Solar Plexus Chakra · Manipura · Reiki · Manifest Differently
The Solar Plexus Chakra: Meaning, Signs of a Block and How to Heal ItA Reiki Master's guide to the third chakra
You don't have to perform to be powerful.
What is the solar plexus chakra?
The solar plexus chakra, called Manipura in Sanskrit, is the third of the seven main chakras. It sits in the upper belly, between the navel and the bottom of the ribs, and is associated with personal power, will, confidence and your sense of who you are. The name is often translated as something like "city of jewels."
When it is steady, people describe feeling capable, clear about what they want and able to act on it without forcing. When it isn't, power can feel out of reach, or it can turn into pushing, proving and control.
Yellow is the traditional color of the solar plexus chakra, and it is the color I use here. Some systems describe it as a deeper golden yellow, which carries the same fire and sense of self.
| At a glance | |
|---|---|
| Also called | Third chakra, Manipura |
| Location | Upper belly, between the navel and the ribs |
| Color | Yellow (some systems say gold) |
| Petals | Ten, on the traditional lotus symbol |
| Associated with | Personal power, will, confidence, identity, drive |
| Element | Fire |
| Seed sound | RAM |
| Inanna's gate | Gate III, Identity |
This is one of seven. See all seven chakras for how they fit together.
Signs of a blocked or out-of-balance
solar plexus chakra
These are some of the ways people describe it. You don't need to see yourself in all of them.
Performing "fine"
You hold your chest and face a certain way so no one sees the effort or doubt underneath.
Overfunctioning
You do more than your share, and stopping feels like everything will fall apart.
A harsh inner critic
Nothing counts until it is perfect, and your best is never quite enough.
Trouble trusting your gut
You gather opinions and second-guess a decision long after you have made it.
Hustle and burnout
Rest feels lazy, and your drive runs on pressure instead of desire.
Control or people-pleasing
You manage how others see you, either by taking charge or by shrinking.
Doubting your right to lead
You can guide everyone else but hesitate to claim authority of your own.
Anger swallowed or spilling over
Frustration gets held in your body until it comes out sideways.
Recognizing yourself here doesn't mean something is wrong with you. These patterns usually began as sensible ways to stay safe. They are descriptions from energy traditions, not medical symptoms.
Blocked, overactive and underactive
Energy traditions often describe a chakra as underactive (shut down), overactive (working too hard) or blocked. For the solar plexus, underactive tends to look like low confidence, indecision, feeling powerless, or difficulty starting. Overactive tends to look like control, perfectionism, pushing, or a need to be the one who holds everything together.
Both come from the same place: a body that learned it had to protect itself. For a wider look at signs across all seven centers, see blocked chakras.
Why the solar plexus gets stuck:
performing and overfunctioning
I don't think of a blocked chakra as a clog. I think of it as a nervous system that learned what keeps it safe. For many of us, safety came from looking capable, being useful and never letting anyone see the strain, so the body stayed braced in the middle of the torso.
A body in constant "on" mode confuses power with effort. If this sounds familiar, these pages go deeper into where it starts: overfunctioning, the fight-or-flight response and nervous system regulation.
The solar plexus often carries the patterns we took on early. The core wounds page is a good companion to this one.
The solar plexus chakra and money
The root is where money is felt as security, and the sacral is where it is created. The solar plexus is the energy that helps you produce the thing that could bring money, support and security. It is the drive and will behind it.
Together with the root chakra and sacral chakra, it makes up what many people call the "money chakra." The money chakra page explains how the three work together, and the money wound page goes into where the beliefs begin.
The solar plexus chakra and the third gate of Inanna
In my work in the Temple of Mysteries, I teach Inanna's descent through seven gates. At the third gate, Identity, the double strand of beads is taken from across her breast, the ornament that announced who she was.
What she gives up is worn on the chest, but what shakes is felt in the solar plexus: the image of having it all together, performed so no one sees the effort or the doubt underneath. We do the same. The shift isn't quieting the fire. It's letting it stop reacting and start directing, so there is presence instead of performance. As we move down the seven gates, we move up the seven chakras, and on the way back the path reverses.
Read more in The Seven Gates of Inanna, or see how I walk it in the Temple of Mysteries.
Reiki and the solar plexus chakra
Reiki is a gentle practice of energetic support, and many people experience it as deeply restful. I'm not claiming it treats or cures anything. I offer it as a complement, a way to give the body a quiet space to settle.
Verbal Reiki
I use my voice alongside the Reiki, guiding you through imagery and somatic awareness while the Reiki is held, so the body can set down the performance instead of being told to.
