Solar Plexus Yoga: 5 Poses for Personal Power

Five gentle poses can support your sense of personal power: Mountain, Warrior II, a seated twist, Half Boat and Sphinx. I pair each one with two of the ten solar plexus chakra petals of Manipura, so every pose becomes a short reflection on confidence, will and self-respect rather than a workout.

I share this sequence with readers everywhere, and many of the people who practise it with me online are in Abu Dhabi, fitting ten quiet minutes in before work or after the school run.

Why Manipura Is Linked With Personal Power

Manipura is the third of the seven chakras. Its name is often translated as "city of jewels", and in the yogic tradition it sits just above the navel, around the area we call the solar plexus. Its element is fire and its colour is usually shown as yellow.

In my books and workshops I describe Manipura as the place where intention turns into action. When this centre feels steady, people tend to describe themselves as decisive, warm and able to say yes or no without a long internal argument. When it feels scattered, the same people talk about second-guessing, people-pleasing or burning out from pushing too hard.

None of this is a prediction or a fixed rule. It is a language, a way of noticing patterns in your own day so you can choose your next step with more awareness.

The 10 Solar Plexus Chakra Petals at a Glance

Traditional texts draw Manipura as a lotus with ten petals. Each petal carries a Sanskrit seed sound, and many teachers also link the petals to ten tendencies of the mind that this centre invites us to see clearly. I use them as reflection prompts:

1. Spiritual forgetfulness – losing touch with what truly matters to you.
2. Thirst – the restless wanting of more.
3. Jealousy – measuring your worth against someone else's.
4. Betrayal – including the quiet ways we betray our own values.
5. Shame – feeling that you are not enough.
6. Fear – holding back before you have even tried.
7. Disgust – rejecting people or parts of yourself.
8. Delusion – telling yourself a story that is not quite true.
9. Foolishness – acting without thinking.
10. Sadness – a heaviness that dims your inner fire.

The petals are not a list of faults. They are the places where your fire can either be smothered or steadily tended. Below, each pose is matched with two petals, so by the end of the sequence you have touched all ten.

Before You Begin: A Gentle Approach

This is a calm, beginner-friendly practice. Please keep it soft and comfortable:

• Practise on an empty or light stomach, ideally in the morning.
• Move slowly and never force a stretch. Comfort matters more than shape.
• If you have any physical concern or are pregnant, check with your doctor or a qualified yoga teacher first and adapt or skip any pose.
• Keep a notebook nearby. A single line after each pose is enough.

Breathe in and out through the nose. Let each pose last for five to eight easy breaths.

Poses 1 and 2: Standing in Your Own Fire

1. Mountain Pose (Tadasana) – Petals of Forgetfulness and Thirst

Stand with your feet hip-width apart, weight even through both feet. Rest one palm just above your navel and the other over it. Feel the gentle rise and fall of your belly as you breathe.

As you stand, ask yourself: What matters most to me this week? This speaks to the petal of forgetfulness. Then ask: What am I chasing that I do not actually need? That is the petal of thirst. Mountain pose reminds you that steadiness comes before speed.

2. Warrior II (Virabhadrasana II) – Petals of Jealousy and Betrayal

Step your feet wide, turn your right foot out and bend the right knee only as far as feels easy. Stretch your arms out at shoulder height and look over the front hand. Keep your torso tall, lower belly lightly engaged.

Warrior II asks you to look forward along your own path. If you notice comparison creeping in, that is the petal of jealousy, gently bring your gaze back to your own fingertips. Then ask: Where have I said yes when my values said no? That honest question is the petal of betrayal. Repeat on the left side.

Poses 3 and 4: Turning and Lifting the Centre

3. Seated Spinal Twist (Ardha Matsyendrasana, Simple Version) – Petals of Shame and Fear

Sit with your legs extended. Bend your right knee and place the right foot on the floor outside the left leg, or keep both legs crossed if that is more comfortable. Inhale to lengthen your spine, exhale to turn gently towards the right, hand resting behind you.

Twists invite us to look at what sits behind us. As you turn, let a moment of shame surface without judging it, then let the exhale soften it. On the next breath, name one small action you have been avoiding out of fear. Return to centre and twist to the other side.

4. Half Boat Pose (Ardha Navasana, Knees Bent) – Petals of Disgust and Delusion

Sit with your knees bent and feet on the floor. Hold the backs of your thighs, lean back slightly with a long spine, and, only if it feels easy, lift your feet a few centimetres. Keep your toes down if you prefer. You will feel the centre of the body wake up.

This is the pose where people often want to quit. Notice any inner voice that rejects your own effort, that is the petal of disgust, and offer yourself kinder words instead. Then check for delusion: Am I telling myself I am weak, or simply new to this? Lower your feet and rest.

Pose 5: Sphinx and a Quiet Close

5. Sphinx Pose (Salamba Bhujangasana) – Petals of Foolishness and Sadness

Lie on your front with your elbows under your shoulders and forearms on the mat. Press lightly through the forearms and let the chest open forward. Keep the back of the neck long and the belly soft against the floor.

Sphinx is a pose of calm attention. Let it slow down any urge to rush, the petal of foolishness, and ask: What would a wise next step look like? Then notice any heaviness in your heart, the petal of sadness, and imagine a small, warm yellow light at your solar plexus gently brightening with each breath.

Lower down, turn your head to one side and rest for a few breaths. Finish seated or lying on your back with both hands above your navel for one minute of stillness.

Bringing the Practice Into Daily Life

Personal power is rarely about grand gestures. In my experience it grows from small, repeated choices. A few ideas to carry the sequence beyond the mat:

• Pick one petal a day. Read its word in the morning and notice where it appears in your conversations and decisions.
• Use yellow as a cue. A yellow notebook, a cushion or a candle can remind you to pause and breathe into your centre.
• Keep promises to yourself. Ten minutes of practice, done when you said you would, is itself a solar plexus practice.
• Write one line. After each session, note which petal felt loudest. Over a month you will see your own patterns clearly.

Hold this as a gentle routine for reflection and wellbeing, not a test you can pass or fail. Some days the fire will feel bright and some days it will feel low, and both are part of the practice.

Dr S Pujah works with people in Abu Dhabi, the wider GCC and Singapore online, and meets clients in person in Dubai.

If you would like to go deeper into Manipura and the other six centres, my books walk through each chakra, its petals and simple daily practices. Your next step is to explore Dr Pujah's chakra books and find the one that suits you.