The third chakra also known as Manipura (lustrous gem in Sanskrit) is all about ‘personal power.’ When this area of the subtle body is in balance, we have good self-esteem; our personality is warm; we’re able to meet challenges; and we’re spontaneous, playful, or humorous. You might also think of it this way: You have agency or autonomy over your life’s direction (or not).
Excess
Domineering or controlling
Arrogance
Hyperactive
Need to be right or have last word
Manipulative or deceitful
Deficient
Low self-esteem
Passive
Victim mentality
Poor self-discipline
Easily manipulated
“To have shame as an identity is to believe that one’s being is flawed, that one is defective as a human being. Once shame is transformed into an identity, it becomes toxic and dehumanizing.” – John Bradshaw, p. 181
One of the ways our power is diminished is by feeling shameful about ourselves or a situation. We bring this up because infertility has the tendency to reinforce such feelings for ‘being defective’ or negatively evaluating ourselves. (Please note: we’re not trying to put words in your mouth. We’ve spoken to enough women to know this is a very common way to feel when trying to get pregnant.) Shame is a slippery slope that leads to compulsive repetition like comparing your symptoms to those on the pregnancy boards.
If this is registering with you, you might be wondering “how do I shift away from the deficient or excess modes of power?” We’ll cover that next week so check back then.
Source
Judith, Anodea. Eastern Body, Western Mind: Psychology and the Chakra System as a Path to the Self. Second ed., Random House, 2004.
