Personal Power and the Summer Solstice: Honouring Your Solar Plexus Energy

 The Highlights

• The Significance of Summer Solstice in the Season's Safari
• What Your Solar Plexus Does in your Energy Field
• Unlocking your Personal Power
• Three ways to Rebalance your Solar Plexus for Clarity, Confidence and Curiousity
• Rolling Mantras
• Walking Meditation: Reconnect with Nature and Charge Up Your Solar Plexus Chakra
• Me and My Solar Plexus: Journaling Prompts 
• Free Lion Aromatherapy for the Solar Plexus - Citrus Cedarwood

 

Just as in ancient days, Summer Solstice season is an opportunity to embrace a sense of culmination and growth; and to give thanks for the ceaseless, life-giving fire of the Sun—the one in the sky and the one that sits just above your navel—your Solar Plexus Chakra.

Your Solar Plexus is your inner Sun Fire, the center of your personal Yang energy and action. It's the key to unlocking your personal power and building a strong sense of self. When this energy center is balanced, you feel confident, energetic, assertive, and capable of making decisions from a place of inner wisdom. However, when it's out of balance, you might experience insecurity, self-doubt, and a lack of direction. Not ideal, right? 

That’s where personal honouring rituals and aromatherapy can help you to shift perspective, shake up the energy and help you course correct.

The Significance of Summer Solstice in the Season’s Safari

The Summer Solstice marks the longest day of the year in the Northern Hemisphere, when the earth’s Yang energies are at their peak. If Yin energy is about dreaming and envisioning, Yang energy is all about action and making things happen.

The Winter Solstice season invites us to turn inward, to rest as the earth rests, to connect intuitively to the “other side,” and to celebrate while our Yin energies dream in the coming year. As the days grow longer and Yang energy increases, we gradually turn outward, taking action to manifest those winter dreams. The Summer Solstice marks the culmination of these Yang energies. It’s a time for evaluation, celebration, appreciation, and letting go to begin the cycle again. This process is both exciting and a bit bittersweet. It’s an evolutionary journey, not a never ending loop—we are spiralling upward.

What Your Solar Plexus Does in your Energy Field

Chakra Colour: Yellow

Element: Fire

Energy: Yang

The color associated with the Solar Plexus Chakra is yellow, reflecting the fire element or Agni (who is the god of fire in the Indian pantheon). Fire comes to us directly from the sun; and we also get it through the foods we eat. According to Ayurveda wisdom, the fire element activates the prana or life force energies required for digestion and metabolism in your body—essentially turning food into fuel.

The element of fire also ignites the light of consciousness that motivates us to know, understand and live our life's purpose and goals. Solar plexus is where you get your fuel and motivation. It is where you feel the energy of fulfillment which eventually rises to your heart chakra and glows into love and happiness. . Balance is critical, though. Using too much inner fire from your solar plexus chakra can lead to burnout—think aggressive, impulsive Type A personality. Not using enough of your Solar Plexus’ inner fire can leave you feeling weak, fearful, or depressed. It's where you feel Anxiety Churn, or butterflies in your stomach or that sinking feeling. 

The Solar Plexus Chakra also ignites your intellectual center and curiousity, where your ability to think critically, analyze and problem solve lives. An imbalance in your solar plexus chakra could mean the difference between being able to respond reasonably and effectively in a situation or reacting in survival mode, or on autopilot. An imbalanced chakra means rational thought could get overshadowed by your Root and Sacral chakras’ survival concerns. You could feel overwhelmed by feelings of fear, insecurity, anxiety, which, in turn, would cloud your judgment.

When your solar plexus chakra is in harmony, you’ll find you are able to approach life's challenges with clarity, a level of detachment, discernment, grounded in wisdom and a sense of your purpose. This balance allows you to process information and make decisions with a clearer mind.

