How Trauma Affects Your Solar Plexus (And How to Reclaim Your Confidence)
Your Solar Plexus Chakra is your core of personal power, self-esteem, and drive. When it's balanced, you experience confidence, assertiveness, and the ability to move forward with purpose.
But when this energy center is disrupted, the impact on your daily life is significant. Feelings of inadequacy, constant self-doubt, and an inability to set clear boundaries can become common. These are strong indicators that your solar plexus is out of alignment.
What is the Solar Plexus Chakra?
In the simplest terms, your solar plexus chakra (or Manipura – pronounced "Mani-poo-ra") is your body's fiery center of personal power, willpower, self-esteem, and transformation. It's located in your upper abdomen, just above your navel, and it's associated with the element of fire and the color yellow. Think of it like your inner sun, radiating warmth, courage, and determination.
When this energy center is balanced, that inner sun shines brightly. You feel:
Confident: You trust your decisions and stand firm in your beliefs.
Empowered: You feel capable of taking action and achieving your goals.
Self-Assured: You have a strong sense of self-worth and don't rely on external validation.
Motivated: You have the drive and discipline to pursue what you want.
Energetic: You feel vital and full of life force.
But when it's out of balance, that fire can feel dim, flickering, or even like it's burning too intensely. It's tied to our early experiences of autonomy, control, and feeling capable in the world.
Honoring the Roots of the Solar Plexus (Manipura)
Just like the other chakras, the chakra system originates from ancient Indian spiritual traditions. The Solar Plexus Chakra, Manipura, is the third energy center in the body. Its Sanskrit name translates to "lustrous gem" or "city of jewels," reflecting its connection to inner light, strength, and brilliance. It represents our core identity, our ability to assert ourselves, and our relationship with personal power.
A healthy Manipura means feeling in control of your life, having strong boundaries, and possessing a healthy sense of self-worth. When it’s out of balance, that sense of inner strength can feel diminished or overwhelming.
When Your Inner Fire Flickers: Signs Your Solar Plexus Needs Support
Life happens, right? Past experiences of feeling powerless, overly controlled, criticism, or even significant life changes can impact your solar plexus chakra. When it's out of balance, you might experience:
Low Self-Esteem: Constant self-doubt, feeling "not good enough," or seeking approval from others.
Lack of Motivation/Indecision: Feeling stuck, unable to take action, or struggling to make choices.
Control Issues: Either feeling out of control or trying to over-control everything around you.
Digestive Issues: Since it's located in the stomach area, imbalances can sometimes manifest as digestive problems, anxiety, or nervous stomach.
Difficulty with Boundaries: Struggling to say "no," people-pleasing, or allowing others to dictate your choices.
This isn't about blaming yourself; it's about noticing where your natural power might be inhibited. Your body holds wisdom, and these feelings are often signals that something needs attention.
Reclaiming Your Power: Healing Your Solar Plexus Chakra
The beautiful thing about the solar plexus chakra is its inherent capacity for strength and resilience. Healing is always possible, and it starts with gently reigniting your inner fire.
Practice Healthy Assertion (With Support): Learning to express your needs, opinions, and boundaries firmly but kindly is crucial. If this feels scary or difficult, therapy (especially EMDR) can provide a safe space to practice and build confidence. It’s about finding your voice and using it effectively.
Engage in Empowering Activities: Do things that make you feel strong and capable. This could be physical exercise (especially core work, like planks or crunches), learning a new skill, setting small achievable goals, or even just decluttering a space. Focus on building competence and seeing your efforts pay off.
Cultivate Self-Compassion: Often, a wounded solar plexus means we're incredibly hard on yourself. Practice self-compassion by treating yourself with the same kindness and understanding you would offer a friend. Journaling about your strengths or daily affirmations can be helpful.
Conscious Decision-Making: Start with small decisions and build up. The act of making choices, even minor ones, helps rebuild your sense of autonomy and trust in your own judgment.
Reiki + Energy Healing for Empowerment: Just like with other chakras, energy healing practices can be a wonderful complement to therapy. When self-doubt or feelings of powerlessness feel overwhelming, gentle energy work like Reiki can help clear stagnant energy and invite a more vibrant, balanced flow within your energy system, supporting your natural capacity for confidence and inner strength.
EMDR for Processing Powerlessness: Sometimes, our feelings of disempowerment stem from past experiences where we truly felt helpless or our personal power was undermined. EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) is a powerful, research-backed therapy that can help your brain and body gently reprocess these experiences. By working through what's holding you back, EMDR can help release deep-seated feelings of inadequacy or fear, allowing for greater access to your natural resilience, confidence, and inner fire.
This month, we are thrilled to announce a special collaboration with our dear friend Edith Caballero at Lotus Love Box. Lotus Love Box is a Mental Health, Sobriety, and Self-Care Package company curated by Edith Caballero, LCSW, YT-200, Reiki II.
You deserve to feel powerful, confident, and fully aligned with your inner self. Healing your solar plexus chakra isn't about forcing strength, but about gently clearing the path for your natural well-being to shine through.
If you're feeling stuck in your personal power or self-esteem, remember you don't have to navigate it alone.
Curious about how therapy can support your journey? Ready to explore your inner landscape? Book a FREE consult for therapy here (FL, SC, & TN residents)
Curious about how therapy can support your journey? Ready to explore your inner landscape? Book a FREE consult for therapy here (FL, SC, & TN residents)
👋 Follow @holistictherapywithsabrina to learn more about EMDR, inner child healing, and embracing your authentic self, from a therapist who truly gets it.
🪷 Follow @lotuslovebox for more holistic gifts for mental health and sobriety. Each box is Reiki-infused and therapist-curated. Follow along for coping skills, humor, and healing tools.
About the author: Sabrina Cruz, LCSW, RYT-200 is a psychotherapist and yoga teacher who truly values holistic care. She supports women to break free from people-pleasing and unapologetically embody their light. HHWS specializes in people pleasing, anxiety, and childhood wounds to help you heal from trauma, reparent your inner child, and embrace your authentic self.
This blog post is for informational purposes only and does not substitute for mental health or medical advice. The Chakra System can be used an adjunctive to mental health therapy but not replace professional support.
Lotus Love Box Disclaimer: “These statements have not been evaluated by the FDA. My products or information are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. These statements are not meant to replace the advice of a healthcare professional. Do not rely on the information on our website as an alternative to medical advice from your doctor or other professional healthcare provider. If you may be suffering from any medical or mental health condition, you should seek immediate medical attention. You should never delay seeking medical advice, disregard medical advice or discontinue medical treatment because of information on our website.
Crystal: Using crystals or stones for healing is an alternative therapeutic technique that is used for alleviating conditions and protecting against disease. Using crystals for healing dates centuries back. Many believe that crystals act as conduits for healing — allowing positive, healing energy to flow into the body as negative, disease-causing energy flows out. Crystal healing is however considered a pseudoscience given that there is no evidence of crystals healing such conditions.
Please note that all crystal shapes and sizes are not the same. Crystal sizes range from 1 - 2 inches in length.”