Manipura Chakra in Pitta Season
Manipura chakra is the third of seven chakras. It’s also called the solar plexus chakra. Its color is yellow, as it is associated with the element of fire. Situated at the solar plexus, it’s easy to see why – and how – this chakra governs digestion. This chakra is like the power station of the body. When balanced, it provides vitality and bestows us with balance and strength.
Chakras are the energy centers in the body. There are seven of them:
1: Muladhara (Root Chakra)
2: Swadhisthana (Sacral Chakra)
3: Manipura (Solar Plexus Chakra)
4: Anahata (Heart Chakra)
5: Vishuddha (Throat Chakra)
6: Ajna (Third-Eye Chakra)
7: Sahasrara (Crown Chakra)
Like Pitta dosha, Manipura is related to transformation. This is why it’s common to see patterns of digestive upset when the fire burns too hot. When fire burns paper, it turns to ash. When you put fire to water, it creates steam. When you eat food, the fire of digestion transforms food into energy. When things are in balance, it runs properly; we get the nutrients we need and enjoy good health. When it runs poorly, we don’t.
Manipura chakra issues come up a lot this time of year because as with Pitta dosha, we need to keep an eye out to avoid building excess heat. As mentioned in the Ayurvedic Tip of the Week (7/18/21), adding twists in our yoga practice helps to move the heat, dispersing it.
Additionally, we favor “open” yoga asanas versus closed ones in hot (Pitta) weather. Think of it this way: When you’re baking a pumpkin pie for Thanksgiving, cooking instructions typically tell you to crack the oven door at the end of the cooking time. If you take the pie out right away, you’re guaranteed to get cracks on the surface (there’s that Vata trait of air, drying out everything in its path!). But if you crack the oven door, you let out the heat slowly, in a controlled way. Keep the door shut, you risk overcooking.
This is why we like asanas such as Ustrasana (Camel Pose), Setu Bandha Sarvangasana (Bridge Pose), Natarajasana (Dancer Pose) and Trikonasa (Triangle), to name a few. These are all poses designed to “crack open the oven” to let out the heat. Not to mention, we really enjoy doing them!
Now, not to confuse things but… if Manipura chakra is deficient, you’re likely to see low levels of energy, low self esteem and higher levels of passivity. A healthy solar plexus chakra fires us up to live with purpose.
Still, in summertime it’s best to think about watching the heat as it’s so easy to overdo it. Until the weather changes into the next season, we’ll continue with the opening and twisting poses; creating expansion, lifting us up and chilling us out.
