Lighting the fire of your personal power
Scroll to the end of the post for June’s Playlist!
June 2023 Focus
The Third Chakra: Manipura (Sparkling Jewel)
Self-esteem, energy, and power
Manipura means sparkling jewel or jeweled city. The third Chakra is located in your abdominals, stomach, and low back. It is associated with the element of fire and the color yellow. This Chakra develops from 18 months of age to 4 years, as identity and independent sense of self is established. It represents the right to act as an individual. Signs of a healthy core chakra are: confidence, authenticity, integrity, balanced ego, ability to meet challenges, and control without attachment to outcome.
Last month, we talked about how the sacral chakra can help us connect to desire, pleasure, feelings and sensations. This month we will explore the third chakra of identity and doing. It gathers power from the higher chakras (the current of manifestation) and gains direction from our needs (1st chakra) and wants (2nd chakra). The power of character, will, and making, out in the real world needs the security of our roots and as well as out emotional intelligence. Without earth (1st Chakra) and water (2nd Chakra), fire (3rd Chakra) can be very dangerous. I’m sure you can think of someone whose ego is not grounded reality and is completely lacking in emotional intelligence or empathy, this is an unfortunate but common occurrence in today’s world.
“Pride is a feeling of pleasure or celebration related to our accomplishments or efforts.
Hubris is an inflated sense of one’s own innate abilities that is tied more to the need for dominance than to actual accomplishments.
Humility is openness to new learning combined with a balanced and accurate assessment of our contributions, including our strengths, imperfections, and opportunities for growth. ”
Ego- If you are a frequent reader of these blogs you know how much I admire and teach from the work of Brené Brown. In Atlas of the Heart, she write these beautiful differentiations between concepts we frequently mix up and name incorrectly. Pride, hubris and humility are key components to knowing one’s ego. I think having a balanced ego all comes down to being real with yourself. You should take pride in a job well done. You should celebrate the ways you grow, achieve, try your best, and learn. So often I catch myself downplaying something I’ve done or rejecting a compliment thinking that this is humility, it is not. Humility has nothing to do with negativity rather to accuracy and real-ness. We will revisit this in the bit about self-esteem. Humility is the person who shows up to get it right, not to be right (another paraphrase from Brown, I can’t help it). Hubris and pride are very different things. Too often hubris is seen as confidence and that sense of dominance crowds out self-examination or contradiction. From time to time we experience all three, but it’s important not to confuse one for the other. I will be using this definition for these terms in our discussion today so once more for reference; “Pride is a feeling of pleasure or celebration related to our accomplishments or efforts. Hubris is an inflated sense of one’s own innate abilities that is tied more to the need for dominance than to actual accomplishments. Humility is openness to new learning combined with a balanced and accurate assessment of our contributions, including our strengths, imperfections, and opportunities for growth.”
Overactive Core- Its really clear when someone’s third chakra is overactive and often this is a result of shame, trauma, anger, and/or underactive lower chakras as I mentioned before. Characteristics of this are; stubbornness, competitiveness, manipulative tendencies, arrogance, hyperactivity, and violent outbursts. Hubris in this sense refuses discussion over the need to have the last word. Now its easy to pull to mind someone who exemplifies these traits, however that is not the work we are here for. Our work is in self-examination, which is far less comfortable. The next time you are in an argument check yourself: Are you there to be right? or to get it right? When I find myself in a stubborn, angry mood one think I can do is check with my lower chakras.
1. Are my needs met? Am I hungry/thirsty/cold/feeling unsafe?
2. Are my desires met? Am I angry you get the day off, or is it that I wanted to have the day off, and my resentment is really jealousy?
Maybe I can change a contributing factor and feel a bit better. I can eat something or drink water. I can take myself out of a situation, or put up a barrier. I can ask for that day off I’ve been needing, but never asked for (because of hubris). Maybe nothing helps or there’s nothing I can do and I’m still in an angry stubborn mood after those questions, but I am far less likely to lash out at others or let that negativity offload on others.
Underactive Core- Signs of an under active core are low self-esteem, poor self-discipline and follow though, weak will, victim mentality, and discomfort taking credit or being acknowledged. Self-esteem is part of a healthy understanding of self. I know there have been times when my self-esteem was too closely knit with my actions and anytime something went wrong I saw it as a personal failing. When your sense of self is separate to your actions, you give yourself permission to make mistakes accept challenges and grow. Humility say “I have things to learn”, not “I know nothing”.
Self esteem is deeply rooted in self-talk. I know I have said things to myself like; I am a failure, I am an idiot, I will never get this right.
If your self-talk sounds like that try instead;
I’m doing my best, I should be patient with myself as I would with others, I will be ok even if this doesn’t work out.
“In short, superheroes balance the forces of light and dark, rage and serenity, and the sacred and the profane within themselves and from it forge an identity that is powerful and purposeful.”
Power- You are powerful, and learning the extent and limits of your power is important to how you use it. We often only think of power as a physical thing, but words and ideas are powerful too. How do you take responsibility for the things you put out into the world? Your words have the power to build some one up or tear them down. If you think twice before you speak or act rather than simply reacting you will cultivate better relationships. It’s important not to be bowled over by others and bullied. Your voice matters and you can and should use your power to advocate for your thoughts and needs.
The Edge- In order to grow we need to be challenged and to face that challenge with the belief that you can do it. In this chakra we explore our outer limits we find our edge. Don’t get me wrong overdoing is not strength, but when you push yourself with the sense of curiosity and exploration you won’t overdo. Listening to your needs you will stay in the safe realm of challenge. Fear can keep you from achieving your potential. Often there is discomfort in pushing to your edge, but when you achieve more than you imagined then is the reward to taking a chance.
The power of your core is probably in flux. Pay attention to when your fire is raging too hot and dangerous and when the dim embers have snuffed out and need to be reignited. Like a steady candle, live into pride and humility, and be firm but kind to yourself when you notice low self esteem or hubris creeping in. Be responsible with your power and explore your limits. Don’t be afraid to sparkle, your Manipura (Jeweled city) can inspire others as it feeds your needs and glows with your talents and gifts.
Here’s June’s Playlist!
