Solar Plexus Breathing
“Waking up is hard to do”—if you don’t know how to do it. Most people do not really wake up in the morning: when they get out of bed, they simply move from a state of deep unconsciousness to a state of partial unconsciousness. The only thing that seems to wake up is the activity of the conscious mind and the physical body (but imperfectly)—and not the true, conscious self or the vibrant power of the body. Thus, most of us pass from one dream state into another and call this “life.”
One way to help empower to our true self in the morning and to be connected to our inherent state of aliveness throughout the day is through the practice of deep, conscious, breathing into the solar plexus area. (One can also breath into the heart in the center of the chest, or the lower belly region, or hara.). This empowerment, however, is not accomplished by simply breathing, which is often shallow, unconscious, and constricted (and limited to the top portion of the lungs)—it is foremost accomplished by consciously “taking in” and “radiating out” one’s pure life-energy through deep, rhythmic breathing into one of the major energy centers of the body. (One does not actually breath into the area, but the center of one’s consciousness is focused on that center as one breathes; thus, this does not bring air into the Solar Plexus or Heart but concentrates one’s conscious energy, or life-force, in that center.) When we consciously breathe into the Solar Plexus region, we enliven the contact between our conscious mind and our subconscious mind; thus we bring harmony, balance, and creative power to our human dimension by creating a conscious link between our life and the All of Life. Breathing into the Heart region opens us to love and a feeling of unity consciousness. Breathing into the Lower Belly Region brings stability and groundedness to our lives.
Quotes on the Solar Plexus and Solar Plexus Breathing
Excerpts from: Just How to Wake the Solar Plexus, Elizabeth Towne, (1902)
There is a real sun center in us, the Solar (or Sun) Plexus. This is a great nerve center situated behind the stomach. When this central Sun, from which all the nerves of the body radiate, is in its normal condition, it steadily radiates a real energy, just as the sun does. This energy vibrates through the nerve highways and by-ways of the body out toward the surface of the body in all directions (the mucous membraneous surface, as well as the outer skin), and is thrown off in a real halo or atmosphere, which always envelopes the body. If this radiation from the Solar Plexus is positive enough, the influence of another person cannot disturb its steady, harmonious vibrations.
And a person who is thus positively radiant wields an immense power for good to those less positive than himself. His presence alone, without a spoken word or even a definitely directed thought, stills the troubled minds with whom he comes in contact.
In all human beings, who have not yet learned the law of being, the Solar Plexus is in a cramped condition that prevents the steady flow of life, or “nerve ether,” to all parts of the body. From this cause comes every disease of the human race—mental, physical or environmental.
In every human being there is a steady radiation of Life, or Love, or Good Will from the Solar Plexus, except when the individual himself interrupts the radiation—when he contracts the Solar Plexus, thus diminishing the outflow, or interrupting it altogether as in death.
There is positively no limit to the amount of life this solar center in the individual is able to generate, and no limit to the rapidity with which it may be generated. (3-4)
The Solar Plexus is the point where life is born— where the Uncreate becomes Create; the unorganized becomes organized; the unconscious becomes conscious; the invisible appears; that which is dimensionless becomes measurable. (5)
All disorders of the human body and brain are due to shutting off the sun's rays before they can reach the solar plexus. The deep and regular breather CANNOT be sick or mentally weak. (12)
Somewhere away down in the animal kingdom we used to know how to breathe. That was before we learned to be scared of God and the devil—not to mention ourselves and other people. But by scare-thinking we developed time habit of half breathing. Half breathing is a habit of the human race. That is, on the male side. The female side lives on quarter breathing; because it has been taught to fear more things than men, and because women are more apt anyway at learning. Women have learned to shrink and lean. (13)
If you have a special pursuit in which you desire success, remember it when you are taking these exercises. Whilst you are inhaling a breath you are negative, receptive; while you are holding the breath you are poised ready; while you are exhaling you are positive, radiant. You are giving out life to your dominion—to all who are less highly developed than yourself, to your environment in general, to your business, to whatsoever you are interested in. Then as you exhale a breath, spread forth your hands and breath life into whatever you desire. You can grow friends, beautiful surroundings, money, loving thoughts, wisdom—anything YOU WILL, by this practice. I don’t care two cents whether you have faith in it or not—just do it and you will find out that what I affirm is true.
The solar plexus is the seat of emotion. By proper exercise of the whole breathing apparatus you may gain such control of the solar plexus that anger, resentment, resistance, blues, discouragement and fear will be as foreign to you as are the awkward motions you used to make when you were first learning to walk or eat. All these unpleasant emotions are due to cramping the solar plexus. The exercises I have just given you will free the plexus and make you “feel good.” Continued practice will establish the habit of “feeling good “—that is, the habit of feeling free. (17-18)
<< Back to Step Five
“Waking up is hard to do”—if you don’t know how to do it. Most people do not really wake up in the morning: when they get out of bed, they simply move from a state of deep unconsciousness to a state of partial unconsciousness. The only thing that seems to wake up is the activity of the conscious mind and the physical body (but imperfectly)—and not the true, conscious self or the vibrant power of the body. Thus, most of us pass from one dream state into another and call this “life.”
