Manipura chakra (navel)

August 23 2019 | Yoga philosophy

Location: lumbar.
Quality: rajasic (active, dynamic).
Element: fire.
Sense: visual.
Colour: blackish blue of the storm cloud.
Petals: ten.
Mantra: RAM.
Yantra: red triangle.

As per Gregor Maehle, Manipura chakra is very important for spiritual evolution. Kundalini (coiled life energy located at the base of the spine) becomes relatively stable here, in contrast to the two lower chakras, where it is unstable and one can easily regress.

Manipura is the seat of agni, the element of fire. Generally, agni occurs in the body in its impeded form, called pitta or metabolic fire. The yogi aims at converting it into elemental fire – the fire of intelligence, through various practices, e.g. Nauli, Kapalabhati, yogic meditation and study of sacred texts. If through pranic pressures (i.e. driving apana vayu, the vital downward current, upwards) Kundalini is raised to Manipura chakra, then it is mixed with agni. From here on, practice of raising Kundalini is called the path of fire and air (4^th heart chakra).

Manipura is also seen as seat of health and of medical knowledge. If agni is strong, many diseases can be neutralised, toxins destroyed and nutrients well absorbed.

The sense associated with Manipura is the visual sense. It is the fire chakra. Seeing relies on light for images to be conveyed via the retina to the brain. Any form of light is a form of controlled fire, this includes analytical intelligence as well.

The Manipura is the first rajasic chakra. Rajas is one of the three qualities (gunas) of prakrti (creation, nature) and it stands for frantic activity. Those ruled by Manipura are the movers and shakers of society. 

Manipura is sometimes called the power chakra. Of the two storehouses of prana (life energy), the solar storehouse is in Manipura. In kumbhaka (breath retention) prana is extracted from the retained air and stored in the Manipura. If you need to distribute prana to injured areas of the body, then do so during the exhalation and visualise this occurring from Manipura chakra. Solar prana equates with power that can be wielded externally, the power to express oneself, – this chakra has indeed a lot to do with the personal power.

Acquisition, accumulation and assimilation are the functions of Manipura chakra. This applies not only to food, but also to wealth, power, and most other things that can be assimilated, acquired and accumulated.

Manipura is linked to our primate brain. While Muladhara represents our reptilian brain circuitry and the Svadhishthana our mammalian brain, the Manipura opens us to more complex primate brain functions. Sales talk and linguistic skills, an aspect of leadership qualities, are also related to the Manipura. Great military, business and political leaders have strong solar prana and thus active Manipura chakra.

Failure to go beyond this chakra leads to defining oneself through one’s wealth and looking for profit and material advantage in all situations.

Gregor writes  that if humanity remains stuck at the level of Manipura, our industrial production facilities will destroy this planet (and us with it) by exhausting its resources and poisoning it. It is therefore, even from the point of view of survival, a must that our spiritual evolution progresses to the next chakra, the heart chakra.

Ways of activating Manipura and reducing the activity of blockages (Vishnu granthi) include Nauli, Uddiyana bandha, Bahya Uddiyana, Nadi Shodhana, Surya Bhedana. Another important technique is to meditate on this chakra exclusively while striking RAM mantra into it. As with all previous chakras, after activating it, the most important step is to go beyond it and on to the next one.

Namaste and a fruitful yoga practice! 

*All our Chakra posts are based on the insightful book of Gregor Maehle “Meditation”. It’s simply an extract of the invaluable knowledge and wisdom of Gregor’s book to help you better comprehend yogic meditation.