The Seat of Connection
Image by C. Rogers
The Seat of Connection comprises the Heart and Solar Plexus energy centers. These two points and their associated subtle structures encompass the lion’s share of our connection to ourselves and others. They are critical to how we engage with others, build relationships, maintain them, and the direction of our lives. This Seat of power requires cultivation and benefits us in how we tune into the rhythm of our soul, coming to understand what it is we need and where we wish to go.
The Gate of Empathy
The Heart is a powerful and ancient symbol of humanity. From love and romance to the beating pulse of life, the Heart stands as the center of emotion within our bodies. Phrases such as: feeling heartbroken, taking heart, wearing your heart on your sleeve, having a change of heart, and crossing your heart and hope to die idioms are commonly used, often referring to shared experiences around love, courage, honesty, change, and trust. These idioms also show the diversity of emotions and experiences we attribute to our hearts. We understand it is a potent element of the human story, but how did it come to be? How is it that the symbol of the heart wove its way so intrinsically into our culture that it spread out globally, crossing cultural lines?
Photo by Cathal Mac and B. Heatha
The simple answer is every human has a heart. It beats and we live. Outside of moving precious blood around to oxygenate our bodies, the importance of this organ lies next to an energy center that reflects the same gravitas. The heart energy center is the center of emotion and empathy, is potent and is often one of the brightest energy centers in the subtle anatomy. It moves emotional energies around, assisting the circulation of the energy body with profound influence. It is also how we connect to those around us. It is then an energy center of exchange, flow, and movement. Never static, never still, this energy center tunes into the emotional pathways all around us. Conversations with loved ones and family draw in energy and express energy. The heart is sensitive to these flows, understanding intuitively the impacts of giving and receiving energy.
Photo by Toa Heftiba
Our Heart energy center is often located in the chest, just behind the sternum. However, it can ride high, low, or press to be more towards the front or the back depending on influences such as feeling emotionally open or closed. There are several ways that our heart’s energy impacts our subtle system. It can impact the Solar Plexus or Throat energy centers, instigating changes in our direction in life and how we communicate, or how we choose to connect with others. There are also different types of Heart energy centers, each performing unique and various tasks in different ways. Some individuals excel in producing ample energy for their system and others, are capable of holding space and giving nurture when required. Other Hearts develop with a keener connection to self, capable of precipitating the appropriate flow within the experience of self. These are only two of several examples, but each changes the experience of life and living.
The Gate of the Self
Photo by Ivan Stern
Whenever you are asked to close your eyes and bring your attention to the center of yourself, where is it? Frequently, our attention can be drawn somewhere to our torso. For many, this area tends to be around the Solar Plexus, or the Gate of the Self. The idea of Self is a foundational part of us and what some scientists use as one point in the metric of determining comparative cognition between animals and humans. While this study is often focused on the brain, energetically the Self is at the core of us.
Our Solar Plexus is the point at which our subtle anatomy condenses our most authentic energy. It is our direction and our purpose. Nestled often in the center of the torso, above the naval, and behind the stomach, it is the point that all the energy centers above and below connect to. It is the fulcrum of the subtle form, a point from which the centers spread out upon incarnating in the body and the end to which we condense at death. This energy center carries the immortal spark of our soul. What happens after death varies depending on your belief, creed, or religion. In my observation, the subtle anatomy condenses here and moves through the Seat of Divinity, folding in on itself to transit elsewhere.
Photo by Markus Spiske
The Gate of the Self is us. All of who we are. It drives us towards our goals and missions in life. It can be influenced by our Heart and the connections to those we love. It can also be influenced by our Sacral energy center, a place full of vigor and love of life and living. When we live true to our authenticity, the Solar Plexus energy center thrives. When we hold back, we can cause barriers and splits of that energy center, causing portions of our identity and self to retract. Often when I do readings, the results of individuals who struggle with this are apparent. Splits and isolation of this energy center can cause one’s path in life to feel murky. I find mindfulness practices, meditation, and a balanced approach to Self are excellent ways to begin healing the subtle anatomy of the Solar Plexus. When an individual’s primary point of power is the center of self, their lives often are more fulfilled. They still experience all the bumps, twists, and turns of life and living, but there is a trust in the self that allows forward growth and development, even when faced with hardships and challenges.