The Solar Plexus Chakra: Spring Clean Your "Yellow" Energy

We have been moving up the chakra rainbow, first visiting the red root chakra which represents our sense of belonging to the earth and our tribal roots, then the second orange sacral chakra which focuses on our relationships with others. This month we will concentrate on the third chakra, the solar plexus chakra, which addresses our intelligence, thirst for knowledge, self-awareness, personal power, and feelings of self-importance.

The third color in a rainbow is yellow, which corresponds with the third chakra. The physical location of this chakra is the solar plexus. "Solar" is an appropriate word, as the greatest yellow energy in our lives is the sun! I have personally found this to be true as I lived in Ohio most of my life and just recently moved to coastal Florida. While living in Ohio, I experienced more dreary and cloudy days than sunny ones and my mood and general demeanor followed suit. Living in the "Sunshine State" has transformed my outlook to sunny and bright, resulting in me feeling happier than ever before.

The solar plexus area of our body is associated with the liver, gallbladder, stomach, pancreas, small intestine, and the adrenals. However, in discussing the third chakra I am going to focus primarily on the liver. The liver is said to be the “energy of the personality,” and it has a direct impact on both our skin and eye health. The liver is a waste organ, along with the kidneys, lungs, colon, and skin. It functions as a detoxifying organ that absorbs poisons and toxic substances before neutralizing them. The liver is responsible for processing "UFOs" (Unidentified Food Objects), chemicals, toxins, medications, alcohol, and hormones. The liver aids in our digestion of food and our digestion of emotions. 

Too much yellow can make one argumentative, critical, pessimistic, egotistical, and fearful. As far back as the 1800s, the term “yellow-bellied” was used to describe cowardice. I am not sure if they knew about color therapy and chakras at that time, but the term is intuitively accurate. 

Liver energy imbalances are at the root of hypochondriac pain and the fear of getting older. This includes obsessing over facial lines, wrinkles, hair loss, and body weight. Additionally, there is evidence to support that a toxic liver contributes to aging. If toxins are not adequately eliminated through the bowels, the toxins will recirculate through the bloodstream and attempt to escape through another waste organ…like the skin! Liver metabolites in the bloodstream may contribute to acne, and liver disease may be an underlying association for migraine pain.

In addition, consuming excessive refined sugar in foods and wine (which contains high amounts of sugar) creates excess glucose or "fuel" in the body. This excess sugar needs to be burned off or stored within the cells or it will remain in the bloodstream. Sugar that remains in the bloodstream can attach itself to protein (collagen) causing the collagen to become hardened and our skin to sag and wrinkle. Collagen is a protein that makes our skin firm and flexible; however, studies show that as we age we lose 1% of collagen every year after the age of 20 years old. That calculates to a loss of 30% collagen by the time we are 50 years old! A diet with too much sugar will age our skin, creating lines, sagginess, and dehydration.

Yet, I believe the greatest challenge with the solar plexus chakra is managing "yellow" emotions. How many people have you met that are holding a grudge? Or who cannot let the hurt go after a divorce, a betrayal, or an unfortunate job loss? You have heard the phrase that anger is like "drinking the poison and expecting the other person to die” - this also describes imbalanced liver energy. While yellow can be daffodils, sunflowers, and honey, imbalanced yellow appears as jaundice, sallowness, pus, and bile. Our gut is the source of our "gut instincts" or "intuition," meaning we do have a choice as to how we react to situations in our lives and what we hold on to. In other words, life is 10% what happens to us and 90% on how we react to it.

But then again, the color yellow is a happy color. The body is an amazing reflection of our choices and our health. It’s never too late to change our mindset and thoughts. Surround yourself with the color yellow and warm thoughts. Get outside and absorb the sun’s rays and breathe in its power. Yellow energy contributes to your sunny disposition.

The liver’s song is like the tune from the Disney movie Frozen “Let it go!” Releasing pent up emotions dissolves negative energy which is healthier for both your mind and your body.

Balancing Your Liver Energy  

Reboot. Get outside in nature. Walk barefoot if you can, as it will allow you to see situations from an organic, grounded perspective. Nature is alpha energy which calms our minds and bodies when our thoughts are consumed with negative, stagnated emotions. The rainbow of colors in nature naturally balances our chakras, emotions, and our physical bodies.

Let It Go. Write down your thoughts on paper, expressing anger, guilt, remorse, and how you really feel about a painful issue. Ceremoniously burn the paper, watching the smoke carry your concerns up and away while releasing all negative energy into the ethers.

Cleanse Your Space. Perform a cleansing ritual with white sage. Sage is a cleansing herb that was used by the American Indians to cleanse negative energy in the teepee. Light the end of a sage stick with a match or lighter and walk around the house waving the sage stick to keep the smoke flowing. Be sure to sage every room in your home, waving the smoke from the sage stick into every corner of the room, doorways, and around the windows. Concentrate on bringing new energy and love to everything around you.  

Check Your Facial Zone. According to Traditional Chinese Medicine, your Liver Zone is the area between the eyes. A strong, deep diagonal line between the eyes is an indicator of an over-stressed liver. Stress indicators are reflected by the depth of the line, inflammation in the area, or blemishes in this zone.

Home Remedies

Cleansing the Liver with Red Beet Juice*

¼ size of a red beet, ½ of a lemon including the peel, 1 small green apple (cored), 2 handfuls of dandelions, and 1 carrot.

Mix ingredients in a centrifugal juicer and enjoy!

Castor Oil Packs*

You will need: Castor oil, an organic baby diaper cloth, Saran Wrap, a bath towel, and a hot water bottle. Generously soak both baby diapers with castor oil. 

1. Place a castor oil soaked diaper on top of the gut area, be sure it is covering the liver zone on the right side.  
2. Wrap the diaper in place using Saran Wrap around the midsection.
3. Place a towel over the Saran Wrap.
4. Recline face up and position a heating pad or hot water bottle on top of the towel. 
5. Leave on for 60 minutes.

Incorporating Yellow and Gold into Your Life

Consume yellow foods, like lemons and bee pollen, wear yellow and gold clothing and accessories, or try this gold eye look by Alicia Westly:

 *Please consult your health professional prior to any body cleanse. Use organic fruits & vegetables only.