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Welcome to Roots of the Rise with me , sarah Hope . Today we continue our exploration of the chakras , moving on to the third chakra where our programming related to personal power and confidence resides . Third chakra where our programming related to personal power and confidence resides . If you've ever struggled with low self-esteem , shame or finding the will to make changes in your life , keep listening . Here we are week three of our chakra exploration . Reminder , you might want to go back to episode 42 , where I gave an overview of the whole system , and possibly catch up on chakra one and two before you listen to today . I'll link all those episodes in the show notes . But , like I said , today we're moving on to the third . I'm not sure I have ever met a person who didn't have some sort of third chakra issue , whether it was low self esteem , lacking the energy or power to create change in their world , feeling deep shame or staying small for fear of stepping into their true power . Third chakra issues are pretty prevalent . Reminder here that , while I will mention some of the energetic aspects of the chakra , you don't have to fully commit to recognizing , believing in energetic anatomy in order for this episode to be useful If you are currently struggling or have had problems in the past with any of the issues I've already mentioned . Well , you're talking about your third chakra programming , so you may as well listen on and see what you get from the discussion .

Third Chakra Basics

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Let's start with some basics .

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The Sanskrit name for the third chakra is Manipura , meaning city of jewels or lustrous gem . Apologies if I didn't pronounce that correctly . I do my best with Sanskrit . It's located at the solar plexus , in the upper abdomen , just above the navel and below the sternum , nestled in the space between the lower edges of the ribcage . This is typically represented by the color yellow and is associated with the element of fire . It's the seat of your inner flame , the part of you that says yes , I can . If you've ever felt butterflies in your stomach before doing something new or scary , you've experienced the meeting point , the interface between the different layers of consciousness , the emotion of nervousness expressing itself as a physical sensation in the center of self-esteem and personal will , the energy of the third chakra . It is through our will that we liberate ourselves from fixed patterns and create new behaviors . Will is what steers us away from the path of least resistance , from addictive habits , from the expectations of others , and closer to who we truly are , to our truly aligned self . This is why the initial task of the third chakra is to overcome inertia .

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Developmentally , this begins between 18 months and extends till around four years old . This is the phase when we learn autonomy . It's the terrible twos , or the terrifying threes , or the three major why ? Because this is when we start to really assert ourselves with our language , our actions , our choices . If we developed strong enough attachment during the second chakra phase because , remember , all of the chakras are connected , they're not these standalone entities Our programming doesn't only exist in a bubble , like our sense of self-esteem . Well , that's going to impact how we show up in our relationships , our ability to speak for ourselves . If we are insecure , if we have a foundation of instability , well , that's going to make it very difficult for us to even feel secure enough to act out right . So you know , if during that foundational first and second chakra phase , if we had enough support and reassurance as we reached for the things that gave us pleasure and we're allowed to retreat from the things that scared or upset us , well then , as we moved into the third chakra development , we had enough inner security to begin experimenting with our own volition .

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This is also the time when we start to understand cause and effect . If I eat dinner , I get dessert . The ego begins to take shape . The sense of a separate self truly awakens to take shape . The sense of a separate self truly awakens In the first and second chakras . The child's experience is largely unconscious and merged with that of the primary caregiver , especially the mother . But in the third chakra the process of individuation begins . We start to orient towards self-definition rather than being defined by others . It's about daring to be unique , about stating what we want , even if it means risking disapproval for the sake of our own truth .

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Of course , we're talking about a three-year-old here , so this shows up in simple ways . I want the blue plate , not the red one . I like peas . I don't like green beans . We used to call my son the green bean machine because he loved them so much until one day he decided he didn't like them anymore and went on a complete strike . No amount of reminding him but you love green beans made a difference . Honestly , it only seemed to make him dig his heels in deeper , and I truly believe that this was just because he wanted to express

Autonomy, Boundaries, and Inner Trust

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his own inner authority . He wanted to be able to say no to something , and that's okay , it was right on time , with him developing this own inner authority . I would rather he learn now that it's okay to say no to green beans than later find that he has trouble saying no when he's getting peer pressured by his friends to do something that might be really dangerous

Worthiness

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This chakra is also where we begin to know deep down I am worthy . The third chakra is about our right to act , the right to be free to develop this inner authority and to not question our worth when that right is restricted . And to not question our worth when that right is restricted . When we're told no , you can't go there , you can't do that , this is off limits , our will and vitality start to shrink . Why keep trying ? When you're always told no , no-transcript . Now , of course , this doesn't mean we never say no . Boundaries are essential . We need to keep our children safe and protect them from truly dangerous situations .

