10 Solar Plexus Chakra Yoga Poses (2024)

Are you feeling a lack of confidence or struggling with indecisiveness? Solar Plexus Chakra yoga poses could be just what you need to reinvigorate and empower your entire body and mind.

In this article, we’ve gathered 10 yoga poses specifically designed to stimulate the Solar Plexus Chakra. Whether you’re an experienced yogi or a newbie, these poses are accessible for all levels and will leave you feeling energized and balanced.

So roll out your mat, let’s explore these empowering asanas!

What is the Solar Plexus Chakra?

The Solar Plexus Chakra, also known as the Manipura Chakra, is located in your upper abdomen and is associated with self-esteem, confidence, and willpower. It is often thought of as one of the masculine chakras.

It is symbolized by a lotus flower with 10 petals, and the color yellow.

It’s considered the center of our personal power and plays a crucial role in how we view ourselves and the formation of our self identity.

When this chakra is unbalanced or blocked, you may experience feelings of low self-esteem, lack of motivation or direction and may struggle to make decisions.

How Can Yoga Help the Solar Plexus Chakra?

Yoga poses that activate and stimulate the Solar Plexus Chakra can help rebalance this energy center by increasing the flow of energy around it and releasing tension in the body which could be preventing the flow of energy around the body.

These poses often involve twisting postures which compresses or stretches the area where our Third Chakra is located (the abdomen) directing energy to this area. Poses such as Boat Pose and Cobra pose bring additional awareness to our bodies’ physical center while also activating internal organs such as liver and stomach.

These Solar Plexus Chakra poses can also boost your mental and emotional wellbeing. By rebalancing and energizing our Manipura we can experience greater self-assurance and clarity about our purpose in life.

Practicing yoga regularly can give us more energy and vitality, help us connect our mind and body more easily, and help us overcome negative emotions that could be impacting our chakra system.

10 Empowering Poses for Your Solar Plexus Chakra

Any yoga practice can have a positive impact on your body and mind, but we’ve chosen these poses in particular as they are focused on energizing the area where the Solar Plexus is located.

Navasana (Boat Pose)

Navasana, also known as Boat Pose, is a powerful yoga posture that activates the Solar Plexus Chakra. This pose strengthens your core muscles and can stimulate your digestive system while boosting your confidence and inner power.

To perform Navasana:

1. Sit on the mat with your legs extended in front of you.
2. Lean back slightly to raise your feet off the floor.
3. As you lift up, focus on engaging your abdominal muscles while keeping a straight spine and open chest.
4. Your arms should be extended parallel to the floor with palms facing down.
5. Hold this position for several breaths before slowly lowering back down to release tension and relax.

Navasana is an excellent pose for building self-esteem and empowering yourself from within.

When practiced regularly alongside other Solar Plexus chakra poses, it can help you feel more in control of yourself and take charge of any situation that comes your way by enabling you to tap into that powerhouse located just above the navel.

Phalakasana (Plank Pose)

One of the most effective yoga poses for stimulating the Solar Plexus Chakra is Phalakasana or Plank Pose. This pose is great for strengthening your core, improving posture and building upper body strength.

To perform Plank Pose:

1. Start in a tabletop position with your shoulders directly above your wrists and your hips over your knees.
2. Step both feet back until you are in a straight line from head to heel.
3. Make sure to engage your abs throughout the entire pose.
4. Keep your gaze forward to avoid strain on the neck muscles.
5. Hold this pose for 30-60 seconds, taking slow deep breaths.
6. As you inhale imagine drawing energy up from the earth; as you exhale imagine letting go of any tension around the Solar Plexus region.

If you’re a yoga newbie, you can also try performing a plank on your forearms rather than with your arms straight, as it’s a bit easier on your core and shoulders!

Matsyasana (Fish Pose)

Matsyasana, or the Fish Pose opens up this energy center by both stretching and compressing the area around your belly button.

