3 Yoga Poses to Spark Confidence and Authenticity - Solar Plexus Chakra

What is the SOLAR PLEXUS CHAKRA TEMPLE?:

Manipura is the Sankirt name for the Solar Plexus Chakra Temple. This Energy Center essence is of personal growth, gut-intuition, and personal power. These qualities are for Vital-force energy, movement, internal fire, and self-mastery. The solar plexus is our fire center, where we put our ideas into action and it’s from this space that we digest life.

When your solar plexus chakra is healthy, your ego is strong and balanced at the same time. Overcoming difficulties in life and cultivating your personal power will increase your self-esteem and confidence. When balanced the ability to make effortless decisions, feel confined in making them, and own who we truly are without judgment. This creates Mastery of one’s own life. Resulting in acceptance of personal power and how to direct this inner power with trust of self, decisiveness, and determination. The Solar Plexus Chakra is located above the navel point and represents inner fire, will, inner power, purpose in life, and ability to execute our passion with a fiery will power and determination.

This also relates to how we digest life. Manipura is connected to the digestive system and diaphragm. It is where we get the guts to take action in our lives.Everything we take in brings us in balance or out of balance. A balanced Solar Plexus promotes a healthy digestive system and this affects our overall health ( 70% of the immune system lives in our gut). The gut is home to many neurons communicating with the rest of the body. Our guts tell us how we feel about what we’ve physically or metaphysically ingested.The vagus nerve, the longest nerve that traverses from the brain through the stomach play a vital role in our overall health. The Vagus Nerve  is responsible for regulating digestion, hormones, heart rate, and supports the immune system. Through the vagus nerve is your stomach-brain and communicates through your heart intelligence to your mental/mind-brain. Through this communication it sends signals through the rest of the body.When we follow our gut with confidence, self-motivation, and feeling a sense of purpose we connect to this vital force of energy within. Creating a clear sense of direction and purpose to archive our heart’s dreams and desires to live in our power and purpose. What you ingest physically profoundly affects your feelings and thoughts and the health of your mind and body.

Confidence and Authenticity:

Imagine the Sun fiery solar energy that promotes power to bring life, heal, grow, and support life. The element of fire is the igniting essence of this Energy Center with its heat, intensity, and ability to transform what does not serve our purpose. When our internal fire is low it can leave the mind and body feeling exhausted and burn out.  This intense energy of Manipura relates to the energy of the sun, and it is our very own personal powerful fiery source of inner power. This Chakra has its very own unique magnetic core, that consists of our personality and our ego structures. It guides us to personal growth by activating independent inner strength, will power, and self-mastery  to live in confidence of who we truly are. Through this activation we live in an authentic relationship with ourselves and life. When living in authenticity this center is a magnet that amplifies manifestations. This allows us to be strong, confident, and move towards personal goals with a fiery intuitive determination that burns down obstacles that do not serve the frequency of true self. When your solar plexus chakra is open and balanced, you will be able to manifest all of your dreams into reality while you stand in resilience and trust in yourself to face any challenges life throws at you with precision. 

Yoga’s Authentic Wisdom:

Yoga is a powerful way to go within and connect to our wisdom within, allowing us to trust our intuition. Strengthening poses that generate heat in the core is a way to support our inner fire and bring balance to this Chakra. Ignite and stoke your inner solar- fire and heat up all that lights up your inner power with these Yoga poses:

1. Paripurna Navasana - Boat Pose:

Cultivate strengthening power within your inner core, the energetic source of the solar plexus. Boat Pose is one of the best yoga poses for Manipura. This pose aids with digestion and improves blood circulation by stimulating and balancing the functions of the digestive system, gallbladder, liver, spleen and pancreas. It also helps in improving concentration, determination, and focus on our goals in life. This pose supports the nervous system by relieving stress to trust our gut by activating the Solar-Plexus Chakra Temple.

Guidance to Explore: Paripurna Navasana - Boat Pose

• Start sitting on your mat with your knees bent, feet flat on and grounded on the floor. 

• Place your hands next to your hips to bring length to the spine with a Inhale.

• Next lift your heart (chest), while engaging the back muscles as you inhale.

• Engage your inner thighs allowing them to activate.

• Draw your lower abdomen in to protect the spine.

• Stay here or take it future by remaining on your sit bones and lift your feet up to about knee height- heels parallel with toes spread and activated.

• Bring your arms parallel to the floor or to the prayer hand in heart-center.

• To take this even further, straighten your legs

• Breath for 3-9 breaths.

Affirmation: I own my power by honoring and recognizing the strength within me.

