Unbalanced: Manipura

Name:
The literal translation of manipura is "city of precious stones" or "city of the sun." In English, manipura is translated as the "navel solar plexus chakra."

Associations/Characteristics:  identity, self-esteem, "power-center" of the body, inner drive, digestion, metabolic systems, processing of energy, assertion of personal power, risk taking, following gut instincts, making decisions
 

Basic Information:

Color	Element	Location	Foods	Flower Essence	Gemstones and Crystals	Essential Oils
Golden yellow	Fire	Abdomen	Complex carbohydrates (e.g. whole grains)	Chamomile, goldenrod, pink yarrow	Citrine, jasper, topaz	Black pepper, ginger, peppermint

This is a meditative manipura video that walks you through an interesting visualization session, though the narrator's voice is a little irksome:

Unbalanced Physical/Emotional Issues:

Physical	Emotional
Digestive problems	Low self-esteem
Food allergies	Feelings of uncertainty
Diabetes	Tendency towards perfectionism
Ulcers	Fear of rejection
Liver problems	Indecisiveness
Arthritis	Resentment

This is a helpful pose teaching Virabhadrasana I; all the warrior poses are very beneficial for the manipura chakra:

 

Balanced physical/emotional issues:

Physical	Emotional
Physically energetic	Ability to see tasks through to completion
Feelings of vitality	Ability to trust one's instincts
Flexibility	Strong sense of identity and self respect
Regular blood pressure	Willingness to persevere

This is a combination meditative and informative video with different facts about the chakra and an exotic, pulsating sound track:

Yantra Symbol:

Manipura is represented by a downward pointing red triangle, the fire region, within a bright yellow circle, with 10 dark-blue or black petals, like heavily laden rain clouds.

Personal Reflection:
I chose manipura as my unbalanced chakra because I exhibit many of the "unbalanced physical/emotional issues" associated with this chakra. In fact, almost every one of the emotional issues listed in the above table are to a certain degree evident in my life. I suppose the primary problem- which in turn causes things like feelings of uncertainty and rejection, indecisiveness, etc- is my tendency towards perfectionism. I've long been aware of my habit of setting almost unrealistic standards for myself, which tend to generate frustration and stress. However, especially at such a competitive and intense environment like Punahou, this habit has been proving difficult to break. I need to embrace the fact that there really is no such thing as perfection; I should strive for excellence and not the fictitious "perfection" imagined by society.

This the 3rd movement of Beethoven's "Moonlight Sonata," which to me is the embodiment of fire and vitality.

References:

1. http://books.google.com/books?id=Yxto0VWMh-4C&pg=PT38&lpg=PT38&dq=manipura+chakra+deck&source=bl&ots=7dOp-icRZW&sig=SRpxHcn_UK6N__qoZaeup7EoIgU&hl=en&sa=X&ei=_mOTT77nKOWIiAKH9qgu&ved=0CCwQ6AEwAA#v=onepage&q&f=false

2. http://www.soul-guidance.com/houseofthesun/chakras.htm#Manipura,%20or%20Navel%20Chakra

3. http://theresaann.hubpages.com/hub/manipura-the-navel-chakra

4. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manipura
5. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bxt1RBMJRwg&feature=related 
6. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ot0eq3O86_g
7. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5qCAgBduhKg
8. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oqSulR9Fymg