting go of patterns that being a push-over and encourages courage to stand up for one’s self. This oil reignites the inner fire and encourages one to be independent, proactive and to live with one’s integrity. This hot oil is a perfect choice for those who perceive themselves as powerless of life’s circumstances and to find within themselves the capability that exists within.

Peppermint: This oil brings buoyancy to the heart and the soul. This invigorating oil reminds individuals that life can be happy and to not be controlled by fear. Peppermint is a great choice when faced with emotional pain as it gives one a chance to take a breath and can the optimism that exists within. Peppermint is the perfect oil for optimism.

GEMSTONE FOR THE SOLAR PLEXUS CHAKRA

Citrine: The Citrine crystal stone meaning harnesses the energy of the sun to bring sunshine and light to all areas of your life. It is not called light maker for nothing, as it projects light into our lives, it chases away the negativity from our lives and dispels anger. Ever ready to bring good vibes and grace to the table, this sunny stone has an instant effect on the health and wealth of your body, mind, and soul. Citrine works wonders when it comes to warming the physical body and bringing uplifting moods. Because of its association with the solar plexus chakra, the Citrine crystal meaning is effective in increasing your personal power and self-confidence. Citrine’s bright and happy energy fills your spirit with positivity and the highest vibrations, clearing any blockages or imbalances in your solar plexus chakra with its sunny energy. This makes a Citrine crystal ideal for happiness, confidence, manifestation, and wealth.

YOGA FOR THE SOLAR PLEXUS CHAKRA

When we feel stuck, we often isolate ourselves or seek to escape. Unfortunately this creates a cycle of feeling alone and disconnected. A balanced solar plexus chakra can bring with it sense of positivity and connection to own’s personal power. Balance your solar plexus chakra with the following yoga postures.

Warrior I: Warrior I is awesome for teaching body awareness and increasing the body-mind connection. The internal rotation of the back foot, combined with the squaring of the hips and full plant of the back foot, requires that one have a great perception of where their body is in space. Warrior I is great for opening the heart and developing courage. This pose has you standing really strong: one leg back, one leg forward, hips facing forward, and your chest lifted. This powerful stance can help you gain inner strength and courage, letting you open up to yourself and others.

Warrior II: Warrior II can be a practice in finding ease within effort. This pose offers a unique opportunity to practice finding where you can allow excess tensions to dissolve, as you continue to hold what needs to be held for stability and integrity within the pose. This work on the physical level can translate to work on the mental level as well—where are you holding unnecessary tensions in your life? Where you can you learn to relax, while you hold strength in other areas? Warrior II is all about finding peace in the moment, and peace within yourself.

Boat:Boat Pose is a challenging balance pose that engages the core. Beyond creating physical strength, it has the the potential to create great mental strength within us as well. It does this by showing us our ability to conquer difficult situations, firing up the belly and tapping into our inner reserves.

Supine/Seated Twists:Twists are wonderful postures if you deal with stress or anxiety. These postures will help to open the chest, shoulders and back, all of which can help to decrease feelings of anxiousness. You will be releasing stored tension in the body as you twist, which can have a positive effect on your mental state. Through twisting we lengthen the spine and get space between the bones. Then our energy can flow better. Twists give us an instant energy lift.

Plank: This pose is excellent for firing up the core and stoking the inner fire. Plank Pose will help to increase focus, stamina, and both physical and mental endurance. This pose helps enables you to continue challenging yourself.It ignites your passion and allows you to challenge your limits. This pose also calms your mind and eases the symptoms of depression. Along with that, it can also improve your mood and make you feel happy about yourself and your surroundings.

Curious to learn more about chakras, essential oils, and crystals? Just reach out to me or follow me here.

To Bloom

Have you ever spent time looking at a flower that is about to bloom?  The rose that is still tight in a bud?  The daisy that is closed and not yet in full happiness mode? Whichever flower you have gazed at has spent months growing into what was about to happen.  Day after day this amazing form of life kept the course of growth, never wavering despite the external elements.

Here we are halfway through the year and if you are like me, you might be thinking about that intention you set back in January.  You know, when the year felt fresh and new?  And yet, it was during the heart of winter you were thinking about growing your goals and dreams.

Here we are in the start of the growing season and it is a great time to look at your intention again and see if some of those seeds you planted in the dormant season have started to take shape into small shoots of growth.  Seeing the beginnings of growth is a great motivator to keep going because in time, the bloom will come.

For me, I am reviewing all of my goals; business goals and personal goals.  I am looking at the areas in my life that I have succeeded, and areas that I have developed some gaps, and how I can fill them in.