Unlocking  your Personal Power

Just as plants and animals instinctively open up to the Sun’s light and heat, receiving its abundant benefits, we too, as part of Nature, respond to the Summer Sun. Even if we've become a bit disconnected, we intuitively know that the Summer Sun brings the fire necessary for rapid growth and expansion. This is its gift to the Earth and to all of us. You can also connect with  the Sun’s fiery energy to ignite your own inner Sun Fire, activating your sense of purpose and fueling the drive to accomplish your goals.

The Solar Plexus represents your inner Sun Fire. It is the center of your Yang and Doing energy. When it’s balanced, you feel confident, energetic, assertive, and capable of making decisions from a place of inner peace and wisdom. When it’s out of balance, you may experience insecurity, self-doubt, depression, and a lack of direction. Not ideal, right?

A balanced Solar Plexus Chakra is crucial for unlocking your personal power and building a strong sense of self. This personal power comes from your core, reflecting all you are meant to be. It shines brightly when you love, give, laugh, and live your truth, free from guilt and shame. It becomes electrified when you are fulfilling your purpose. 

Your personal power is connected to the Source of all things. Gary Zukav, author of The Seat of the Soul, says, "When we align our thoughts, emotions, and actions with the highest part of ourselves, we are filled with enthusiasm, purpose, and meaning... When the personality comes fully to serve the energy of its soul, that is authentic empowerment." I would add that when you align with other souls working towards the same purpose—from people to plants to planets—that power becomes amplified. That is Source in action.

Three ways to Rebalance your Solar Plexus for Clarity, Confidence and Curiousity

What if you are the kind of person who is usually cool headed but in certain situations or relationships, you tend to lose your cool, perhaps become irrational? Or scared? What does this mean in your Solar plexus chakra? It means imbalance has occurred because you have doubted yourself, felt insecure or bullied, lost some trust and faith in your Truth, worried about someone else’s opinion, developed an unhealthy dependence on someone or something, slipped into a victim narrative and/or had some difficulty setting a boundary. In short, you gave your power away. 

That’s okay, it happens as a normal part of the ebb and flow of thoughts, feelings, interactions. No one who is human, no matter how successful or happy seeming, has fully conquered this part of the process. It’s what you do with it that matters. The key is not to suppress, repress or deny. First, accept that it is a part of you—those fearful thoughts, etc. And that a part of you is feeling them and probably needs a hug and some reassurance.

Thankfully, reassurance and rebalancing can be achieved in a number of ways. The more you practice, the faster you come back to equilibrium. Here are three of my favourite ways

The Rolling Mantra 

Have a Rolling Mantra ready to repeat to yourself in place of any fearful or anxious thoughts. A rolling mantra is  composed of affirmations to support your Solar Plexus and Yang energy. Here are some suggestions. Pick your favourites. Then, in case of self-doubt, just start repeating them to yourself. Keep doing it until you feel more balanced.

• I am calm, confident, and powerful.
• I accept all of myself, shadow and light
• I am capable and ready to face challenges.
• I am motivated to pursue my purpose.
• I forgive myself for past mistakes, and embrace the mystery of Life
• I stand in my personal power in alignment with unconditional Love
• I courageously walk and talk my truth
• I actively pursue my purpose and do no harm to others
• I give, serve and receive wherever I am called to do so

 

Walking Meditation: Reconnect with Nature and Charge Up your Solar Plexus Chakra

Nature trusts the architecture of what IS, and in the Life force that runs through everything. It responds to its own inner, unspoken drive to reset, rest, seed, grow, mature, flower, fruit and fulfill its purpose. The Earth’s Seasonal energies pull us to do the same, at the appropriate time. We may have to slow ourselves down to reconnect with Nature and Life to do so. We may have to learn to listen to our inner knowing again. To help us make that connection, you need a couple of things. Silence and a walk in Nature. 

Take some time to do a meditative walk in nature. Choose your favourite place, were you can think and walk in relative silence. Try and pick a time when there aren’t too many people around. Observe life around you, how Nature is just doing its thing, without doubt. Watch the birds, insects, plants; find the beautiful; marvel with awe. 

