"They are the weakest, however strong, who have no faith in themselves or their own powers." ~ Christian Bovee

The 3rd or Solar Plexus Chakra, also known as our "power center," is associated with self-esteem and a strong sense of our identity and purpose. The sun is the source of energy on earth and its bright yellow color is also the color of the Solar Plexus Chakra.  An unbalanced 3rd chakra may lead to indecisiveness, apathy, poor self-image, physical issues with digestion, and addiction to sugar and caffeine.  A balanced 3rd chakra is manifested in energy and confidence, the ability to follow through and persevere to reach our goals, and a vitality that all can see.  With a balanced solar plexus chakra, you will have the strength to overcome life's difficulties and emerge victorious.

The Boat Pose is my favorite yoga pose to strengthen the navel, solar plexus energy. I also suggest the Archer pose. Any yoga pose or exercise that tones and strengthens the abdominal area will be balancing for this chakra.

SOLAR PLEXUS CHAKRA MEDITATION
Inhale deeply, hold your breath and then exhale. The orange vortex of energy in the sacral chakra area moves up to your navel and turns bright yellow, right at your core. Breathe in and out of your core, building up the power of your center. Be open to the vitality, purpose and majesty of this bright yellow fire of life. Know that you can use this power to heal old pain and to remove old wounds. Breathe in and out of the flames of this inner sun and feel your body radiate with new purpose, wisdom and strength.

Two characters in The Chakra Diaries find their way out of depression and helplessness by balancing their Solar Plexus Chakras. Learn more on the pages of their diaries ~ both the Kindle and paperback version of The Chakra Diaries are on sale through the end of June.
Namaste!
Becca Chopra, author of The Chakra Diaries

I would love to get some feedback on the love triangle in The Chakra Diaries for a screenplay being written.  I've lowered the price for a short time on Amazon.com: the KINDLE is on sale for just $2.99; the paperback for $8.99.  All those who email in a comment will be put into a drawing for a fabulous week-long stay at Hale Haumea cottage on the Big Island of Hawaii (see www.VRBO.com/90588), with a yoga class included at Kalani Oceanside Resort. 
Namaste!  Becca Chopra

"Sex is emotion in motion," said Mae West. If you want more creativity, emotional stability and confidence in your own sexuality, you may want to meditate on your 2nd or sacral chakra.

This chakra relates to the flow of your emotions, your feelings, flexibility and openness. The essence of the sacral chakra is flowing water, and is associated with the color orange, and the health of the lower abdomen, lower back and sexual organs.

When your sacral chakra is unbalanced, you may be out of touch with feelings or overly sexual, have gynecological problems or impotence, or be addicted to sex, relationships, even work.

A balanced sacral chakra brings pleasure without guilt, a strong connection to others while retaining healthy boundaries, and healthy emotional behavior.

YOGA POSES TO BALANCE THE SACRAL CHAKRA
Begin with pranayama. First try lying on your back and do belly breathing or sit and do alternate nostril breathing. Poses that will benefit your sacral chakra are the Camel, the Spinal Flex, and the Eagle.

SACRAL CHAKRA MEDITATION
Turn on some soothing, melodic music. Inhale deeply, hold your breath and then exhale. Feel the red whirling energy of your root chakra move up to the center of your pelvis and turn into a beautiful orange color. Feel your connection to others through desire, sensation and movement. Listen to the gentle, flowing music and allow your body to relax into it and flow with it. Let go of any pain or tension in this area. Be aware of every feeling in your body. Enjoy them. Allow yourself to become part of the music of life. Repeat the mantra, "I am able to give and receive love."

Two characters in THE CHAKRA DIARIES have unbalanced sacral chakras, one having lost her libido, the other a young woman who is unsure of her sexuality and is overly promiscuous. Chakra balancing brings them back to a space of confidence and creativity and better able to make a true love connection. Learn from their experiences ~ The Chakra Diaries now on special summer sale on Amazon and thechakras.org.
Namaste!
Becca Chopra

"The ache for home lives in all of us, the safe place where we can go as we are and not be questioned." ~ Maya Angelou

Your first chakra, the root chakra, is the base of security and safety. It is associated with our basic instincts of survival – food, shelter, health and self-preservation. It is the very foundation of our being and our identity. It is located at the base of the spine, its associated color is red.

