Chakras of sensuality and self-esteem

The Digestive System organs are in the second and third chakras. The second chakra (Sacral Chakra), the center for creativity and sensuality, explains part of why emotions can be affected by digestion. The third chakra (Solar Plexus Chakra), the center of self-esteem, explains why self-confidence can be affected by negative digestion—anger and manipulative emotions arise when this system is not in balance.

Anger, manipulative behaviors arise with digestive imbalance

Muscle malfunction centered around the third chakra and Digestive System points to hypoglycemia and other digestive disorders. My third chakra of self-esteem needs to perform. I exhibited this more fiercely when I began Mysore yoga as I was guided by my ego to overcome insecurities in this chakra, as it's about transformation and using the internal fire, just as the Digestive System.

Located in the solar plexus, it’s the source of the "butterfly feelings" when I’m feeling nervous, heightening sensitivities, which routes back to the Autonomic Nervous System, sympathetic in particular.

“When we are grounded, this stimulation can be empowering and vitalizing. Without grounding, we may get a flurry of undirected energy.” (Source: Wheels of Life, Chakra 3 chapter)

Personal power comes from your gut

The third chakra and its connection to personal power intrigue me. Developing power within is also dependent upon the upper chakras—5th communication, 6th intuition, 7th spirit connection—but it should not be at the expense of the lower chakras—1st survival, 2nd creativity, 3rd self-esteem. My power comes from within my guts, visions, creativity and intelligence.

“I access the power of a will by how much resistance, pain, torture it endures and knows how to turn to its advantage.” ~Friedrich Neitzche

I must first overcome inertia (meditation-in-motion yoga)—and I feel this empowerment once I’m in the middle of my yoga practice, having gone through the physically challenging part. There I am able to give up feeling like a victim to anything at all, moving past sensitivity toward criticism. This becomes healing and grounding. It’s also a good way to release blocked anger through love and laughter.

Toward the first couple months into my Mysore practice in the Ashtanga Primary Series—going every day—I developed pain in my sacrum. This was an eye-opener to the fact that my 18 years of yoga beforehand were not a good warmup for daily Mysore. It identified a bad physical pattern I had with my yoga, which was illuminated by doing the same thing every day. The explanation: I was not doing the internal rotation on many of my yoga poses correctly. A digestive issue developed soon after. This sacral pain was connected to my lower chakras. My fear, creativity and self-esteem were in havoc…

Surrender to yourself

To get over this, I had to surrender to myself. I remembered that sometimes when I give something in my life too much attention, it gets worse. I told myself that my practice needs to be about my subtle body now, not physical. That is how I healed myself, together with the internal rotation correction, on repeat. My sacrum pain went away and my digestion was cured too (still practicing yoga every day)—it took approximately 2 months.