Solar Plexus Chakra Yoga Poses to Align and Balance Manipura

The best solar plexus chakra yoga poses are those that strengthen your core and help you to feel more powerful and confident.

Situated behind the navel, your third chakra is associated with the element of fire. It is the "fire in your belly", your personal power and your core self.

The solar plexus chakra is the key to a healthy self-esteem and personal empowerment. The 13th Century mystic and poet Rumi has said: "You cannot know fire from words alone. Enter the fire if you want to know the truth."

And so, you must experience your solar plexus chakra and your personal power to feel empowered and confident in the world.

One way to do this is through yoga. I find that the most powerful solar plexus chakra yoga poses are the Warrior I and Warrior II poses.

Warrior Pose - Virabhadrasana 1

This is a strong asana that establishes a firm connection with the earth and opens up the solar plexus area.

This yoga asana physically strengthens your legs, can help with knee strength, lower back strength, and opens your hips.

This pose will help you to get in touch with your inner warrior and your inner strenght.

  1. Stand in Tadasana (Mountain Pose). Take a deep breath and on an exhale step your left foot back about 3.5 feet.
  2. Turn your left foot to about 45 degree angle. Make sure your left foot is firmly planted and touching the ground.
  3. On an exhale, bend your right knee over the right ankle, so that your shin is perpendicular to the floor. If you can, bring your right thigh parallel with the floor.
  4. Raise your arms above your head and touch the palms together (as in prayer position).
  5. Breathe deeply and hold the position for one minute.
  6. Bend your knees and step your feet back together. Repeat on the other side.

Warrior Pose II - Virabhadrasana II

Warrior II is a slight modification of Warrior I. In this pose, you can remember your true divine nature, you can re-awaken the sense of the divine that we often forget during our everyday lives.

The warrior is a spiritual warrior, one that revives her awareness through discipline and sharp focus. This pose offers us an opportunity to evoke the warrior qualities in us - courage, discipline, focus and concentration.

  1. Stand in Tadasana (Mountain Pose), basic root chakra pose.
  2. Take a deep breath and on an exhale step your left foot back about 3.5 feet. Turn your out and open your right leg 90 degree to the front of the mat.
  3. Raise your arms to the side.
  4. Keep your left foot straight, bend your left leg, so that your right knee is over your ankle.
  5. Turn your gaze toward the fingertips of your right arm.
  6. Your left arm should disappear behind the right arm if you are watching yourself in the mirror. Your arms form a straight line.
  7. Breathe deeply and feel the power in your legs, in your hips and in your abdomen.
  8. If you are facing a mirror, look into your eyes. Keep the gaze. Feel your own power.
  9. On every inhale, elongate your spine, and on every exhale sink down deeper into the pose.
  10. Repeat on other side.

Bow Pose - Dhanurasana

Having gained courage from the Warrior poses, you can now go into the bow pose and further stimulate and balance your solar plexus chakra.

  1. Lie flat on your stomach with your chin on the floor and your arms by your side.
  2. Bend your right leg and take a hold of your ankle with your right hand.
  3. Bend your left leg and take a hold of your ankle with your left hand.
  4. Gently stretch your legs towards your buttocks.
  5. As you inhale, raise your upper body and your thighs.
  6. Keep your gaze straight ahead and keep lifting your upper body and your thighs.
  7. Breathe. You should not hold your breath. Your breath needs to flow.
  8. Release the position.

continue to advanced Solar Plexus chakra yoga poses

More solar plexus chakra yoga poses

If you want to learn more yoga poses to balance the solar plexus chakra or for an in-depth study of chakra yoga poses, I recommend the following book by Anodea Judith:

This is an excellent book for the experienced yogi as well as the beginner. Anodea Judith teaches hatha yoga poses for balancing and aligning the seven sacred centers - the seven chakras.

There are specific poses for each of the seven chakras to accomplish a series of tasks: enter, align, activate, soften, attune, illuminate, awaken.

The teachings and guidance in this book will help you to access your subtle body with the practice of yoga.

Simona Sebastian

Simona Sebastian is the founder of Chakra-Anatomy.com. Simona's curiosity led her from science and computer programming studies, to exploration of subtle energy, healing, and consciousness.


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