The Solar plexus chakra represents our independence, figuring out who we are. We take this independence and enter into our willpower. The will to live and reach our aspirations in life. The main organ system of this chakra is the digestive system. The digestive system is wise; it takes whatever we put into it and knows when to take and when to throw away. There’s fire in belly to digest life’s experiences, the fuel to drive us forward.
Have you ever felt trapped in your own head? I know I have. It feels as if there’s this noise in my brain and an endless supply of thoughts keep showing up and want to be heard. It feels like static in your brain. Sometimes it is so exhausting to deal with and you just want to take a vacation from your own mind!
One way to help this brain static is by practicing positive affirmations. Sometimes our thoughts do not know what to do and they need a little help. Repeating affirmations can set your thoughts on a different path and can help you out during these times.
I have included a list of 50 affirmations in this post that you can use anytime you want to move your thoughts into a positive direction. Also, check out the video below, and enjoy!
We are reaching the end of the year and this Scorpio season is when I tend to become more reflective on life. I think we all can get so caught up in the day-to-day experiences and it can be valuable to find a few moments to breathe, sit and be still.
I’m not sure about you, but I’ve been so caught up in the “doing” of life lately. Thinking about money and finishing school and completing all of the goals I have set for myself. It can be discouraging at times to think that I am not where I want to be yet. I know we can all feel stressed and discouraged at times. For me, I have to remember that none of it really matters. Everything is just fine the way it is and it’s no use getting upset over things that haven’t happened yet or wanting instant gratification.
I titled this meditation “The Path to Yourself through Silence” because I truly think that in order to see what is behind the curtain of our own minds, we need to pause and be quiet. Outside of anyone else’s opinions and outside of what we do during the day, what is underneath all of that? What is behind all of the “doing” we find ourselves so involved in. These quiet moments of contemplation are so crucial for me in my day to stay mindful and present in my life.
I would invite you to take a few moments of silence for yourself and just check in. No judgement to what thoughts is coming up for you. Observe yourself in this quiet place and thank yourself for this quiet moment of contemplation.
The Sacral Chakra is well-known for relationships– the relationships we have now and the patterns we carry with relationships. When you are trying to heal the Sacral Chakra it is best to focus on self-love. Self-love is what nourishes healthy relationships, and it is the most important aspect when you are entering a new relationship or trying to repair an existing relationship.
Loving yourself means putting yourself before others. It’s about listening to yourself and your body about what you truly want in life. If you find yourself acting on what other people think is best for you, you probably aren’t practicing self-love. Loving yourself is a choice. It is a choice we need to make again and again. It can be difficult at first, but if you keep going, I promise you that you won’t regret trying to love yourself a little more every day.
This is why Sacral Chakra affirmations are self-love centered. Focusing on this also allows your emotions to flow more freely, which can be liberating or frightening depending on what emotions are hiding from you.
This isn’t easy work.
As you keep building up your inner sense of love and compassion for yourself, you will be able to experience the good and pleasurable times in your life more fully. Opening up your emotions is vulnerable and beautiful.
If you are ready to consider the possibility of having your Sacral Chakra open, I would encourage you to start using positive affirmations. Affirmations help to open your mind to new possibilities. Using affirmations daily will start to help you build your self-love in the right timing for you.
Swadistana translates to “one’s own dwelling place” in Sanskrit. This energy center is the storehouse of our samskaras. These are the past mental impressions and patterns we carry with us through living life. These can also show up in the form of archetypes–the stories we habitually tell ourselves, as well as the patterns of our shadow-self. The quality of this energy center is Feminine. It represents the need to be gentle, receptive, and non-forceful. Sensitivity and surrender are key. Water flows, moves, and changes, so does a healthy Sacral Chakra.
I’m sure you have been there before; your thoughts keep coming into your head and it’s exhausting you. You want them to stop but you don’t know how. Maybe you are trying to sleep and experiences and conversations you have had throughout your day are keeping you awake.
You might feel powerless against your own thoughts. Is there any way to make them go away?
The good news is, yes! There is a way to calm down these thoughts. This is through movement. Movement of your body will help to disrupt the pattern of your never-ending intrusive thoughts.
