Workshop Review 5 - Manipura(Navel) Chakra

Our ‘lustrous gem’, the centre of our sun energy, Manipura is the powerhouse of our body , associated with digestion, assimilation and the projection of our will , determination and commitment . It is the fire in our belly. Manipura energy  also determines how we present  ourselves to the world .

In this workshop we practiced a set to build our resilience and confidence and read   and wrote texts which convey messages of strength and purpose and bravery.

There are 2 sides to the power of Manipura Chakra, commitment and anger. Often we have a double dose where we are committed to our anger (Is that how wars start and continue?)

At the beginning of the session I asked everyone to consider the question What constitutes courage in writing ? and also

How  might we find particular ways to express truths which may not be easy to share?

In the session we looked at 2 pieces by Maya Angelou the writer, teacher performer , activist. She was Manipura personified, someone who was able to hold her righteous anger and her commitment to humanity in balance to produce wonderful and thoughtful poems, songs and prose.

We listened to the YouTube recording Maya Angelou performing her inspiring poem Still I Rise

This recording was made at Lewisham Theatre in 1987. I was there!

Here is a link to a printed copy -Still I Rise text

We also read a section from Maya's autobiography ' I know why the Caged Bird Sings' It describes her determination to work as a conductor on the San Francisco Street Cars despite the racism which excluded Black people from such jobs.

Angelou was a woman of extraordinary bravery and resilience and her personal and political activism as seen through her writing continues to be an inspiration to many.

As a contrast we read a short story by Grace Paley entitled Wants. Grace Paley, also from the US , a similar generation to Maya Angelou but her background as the daughter of Russian Jewish immigrants , brought up in the Bronx area of New York ,produced a very different approach to the question of bravery in writing . Paley writes about the small courageous actions necessary in everyday life , important for ourselves and for those we spend time with.

We began the workshop with a brief Manipura relaxation /visualisation ,some warm up exercises and then practiced a full Kundalini Kriya to Release the Navel Energy. A short meditation followed and then people were ready to read and write. We drank Vanilla Chai, ate cacao protein balls, date and banana flapjacks and used writing prompts to help the creative juices to flow. We were also able to share our writing .

Julian contributed this piece which is both humorous and profound . As someone who has spent his life working on computer , he relishes the chance to handwrite creative pieces.And research shows that we can be so much more free when use our bodies toto shape language rather than just our fingertips!