To practice Matsyasana:

1. Lie on your back with your legs extended straight out in front of you.
2. Place your hands underneath your hips to support them as you lift your chest up off the ground.

Matsyasana helps to release any pent-up negativity, allowing us to embrace our own strengths and feel more confident in ourselves.

Additionally, practicing this pose regularly can aid digestion and support overall relaxation throughout the body.

Ustrasana (Camel Pose)

Ustrasana, or Camel Pose, is a powerful yoga posture that targets the core and energizes the Solar Plexus Chakra.

To perform Camel pose:

1. Kneel on your mat with your legs hip-width apart.
2. Place your hands on your lower back for support as you arch backward.
3. Focus on breathing deeply into the belly to activate the Solar Plexus Chakra.
4. As you inhale, visualize golden energy flowing into this area just above the navel, filling you with warmth and vitality.
5. Hold this pose for several deep breaths before slowly releasing back down onto your mat.

Ustrasana strengthens the abdominal muscles while opening up the front of the body, promoting greater self-confidence and personal power.

With consistent practice of Ustrasana and other chakra-balancing poses like it, you can strengthen your inner resolve and live from a place of greater authenticity in all areas of life.

Anjaneyasana (Crescent Pose / Low Lunge Pose)

Anjaneyasana, also known as Crescent Pose can encourage greater self-esteem and energy along with helping to improve flexibility and help with digestive issues.

To perform Crescent Pose:

1. Bring one foot forward and bend it, while extending the other leg behind you.
2. Keep your hands on your hips or reach them up towards the sky, creating a nice arch in your back.
3. As you hold this pose, focus on breathing deeply into your belly, allowing yourself to connect with your inner power and confidence.

Anjaneyasana stretches out hip flexors and quadriceps while strengthening glutes and thighs. It’s an empowering pose that encourages grounding through the legs combined with surrender through a heart-opening backbend.

Ardha Matsyendrasana (Half Lord of the Fishes Pose)

Ardha Matsyendrasana, also known as Half Lord of the Fishes Pose, is a twisting yoga posture that is excellent for stimulating the Solar Plexus Chakra.

To practice Ardha Matsyendrasana:

1. Sit on your mat with your legs straight out in front of you.
2. Bend your right knee and place your foot outside of your left thigh.
3. Bring your left foot next to your right hip.
4. Inhale as you lengthen through the crown of your head.
5. Exhale as you twist towards the right side by hooking your left elbow outside of low knee into a bind.
6. Take five deep breaths here before releasing gently.

This energizing pose promotes digestion and detoxification while toning the abdominal organs. At the same time, it helps to release tension in the hips, lower back, shoulders and neck. Ardha Matsyendrasana also increases flexibility and strengthens your spine.

Utkatasana (Chair Pose)

Integrating Utkatasana into regular yoga practice can help build strength in both the physical body and your internal energy centers. Utkatasana, also known as Chair Pose, is a powerful yoga pose that strengthens the Solar Plexus Chakra.

To perform Chair Pose:

1. Stand straight with your feet hip-width apart and your hands at heart center. Slowly lower your hips down towards the ground, as if sitting in an imaginary chair.
2. Keep your chest lifted and engage your core muscles to support yourself in this position.
3. As you hold Utkatasana, focus on breathing deeply into your belly to activate the Solar Plexus Chakra.
4. As you slowly rise up out of Chair Pose, visualize any feelings of doubt or fear being released from your body along with each exhale.

By tapping into the power of the third chakra through poses like Utkatasana, we can develop a greater sense of self-assurance and resilience in all aspects of life.

Because it’s a grounding and strengthening pose, Chair Pose is also very healing for our Root Chakra – have a look at our top 10 Root Chakra healing poses.

Bhujangasana (Cobra Pose)

Bhujangasana, also known as Cobra Pose, can help boost self-confidence and strengthen personal power by opening up the energy pathways that flow to and from the Solar Plexus Chakra.