One way to help empower to our true self in the morning and to be connected to our inherent state of aliveness throughout the day is through the practice of deep, conscious, breathing into the solar plexus area. (One can also breath into the heart in the center of the chest, or the lower belly region, or hara.). This empowerment, however, is not accomplished by simply breathing, which is often shallow, unconscious, and constricted (and limited to the top portion of the lungs)—it is foremost accomplished by consciously “taking in” and “radiating out” one’s pure life-energy through deep, rhythmic breathing into one of the major energy centers of the body. (One does not actually breath into the area, but the center of one’s consciousness is focused on that center as one breathes; thus, this does not bring air into the Solar Plexus or Heart but concentrates one’s conscious energy, or life-force, in that center.) When we consciously breathe into the Solar Plexus region, we enliven the contact between our conscious mind and our subconscious mind; thus we bring harmony, balance, and creative power to our human dimension by creating a conscious link between our life and the All of Life. Breathing into the Heart region opens us to love and a feeling of unity consciousness. Breathing into the Lower Belly Region brings stability and groundedness to our lives.
Quotes on the Solar Plexus and Solar Plexus Breathing
Excerpts from: Just How to Wake the Solar Plexus, Elizabeth Towne, (1902)
There is a real sun center in us, the Solar (or Sun) Plexus. This is a great nerve center situated behind the stomach. When this central Sun, from which all the nerves of the body radiate, is in its normal condition, it steadily radiates a real energy, just as the sun does. This energy vibrates through the nerve highways and by-ways of the body out toward the surface of the body in all directions (the mucous membraneous surface, as well as the outer skin), and is thrown off in a real halo or atmosphere, which always envelopes the body. If this radiation from the Solar Plexus is positive enough, the influence of another person cannot disturb its steady, harmonious vibrations.
And a person who is thus positively radiant wields an immense power for good to those less positive than himself. His presence alone, without a spoken word or even a definitely directed thought, stills the troubled minds with whom he comes in contact.
In all human beings, who have not yet learned the law of being, the Solar Plexus is in a cramped condition that prevents the steady flow of life, or “nerve ether,” to all parts of the body. From this cause comes every disease of the human race—mental, physical or environmental.
In every human being there is a steady radiation of Life, or Love, or Good Will from the Solar Plexus, except when the individual himself interrupts the radiation—when he contracts the Solar Plexus, thus diminishing the outflow, or interrupting it altogether as in death.
There is positively no limit to the amount of life this solar center in the individual is able to generate, and no limit to the rapidity with which it may be generated. (3-4)
The Solar Plexus is the point where life is born— where the Uncreate becomes Create; the unorganized becomes organized; the unconscious becomes conscious; the invisible appears; that which is dimensionless becomes measurable. (5)
All disorders of the human body and brain are due to shutting off the sun's rays before they can reach the solar plexus. The deep and regular breather CANNOT be sick or mentally weak. (12)
Somewhere away down in the animal kingdom we used to know how to breathe. That was before we learned to be scared of God and the devil—not to mention ourselves and other people. But by scare-thinking we developed time habit of half breathing. Half breathing is a habit of the human race. That is, on the male side. The female side lives on quarter breathing; because it has been taught to fear more things than men, and because women are more apt anyway at learning. Women have learned to shrink and lean. (13)
If you have a special pursuit in which you desire success, remember it when you are taking these exercises. Whilst you are inhaling a breath you are negative, receptive; while you are holding the breath you are poised ready; while you are exhaling you are positive, radiant. You are giving out life to your dominion—to all who are less highly developed than yourself, to your environment in general, to your business, to whatsoever you are interested in. Then as you exhale a breath, spread forth your hands and breath life into whatever you desire. You can grow friends, beautiful surroundings, money, loving thoughts, wisdom—anything YOU WILL, by this practice. I don’t care two cents whether you have faith in it or not—just do it and you will find out that what I affirm is true.
The solar plexus is the seat of emotion. By proper exercise of the whole breathing apparatus you may gain such control of the solar plexus that anger, resentment, resistance, blues, discouragement and fear will be as foreign to you as are the awkward motions you used to make when you were first learning to walk or eat. All these unpleasant emotions are due to cramping the solar plexus. The exercises I have just given you will free the plexus and make you “feel good.” Continued practice will establish the habit of “feeling good “—that is, the habit of feeling free. (17-18)
<< Back to Step Five