Now, focus on your breath. Become aware of it, the sound and feel of it as it enters your body and then exits. Discover its rhythm and notice how your body, its movement and rhythm align with it.

Include in your focus the smells, the sounds and rhythm in the Nature around you. As you walk, open yourself up to the rhythm and notice how your breath and body move in alignment with it. If you are struggling with noticing it in real time, simply visualize it. The point is to bring your attention and intention to alignment with Nature and her rhythms right now. 

Now focus on your solar plexus area, in the center of your upper belly, just below your rib cage. Breath into it, visualizing your breath going into your body and out from your solar plexus. With each breath in, visualize the “wheel” or chakra spinning—clockwise (breath/energy in), then anti-clockwise (breath/energy out). That’s actually how the chakra wheels spin or “breathe” when they are in balance. 

Visualize the Sun shining its warm bright rays onto your solar plexus area as you breath. With each breath, see your inner sun glowing and growing, into a bright ball in the middle of your torso. That’s your personal power, your Yang lighting up. 

Keep focusing on it, feeling it expand and glow. Share it with the other beings in the forest. Say hello! They might say hello back!   

 

Me and My Solar Plexus: Journaling Prompts

When I experience overwhelm, unable to think, I find journaling a useful way to organize my thoughts and feels. Find a comfortable quiet place in which to write. Get out your favourite pens or colours. Make a cup of your fave bevvy, put on music or just enjoy the silence.

The prompts are organized into specific areas that can affect balance in your Solar Plexus. Take a prompt that resonates and write about it, in any way that feels right for you. Add pictures, draw, paint. However it works best for you, make it your own. 

After you have finished writing, breathe out all those feels, bless them and give them to the Earth to recycle. 

My Best Self

• Why is having an open and balanced solar plexus chakra important to me?

• What does an ordinary day as my most confident, joyful, positive self look like? How do I carry myself through the day? How do I treat others and myself? Write about this day in detail.

Healing the Victim Wound

• Where in my life do I feel like a victim?

• What part of me is feeling unable to be the author or my own life?

• What does that part of me need to feel capable and confident? What can I do to take care of that part of myself?

• How do I handle criticism? Do I hear it or do I slip into guilt, shame and blame? How can I support myself to handle criticism with grace and compassion?

Confidence

• When do I feel most confident?

• When do I feel least confident? How can I support myself and create more confidence in these situations?

• What does it mean to me to be a confident person?

• What is the source of my confidence? Does it come from external sources or from within?
  

Self-Love and Acceptance

• What positive inner qualities do you love about yourself? Why do you love these parts of yourself? 

• What positive outer qualities you love about yourself? Why do you love them? 

• Which of your negative inner qualities do you find challenging? Find the silver lining to them. What positive things have these qualities brought to your life? 

• Which of your negative outer qualities do you find challenging? Find the silver lining to them. What positive things have these qualities brought to your life? 

Self-Respect

• What does it mean to me to have self-respect? How do I show myself self-respect in my daily life?

• Describe yourself as if you were introducing yourself to a total stranger. List all the positive attributes that make you awesome.

• How would the people closest to me describe me? In their eyes, what makes me special?

• Describe one of the best compliments you’ve ever received and why it still makes you happy to this day. Why are you unconditionally worthy and deserving of this awesome compliment?

Joy

• What brings me joy in my daily life?

• How can I cultivate even more joy in my life?

• In what ways am I a driven and motivated person?

• List ten (or more) things that make you feel happy, fill your heart with joy, and/or make you feel important and needed.

Self-Empowerment 

• What does it mean to be empowered? In what ways am I an empowered person? In what ways do I empower others?

• On days when my self-esteem feels low, what self-care practices can I do to show myself love and lift myself up?

Walking your Truth

• What are my core values? Do my daily actions align with my core values?

• How do I express these values in my daily actions? Where am I not 

• Are there times I don’t speak my truth or compromise my values? In what situations do I avoid or tell a half—truth? What fears am I experiencing in these situations? What is the worst thing that could happen if I spoke my truth? What is the best thing that could happen?