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But from my own experience , I found it really challenging in the beginning to let my son explore freely . There was this innate habit to just say no , especially when what he wanted to do pushed against my own comfort or made more work for me , like watching him explore in a playground and do things that I knew might scrape him up a bit but not really hurt him Like splashing in puddles one of the essential joys of childhood but also a fast track to extra laundry and mud everywhere . I had to have a lot of inner dialogue in those moments , continuously asking myself do I really need to say no right now ? Is this about his safety or is this just about my comfort ? Can I modify this in a way that still lets him explore without driving me absolutely insane ? Like , for example , sensory bins ? They're banned in my house . I just could not handle things like sand going everywhere , but outside , absolutely . I got him a sand table he could play to his heart's content . I had to modify it in order to make it work for both of us Because ultimately , I want my son to know that it's okay to move toward what brings him joy .

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That's a core Montessori principle Follow the child , follow the child , but also be their leader , which means you still get to make changes , you still get to have input . We want to recognize that our motivation to move and act often comes from a simple place pleasure or pain . This feels good , this feels bad . That's the second chakra programming . As we move into the third chakra , it goes one step further . We start to assert how we feel about things and we need the ability to act on those feelings fully . Now , if our sense of autonomy wasn't completely shut down in the earlier period the six months to two years , you know ? Second chakra , developmental time we're in a good position here . Quick reminder we always have all our chakras . They can be impacted at any point in life . It's just that at certain ages specific chakras are undergoing more active development , kind of like how sometimes our bodies are growing like crazy and sometimes it's our language that's exploding . Okay , so let's look at an example of how autonomy can get shut down in childhood .

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Imagine a sensitive little kid who really isn't a big fan of physical touch . Totally normal . Some kids are cuddlers , some aren't . And this child starts to express that they don't want to hug every single relative at family gatherings . Maybe there's even one relative in particular who makes them feel really uncomfortable If the parent forces them to hug anyway , tells them they have to override their inner . No , they can learn that they're supposed to just go along with what's expected , even if it makes them uncomfortable . Now , of course , there are lots of kids who grew up having to hug everyone and are completely fine . It doesn't automatically cause damage . But for some children , especially sensitive ones , this can really undermine their ability to trust that own inner authority . This is why it can be helpful to offer kids alternatives .

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There's a great children's book called Can I Give you a Squitch ? I'll link it below . It's about a little mer-boy who tries to give a pufferfish a hug and the pufferfish puffs up because it doesn't like being hugged . So the mer-boy has to learn how the pufferfish wants to say hello . This is like a really important lesson . Not everyone wants a hug . Sometimes a fist bump or a high five is a perfectly good way for a kid to honor both themselves and others and to start building trust with their own inner compass .

Signs of a Balanced Third

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If all goes as best it can , when the third chakra is strong and balanced , we feel confident , responsible , self-assured , we trust ourselves , we speak up for ourselves , and we'll actually talk more about that connection when we get to the fifth chakra , the throat chakra , in a couple of weeks . But with the healthy third there's also appropriate self-discipline . There's a natural warmth , a playfulness , a sense of humor . But when

Signs of an Unbalanced Third

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the third chakra isn't functioning well , we tend to see the opposite Low energy , sometimes leading to an attraction to stimulants , weak will and a tendency to become easily manipulated or passive . There's often poor self-discipline , a lack of follow-through , unreliability , and the root of it all is this low self-esteem , a lack of power . We can end up thinking our worth comes from what we do rather than who we are , instead of knowing we're valuable simply because we exist .

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We chase achievement , which can show up as workaholism , over-competitiveness , stubbornness , arrogance , and sometimes the people who seem the most egotistical on the outside are actually the ones struggling with the lowest opinions of themselves on the inside . I was a perfect example of this . I was voted most egotistical in high school , and while it might have seemed like I was full of myself , the reality was quite the opposite . I felt wholly unworthy inside . That outward confidence was just a mask . It was a defense mechanism designed to hide how deeply insecure I was . I don't blame anyone for thinking that I was full of myself . There are plenty of reasons why they did it , just wasn't true .

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Another common sign of struggling third chakra is blame , pointing the finger outward , making everything someone else's fault . But here's the hard truth Only when we take personal responsibility can we really create change . If it's someone else's fault , then we're stuck waiting for them to change , and we could very well be waiting forever . Now what makes all of this worse ?

