I Feel Angry!

Everyone feels angry sometimes!  Did you know that our anger manifests in our solar plexus chakra, the Manipura?  The Manipura, our third chakra, develops around 18 months to 4 years old.  It is associated with the color yellow and represents the element of fire. It is where our Ego Identity lives.  Our solar plexus contains our self-esteem, power, will, and energy.  Our Solar Plexus allows us to be an individual and possess autonomy. 

If our Manipura is excessive, we may be aggressive, dominating, controlling.  We feel the need to be right. We may experience temper tantrums or emotional outbursts.

If our Manipura is deficient, our energy is low, we are easily manipulated, have low self-esteem.  We experience the victim archetype, we blame others for our problems.  We can be passive, unreliable and experience low-digestion and weight gain. In “Eastern Body Western Mind” Anodea Judith tells us, “Blocked anger is often a factor in obesity…something is preventing the matter consumed as food from turning into energy.”

We all want to have energy, positive self-esteem and a healthy will.  So how can we bring our manipura into balance? Here are three steps to get you started.

1. Notice.  While noticing seems easy, we can all think of a time when we let our anger get the best of us.  Noticing can be difficult, but in the time it takes you to notice, you have created space between the scenario and your response or reaction.

2. Breathe. Take a deep breath in trying to send breath to your belly, where your solar plexus resides, exhale fully and completely.  You have just created more space between the scenario and your reaction or response and you have sent balancing life-force energy to your solar plexus.

3. Decide. You’ve noticed the anger, you’ve taken a deep breath into your solar plexus, now it’s time to decide.  What are you going to do with this emotion?  Stuff it down?  Let it explode out of us?  Or can we find a way to honor and release the anger in a healthy expression?

Taking the time to notice, take a deep breath and decide has taken you 5-10 seconds.  You have created enough space to make a thoughtful choice.  I've created a practice to help you or your child(ren) release some anger healthily. This 5-minute, noisy practice is fun at any age. Notice any sensations in your stomach, or Solar Plexus, after the practice. Enjoy!

Namaste.