The body is an awe-inspiring systems of interconnected parts. Among this intricate network is the solar plexus, a center of bodily intelligence linked to our emotions and overall well-being.
In this article, I talk about the fascinating functions of the Solar Plexus through the lens of physiology, shedding light on its profound impact on our health. Consider this: the nervous system comes from the solar plexus center. If the nervous system is dysregulated (fight, flight, fawn, freeze) and is trying to keep you safe, this will make it very difficult to connect to and follow your Authority.
The Energetic Function of the Solar Plexus Center
The Solar Plexus Center is a powerful hub of emotional energy and awareness. It allows us to gain a sense of emotional clarity and well-being. This center provides the potent energy needed to drive the human experience. It governs a spectrum of emotions and experiences, from the highest peaks of joy and excitement to the depths of sadness and melancholy.
The Solar Plexus is the only center that’s both an awareness center and a motor, which gives us power to make decisions or take action. We also experience this power through the intensity of our emotions. For example, you can feel deliriously happy or you can just feel happy. You can feel a little sad, or you can feel desperately sad. This fusion of quality and quantity illustrates one of the difficulties in dealing with emotions.
The Solar Plexus is central to the experience of coming to a place of emotional truth, contributing significantly to an individual's overall life journey. It highlights the importance of emotional intelligence and the wisdom that comes from embracing the full range of human emotions.
The Primary Physiological Functions of the Solar Plexus
The Solar Plexus, also known as the celiac plexus in anatomy, is a complex network of nerve fibers and ganglia (clusters of nerve cell bodies) located in the upper abdomen, just behind the stomach. It consists of both sympathetic (fight-or-flight) and parasympathetic (rest & digest) nerve fibers.
Organ Connection and Regulation: The solar plexus is extensively involved in the autonomic nervous system which controls involuntary bodily functions, including heart rate, digestion, and respiratory (breathing) rate. It regulates the function of various abdominal organs, including the stomach (digestive processes), kidneys, pancreas, lungs, intestines, prostate gland, and nervous system. These are the organs the Solar Plexus Center is associated with in the human design chart.
Sympathetic Nervous System Role: The solar plexus is heavily influenced by the sympathetic nervous system, regulating responses related to stress and the fight or flight response. During times of stress or emergency situations, this system will adjust blood flow and involuntary organ function as needed. This happens because the solar plexus acts is translating emotional experiences into physiological sensations and responses.
When you're stressed out, anxious, or afraid, the sympathetic nervous system is activated. These emotions are felt intensely in the solar plexus region, manifesting as physical sensations like "butterflies" in the stomach, gut-wrenching tension, feeling sick to your stomach, loss of appetite, or having the urge to vomit. Digestion slows way down or stops so the body can focus on more immediate survival needs.
This is a great illustration of the profound link between our emotional and physical health. Chronic stress can lead to persistent sympathetic activation, potentially resulting in ongoing digestive issues or heightened anxiety.
Parasympathetic Nervous System Role: The solar plexus receives signals from the parasympathetic nervous system via the vagus nerve, often referred to as the gut-brain axis or the 'secon brain.' This close connection allows for rapid communication between the brain and gut, ensuring digestive functions are active and coordinated with emotional states. Remember, this is the calm state to be in where the body is able to digest easily.
Together, the vagus nerve and solar plexus regulate gastric motility, which is movement of the stomach muscles to mix and move food through the digestive tract. They also control blood flow to the digestive tract and secrete digestive enzymes.
Maintaining a parasympathetic state—especially during meals—is essential for balanced health. If you are having issues digesting your food, I recommend you assess the state your body is in when you eat.
The Nervous System's Impact on Deconditioning and Connecting to Your Authority
Knowing the physiology of the solar plexus helps us understand the profound connection between emotions and physical health.
Your nervous system's response is meant to protect you from danger. It served you a purpose at some point; however, when you're ready to release the conditioning that's holding you back, you must look at your conditioning.
Do you want to release fear, shame, procrastination, and perfectionism?
Look at your definition to see where you are most prone to conditioning. If you are single definition, triple split definition, or have no definition your primary conditioning comes from your undefined centers. These centers are having the biggest impact on your nervous system. If you are split or quadruple split definition, your bridging gates are the greatest source of your conditioning. These gates are having the biggest impact on your nervous system. These are the areas your mind want to take over, and this pulls you away from your physical body's cues. You can say "follow your strategy and authority" all day, but if your nervous system is dysregulated, you must focus on deconditioning in order to help you connect more deeply to your Authority.
Regulation the nervous system is important for showing your body it's safe to bring change.
Nurturing the Solar Plexus: The Key to Balanced Health
Learning about and understanding your Solar Plexus Center in your human design chart can help foster emotional resilience and overall well-being. When this center is balanced, it supports a harmonious experience of joy, excitement, and satisfaction. Conversely, imbalances can lead to feelings of sadness, anxiety, or emotional turbulence.
To maintain a healthy solar plexus, focus on mindful eating, self-talk, managing stress, supporting digestive health through a balanced diet, and incorporating practices such as breathwork, meditation, or yoga.
Self-talk really matters and is a great place to start paying attention to (self-reflected consciousness). Start noticing how you speak to yourself. Instead of saying, "I don't feel good enough so I need to get better." I want you to say, "My mind says I don't feel good enough so I need to get better." Can you feel a difference here? You stop shaming yourself and acknowledge it's your mind shaming you. This creates a distance between what you think you think you are and what you actually are. In addition, by knowing where you're most prone to conditioning, you can investigate where those mental thoughts are coming from. Your thoughts impact your nervous system and emotional state so we can't dismiss how important your thoughts about yourself are with the conditioning process.
Embracing a diet rich in nutrients that support the solar plexus and overall well-being can further enhance our health and vitality. Here are 7 nutrition tips for supporting your nervous system, stress, and calming emotions.
The emotional solar plexus has a massive impact on health and I think it holds the key to unlocking better physical health. Nurturing our solar plexus not only supports our physiological functions but also fosters emotional resilience and mental well-being.
Honor and nurture your solar plexus for better health,
Kelly xo
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