• What can I do to support myself in these situations, so that I do not compromise my values or my truth. 

Self-Worth

• Finish this sentence: “I am worthy because . . .” Write at least ten reasons why you are infinitely worthy.

• Write a letter to your younger self. Fill it with compliments and love. Tell your younger self why they are always worthy. Boost your younger self’s self-esteem, give them confidence, and remind them to always act with self-respect.

Life Purpose

• Do I believe I can achieve my goals and dreams? If not, what’s holding me back?

• At this stage of my life, do I feel aligned with my purpose? Do my actions reflect my purpose, or do I feel a lack of purpose?

• Write a list of ten to fifteen positive affirmations about your ability to achieve your dreams. Repeat each affirmation twice.

• Make a list of things you love doing so much that you lose track of time while doing them. Can any of these point to your Life purpose? If so, how?

Free Lion Aromatherapy for the Solar Plexus—Citrus Cedarwood

I wanted an aroma blend that brings the power of the Sun into your day, no matter what the season. It had to be energizing yet grounding and supportive. The design process went smoothly, easily, no hiccups. And when I hit upon the final blend, I just knew, nudge from the Grandmothers knew, that it was right.

When I inhale Citrus Cedarwood, the overall sensation is a bright, wake-up feeling in my head, followed by an energy rush to my solar plexus. The prana holds there, bold as you please and then gradually travels into my Root Chakra and down my legs, grounding and stabilizing.

Citrus Cedarwood is a blend of Lemon, Sweet Orange, Lime, Pink Grapefruit, Juniper Berry, Frankincense and Cedarwood. Together, these oils create a blend that helps to balance and energize the solar plexus chakra, the center of personal power, self-esteem, and confidence. It grounds the self while clarifying your sense of direction and purpose. It’s a refreshing, invigorating walk through a Life well lived.

Lemon Oil is known for its uplifting and clarifying properties. It helps to clear mental fog and promotes a positive mindset, which can be crucial for those seeking to enhance their personal power and self-confidence. Its fresh scent can dispel feelings of doubt and encourage clarity of thought. 

Sweet Orange Oil brings a sense of joy and positivity. Its sweet, citrusy aroma is both calming and revitalizing, helping to release tension and stress. By fostering a cheerful and optimistic outlook, Sweet Orange Oil supports the solar plexus chakra in promoting self-assurance and inner strength.

Lime Oil offers a zesty, refreshing scent that can invigorate the senses and promote mental clarity. Lime oil is particularly effective in reducing feelings of apathy and lethargy, making it a powerful ally in activating and balancing the solar plexus chakra, which thrives on motivation and enthusiasm.

Pink Grapefruit Oil is known for its ability to elevate mood and revitalize the spirit. It stimulates the mind and body, enhancing feelings of vitality and well-being. This can be particularly beneficial for the solar plexus chakra, which is energized by a sense of dynamism and proactive engagement with life.

Juniper Berry Oil helps to detoxify and purify. It supports emotional balance and can help to release negative emotions and self-doubt, allowing the solar plexus chakra to shine with confidence and strength.

Frankincense Oil is grounding and meditative. It encourages deep introspection and spiritual connection, fostering a sense of peace and inner wisdom. This oil helps the solar plexus chakra by promoting a balanced sense of self and purpose.

Cedarwood Oil has a warm, woody aroma that is deeply grounding. It provides emotional strength and stability, helping to anchor the solar plexus chakra. By fostering a sense of inner security and resilience, Cedarwood Oil supports the development of a strong, confident self.

Citrus Cedarwood allows you harness the benefits of each oil to energize your Solar Plexus chakra and achieve a sense of grounding while elevating self-assurance and purpose.

Try Citrus Cedarwood in: 

Body Butter

Body Lotion

Our Scents for the Soul Collection which includes Scent oils for Uplit, Roll on Perfume, Spritz for Body and Linens

Shea Butter Soaps