Shame: The Third Chakra's Demon

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Shame . Shame is the demon of the third chakra . It's devastating to the third . It undermines our self-esteem , our personal power and joy . Instead of energy rising and expanding outward , it collapses inward . This is actually what I usually see . Is this downward spiral , like a vortex of energy just draining away into nothing .

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When something we do is met with shame and disapproval , it diminishes our sense of power . We begin to distrust ourselves and fear the consequences of expressing our own energy . Without basic self-trust , facing the unknown becomes terrifying . Without basic self-trust , facing the unknown becomes terrifying . A healthy ego understands it's okay to make mistakes , but a shame-bound ego doesn't leave any room for error . And when there's no room to make mistakes , growth is severely restricted . To avoid feeling shame again , we inhibit our impulses , we become constricted self-conscious . When it feels catastrophic to be wrong , we stop making choices , stop taking risks and the development of the unique individual person who is meant to come out into this world gets stifled . We lose spontaneity , we lose playfulness , we don't trust our basic impulses and instead we live in this constant self-monitoring loop , afraid of what might happen if we were to truly express ourselves , we'll be diving deeper into shame later this week . So for now I'm just going to leave it there .

Healing Strategies and Resources

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So let's talk about some healing strategies . It comes a little bit in twofold you need to work on internal management of energy within the body because , remember , this is the fire element , so this is our will , which sometimes can be kind of overly explosive or it can be deficient we can have not enough of it right . And the external expression of that energy out into the world , because this is also how we show up out in the world for ourselves . So the things that can help with this core work , like yoga or Pilates , because it emphasizes a strong core . That's where the third chakra is housed . When we feel strong in our core , we feel strong in how we express ourselves . Strong in our core , we feel strong in how we express ourselves .

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Meditation always , because meditation affects all layers of consciousness . It helps clear the channels , it helps get us closer to you know who we truly are . So meditation is key . Breaking inertia remember that's the original kind of purpose of this chakra is to overcome inertia . So doing something different , choosing a challenge Jogging actually is perhaps one of the best overall toners for overcoming inertia .

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Avoid invalidation . So like don't spend time with people who demean you . Spend time with people who build you up , who celebrate you mean you spend time with people who build you up , who celebrate you , learning how to love yourself simply for who you are , not for what you do . This is so important with the third chakra . If you are someone who constantly finds yourself trying to prove your worth by doing more and more and more and more , then learning how to simply love yourself for your essence , not for your accomplishments , is key .

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Self-acceptance Often working with anger can be really important because it has to do with that fiery , assertive energy . So being able to recognize anger , whether you're feeling it and not expressing it or expressing it in a really explosive and destructive way , working with it , acknowledging your relationship with it Blocked power is very often blocked anger Working with shame . Of course , you know it's important to recognize the critical voices in your head and to ask you know well , whose voice is it really ? And then learning how to turn the volume down on that voice and turn the volume up on your own inner voice . One of the suggestions I've read I wish I could tell you where , but I don't remember is that you know everyone needs someone in their life that they can unabashedly brag to , someone they can go to and say , let me tell you about this awesome thing that I did , and it made me think about you know , what does it mean , then , if even the thought of doing that makes you uncomfortable , if even the thought of telling someone about something really wonderful that you've done makes you cringe ? It also made me think . You know , how do you make your kids feel good about the successes they have ? You know , you let them tell you about them , you let them brag to you about them and have that come from a place of them being able to explain to you every step of the way how they accomplished it , and to then , as the parent , not just write it off , not just be like oh yeah , that's great , but to actually be able to say to them look what you did , you did that and how important that piece is .

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There's a great book called Parents Speak what's Wrong With how we Talk To Our Children and what To Say Instead . It really helped me rethink the way I talk to my kiddo and gave me a deeper understanding of why so much of the way my parents spoke to me ended up doing more harm than good . So even if you're past the raising kid stage , you might still find it interesting . I'll link it below . That wraps up our introductory exploration of the third chakra .

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Remember , this is just a primer . There's so much more to uncover about this energy center or about your programming related to self-esteem , power , shame , confidence . If you're eager to dive deeper , I've linked some resources in the show notes for you to explore more . If you have any questions , reflections or just want to share your thoughts , feel free to reach out . I love hearing from you . If you're listening on Spotify , you can click the message me button or you can always send an email to rootsoftherise at gmailcom . And don't forget to follow or subscribe to the podcast so you never miss an episode . For the rest of this week , we'll be diving into what I mean when I say this at the end of every episode Know who you are , love who you've been and be willing to do the work to become who you want to be .