How balancing your solar plexus chakra can improve gut health

Looking for a holistic approach to gut health? Here we explore how the spiritual system of chakras might influence our health and how our solar plexus chakra could impact digestion.

What are chakras?

Human beings are believed by some to contain seven chakras; ‘wheels’ or centres that help to distribute and regulate energy. The chakra system is thought to support the immune system, encourage steady blood flow to our organs, and healthy management of stress and emotional turmoil. 

Each chakra has its own role and responsibility within the body. These are:

• Root (Muladhara): strength, stability and security
• Sacral (Swadhisthana): sexuality and creativity
• Solar Plexus (Manipura): inner power and vitality
• Heart (Anahata): love, compassion and emotional acknowledgement
• Throat (Vishuddhi): communication and sense of self
• Third eye (Ajna): an all-seeing eye for intuition and decision-making
• Crown (Sahasrara): spiritual connection and well-being

When there are imbalances in the body's energy centres, negative energy may become stored in the chakra, and the repercussions are thought to be felt within the physical body. The chakras are connected to the major nerve plexus, which is why emotions and feelings are often felt as physical pain or discomfort.

We’re going to look at the role of the chakra responsible for digestion, which is often offset by a number of things, not just the food we eat, but difficult emotions and stress. When it comes to supporting your digestion with a holistic approach, it’s helpful to acknowledge the whole body.

Which chakra is related to the digestive system? 

Located just under the breastbone, above the navel, the solar plexus chakra (also known as Manipura) is thought to be responsible for optimum digestive functioning and keeping the digestive fire stimulated.

If you struggle with digestive issues such as irritable bowel syndrome, constipation, diarrhea, acid reflux or regular stomach aches, it’s likely you have a blockage of negative energy in the solar plexus.

Thimela Garcia, a Kundalini Yoga teacher and holistic practitioner, explains the importance of a balanced solar plexus. “This chakra has the responsibility to control and balance the energy within our bodies and as the seat of the digestive system, the chakra also oversees and regulates the functions of the organs involved in the digestion process; stomach, pancreas, gallbladder, small intestine and liver. When our solar plexus is off-balance, we experience physical and emotional ailments that can manifest from mild to more serious problems in our bodies.”

“The solar plexus chakra is governed by the element fire and it is represented by the colour yellow due to its association with heat and the sun. It acts like a magnet that absorbs Prana (energy) from the sun which is then processed by this chakra and distributed around the body.”

How to balance your solar plexus for better digestion 

To support a balanced chakra and healthy digestive system, Thimela says it’s all about awareness. “Primarily, we should bring awareness to this energy centre. We should notice how we feel emotionally and physically in this area, and focus on the type of food we are consuming as that is an important source of energy.

"Our food should be nourishing, natural, fresh and less processed. Practising purifying and cleansing breathing exercises regularly such as Kapalbhati, Bhastrika and belly breathing are highly recommended due to their immediate results. Yoga poses that stimulate the Solar Plexus chakra, alongside regular chakra meditation, can keep a good flow of Prana on this chakra and therefore a good digestive system and overall good health.”

Breathing techniques like the ones Thimela mentions here can help us to reduce overall stress. Stress has been shown to impact our digestion negatively, so anything we can do to lower stress levels can help. Yoga can relieve stress too, as well as improve blood flow within the digestive system.

Try the meditation below to help you find calm and reduce stress.

Holistic tips to promote gut health

In Ayurveda (an ancient Indian holistic medicinal system) Agni, which translates to 'fire', represents your digestive enzymes and is thought to be key to healthy digestion. Agni is located in the solar plexus chakra and you can manage any Agni imbalances by trying the following:

• Remove ice from your diet and drink water/beverages at room temperature.
• Increase your consumption of yellow foods such as peppers, cheese, sunflower seeds, pineapple and banana. 
• Sip Aloe Vera juice, known for its anti-inflammatory properties. 
• Apply natural essential oils to your stomach and massage gently. Use eucalyptus to activate the solar plexus, or helichrysum to calm it down.
• Use ginger, turmeric and cinnamon in cooking to aid digestive enzymes.
• Sip chamomile tea, known for its antioxidant properties. 
• Practise simple yoga poses including ‘downward-facing dog’, ‘cat-cow’ and ‘corpse pose’.

“A healthy solar plexus not only means that we are able to process our food to get the necessary energy we need to live a happy and healthy life, but it also means that we are able to process challenging situations in our lives with ease and confidence, absorbing and learning from those experiences and releasing what no longer serves us,” says Thimela.

If you would like to work with a therapist to understand your body better and have guidance making these changes, use our advanced search tool to find a nutrition professional, using the keywords ‘chakra’ and ‘Ayurveda’.