More than one center
Nearly every activation I record works through the chakras, and I guide the energy to more than one. The solar plexus is often part of it, especially where identity and effort are involved.
New to Reiki? What Is Reiki? explains it plainly, and Reiki chakra balancing covers what a session is like. If you would rather have this one on one, see my Reiki sessions.
A free activation for identity and the armor
Reiki for Identity Healing is a Reiki activation I recorded for the armor we wear and the self underneath it. It is free on my YouTube channel. Find a quiet spot, and let yourself set something down.
Reiki for Identity Healing · Release the Armor & Come Home to Your True Self
You can listen any time, and if you drift off along the way, let yourself. More are in my Wound Healing Reiki Activations playlist. For a guided practice across all seven centers, see chakra meditation.
More for the solar plexus
Three more that meet this center from different angles.
Achievement Wound Activation
For the part of you that learned to earn its place by achieving.
Listen on YouTube
Somatic Reiki for Unseen Effort
For the effort no one saw, and the body that carried it.
Listen on YouTube
For the One Who Holds Everyone Else
A 6/6 portal Reiki activation for the one who carries it all.
Listen on YouTubeA simple solar plexus chakra practice
Offered as reflection and not as a prescription. Go slowly and stop any time.
- Sit upright with a hand on your upper belly, between the navel and the bottom of your ribs.
- Notice whether that area is held, clenched or pulled in, and let your breath reach it without forcing.
- Take three slow breaths, letting the belly soften on each exhale as if setting down something heavy.
- Quietly say to yourself, I don't have to perform right now. Notice what loosens, and what pushes back.
- Ask what you would do if no one were watching, and take one small step toward it today, even if it is only a few minutes.
If this brings up something heavy, stop and ground in whatever way helps. A licensed trauma-informed therapist can offer support that goes beyond what a Reiki practice can.
Solar plexus chakra affirmations
Short enough to believe. Say them slowly, or keep the one that settles you.
I do not have to perform to be worthy
My power is steady, not forced
I trust my own yes and my own no
I can rest without losing myself
I am allowed to take up space
I act from what is true, not from pressure
More in chakra affirmations for all seven centers. Sound, mantra and bowls are in chakra frequencies and sound healing.
Keep exploring
Where to go next from the solar plexus.
Previous: the sacral chakra
Worth, creativity and what you are allowed to make.
Read the Sacral ChakraFrequently asked questions
What is the solar plexus chakra?
The solar plexus chakra, called Manipura in Sanskrit, is the third of the seven main chakras in yogic and energy traditions. It is located in the upper belly and is associated with personal power, will, confidence and identity. Its traditional color is yellow, though some systems describe it as gold.
Where is the solar plexus chakra located?
In the upper belly, between the navel and the bottom of the ribcage. Many people feel it as a warmth or tightness in the center of the torso.
What are the signs of a blocked solar plexus chakra?
People commonly describe feeling powerless or indecisive, caught in perfectionism and overfunctioning, unable to trust their own gut, or burned out from performing. These are descriptions from energy traditions, not medical symptoms. If something is affecting your health, please see a doctor.
How is the solar plexus chakra connected to confidence and personal power?
In energy traditions this center is where will and self-trust are said to live. Many people find that real confidence is quieter than performance, and comes from a body that no longer needs to prove anything. In my Temple of Mysteries work this is the third gate of Inanna, Identity.
How do you heal or unblock the solar plexus chakra?
There is no single method, and I don't promise outcomes. Many people find that slowing down, softening the belly, noticing where they perform, setting small boundaries, and working with a trauma-informed therapist all help. Reiki and guided meditation can sit alongside that care as complementary practices.
Can Reiki balance the solar plexus chakra?
Many people experience Reiki as warming and softening in the upper belly. I can't promise a specific result, and Reiki is a complement to medical and mental health care, never a replacement. The page on Reiki chakra balancing explains what a session is like.
What is the solar plexus chakra mantra and frequency?
In the yogic tradition the seed sound (bija mantra) of the solar plexus chakra is RAM. You will also see frequencies such as 528 Hz attached to it in modern sound healing. These come from tradition and practice, not from settled science, so treat them as something to try if they feel good. See chakra frequencies and sound healing for more.
Is the solar plexus chakra the same as the solar plexus in the body?
No. The solar plexus is also the name of a network of nerves in the upper abdomen. The solar plexus chakra is an idea from yogic and energy traditions that sits in the same area. They share a location and a name, but they are different things, and the chakra is not a medical term.
Guided by Carissa Andrews, Reiki Master and lineage holder.
Reiki is a complementary practice and not a substitute for medical or mental health care. No specific outcomes are promised or guaranteed. This page is educational and is not therapy or clinical advice.