Yoga For Solar Plexus: Focus On Building Self Confidence

Chair yoga can be a great way to check in with how we are feeling on any given day or moment. We can do a quick chair yoga sequence anytime we need to reset, boost our energy, relieve tension, or just elevate our mood. We continue our exploration of the Chakras with an introduction to the Solar Plexus. If you are interested in a short chair yoga sequence with a focus on the Solar Plexus and engaging the core, take a look here: Chair Yoga For Solar Plexus

The Solar Plexus Chakra is the third of the seven main Chakras- the third Chakra is located in the area of the navel. In Sanskrit it is -Manipura- meaning “lustrous gem”. It is associated with the color yellow and the element of fire. It represents confidence, self-esteem, and personal power. If you would like some more information, take a look here.  

If you are interested in starting at the beginning, we began with an introduction to the Root Chakra. Here, we focused on grounding. The second Chakra- The Sacral Chakra- had us focused on our creativity. Here, we will continue on with the Sacral Plexus Chakra and focus a bit on our self confidence. 

We often talk of connecting to our center in yoga- moving from our center and core connection are often phrases that make frequent appearances. In terms of functional mobility, having a strong core enables our limbs to move more efficiently and with more power. Take a look here if you want some more information on Chair Yoga And The Core.

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Ultimately, when we feel stronger- we feel more confident. This confidence can be represented in multiple ways and can have a snowball effect. For instance, when we feel stronger we may have less fear of falling. Less fear of falling leads us to be more active. Being more active makes us feel better. When we feel better, we have more joy in our lives….. and so on! Keep reading for 5 simple actions that we can take to help us improve our confidence. Or, you may be interested in taking a look at this article about increasing our emotional health.

5 Quick Tips To Help Increase Our Self Confidence

1. Exercise Regularly

Regular exercise can be a great way to improve our self confidence and personal power. Feeling strong in our daily movements and having the energy to accomplish what we want to accomplish goes a long way toward how we feel about ourselves. Exercise comes in many forms. Pick something you like and don’t be afraid to mix it up. It does not have to be complicated. You can get started with some daily breathing exercises, or just simply start a routine of taking 3 deep breaths everyday.

A quick chair yoga sequence added to your daily routine can also be a great place to start. If you are not sure where to begin, check in with your healthcare provider to help you get started on the right track and see what may be right for you. You can get started right now with this short deep breathing exercise from Silver Sneakers: Deep Breathing Exercise.

2. Improve Your Posture

You may have read about the power posture before, but how we sit and stand can have a big impact on how we feel- and not just from a psychological standpoint. When we have better posture we breathe better and when we breathe better we help all of the systems in the body be more efficient- and the snowball effect begins:

Feel better- move more- move more- get and feel stronger- do more- have more confidence- I could keep going but I’m sure that you get the picture. You can get started by simply checking in with your posture right now and see if you need to make any adjustments. We do not have to fix everything all at once. Just like in yoga, we can start with the breath and some awareness. Then, we can make adjustments from there. 

If you would like some more resources, you may be interested in reading 5 Standing Exercises for when you have been sitting too long. Or these 5 Chair Yoga Poses For The Core to help you get started. You can also give this short Chair Yoga Posture Reset sequence a try.

3. Positive Thinking

Replace negative self-talk with words of positivity. Negativity attracts more negativity. Putting out positive energy should start with ourselves. This may be difficult for some of us- but we can try starting our day by saying something positive about ourselves (or about anything really). Try it every day for a month and see how you feel. Take a look here if you are interested in reading more about this powerful tool: Positive Daily Affirmations: Is There Science Behind It?

I also love these simple affirmation cards: 52 Positive Affirmation Cards

4. Increase Your Knowledge

Learn or study about something new or something you would like to be better at. This could be anything- big or small. Is there something that you always wanted to learn how to do? Is there something you want to learn more about? Then, if you wish, share that knowledge with someone else. Check out your local community colleges, libraries, or senior centers for programs in your area. Or, if  you are interested in something you can do right at home, check out Udemy for a multitude of classes on many different topics. These are self paced classes that you can do right from home. Or, if you have something in mind, you can do a quick search on YouTube and find a free tutorial on just about anything!

5. Set Small Goals

Nothing derails progress more than becoming overwhelmed and feeling like we have failed before we have even begun. With any goal, start small with short term goals that lead you to your long term goal. There are many tools out there that can help you with habit tracking and planning. If you like to make lists and like to have a visual of your daily and weekly goals, this type of planner notepad may work for you. Or this simple To Do List Notebook is great for taking on the go.

Or you can print out this simple To Do List to help you get started :Simple To-Do List

You can also take a look at Goal Setting And Planning. Here, we talk about how yoga can help us with reaching our goals. We also have 10 simple tips to help us with our goal planning. If you are interested, there is also a chair yoga video with poses that focus on increasing our strength and confidence.

