What Is the Manipura Chakra?
The Manipura Chakra, also known as the solar plexus chakra, is the center of personal power, confidence, and transformation. Located just above the navel, it governs self-worth, decision-making, and the ability to take action.
When balanced, this chakra helps you feel strong, determined, and capable of navigating life with clarity.
Why Is It Important to Balance the Manipura Chakra?
Many people experience blockages in the Manipura Chakra, leading to self-doubt, emotional instability, and physical discomfort. Understanding how to balance the Manipura Chakra allows energy to flow freely, restoring willpower and vitality.
What Causes an Imbalance in the Manipura Chakra?
At this moment, the number one problem among all people I see every day is anxiety. There is not one person who does not experience worry, overthinking, or anxiety in some form.
Fear is the main cause leading to worry and overthinking, which eventually develops into anxiety. One who is grounded well does not lean often toward worry. If you want to prevent problems in the solar plexus chakra, start by working on the excessive fear you experience.
For this, I recommend practicing the grounding meditation found in my first blog ever made—How to Open the Root Chakra Fast with Guided Grounding Meditation
Signs of an Imbalance in the Manipura Chakra
When the solar plexus chakra is blocked or out of balance, it can show up in both emotional and physical ways.
Emotional Signs of an Imbalance
Addiction
Anxiety or depression
Lower self-esteem
Anger
Physical Signs of an Imbalance
Digestive issues
Lower back pain
Difficulty breathing deeply
Abdominal tension
Bloating
Abdominal pain
Constipation
How to Balance the Manipura Chakra
Healing the solar plexus chakra requires bringing awareness to stored emotions and energy blockages that impact your confidence and inner strength.
Address Unresolved Emotions
Unprocessed emotions often settle in the abdominal area. Acknowledging and releasing them allows energy to move freely, reducing emotional heaviness and physical tension.
Strengthen Your Core Energy
Engaging in breathwork, movement, or practices that activate the solar plexus can help restore balance and improve mental clarity, digestion, and vitality.
The Link Between Breath & Energy Movement
When breath moves freely through the abdomen, energy in the solar plexus chakra flows naturally, clearing blockages related to self-worth and confidence. Breath is not just oxygen—it carries life force energy that can either move freely or become stuck due to emotional and energetic imbalances.
By learning to breathe deeply into the abdomen, you restore the natural energy flow in the Manipura Chakra, helping you feel more centered, clear, and grounded.
My Personal Experience with Breathwork
For a long time, my breathing was horrible. As a child, I always breathed in my chest, never in my abdomen, until my mother corrected me. She taught me how to breathe into the abdomen properly, and it changed everything.
Before learning this, I often experienced shortness of breath and hyperventilation. Shifting from chest breathing to abdominal breathing wasn’t immediate—it took time and practice. At first, it made me dizzy, but that was just my body adjusting to the correct way of breathing.
Even today, people sometimes tell me I don’t breathe well. They assume my breath is shallow, but when I lift my shirt and watch my own breath, I see the truth—I breathe slowly, yet deeply. During meditation, I sometimes even stop breathing for moments because my concentration is so deep, reducing the need for frequent inhales and exhales.
Breath can also direct energy in the body. I sometimes play with it, visualizing how I breathe in through my navel and out or guiding the breath even lower toward the Svadhisthana (sacral) chakra. Breath is not just life—it is energy.
Abdominal Breathing Exercise for the Solar Plexus
Breathing deeply into the abdomen helps release tension and allows the lungs to expand in the right direction. Many people breathe only into the chest, which prevents the full expansion of the lungs. When we breathe correctly, the lungs expand in height, using their full capacity.
Step-by-Step Breathing Exercise
1. Find a Comfortable Position
Sit in a chair with a straight spine, or if you prefer, lie down on your back to make it easier.
2. Place Your Hand on Your Belly Button
Take a deep inhale through the nose, directing the breath toward your hand.
Feel your hand move outward as the belly expands.
As you exhale, the abdomen goes inward and your hand moves back.
3. Understand What’s Happening
You are not breathing into your abdomen, but you are activating the diaphragm.
When the diaphragm moves downward, the lungs expand in height, and the belly naturally rises.
You might feel dizzy or start yawning—this happens because your lungs and brain are getting more oxygen than usual.
4. Check Your Breath Flow
Once this breathing feels natural, remove your hand.
Observe: Is your breath still expanding the abdomen? Or has it moved back to the chest?
If it’s stuck in the chest, place your hand back and repeat the practice.
5. Add a Visualization
Imagine a glass bowl in front of your navel.
Every inhale, breathe through the navel into the bowl.
Every exhale, let the air move from the bowl, through your navel, into the lungs, and out through the mouth.
Do you see a color in the bowl as you inhale?
The color you see is connected to the chakra that is affecting you.
When you are visualizing the bowl, you can remove your hand.
What Can Someone Expect After Practicing Abdominal Breathing?
Over time, you may notice:
More energy
Clearer thinking
A deeper sense of self-trust as the breath fully activates your Manipura Chakra
Less tension in the abdomen and lower back
Final Thoughts
The Manipura Chakra influences how you perceive yourself and interact with the world. When balanced, it brings stability, clarity, and confidence. If you feel blocked, start by exploring what you hold onto emotionally, adjust your breath, and allow yourself to clear the energy that no longer serves you.
Have you ever noticed how your breath changes when you feel confident or uncertain? Try this breathing exercise and share your experience in the comments.
Would you like to go deeper in your healing journey? Metta Healing offers a space to release stored emotions and restore energetic flow in your solar plexus chakra. Learn how to balance the Manipura Chakra and regain your inner strength
Thank you for reading. If you have any questions about this topic, feel free to reach out—I’m here for you.
With Metta,
David Stojanović
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