This works because moving gives your mind something else to focus on. To change the state of your mind you need to change something about your environment. Move around a little. Go for a walk outside. Do something different than you have been in order to radically change your own mind.
Yes, it is possible for you. Next time your own thoughts are overwhelming you, move your body and see what happens.
Sometimes, we just need to let a situation, emotion, or person go. It can be difficult to let go of past experiences. Meditation can make this process easier. Holding space for that situation in your heart, thanking it and then letting it go can bring clarity and comfort surrounding this situation. You may need to meditate on it multiple times, and that’s ok.
No matter your current situation, time is the ultimate healer. Introducing yourself to new experiences can help time clear up the past as you walk into your bright future.
Strengthening your connection to the root chakra is one way to become more present and grounded in your life. It’s about connecting with nature, with your body and plant life.
Have you ever felt disconnected from what is happening around you?
Root Affirmation Video
Becoming Grounded
When you feel ungrounded it feels as if you cannot connect to the world around you. It’s like a “head in the clouds” feeling, and you can’t find your way back down. Feeling ungrounded is also related to anxiety or poor judgment of what needs to happen in your physical world.
Being grounded, or having your root chakra open, invites a feeling of presence, clarity, peace, and an overall sense of wellbeing. Sometimes, you can even feel a load being lightened because you will be able to practically do what you need to.
One of my favorite ways to instill this beautiful open-root feeling is to practice affirmations. I have included some affirmations below, as well as a video to follow.
There are many definitions of yoga that I have been introduced to over the years. Some say it is a state of connection within the mind, a form of meditation. Others say it is the connection between the mind and body, where the two become one. Another definition of yoga from an old mentor of mine said that yoga can be anything- any activity as long as we are present. The definition of the Sanskrit word yoga means “to yoke” or “union.” This union of yoga connects us to all aspects of our lives. Mentally, Spiritually, Emotionally, Physically– in all ways you can imagine.
“Yoga is a way to attain what was previously unattainable.”
TKV desikachar
There is something in this life each of us has been unable to do. Maybe that is patience, strength, balance, or clarity. Perhaps it is something more tangible that you have not been able to do, like get a certain job, or write a book. We all know what that “thing” is that we are wanting to experience. And maybe some of us don’t know what will bring us balance or happiness yet.
Practicing yoga is one pathway for us to reach our dreams.
“When we find the means for bringing desire into action, that step is yoga”.
TKV Desikachar
Yoga unites us with what we are searching for. Whatever we seem to be searching for or missing in life, yoga can fill up that space when we choose to practice.
Yoga brings us balance between effort and ease, bitter and sweet, active and passive, inward and outward. If you are feeling depressed, yoga can help you lighten it. If you are lonely, yoga can tap you into something bigger than yourself. If you need to find acceptance or to let something go, yoga can provide the other polarity in order for you to feel balanced.
I have found the meaning of yoga in my life to mean “to feel” and “to experience.” It means to learn and grow from the experiences we have in life. It means to find the opposite of what we are and use that to expand our life.
“The mind, once stretched by a new idea, never returns to its original dimensions.”
Ralph waldo emerson
The asana practice, then, represents your life. You start in your center and create an intention. You experience the movements of your body. You experience things you have never felt before. You discover and hold on. You let go, become stronger. You stretch to new limits and experience life for what it is now. You feel the emotions that are within you now. You learn from those who came before you. You learn from yourself.
As the practice winds down, you reflect on how the movements make you feel. Ending in savasana, corpse pose, your final resting place. This is the place where you can just be and observe the changes that have come into your life. You reflect on a life and a practice that was lived to the fullest, and you can enjoy this time to just be without the need to do anything. And, finally, you curl up onto your side, a fetal position, to represent making life anew. Then you rise again, ready to feel and experience more, in a new way. A new life.
This practice mirrors our lives. It gives us what we are lacking. Each new experience changes our life, and it will never be the same again. No matter how you go about to seek for change to instill balance in your life, is yoga. This is the path of yoga, for which I am grateful.
Meaning the “Foundation of Support” in Sanskrit, the Root chakra is our connection to the physical plane, survival, and connection to all things that give us life. It’s where we store the feelings of basic necessity, the right to live. It is the lowest center in human incarnations, located at the base of the spine.
The Yoga Journey Project 