I hope that you found something here that can help you on your way to increasing that wonderful self confidence. or at the very least gave you something to think about. For more chair yoga poses, keep reading for more yoga for Solar Plexus Chakra. You can practice them individually or put them together for a quick chair yoga sequence. Or, scroll to the end if you would like to follow along to a short chair yoga sequence that will help ignite the core and self confidence.

Yoga for Solar Plexus Chakra: 3 Chair Yoga Poses

We will focus our chair yoga for solar plexus on 3 moves that focus on the core. Remember to always meet yourself where you are today, never force or strain- the breath always comes first. We start with the Chair Pose/Hip Hinge. We have talked about this pose many times- but it is a highly functional pose. It also has many variations to choose from – all of which will serve to ignite the core. We add onto the Chair Pose with a Downward Facing Dog variation to really ignite the self confidence. Finally, we practice a Boat Pose variation.

For all poses begin in Mountain Pose- take a look at Is Chair Yoga Right for You if you are new to chair yoga. Remember that the repetitions are only suggestions. Try one or two, or give all three a try! Always consult your healthcare provider before starting this or any exercise program. Remember to always stop immediately if you experience pain, shortness of breath, or dizziness and never force or strain any movements.

Here are some suggested mantras to help boost our self confidence:

I am brave and powerful

I am in control of my life

I face my challenges calmly

1. Hip Hinge/Chair Pose Variation

• Begin seated upright with a long spine. 
• Ground down through both feet evenly to stabilize and to bring awareness to the core.
• Place your hands at your hip creases (where your trunk meets the thighs).
• Inhale as you lengthen the spine.
• Exhale as you hinge forward at your hips (not the waist) (only go as far as is comfortable- it may be 1-2 inches).
• Take 2-3 breaths here as you engage the core- keep the chest broad and the shoulders down
• On an exhale, hinge at the hips and return to center.
• Repeat 2-3 times or as desired.

Optional Variation-With the thumbs facing up, raise the arms forward and up toward the sky. The head and neck remain neutral. Take 2-3 breaths here. On an exhale release the arms back down, hinge at the hips, and return to center. Repeat 2-3 times or as desired.

2. Downward Facing Dog Variation

• Begin seated in Mountain Pose with a long spine.
• Arms are by your sides with the palms facing toward the body.
• Ground down through both feet evenly to stabilize and to bring awareness to the core, inhale to lengthen the spine.
• Exhale as you hinge forward at your hips (not the waist)- only go much as it is comfortable, it may be 1-2 inches.
• Inhale as you raise both arms forward and up towards the sky.
• Exhale as you rotate the shoulders to face the palms down and extend the wrists (fingers face toward the face).
• Stay here for 2-3 breaths or as desired.
• Exhale to release the arms back down and hinge at the hip creases to return to neutral.
• Repeat 2-3 times or as desired.  

Optional Variation-You may choose to extend one or both knees as you rest the heels on the ground

3. Boat Pose Variation

• Begin seated in Mountain Pose with a long spine.
• Ground down through both feet evenly to stabilize and to bring awareness to the core- place your hands at your hip creases.
• Inhale as you lengthen the spine.
• Exhale as you hinge backward at your hips (think opposite of Chair Pose)- only go as much as is comfortable, it may be an inch or two.
• Engage the core here as you think of bringing the back body to meet the front body- spine stays long.
• Keep the shoulders down and the neck and jaw relaxed.
• Stay here for 2-3 breaths or as desired.
• Exhale to hinge at the hips and return to neutral.
• Repeat 2-4 times or as desired.

Optional Variation- You may choose to inhale as you raise one knee up and exhale as you lower. Repeat on the other side. Repeat 2-3 times or as desired.

Want More?

If you are interested in following along to a short chair yoga video, take a look here: Chair Yoga For Solar Plexus Chakra: Fire Up The Core

If you are following the Chakra series, you can continue with the Heart Chakra

You may be interested in the 21 Day Mindfulness Challenge for 21 days of simple activities to help us feel more present in our daily life.

If you are looking for some motivation in life or your yoga practice, you may enjoy Yoga For Motivation.

You may be interested in visiting the Etsy shop for health and wellness related printable pages: The Peaceful Chair Etsy Shop!

Finally, I invite you to sign up for the Monthly Email Newsletter to stay up to date on the latest blog posts and videos.

Namaste!

Disclaimer: The Peaceful Chair and thepeacefulchair.com strongly recommends that you consult with your physician before starting this or any exercise program.The information provided on this website is for informational purposes only and is not to be used in place of medical advice or information from your healthcare provider. Neither The Peaceful Chair, thepeacefulchair.com, nor any of its contributors shall be held liable for any improper or incorrect use of the information described and/or contained herein and assumes no responsibility for anyone’s use of the information contained in any links, videos, or any content on this website.