Essential Oil: Lemongrass

Stone or Crystal: Yellow Jasper

2.  Dhanurasana - Bow Pose:

Bow Pose is a powerful Asana to ignite inner fire while also opening our heart. The body resembles a bow. Through this shape the  Solar Plexus Chakra is activated and in this pose we may point our inner arrow towards our goals. Boat Pose has many benefits to our gut health by stimulating the digestive organs. This improves both small and large intestines function.. Also simulates the liver and kidneys. These activations of these organs activate your metabolism and immune system to help flush toxins out of the body. Opens the heart-center cultivating fearlessness, confidence and empowerment. All while stretching the entire front body, activating core muscles in the front and back of the body.

Guidance to Explore: Dhanurasana - Bow Pose

• Begin the pose lying flat on your abdomen. Allowing your arms to rest beside the body palms facing up.

• Bend your knees, flex your feet,  and guide your heels towards the sit bones.

• Reach back with your hands to grasp the outer ankles, externally rotating your shoulders and opening the chest. (if  this feels uncomfortable or any pain, listen and honor your body. Your able to get the same benefits with slit modifications by using  props like a Yoga strap)

• Inhale lifting your chest and thighs, equally engaging your legs and upper back. 

• Guide your legs to not open up outwards. Your knees should remain hip width apart! 

• Drishti focus (gaze), aim your focus ahead. Invite a smile or release the jaw releasing the facial muscles. Allow the shoulder to soften maintaining space in your neck and shoulders.

• With each inhale lift a little higher if it feels good and is available to you.

• Hold for 3-5 breaths and release.

• Place hands under third-eye (forehead) allow the legs to sea grass side to side before release to the mat

Affirmation: I embrace my journey and trust my inner compass to guide me.  

Essential Oil: Ginger

Stone or Crystal: Tigers-Eye

3. Surya Namaskar - Sun Salutation: Hatha 

The Sun Salutation is a flow series in Yoga . This series of foundational poses warm up all of the core muscle groups in the body to create heat for the body to prepare for further Yoga practice. The Sun Salutation also increases optimal blood flow to all areas of your body, especially our digestive fire. Surya Namaskar is an ancient practice used to pay respects to the Sun. As a Sun salute this series expresses our gratitude for the Sun’s powerful source of energy it gives life to flourish. This reflects in our Yoga Practice to ignite our inner Sun- Solar-Plexus to express gratitude to our solar sun within.


Guidance to Explore: Surya Namaskar - Sun Salutation: 

#1: Pranamasana – Prayer Pose: 

• Bring your feet together to touch, spread your toes wide to keep an equal amount of weight on all four corners of your feet.

• Inhale, lift both your arms up towards the sky.

• Exhale and join your palms together in front of the chest in a prayer position.

#2: Hasta Uttanasana – Raised Arms Pose:  

• Start standing in Tadasana feet hip width apart.

• Raise your hands up towards the sky to salute the sun. Bring your drishti (gaze) towards your hands, while breathing in deeply into the body.

• Bring your awareness to spreading through your collarbones as you move your shoulders away from your ears on a Exhale

• Guide your belly button to your spine, activate the core.

• Maintain activating your thigh muscles to lift your kneecaps, by pressing into all four corners of the feet onto the mat.

• Lift through the crown of your head while continuing raising your arms towards the sun (sky).

• Remain here or invite a SLIGHT backbend.

• Hold for 3 breaths, invite the body to align and low arms to the side body. Breathe.

#3: Hasta Padasana – Standing Forward Bend: 

• Standing in Tadasana, weight balanced equally on all four corners feet, and keep your arms relaxed at the sides of your glutes.

• Inhale arms up towards the sky, keeping your knees slightly bent.

• Exhale, guide your hands to prayer position again as you dive down through your midline. (OR place your hand on the hips.) Bending at your hips keeping the knees soft.

• Make sure as you dive to keep your chest lifted and you back straight.

• Bring your hands to the floor, shins, or ankles. Where it feels comfortable to you. (props are welcome as well, like a block to bring the ground closer to you).

• Let your chest relax on your thighs and breath releasing the head and neck. Allow gravity to guide you with your inhale and exhales.

#4: Ashwa Sanchalanasana – Equestrian Pose: 

• Begin starting from Ashwa Sanchalanasana, from this position, keeping the right foot where it is. Plant both hands unto the mat fingers spread wide, fingers pointed to the front of the mat.

• Exhale engage the abdominal muscles, belly button to spine.

• Inhale, take the left leg as far back as possible, plant the foot.

• Exhale lower your left knee down onto the mat, check your right knee is aligned over your right ankle.

• Inhale, Rise onto your fingertips, shining your heart-center forward. Lengthening your spine and opening up the chest.

• Hold pose and breathe.

#5: Phalakasana – Plank Pose: 

• From Equestrian Pose exhale, step the left foot back next to the right

• Inhale, bring your shoulders over your wrists, fingers spread, middle finger pointing forward. Press your hands into the floor, firm the upper arms in towards each other.

• Draw the lower belly up and in with your next Exhale.

• Guide your shoulder blades down along the spine, firm them into the back by pressing the space between the shoulder blades up towards the sky.