When unbalanced, you may feel fear, anxiety, insecurity, self-centeredness, low self-esteem, and physical problems such as lower back pain, sciatica, constipation, weight issues, and even addictions to food or alcohol.

When it is balanced, your mind is calm and clear and you feel a sense of profound physical connection to the earth.

YOGA POSES TO BALANCE THE ROOT CHAKRA
Try these yoga poses to help increase circulation and energy in the lower abdomen and energize your root chakra: Pelvic Roations, Butterfly, and the Squat with Sound Breath.

ROOT CHAKRA MEDITATION
Inhale deeply, hold your breath and then exhale. Bring your attention to the base of your spine. Visualize a red whirling ball of energy there. See the red getting brighter and stronger as it goes down both your legs – filling every cell with invigorating energy. Let it flow out through your feet into the center of the earth. Let the healing red energy form deep roots anchoring you, holding you safe and secure. Know that you belong on this earth. With a deep breath, draw up the healing energy of Mother Earth into your root chakra. Feel the security, strength and comfort of belonging here in your chosen place.

All of the characters in The Chakra Diaries need to build a strong Root Chakra foundation before they move on to achieve what they want in life.  Estrella especially experiences the feelings of isolation, abandonment and lack of trust associated with an unbalanced root chakra, and needs to find the safe place within herself that was not given to her in her childhood home.

The Chakra Diaries is on sale (PDF and Kindle versions for just $2.99) to help it reach all readers around the world. Check our Publisher Special.

Namaste!
Becca Chopra, author of The Chakra Diaries

"The most important thing in communication is hearing what isn't being said."

When your partner or spouse yells at you, or expresses anger for no apparent reason, do you internalize it and feel you're somehow at fault?

Someone I counsel was recently having this problem and I asked her, "Have you asked what is going on with him, rather than wondering if his anger is really about you?"

Often, the people in our lives respond in ways that simply baffle us.  In such situations, we may think, "He's so unreasonable." "He must have had a bad day at work." Or we have a tendency to tell a story about what we think was behind the other person's action. We spend a tremendous amount of energy wondering what the other person was thinking, blaming him, and feeling, sad, hurt, angry, and resentful. I have seen people in pain for years because they never took a moment to ask for clarity.

I suggest a new process from a method called Non Violent Communications. Engage your curiosity by asking what is going on with the other person. For example, "You know, when you expressed your anger just now, I felt baffled. I'd like to know what exactly what is going on." Notice that this statement doesn't place blame on either party. It simply expresses your confusion and your desire for more information. Usually, the minute we ask for more information, we get it. It's simple, really. We can either wonder about what's going on with the other person, create our own stories about it, or inform ourselves by asking.

As we balance our chakras, especially our heart and throat chakras, we can come from a place of non-judgment and truly communicate our feelings without anger and arguing, which is such a waste of our energy.

The villains in my novel, The Chakra Diaries, are ones we all want to avoid: illness, lost love, false beliefs, but it is these very perilous obstacles that drive the stories and finally lift the characters and can do the same for you.

In fact, many holistic healers believe false beliefs to be the cause of all problems in our lives. Through no fault of your own, your family, your society, your environment instilled beliefs in you as a child that may no longer be serving you. In fact, they may be the underlying cause of all your pain and failures.

Beliefs control our lives; they create our reality. We only see and experience what we believe. But you can examine your beliefs - right now - and revamp those that aren't working for you.

Do you believe all rich people are evil, illness will get you attention or sympathy, there's no such thing as a good marriage? Ask yourself, "What are my beliefs about money, health, love, relationships?" or about any area of your life that isn't working out the way you'd like.

Pick an area and explore your beliefs about it. Write them down. What feelings do these beliefs bring up?

These beliefs have determined your experiences, have actually "controlled" this area of your life. Now, you can choose to propel yourself in the direction you choose by choosing positive beliefs, such as "There is abundance for everyone," "The more money I have, the more I can help others."

You may find the new beliefs you write down to be the exact opposite of the ones you had before. But they are what create success for others and can do that for you too.

Imagine your life if you were to live according to these new beliefs. Take on the new beliefs in small steps, according to your comfort level, and let me know if your life moves toward your new vision.
Namaste!
Becca@thechakras.org

If you want to live each day to its fullest potential, consider intentionally making small changes each day to focus on creating the health, wealth and relationships you want in your life.

