Download Lesson 3 Worksheet
Go to Lesson 4: 4th Chakra–Heart (Available February 4th)
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Transcript:
Welcome to today’s video on the 3rd chakra!
Do you sometimes find yourself overcommitting your time and energy to others? Have you lost yourself in the giving? What drives so many of us to give to others to the point of exhaustion? We’ll talk about these things as we explore the third chakra today.
The third chakra is also called the Solar Plexus Chakra. The spiritual truth associated with the 3rd chakra is, “I am enough. I am worthy. I respect and honor myself. I am confident. I am powerful.”
The color that supports us to balance our third chakra is YELLOW. Wearing yellow helps remind us that we are lights in the world and our light matters!
The thoughts and emotions associated with having an open third chakra – where energy is flowing freely – is that we have a strong and healthy sense of our power and use it for good in the world.
This healthy sense of self-confidence usually comes from growing up with or associating with others who offer genuine encouragement and support.
My mother-in-law, Martha, was always a great encourager of her children, and then of her grandchildren. She supported them in developing their interests and confidently taking their places in the world. I can still hear her saying to her young grandchildren, “You’re so smart!”
In medical school my friend and fellow student Barbara was a wonderful encourager. When times got tough (which they often do in medical school), Barbara would say with great enthusiasm, “We can do this, Tina!”
If the energy in our third chakra is flowing freely we can honestly say, “I trust in myself. I am my own best friend.”
This is also about self-integrity – the ability to accept responsibility for ourselves and our actions without shifting blame to others.
When the third chakra is open, we can listen to and nurture all aspects of ourselves. We make decisions with confidence that serve US and others well.
But what happens if I DON’T have that self-confidence? If I feel unworthy and basically powerless in the world? What does our life look like if our third chakra is blocked?
A lack of self-confidence can cause us to look to others for approval. We measure our self-worth by how much we do for others. Our unconscious thinking tells us, “we have to DO enough in order to BE enough.”
People with a closed third chakra tend to develop codependency tendencies. We help other people with the motivation of making ourselves feel needed and important.
Often as caregivers, teachers, nurses, and within our family roles we tend to get lost in the giving. We may overcommit to others, then feel like a victim. We may tend to get resentful and angry because we feel unappreciated. And the truth is that as long as we’re looking for the approval of others to affirm our self-worth, we’re never going to get enough. I am the only one that can accept and approve of myself to feel worthy.
The third chakra is located between the sternum and bellybutton. The corresponding physical organs of the third chakra include the adrenal glands, pancreas, liver, stomach, kidneys, and upper intestines.
Some of the possible physical conditions associated with this could be diabetes, adrenal fatigue, gastric ulcers, and eating disorders.
I’ve seen many clinical examples of people who have pushed themselves with “people pleasing” to the point of physical illness, most commonly adrenal fatigue. Whether it’s overworking in our jobs, or trying to be the perfect partner or parent, or overcommitting with volunteer work, we don’t realize how thinly we’re stretching ourselves until we have a health crisis.
That’s why it’s so important to get in touch with our true motivations for WHY we are doing things.
Now it’s time for our “Children of the Chakras” exercise. Let your child of the third chakra come out of the shadows and into the light. Receive her with love and gratitude. Let’s take a look at our worksheet.
Here are some tips and tools for self-nurturing because YOU DESERVE IT!
Essential oils that support us to balance our third chakra are lemon, rosemary, and grapefruit.
Often when our 3rd chakra is blocked it’s because of thoughts of unworthiness that can lead to feelings of suppressed anger and resentment. The first step to releasing those feelings is to OWN them.
What do I mean by that? Sometimes we BLAME others for the emotions we feel. No one, no matter how they have wronged us, can MAKE us feel angry. WE are in charge of how we feel. It’s important to FEEL the anger, but we must also take responsibility for it. That way we’re free to release it.
Do something physical to release that pent up energy. Punch a pillow or kick a ball or cry in the shower!
Since you may tend to be a giver, allow yourself to RECEIVE from others. Treat yourself to a massage or pedicure. Accept compliments from others freely and graciously. Let someone ELSE do the dishes after dinner for a change!
If you’d like to try it, you can add a little twist to your affirmation exercise. Write out your affirmations and leave them next to your mirror. Look yourself in the eye when you repeat the words and imagine that you’re talking to that child of the chakra who needs to hear these truths. Receive and internalize the words as though you WERE a child.
This might feel a little weird at first, but after you do it a few times you’ll get more comfortable with it and it’s really powerful.
“I am a smart person. I have a bright mind and I learn quickly and easily. I am worthy to be loved by God and others JUST AS I AM.”
Remember, these exercises are for YOUR happiness and health. The RESULT of feeling good is that you naturally spread good to others.
Next time we’ll explore our fourth chakra of SELF-LOVE.