• Engage your thigh muscles and lengthen the tailbone towards your heels.

• Keep pushing the floor away evenly with your hands. 

• Guide your heels back, imagine you’re pressing the heels back against a wall.

• Draw the legs together without moving them. 

• Look at the floor slightly forward, relax the jaw and face. 

• Breath slow, even and mindful.

#6: Ashtanga Namaskara Asana – 8 point Salute: 

• Starting from Plank Pose, lower both knees down to the mat, keeping toes tucked.

• Exhale, dive guiding the heart-center down, keeping your tailbone lifted, while lowering your chest to the mat followed by your chin bringing your gaze forwarded.

•  Keep your shoulders in line with your hands and your elbows tucked close into your sides.

• Keep your back core engaged, begin to feel each of the eight body parts touch the earth, breath.

#7: Bhujangasana – Cobra Pose: 

• From 8 point salute, untuck the toes. Guide your stomach onto the mat.

• Lie on your stomach, toes pointing straight back.

• Check alignment hands underneath the shoulders, elbows still tucked close to the body. 

• Legs engaged, Exhale and pull the belly in and upwards toward the spine,

• As you inhale, lift your chest from the back of your heart-center. 

• Roll the collarbones up and  the chest forward. Roll the shoulder blades down along the spine

• Lift your head, bring your gaze forward. 

• Open your heart, with no weight in the hands yet.

•  Extend out through the toes.

• Breathe

#8: Adho Mukha Svanasana – Downward-Facing Dog: 

• From Cobra Pose a frog imagine creating a suction cup in the middle of your palm by pressing through the outer edges of the palm

• Create a spiral action in your arms by rolling your upper arms away from you and your forearms spiralling inwards.

•  Tuck your toes under Exhale,, engage your lower belly drawing the navel back to the spine. 

• Press through your hands and lift your hips back and up to bring yourself into an upside-down V pose.

#9: Ashwa Sanchalanasana – Equestrian Pose: 

• Begin starting from Downward Dog, from this position, keeping the left foot where it is, guide the right to step through both hands  

• Exhale engage the abdominal muscles, belly button to spine.

• Exhale lower your right knee down onto the mat, check your right knee is aligned over your left ankle.

• Inhale, Rise onto your fingertips, shining your heart-center forward. Lengthening your spine and opening up the chest.

• Hold pose and breathe.

• Exhale, lift the knee of the earth and step it next to the left. Coming back into Standing Forward Fold

#10: Hasta Padasana – Standing Forward Bend: 

• Standing in Tadasana, weight balanced equally on all four corners feet, and keep your arms relaxed at the sides of your glutes.

• Inhale arms up towards the sky, keeping your knees slightly bent.

• Exhale, guide your hands to prayer position again as you dive down through your midline. (OR place your hand on the hips.) Bending at your hips keeping the knees soft.

• Make sure as you dive to keep your chest lifted and you back straight.

• Bring your hands to the floor, shins, or ankles. Where it feels comfortable to you. (props are welcome as well, like a block to bring the ground closer to you).

• Let your chest relax on your thighs and breath releasing the head and neck. Allow gravity to guide you with your inhale and exhales.

#11: Hasta Uttanasana – Raised Arms Pose: 

• Start standing in Tadasana feet hip width apart.

• Raise your hands up towards the sky to salute the sun. Bring your drishti (gaze) towards your hands, while breathing in deeply into the body.

• Bring your awareness to spreading through your collarbones as you move your shoulders away from your ears on a Exhale

• Guide your belly button to your spine, activate the core.

• Maintain activating your thigh muscles to lift your kneecaps, by pressing into all four corners of the feet onto the mat.

• Lift through the crown of your head while continuing raising your arms towards the sun (sky).

• Remain here or invite a SLIGHT backbend.

• Hold for 3 breaths, invite the body to align and low arms to the side body. Breathe.

#12: Pranamasana – Prayer Pose:

• Bring your feet together to touch, spread your toes wide to keep an equal amount of weight on all four corners of your feet.

• Inhale, lift both your arms up towards the sky.

• Exhale and join your palms together in front of the chest in a prayer position.

#13: Repeat on Left side-body.

(Repeat Sun-Salutation as many times as your body is being called to do so, honor your intuition.)

Affirmation: I am ready and inspired for the future with optimism and determination.

Essential Oil: Juniper

Stone or Crystal: Sunstone

Yoga to Embody Confidence & Authenticity:

Yoga is an incredible practice to ignite your inner solar fire with feelings of confidence and authenticity. Come back to these Manipura, Solar-Plexus Chakra yoga poses to help bring balance within your inner power. Strong, heat-building yoga with core work and stimulating pranayamas are ways to activate the third chakra. These poses are a foundation for you when you're needing to trust your intuition and tap into your inner power to live and lead an authentic life with confidence.

May you have peace in the mind, strength in the body, and love within your heart…Namaste