Om Yoga Magazine — February 2018

om spirit

Yoga therapist Sarah Swindlehurst continues a nine-month exploration of the chakras

NAME: Manipura (meaning ‘city of jewels’)

LOCATION: Solar plexus

COLOUR: Yellow

LOKA (Plane): Svarloka (‘heaven’, the

magnetic plane or aura)

TATTVA (Element): Fire: aiding

digestion/absorption of foods that

gives energy for survival

MANDALA: 10 petals, a circle within and a

triangular symbol within. The seed sound

symbol can be seen in the centre of the

mandala. The 10 petals represent the

frequency at which the chakra spins and

are said to be seen by clairvoyant vision –

each chakra spins faster the further up the

spine they are located. The circle represents

wholeness or totality and depicts the

principle of no beginning and no end (time).

The triangle shape indicates the movement

of energy downwards and symbolises a

dynamic activity and endurance here. From

this fiery centre, we can move in various

directions powerfully.

EXPLANATION:

This chakra impels a person’s ego to

develop and an overactive energy here

could bring a person to strive for their own

personal power and dominance, to the

detriment of others, even family and friends.

The lessons to be learnt at this centre are

one’s selfless service and dharma. Here, we

learn that we can use our skills learnt at

Chakras: an introduction

Part 4 of 9 - manipura chakra