Unblock your manipura chakra with this Yin Yoga sequence

Yin yoga is a contemplative practice that is meant to target the deep connective tissues of your body.

Yang yoga is what you would call a flow practice such as Vinyasa. It focuses on strengthening your muscles.

Yin yoga focuses on the deeper systems of the body and harnessing your Qi— or energy— that runs through your body. This belief stems from Taoist (Chinese) principles and philosophies. You may know Prana as energy as well. This is from the Buddhist philosophy. The word Pranayama means “life force” in Sanskrit.

When you practice yin, poses are held for 3-5 minutes at a time while using your ujjayi breath to deepen the stretch. The theory is that by holding the asanas, your energy will begin to flow more freely as you are opening up deeper, more closely knit areas of the body. This is where chakras come in. Chakras are places of energy located at certain places in your body.

Energy is LIfe

Whether you believe in chakras or not, it’s undeniable that everything is energy and you are part of everything so you are energy. It is believed that the body has seven chakras — or wheels/discs— of energy located in specific locations.

Chakras hold your body’s energy— which includes your thoughts, feelings, experiences and emotions— and when one or more chakras are out of balance or blocked, you will not feel like yourself. For example, you may feel like your world is unstable if your root chakra is blocked or unable to speak freely if your throat chakra—or Vishuddha chakra— is blocked.

Making sure that your mind, body and soul are flowing in tandem is critical to presenting your whole and best self to the world. When you aren’t feeling like you, there’s likely a chakra that’s blocked. These blockages manifest themselves not only emotionally but also physically. A stomachache or headache can actually be due to your energy being stopped up in the X chakra

Unblock your Solar Plexus or Manipura Chakra

I created this yin sequence to help unblock the Manipura chakra.

The Manipura chakra — or the Solar Plexus chakra— is your third chakra. Here are some characteristics of the Manipura chakra and what this chakra is responsible for in your emotional and physical life.

Location: Above your belly button, about four stacked finger widths.

Responsible for: Feelings of self confidence and when it’s unblocked, you will feel a balance between spiritual and physical spaces.

Color: Yellow

Element: Fire

Crystals: Yellow topaz, tiger’s eye, yellow citrine, amber, calcite

Glands: Pancreas and adrenal

Outward physical dysfunctions (if blocked): liver or adrenal issues, gastric ulcers, indigestion or intestinal problems, diabetes, fatigue

Emotional dysfunctions (if blocked): If the Manipura chakra is blocked, you may feel angry, aggressive or destructive. You may feel fearful, afraid to make decisions, cannot handle criticism, or be able to trust.

Tips on Practicing This Yin Sequence

The asanas I chose will help to open the Manipura chakra. Be sure to move slowly through the asanas while breathing deeply in through the nose and out through the top of your throat and finally out of your mouth harnessing your Pranayama.

These asanas will also help aid in digestion. The binding, holding and then releasing of the intestines and stomach allow the energy to move through these areas, freeing up any discomfort you may have been experiencing.

Manipura Chakra Spotify Playlist

You can also open the Spotify playlist here

50-Minute Yin Yoga for your Manipura Chakra

For a printable version of this sequence, click here

BBD (Breath, Bandhas, Drishti)

Tadasana

Shoulder Roll

Forward Fold / Uttanasana

Table

Cat/Cow

Toe Stretch

Shin Stretch

Seated Staff / Dandasana

Seated Forward Fold / Paschimottanasana

Butterfly

½ Butterfly / Baddha Konasana

Left

Head-to-Knee Forward Bend /Janu Sirsasana

Middle

Left

(Bind with ½ bound lotus forward fold - Ardha Baddha Padma Paschimottanasana)

Arm stretch

Windshield Wiper

Spinal Twist / Supta Matsyendrasana

Seated Staff / Dandasana

Seated Forward Fold / Paschimottanasana

Butterfly

½ Butterfly

Right

Head-to-Knee Forward Bend /Janu Sirsasana

Middle

Right

(Bind with ½ bound lotus forward fold / Ardha Baddha Padma Paschimottanasana)

Arm Stretch

Windshield Wiper

Spinal Twist / Supta Matsyendrasana

Table / Bharmanasana

Saddle Pose / Supta Virasana

-Seal Flow X 3-

Child’s

Table / Bharmanasana

Seal or Up dog

Broken wing x 2

Child’s

-Move to back-

Supine Twist

Happy Baby

Savasana

Closing meditation
The lightness and darkness in me

Loves, honors and respects

The lightness and darkness in you

Namaste

50-Minute Yin Yoga for Your Manipura Chakra