Manipura comes from Sanskrit, where “Mani” means jewel, “pura” means city. It translates as a jewel city.
The third chakra, the fire chakra, is located in the solar plexus, the part of the abdomen that is located between the diaphragm and the navel. It is connected to the digestive system and digestion, which "devours" food just as fire devours everything in its path.
If the first chakra is connected to stability and the second to flow, the third chakra is that of the union of these two elements, i.e. light, energy, heat and when it is well balanced we feel energetic, confident , strong and masters of ourselves. We are not afraid of other people's judgments and we know how to always rise to the occasion and we have no difficulty managing ourselves and our emotions.
When the third chakra is not in balance we can notice the presence of many negative symptoms, both on a physical and mental level. Insecurity, low self-esteem, introversion and a strong sense of inadequacy in all situations can arise. Sometimes arrogance, aggression, too much self-confidence, the constant search for power and the need to self-celebrate serve to hide one's defeats and insecurities.
On a physical level, the imbalance manifests itself in problems such as liver disorders, nausea, ulcers, gastritis, digestion difficulties and celiac disease.
To rebalance Manipura chakra you can practice all positions that involve the abdomen, such as Navasana, the boat position, or Parivrtta Trikonasana, the rotated triangle position. It is important to do breathing exercises and, at the same time, work on our posture to strengthen the abdominal muscles that support this most vulnerable part of the body.