As I plan to teach the concept of blooming this month  I am going to return to nature time and time again to be both marveled and motivated.

62114351_1254597814704851_5462716917498249216_n.jpg

 

 

 

Natural Ways to Manage Addiction

It may be that I am leaning towards the age of 50 and the things that used to matter so much to me now have much less weight in my day-to-day.  For example, I am finding that I am far more confident than I was even just 5 years ago.  One example of this lack of confidence showed up in my insecurities about my ability to effectively share yoga, when in truth I am a fine teacher.  It showed up during the times when I worried way too much about my appearance, or my speed running up a mountain or the amount of work I could pile onto my plate.  This all seems to be fading with every passing year.  I was driving home today thinking that I really don’t feed an internal need to be “liked” anymore, and with that falling away a sense of authenticity has begun to emerge the last few years.  My voice has gotten stronger and my attitude about life has gotten much richer.

And then life showed up in a real big way.

Three years ago this month, I severely tore tissue in my hip called the labrum. It is likely that it was already slightly torn, but during a snow storm while shoveling my driveway, I tore it to then point of needing to go to the emergency room.  I was prescribed pain medications, although since I had just had foot reconstruction a couple prior, I had some leftover and opted to not get the prescription filled. When the surgery to repair my hip came in April, I had been taking pain meds off and on since the January snow storm.  The surgery had a rough 4-6 week recovery time and the pain control was tough.  By the time August came, I knew that my hip was still not quite right despite my greatest efforts to heal.  Another MRI and unfortunately another tear.  A bigger tear.  Another round of pain meds while we waited for surgery.  Surgery was the end of December and that meant another 4-6 weeks on crutches and another round of pain meds.  When March came, I again knew that my hip did not do well with the 2nd surgery. The month of May brought a consult with a specialized surgeon in Denver who does nothing but reconstruction on tissue of the hip.  Surgery was scheduled, but not until the month of September, which meant 4 months of pain meds.  The surgery in September was a HUGE and long surgery that encompassed two very detailed procedures.  I had a couple of nights in the hospital and an even longer recovery than the first two ahead of me.  And more meds. My body had taken a toll.

It has now been 4 months and my hip is finally starting to stop hurting every minute.  Sure, some days are hard and when I do teach a lot, I feel hip pain, but it is tolerable. What is not tolerable is the effects of long term—low dose—narcotics.

When we hear on the evening news the term “opioid crisis” some of us may see in our minds a picture of the strung out druggie doing anything they can to get high.  We might even see someone in chronic pain who has given up and chooses to self medicate with more than the needed amount of pain meds. Who you might think of last, is a person like me.  A healthy, vibrant, positive and upbeat Yoga teacher.  Someone who has been prescribed rounds and rounds of narcotics because life has handed her some hard physical challenges in the last 4 years.  I have never taken more than I was prescribed, in fact I take half of what they tell me to.  Why?  Because I know the power that they have.

So in my authentic truth, I am dependent on opioids and I am fighting with all I have to get off them.  I am working with doctors and I have a strong plan of tapering them out of my system.  Even going slow, and barely taking any, the effects of withdrawal are living HELL—runny nose, shaking, lack of breath, stomach issues, racing thoughts, adrenalin, anxiety and panic, and PAIN.  Pain that makes my hip pain a walk in the park.  You see, our brains have the capacity to change—both positively and negatively—its called neuroplasticity.  My brain and its chemical structure has become dependent on the external chemical and without it, my brain sends different pain signals to other areas of the body, until I take the drug.  Once I take it, my symptoms go away….temporarily until the brain wants it again. And again.

Besides lowering my dose, I have some strategies in the uncomfortable moments of withdrawals.  I take epsom salt baths, I walk, I meditate, I cry and I use essential oils.  I have come up with an amazing blend that helps reduce the symptoms of withdrawals.  I apply the blend to my spine, the base of my skull, my wrists and under my nose.  Within minutes, the symptoms are tolerable. Sometimes I have to apply every twenty minutes, and sometimes the effects last longer.

This is not a post about essential oils.  It is about reality.  It is about authenticity and being real.  It is MY face of the opioid crisis. It is about my truth. It is about being confident enough in myself to be transparent.

IMG_2963.jpeg

In a 10ml roller combine the picture of oils, 8 drops each (yes it is a TON of EO), top with FCO. It may be trial and error like it was for me.  I researched and looked in my resources to find what is best for me.  I also take zendocrine detox daily and put lemon in my water.  If you want more info, or you are also struggling, I would love to connect—doing this alone should never be an option.