The navel and solar plexus area of the body is where incoming and outgoing energies flow in a rhythm provided by even breathing.
Depending on the level of an individual’s sensitivity, this area is the first to tense up when the body feels physical, mental or emotional pressure.
In terms of chakra centres, prolonged tension in that area inhibits healthy energy exchange with the environment. A dense shield, as it were, will neither receive nor spread positive vibrations. The person may be starved of ‘Keif’ moments – that sense of uplift. See my post on Keif.
While practicing psychotherapy, I would sometimes offer specially sensitive clients imaginative measures to shield their navel and solar plexus.
I can’t remember how I came upon the story, but apparently, in some indigenous cultures, young people where encouraged to physically create a shield from materials that appealed to them.
The shield, varying in shape, might, for example, be made of twigs, leaves, animal hides, signs, flowers, an element, a web, a paintings, a mandala, a heirloom, a poem, a prayer or an invocation that holds a blessing … anything the young person chose as a personal coat of arms endowed with protection. The main purpose of this practice was the symbolic meaning given to this object, and its later imaginative use … like …
When feeling under pressure, the person would resort to the image of the previously created shield and in their mind’s eye place it over the vulnerable navel area, shielding their integrity and allowing a little calm space to pause before reacting.
The image of my shield helps me to armour myself in crowded places, from the daily media glut, from the deep sadness in the world, and, not least J from the super irritating ads interrupting you tube videos. So instead of becoming agitated, I may gain a little space to remain calm enough to maintain resonance with my reflective self and my guardian angel.
All that said, my body awareness lapses frequently, and I only notice the tension retained when I ready myself for sleep after a busy day. Then I gently massage my stomach to release and hopefully transcend the blocking energy.
Active imagination is a powerful tool, working invisibly, which is probably why some people, and moreover authoritarian systems, are weary of the imagination.
If you take the time, these are some interesting reads …
Course of Mirrors 