Competing commitments or behaviors work to keep things in your life the same. Our brains will stop themselves from trying something new because of fear of failure. Take small steps, making small changes each day to keep moving forward toward your higher purpose. Small steps or changes in your intentions and actions each day will create new neural pathways in your brain. Every day your confidence will build.

So, every morning, set a clear and purposeful intention to move you into action. You can't experience change in your life without making changes! But baby steps, that can be measured at the end of the day, will lead to big changes and great success in your life. What small steps can you take today?

For inspiration and ideas, read how the members of the Chakra Workshop in The Chakra Diaries take baby steps to move their lives from the tragic to the triumphant.
Namaste!
Becca Chopra, author of The Chakra Diaries

Thanks, Becca, for your recent post on being in the moment, the only time one can experience happiness. Any other suggestions?
Miss-step

Dear Missy,
Having just finished a Hawaii Health Getaway on "The Art of Stress Management," I would first of all suggest lowering your stress level. Excess stress can put a damper on even the best conditions and create tension in your body that can lead to pain, and excess cortisol levels that can lead to a host of health problems. Therefore, if you're in a state of chronic stress, it's much more difficult to enjoy life. Find a stress-reliever you can incorporate into your life on a daily basis, e.g., deep abdominal breathing, yoga, meditation, relaxing in nature, and finding time to nurture yourself.

On the physical level, keep yourself healthy, an important criteria for happiness. Explore healthier nutrition, as well as a green lifestyle where you are not exposed to the toxic chemicals in fragrance products, household cleaners, pesticides, etc.  Despite the ad claims, these chemicals can cause depression and damage your nervous system and skew your hormone levels. Choose natural alternatives whenever possible.

If you feel emotional stress, let go of any anger about the past or fear about the future.

If you feel mental stress, give up criticism of yourself, and anyone or anything else. Focus on what you like, what you love, what does make you happy and ignore the rest.

On the spiritual level, find a purpose or meaning to your life. People are generally happier when they're living a life of meaning. Perhaps volunteer to a cause that you believe in - whether you have the time or money to donate to a cause, there are so many in need around the world, so many organizations with worthwhile goals.

Namaste!
Becca Chopra, author of The Chakra Diaries

I like to take a positive approach, and talk about ways to strengthen and heal relationships. But, an ounce of prevention....

If you want a happy relationship, forgo these actions:
1. Blame and Criticize
This probably tops them all! Instead, praise what you like, and you'll get more of it. Criticize and your partner will shut down. Hasn't blame and criticism aimed in your direction had the same effect?

2. Deny Responsibility for Your Actions
It's related to blame in that you get to point your finger at someone else or at an entity such as an organization. Increase your personal power and take responsibility for your own choices - that's all you have control over.

3. Order People Around
Any joy the other person might have had in doing something for you is instantly lost when they're told to do it.

4. Threaten People
When others think they may be punished or have something taken away as a result of not doing things your way, this sets the platform for lying, cheating, conniving, manipulation, crime and other horrific things.

Hopefully, you'll forgo these four "relationship busters" and find ways to feel good about yourself (and in control) while also spreading good feelings around.

If you want tools to enhance your relationships, I wholeheartedly recommend Nonviolent Communication (NVC) - a powerful process that facilitates trust, openness and optimism and inspires people to work together in genuine partnership.

Learning NVC is fun, informative, and engaging. Take a look at all the great tools available at http://www.nonviolentcommunication.com/freeresources/resources.htm

Like the characters in The Chakra Diaries, I hope you find and keep love in your life.
Namaste!
Becca Chopra

Becca, I'm concerned that I'll never be happy, no matter how much I try.
Miss-try

Thanks for contacting me. Believe me that everything is perfect right here, right now.

Are you trying to be happy or worrying about not reaching your goals? Take a look at your life right now and appreciate all the good you can focus on - it's the only thing there is... right here and now.

Forget about past mistakes or hurts. They do not exist, except in your memory. Drop them. And don't worry about how you're going to get through tomorrow. Life is going on right here, right now - pay attention to the beauty of life all around you and all will be well.

I always recommend yoga and meditation to get you into the present moment and open your body, mind and soul to all the infinite possibilities in front of you. Try listening to my Chakra Meditations, free for downloading.

Namaste!
Becca