The 3rd chakra is the solar plexus chakra and is located in the solar plexus area below the sternum. It opens front and back. It is related to the pancreas which produces insulin. It also plays a role in the conversion of food into energy for the body.
Color: yellow to golden yellow
Sensorial function: sight
Symbol: 10-petaled lotus
Fundamental principle: the realization of our personal power in relation to the external world and the ability to achieve self-respect
Physical organs: low back, abdominal cavity, digestive system, stomach, liver, spleen, gallbladder and vegetative nervous system
Endocrine gland: the pancreas which play a critical role in the digestion of food and also produce the hormone, insulin, important for carbohydrate metabolism and glycemic balance. The pancreas also secrete essential enzymes for lipid and protein metabolism.
Purpose and function: Located just below the rib cage, this chakra includes several secondary chakras involved in many functions of digestive organs. Representing the sun, our center of life force, it is connected to the Ayurvedic element of fire symbolizing light, warmth, energy, and spiritual purification. It provides the energy to creatively engage in the world and with other human beings. The energy of purification of our desires and the instincts of the lower chakras while using the creative energy of the upper/superior chakras to achieve a fuller life is indicative of this energetic center.
Harmonious functioning: When open and harmonious with the other chakras, we will enjoy inner harmony and peace with life and the part we play in it. We will accept ourself as we are. We are at ease with our own feelings, desires, and how we experience life with integrity. We will more readily respect others, their feelings, and unique qualities.
Disharmonious functioning: When this chakra is unsettled we tend to want to influence everything in our favor. We will want to control our world, to exert our power, and to satisfy our hunger for conquest. These pursuits are likely to cause a sense of dissatisfaction even if we experience a degree of material and corporeal success in our search for gratification.
Dysfunction: A blocked third chakra may provoke feelings of depression even if we simultaneously feel driven to achieve. We will see obstacles everywhere that seem to oppose the realization of our goals. It may be likely that our development was significantly repressed during childhood: to avoid displeasing our parents and educators we had to restrain expressing our own feelings. This coping mechanism reduced the fire energy of the solar chakra diminishing force and spontaneity from our actions.