To practice Cobra Pose:

1. Lie face down on your mat with your hands parallel to your shoulders.
2. As you inhale, gently lift your chest off the ground while keeping your elbows tucked in close to the sides of your body.
3. Imagine that you’re lifting from the center of the spine rather than using just the top of your back.
4. Hold this pose for several deep breaths before exhaling and releasing yourself back down onto the mat.

Cobra is a gentle yet effective way to create space within our bodies and minds to connect with our inner strength and feel more empowered overall.

When combined with mindful breathing techniques such as Nadi Shuddhi, Bhujangasana can become an even more transformative practice for balancing not only the Solar Plexus but other areas of chakra imbalance as well.

Adho Mukha Svanasana (Dolphin Pose)

Adho Mukha Svanasana, or Dolphin Pose is not only beneficial for the Solar Plexus Chakra but it is also said to activate the Sacral Chakra (Svadhisthana Chakra) in the lower abdomen.

To practice Dolphin Pose:

1. Start in a tabletop position with your hands and knees on the ground.
2. Walk your hands forward about a handprint length away from where they were.
3. Tuck your toes under and lift your hips up to create an inverted V-shape with your body.
4. As you breathe deeply into this pose, visualize golden light radiating from within – igniting the creativity, power, and confidence that resides within this third chakra point
5. Hold for five to ten deep breaths before moving onto another Solar Plexus Chakra activating posture like Boat Pose.

In Dolphin Pose, you’ll feel a stretch through the back of your legs as well as strengthening in your shoulders and arms. The elongated spine creates space for deeper breaths which can assist in releasing any tension held within this energy center.

Check out our 7 yoga poses for the Sacral Chakra.

Adho Mukha Svanasana (Downward-Facing Dog)

Adho Mukha Svanasana, also known as Downward-Facing Dog, is a powerful yoga pose which when regularly practiced will give you strength and stability.

To perform Downward-Facing Dog:

1. Begin on your hands and knees with wrists directly below shoulders and knees below hips.
2. On an exhale, lift your hips up towards the ceiling while straightening your arms and legs until you resemble an inverted “V” shape.
3. For maximum benefit hold for 5-10 breaths before coming back down to rest in Child’s Pose or transitioning to another asana.

This pose strengthens the core muscles while stretching out hamstrings, calves, and spine. It also helps to improve circulation by sending blood flow towards the head which can relieve stress in both body and mind.

Other Solar Plexus Chakra Healing Tools

Yoga is a practice which works well with other chakra healing practices, so why not try the following combinations to supercharge your Solar Plexus balancing:

Meditation

At the end of your yoga sequence, make the most of the peace and clarity you have gained and meditate for a few moments. Some people like to focus on the color yellow (the color associated with this chakra).

Visualize a bright yellow light radiating from your Solar Plexus area and filling your body with warmth and positivity, to help activate and balance this chakra.

If you struggle to keep your mind from wandering then you might benefit from candle meditation which involves watching a burning candle flame to focus the mind.

Learn about candle meditation techniques.

Affirmations

Another useful way to heal the Solar Plexus Chakra is through the use of affirmations. Repeat positive statements such as “I trust my intuition” or “I am worthy of love and respect” to yourself at the end of your yoga practice.

Performing affirmations when your mind is at ease after yoga will help these words to sink into your psyche and shift negative self-talk patterns.

Have a look at our 50 Solar Plexus Chakra Affirmations to Boost Positivity and Self-Esteem.

Essential Oils

Using essential oils such as lemongrass, rosemary or jasmine can also boost the energy flow to your Solar Plexus. Add a couple of drops of these invigorating scents to an oil burner while you practice yoga, or apply an aromatic blend to the skin to help you connect with your Manipura as you move through the yoga sequence.

Time to Get Moving

Yoga has a tonne of benefits not just for our physical body and mind but also our energetic body. And combining your practice with other chakra healing techniques such as aromatherapy will not only make the experience more enjoyable but it can also help you connect with your Solar Plexus on a deeper level – so why not give it a go today.