Manipura: Find Your Inner Fire Power this Summer

The sun smiles down on Mother Earth and softly embraces our hemisphere with abundant beauty and warmth. As we celebrate the beginning of the summer solstice, we begin to experience the heat of the season as it sets in for the next few months. Summertime serves as the perfect opportunity to ignite your practice as you enjoy longer, warmer days. There’s no better time to channel the fiery power of your Manipura or Navel Chakra.

Ignite Your Manipura Chakra
The manipura chakra resides in the upper part of the belly or your core. An imbalanced chakra begins with feelings of fatigue and lethargy, and you might find that you have less energy than normal. A weakened, less powerful core can lead to physical problems such as poor posture, low back pain and muscle injuries. If this is the case, there are a few easy ways to rebalance your manipura chakra and spark your inner fire power once again.

Take Your Meditation Outside: Find peace of mind by taking your meditation outside while you restore your body. The heat from the sun, along with the gentleness of nature, will help you regain balance.

Walk in the Sunshine: Allow time for your body to soak in some warm rays and Vitamin D while you move is a great way to harness energy in your manipura chakra. Gentle exercise will fuel the strength nestled within you and rejuvenate your body.

Enhance Your Inner Strength in Your Yoga Practice
Try incorporating these poses into your practice to feel your healthiest and strongest.

Your core muscles will ignite in Warrior Pose, or Virabhadrasana. As your legs stretch in this wide stance, your core needs energy to work and stabilize. From high lunge, engage your leg muscles by grounding your feet into your mat. As you inhale, bring your arms up so that your shoulders are square and arms are parallel. This pose improves circulation and respiration and will energize your entire body.

Feel an explosion of heat in Tiger Curl, also known as Phalakasana Variation Knee to Nose. Start in Downward-Facing Dog. Extend your right leg high, and on the exhale, shift forward bringing your right knee to your nose. Round your upper back and lift your navel towards your spine while you hug your knee in.

You can enhance your manipura chakra outdoors or in your favorite yoga class. Whatever you choose, fuel the fire within and feel stronger than ever!