The Mystery of the Solar Plexus

For many years I have seen various charts and books written on the subject of the chakras. There seems to be some general confusion as to the location and spiritual function of the solar plexus. I have seen some charts put its location as low in the body as the navel, or as high as the heart. Its actual physical center is near the end of the sternum.

Like its physical location, the energetic character of the solar plexus also seems a little confusing to many authors and teachers. Some describe its nature as identical to the lower sub chakras of the belly, e.g., will, action, centeredness. At least one school teaches that it controls the sense of the passage of time, which one can see is related to the concept of action. I believe that the confusion over its energetic function has two explanations.

First, is the confused, contradictory, and sometimes arbitrary placement of its location. If it is placed in the location of other known sub-chakras of the third chakra, it takes on the characteristics of that particular energetic “neighborhood.” This confusion might be due to the repetition of ancient disinformation, problems with the translation of texts into English, or it could just be due to ignorance and dogmatism.

While this first rationale relates to an apparently long standing historical confusion, explication number two is: The energetic nature of the solar plexus is changing as we evolve! I have invested quite a bit of time over the last few years meditating on the sensations and qualities of the solar plexus. I have also closely observed its activity in others who are on a path of awakening and I have come to see that the solar plexus is the energetic and somatic frontier in our evolutionary process. If you can perceive it, its essence is dynamic, ever changing, questing, and persistent.

Let me say that it is demonstrably so that, as long as we are incarnate in a physical form, all truth will have its roots in the body. We may lie with our words and thoughts, we may be deceived by our perceptions, by our minds, but the body never lies! It does not know how to. The ultimate truth of our human experience and the fruits of our actions will always be revealed in the body. Sensations, body language, physiologic processes, all are part of the somatic code that can lead us to awakening and understanding. It needs but to be deciphered. The codex is obtained through the practices of receptivity, attention, and silence. Read more at www.inner-tranquility.com/the-3rd-chakra-and-the-spiritual-purpose-of-power © 2008 Keith E. Hall & www.inner-tranquility.com All rights reserved.

Author's Bio: 

Rev. Keith Hall has taught Tai Chi, Qigong, Tantra, & body / mind modalities for 30 years & is a senior student of Prof. Yung-ko Chou, with permission to teach. He has studied at East West Schools across the world & with Dhyanyogi Madhusudandas, S. Saraswati & others. He practices Bioenergetics, Bagua, Tumo, Vipassana, Zen, Spiritual Bodywork, various Yogas, & other East West disciplines. He has published articles on Tantra & Taoist arts in numerous journals & is the Founder of Jade Garden Tantra, 10 Minutes to a Healthier You! Tantric QigongSM, PresencingSM for Emotional Freedom and Enlightenment, and www.Inner-Tranquility.com