Hello Spiritual Warriors, & welcome to this edition of The Source dedicated to the inner fire within each of us.
Our AGNI – our personal digestive fire is the source of our energy, our creativity and our sense of personal power. It is the spark of life that ignites our will to act and transform the raw materials of our dreams and desires into tangible form. In the ancient traditions of Vedanta, Ayurveda and yoga, this inner fire is said to reside in the solar plexus.
[Tweet “Shine your light & awaken your manipura davidji.com”]
Anatomically, the solar plexus is right in the middle of your chest right below your breast bone… below where your ribs connect, it is the largest autonomic nerve center in our abdominal cavity, and through its branches it controls many vital functions such as adrenal secretion, and intestinal contraction. Energetically, the solar plexus is closer to your belly button, essentially in the pit of your stomach. To find your energetic solar plexus, place your hand on the part of your stomach or your chest where you feel desire, will, belonging, following through, getting it done.
That is known as the area of our third energy center, or chakra. The third chakra is known as the manipura, which means city of jewels. The manipura chakra is depicted as a brilliant yellow lotus flower with ten petals radiating from its center. We can think of the third chakra as a shining yellow sun radiating from the center of your body, transforming matter into energy and giving us light and warmth. The mantra, or sound vibration that corresponds to the third chakras is RAAM… and we can repeat this ancient vibration to awaken the subtle energy of the chakra.
Let’s do it right now… wherever you are, let’s awaken this transformation center… take a deep breath in & chant RAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAM.
When the inner fire of the manipura chakra is weak, or blocked, we may feel tired, frustrated and withdrawn, or scared to take risks and confront people or issues, we don’t have enough energy to plant and nourish the seeds of our intentions and desires, so they are unable to germinate and flourish. According to the ancient teachings, the third chakra is associated with the pancreas and adrenal glands and governs metabolism on the physical level when our inner fires are weak, you may experience digestive problems, hypoglycemia, diabetes, ulcers and addictions to stimulants such as caffeine. More importantly, the manipura chakra is the chakra of getting it done. It is the sun that shines from within you, to transform and metabolize your life.
This week, let’s focus on strengthening the power of our manipura chakra. Nourishing that inner fire that burns away whatever is no longer serving us including limiting beliefs, ideas and memories. You can chant RAAAAAAAAAAM regularly to awaken the third chakra so that your life energy can flow freely and you can experience the joyful energy that fuels all of your intentions and helps you realize your deepest dreams and desires.
So, let’s get started.
Begin by finding a quiet place where you won’t be disturbed. Sit comfortably. Close your eyes, and for just these few moments, gently let go of all of your thoughts of the outside world. Soften your eyes, release any tension from your jaw and let your shoulders relax.
Take a few deep breaths. Inhale deeply. And exhale slowly.
Allow yourself to deepen into the stillness.
Take a moment to adjust your body seeing if you can become just a little bit more comfortable.
Now scan your body, starting at your toes. Move that awareness from your toes through your entire body, to the crown of your head.
Let’s slowly, with our eyes closed, move our awareness through our physical body. As you move through your toes, your ankles, your calves, your knees, your thighs, your hips.
Don’t obsess over any constrictions, tightness, discomfort or blockage. Just keep moving through, move from your hips up into your belly, and listen. Any constrictions?
Feel…any tightness in your chest…become aware of any discomfort in your heart, and keep doing that scan. Moving moving moving upward towards the crown of your head. And as you notice any constrictions, simply breathe into it, and slowly exhale. Feel it open even just a little bit more and then continue the scan. When you’ve gotten to the crown of your head, just raise your arms to the sky and let whatever tightness constriction remains to flow out of you.
And now visualize a beautiful golden light filling the area of your solar plexus, you can place your right hand to that spot and cover your right hand with your left hand to feel the solar plexus.
And now take a deep breath and on the exhalation say
RAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAM
Let’s try that again:
RAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAM
Feel the sound vibration and notice the energy flowing effortlessly through your body, radiant light and warmth into the universe beyond, continue breathing deeply and repeat the sound RAAM on each exhalation until you feel infused with the feeling of strength and possibility.
Let’s begin, take a deep breath in
RAAAAAAAAAAAAAM
RAAAAAAAAAAAAAM
RAAAAAAAAAAAAAM
RAAAAAAAAAAAAAM
Feel that manipura chakra electrified, awakened and livened. If it hasn’t happened yet, simply continue to chant that rom. Inhale deeply and exhale RAAM.
You don’t have to say it or chant it, just speak it, say it, give yourself permission to awaken the fire that is within.
Now that you enlivened the chakra with this visualization and the repetition of RAAM, let’s focus on something you want to create in your life. The manipura chakra is the chakra of desire, intention, will, and destiny.
So now let’s plant the seed, plant the intention, plant the desire in this radiant sun, don’t bury it, plant it. So often we bury things within us that we should have planted, the difference between burying and planting is the expectation, the intention. So let’s plant a seed that is pregnant with possibility that will lead to the birth of something new in our lives. Call that long lost friend, forgive a parent, forgive a child, forgive a spouse, forgive an ex, forgive yourself, smile on someone, text someone you are struggling with, meet someone for breakfast, write on someone’s Facebook wall, treat someone to lunch, send this meditation to someone struggling, open a savings account, buy something, buy someone a book that moved you, hug someone you haven’t been close to, pet a dog, laugh out loud where ever you are, let go of something you’ve been clinging to, watch a sunset, watch a sunrise, meditate with a friend, hold someone’s hand, go to that yoga class you’ve been wanting to attend, pick up a piece of trash that you came across, give a homeless person a gift, buy a co-worker a cup of tea, smell a flower, hug a tree, rescue an animal then adopt it as a pet, stand in the rain, go to bed early, eat healthy for a week, light a candle for someone who has passed on, smile at the world today, let go of something that is limiting you, embrace your birth today as you transform yourself from the radiant sun that is in your belly.
We transform by transforming ourselves, so feel the light of transformation pouring out from your manipura chakra as it shines on everyone you come in contact with today. Feel the glow. Feel that surya, that sun, feel the Agni, the fire of transformation. Feel your golden self and know that you are not in the universe, the universe is in you, pregnant with possibilities, with pure potentiality, arising from the seed of transformation and fueled by that ever radiating sun in your solar plexus.
Use this Agni meditation whenever you want to birth a new idea, a new intention, a new you.
Sending you love, light and sweet intentions from the SweetSpot of the universe, and I’ll see you in the gap!
Peace. -d
